When hearing the phrase stupid lucky, many see it as nothing but a silly exclamation, often associated with the absurdity of an endless stream of good fortune, rather than the name of a band. But, according to Taylor Pearlstein, the phrase is way more than that; in fact, it’s her whole childhood.
Stupid Lucky, Pearlstein’s band name, is a unique personification of her own upbringing, tastefully naming her child self “Lucky.” She’s creating the world her inner child has always dreamed of, feeling the freedom of queerness and self expression while making art that feels true to her own. Stupid Lucky has quickly become an outlet for Pearlstein, separate from her other creative endeavors, such as her folk solo project and Broadway career.
Following up from their debut single, “need to know” released in February, “baby teeth” is the latest addition to Stupid Lucky’s discography. It’s an angsty breakup song with underlying reminders to hang onto your true self despite being wrapped up in the frustration of a post-situationship mindset.
The track begins with a soft, garage-jam like intro that smoothly transitions into a 2000s nostalgic TV theme. Stepping into the world of Stupid Lucky, we immediately hear Pearlstein expressing her internal frustration that comes from this situationship she’s newly freed from. With lyrics like “I picked up the slang but I can’t put it back down / You sent a picture of us to your mom, and you ruined all my favorite songs” it’s evident Pearlstein is experiencing conflict, as she’s on a personal journey to find herself again and separate who she was when this relationship was active.
The song slowly builds as it flows into the chorus. The first time it’s played, it seems that the main line “I miss my baby teeth” is expressed more as a confession or a question. Almost like an admittance, it recognizes things about the relationship that weren’t okay, even if it seemed fine when it happened. We feel her frustration grow and grow upon the second verse, along with the thriving instrumental in the background, we’re seeing her come back into reality.
Throughout the second chorus, the main line comes across more of a statement as Pearlstein becomes one with herself again.
The live reaction has been nothing short of a dream come true for Stupid Lucky. After a successful set opening up for Daisy Grenade at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on June 19, Crave sat down with Pearlstein to discuss ‘baby teeth,” healing your inner child, collaborative writing and what’s next for our new favorite queer rock band.
CRAVE: Tell me about “baby teeth” — has this release felt any different to you than your debut single as Stupid Lucky?
PEARLSTEIN: “baby teeth” is such a special part of my queer journey. Coming out as a late-in-life lesbian, my romantic life felt like going through a second puberty; raw, new skin. I was losing my goddamn mind in an honestly embarrassing way. “baby teeth” is kind of a love letter to that embarrassment. Putting out our first single ‘need to know’ felt like a shout into the void. People started singing back, and now this second release feels like a party with our void friends.
CRAVE: Bouncing off the first question, how has this Stupid Lucky project differed to music you’ve put out in other capacities/other projects?
PEARLSTEIN: I’m finally building the world little me dreamed of in my bedroom with my CD player under the covers listening to Avril [Lavigne]. My solo project is sad, indie-folk music, and Stupid Lucky is a lot different, definitely louder. These projects feel vulnerable in different ways. I came out as a lesbian a few years ago, and that cracked me open in every aspect of my life. I learned what true pleasure is after years of numbness, and now I’m living my dream life. Stupid Lucky has become a celebration of that, of living honestly in the mess and joy and angst of it all. Being a dyke and making music with other queer people, it’s healing for every single one of us in the band. We all feel like we’re living the dreams of our child selves.
CRAVE: This track definitively comes from a “what are we?” type frustration while simultaneously feeling nostalgic on what the relationship entailed. Did that release of putting those feelings into a song help with your personal growth from the situation?
PEARLSTEIN: Oh, god yeah. I was working on ‘allowing myself to be angry’ in therapy around the time I wrote this song. My therapist dropped this absolute banger: “underneath your anger is your dignity.” That rocked my world. This song embodies the growing pains of learning to let myself be angry and how uncomfortable it was to do that!
CRAVE: I love what you said about comparing “baby teeth” (and “need to know”) to a “DCOM intro track made by Weezer” — I think that captures the energy perfectly! What are some of your other influences with this project? What is (or are some of) your biggest inspiration(s) for your project?
PEARLSTEIN: That DCOM line is a quote from my partner Luka; they really nailed it. So “Lucky” is what I call little childhood me, and her taste and dreams are really my biggest influence in Stupid Lucky. Avril Lavigne, Liz Phair, Lilix, Say Anything, Weezer, really any artist I was listening to when I was a kid in my bedroom. Also Annie DiRusso, MUNA, Wet Leg, The Cranberries, boygenius duh. I made this for Lucky.
CRAVE: I saw you co-wrote this song with Daisy Grenade’s Keaton Whittaker. What was it like working with her and who would you like to work with in the future?
PEARLSTEIN: Keat and I were in Palm Springs for New Years 2025 and I wrote ‘baby teeth’ hung over by the pool on New Years Day. I sang it for her, and asked her what the melody should be for the chorus. I had the prechorus melody for the chorus, it was boring. Keat said, “Sing the harmony,” and thus the hook melody was born thanks to Ms. Grenade. Keat is razor sharp. She is one of the most talented, intuitive artists I know. We wrote a song together called ‘bedlam’ that will be Stupid Lucky’s next single. I’m new to collaborative writing. I usually write solo but I love the flow of working with other minds. I’d love to write with my band! We’re all songwriters.
CRAVE: What’s next for Stupid Lucky? Is there anything else you’d like to promote?
PEARLSTEIN: We shot the ‘baby teeth’ music video last week and it will be out soon! Keep your eyes peeled! I threw about seven different aesthetic tantrums and we’re cutting them together. We did some karaoke, too… It’s going to be such a fun video. Directed by dream girl Hannah Klein. We’re also plotting a tour… until then, we’ll keep playing Brooklyn so come hang out.
Keep up with Stupid Lucky:
Instagram / Website / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
