Purrses Premiere ‘??’ and Dive Into ‘Reality Fantasy’: An Interview About the Album
Brussels-based Purrses is a band that’s hard to pin down, but that’s what makes them stand out.
Led by the magnetic Laura Ruggiero, they blend glam wave, art rock, and punk… Think glam rock meets poppy wave, with a dose of rap-inspired lyricism thrown in for good measure. It’s a mix that feels fun and totally unique.
After releasing a self-produced debut EP and their full analog-recorded second EP ‘Wrong Tide,’ which hit the streets via three Belgian indie labels, the band is gearing up for their highly anticipated debut album, ‘Reality Fantasy.’ Set for release on May 16, 2025, the album will be available on vinyl and digital formats via JauneOrange, Rockerill Records, and Cheap Satanism.
The second single from the album, ‘??’ featuring Naomie Klaus & Aurélie Poppins, is a perfect taste of what’s to come.
The music video for ‘??’ was directed and edited by Brussels-based photographer Hugo Boutry, who’s known for his contemporary digital glitch aesthetic. It features guest spots from two incredible artists—Aurélie Poppins (ex-Cocain Piss) and Naomie Klaus (Teenage Menopause). Filmed in the streets of Anderlecht during the winter, the video takes you on a wild journey through the city, with each character getting their own moment to shine. The intentionally distorted visuals give it that hip-hop video vibe, adding to the track’s urban feel. With big guitars setting the stage, the song brings a dirty, twisted energy that’s as hybrid as the band itself.
Read the interview with Purrses, where they dive deeper into the making of ‘Reality Fantasy’ and the creative process behind their sound.
“The songs all talk about the fakeness of people”
The video for ‘??’ feels like a beautiful mess… It’s distorted, unpredictable… What was the vision behind it? Did Hugo Boutry give you any wild direction while shooting, or was it all about the moment?
Laura Ruggiero: Happy you say “a beautiful mess”! I met up with Hugo, and I wanted to let him be totally free. He told me he loved the track, reminding him of some kind of hip-hop-ish vibe infused into a rock track – which I was thrilled he could tell! We instantly agreed on the concept that it could be inspired by the gloomy, street vibe of indie trap music videos because it would fit the music and the lyrics. The lyrics are about roaming around the street and always making wrong decisions out of boredom. It also gave Hugo the perfect opportunity to play around with lighting, post-production, and all kinds of glitches. He sent me the reference ‘ICYWAT – Eyes on em,’ and then all we needed to do was have fun in the streets of Anderlecht, a sketchy area in Brussels where I used to live. Very fun and simple to execute—just a little cold at the time—Belgian spicy winter, haha.
Naomie Klaus and Aurélie Poppins bring their own sonic blueprint to the track. How did this collaboration come about, and what did they bring to the table that pushed the song into new territory?
At first, it was supposed to be a one-person featuring. Then, since Naomie lives in Brussels too, we got hyped around the song one night at home. [They are both good friends of mine.] I wasn’t sure if Aurélie would be in, but we ended up with the three of us. We said, “Fuck it, the party’s more fun the more we are!” They both brought such high energy, and I was happy to connect two people from two different scenes.
They added some fun lyrics, crazy witchy laughs, and their stoner-styled chorus contrasts perfectly with the rap style of my verses.
Brussels has such a very eclectic underground scene. How has being surrounded by that energy shaped Purrses’ sound?
Don’t tell me! Most of the time, it’s really exciting and inspiring because it pushes me to go even further in sonics and the approach to music. Sometimes, it can also be overwhelming. I think it’s helped shape Purrses’ sound in the way that I’ve just accepted being a weirdo, not really belonging to any specific scene. The rock and punk scene in Brussels is too narrow, and the rest is just freedom to create any sound without worrying about genre or labels.
‘Reality Fantasy’ is such a killer album title—it kind of hints at duality, contradictions, maybe even disillusionment. What’s the story behind the name, and does it reflect a bigger theme running through the record?
Thanks! It comes from a book called Shock & Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy by Simon Reynolds, which is an absolute gem! In one chapter, he explains that this expression came after the 60s, when artists were bored of the realistic aesthetic and themes in music and art (like John Lennon and Yoko Ono—In Bed, for example). In the 70s, it exploded into flamboyance, fantasy, and camp, where imagination could finally triumph over reality.
Also, ‘Reality Fantasy’ seemed to perfectly capture a common theme in the songs I wrote towards the end of the writing process. The songs all talk about the fakeness of people, the impossibility of living in a movie-like, dreamed life, the disappointment and disillusionment of the adult world, and the true or false truths we all seek. So this name speaks to me perfectly—it couldn’t be a better theme and a wink to glam music.
Your music blends glam, punk, art rock, and even some rap-ish cadences. What’s the glue holding it all together? Is there a particular moment or artist that made you go, “Screw it, let’s mash all this together”? What would you say is the main idea/concept behind it?
Honestly, I’m still figuring it out, haha!
The glue might be the desire, maybe without any pretension, to bring something new or fresh to the table? Lately, artists I’ve been looking up to a lot are, of course, Amyl and the Sniffers. They, for sure, come from the punk scene but are also so free in mixing things up! Also, there’s La Femme or The Garden, who don’t give a fuck about genre and just make whatever music they feel like.
What’s the secret sauce behind a perfect Purrses gig?
To have fun, a tiny spoon of cheeky kinkiness, and some vodka shots. 
Luc Bersier helped shape ‘Reality Fantasy’ with a more experimental production approach. How did working with him change the way you think about sound?
Luc is the absolute sound wizard to me. He’s behind Reymour’s music production, and I love that project so much. I’ve learned with him how being sharp and patient can pay off while producing music. He uses chaos in music to tell other stories through sonic abstractions. He is the best!
The punk spirit is clearly there, but so is this almost theatrical, over-the-top energy. Do you ever feel like you’re playing a character when you perform, or is Purrses just an extension of your own life?
I definitely feel like I’m playing a character as an extension of my own life, but in a way where I’m not lying to myself. I don’t pretend—it’s just campier, funnier, sexier—everything we can’t really be in real life.
If you could throw the most ridiculous, over-the-top release party for ‘Reality Fantasy,’ no budget, no rules—what would it look like?
The dream release party would be a big, crazy, and weird avant-garde musical, half post-apocalyptic, half Renaissance Rococo styled, where Purrses would be the main act. All the music and friends we love playing with would perform before and after us—like a crazy lineup that would bring us all together to tell a big story with all our acts, turning it into one beautiful, main act.
You said over the top, right?!
Klemen Breznikar
Purrses Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Bandcamp
Rockerill Records Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
JauneOrange Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Cheap Satanism Official Website / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
