Longtime readers know I love a good kiss-off song. “I Don’t Like You,” the title of Low Roller’s new single, seems prime for the list. It’s not — it’s actually the opposite.
“Sometimes I don’t like you, but I love you anyway,” singer-songwriter Veronica Davila declares. The song recognizes that conflict can be healthy in a relationship — where frustration and devotion aren’t contradictions, just two sides of real commitment. And the acknowledgment goes both ways: “No matter what I do, you’re gonna put up with me too.”
The track’s got bite and twang in equal measure, with the pedal steel cutting through with precision and attitude, locking into a groove built to pull folks onto the dance floor. That same spark carries into Davila’s vocal — she owns every bit of tension in the lyric, delivering both exasperation and devotion, and anyone who’s been in a relationship will recognize the truth in what she’s singing.
Says Davila about the song:
The song came about one night in the studio, as I was riffing over this slow, train beat with the phase pedal cranked up. At the time, I was reflecting on themes of conflict and resolution in my own life. Personally, I’d take a heated confrontation over simmering, unspoken resentments any day. I was coming to terms with the fact that every relationship has its moments of friction, and every partner comes with their own quirks and shortcomings. What really strengthens a relationship, I think, is the willingness to face those realities honestly and work through them together. Those moments are a test of whether there’s still a genuine commitment and unconditional appreciation, even when things aren’t easy.
It’s been a while since I’ve put out music, and my sound has gone a decidedly tougher, blues-ier direction in recent years. I definitely drew sonic inspiration from the groovy twang of ’70s outlaw artists like Waylon Jennings and J.J. Cale, so I had the steel guitar go wild. I just tried to have fun with the production — I liked the idea of it unraveling into a trippy, psychedelic wall of sound, kind of like Charlie Rich’s “Just Dropped In.”
Twangville is honored to premiere “I Don’t Like You” from Low Roller.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.