Now that COVID-19’s no longer deemed a public health emergency, the fog of the past three years has begun to dissipate, and memories of the “before times” don’t seem so distant now. Like, remember when KUTX named Austin duo Flora & Fawna as our September 2019 Artist of the Month? We made a real airwave darling out of the pair’s debut single “Slow Burn” throughout the fall, but by the time Flora & Fawna was gearing up for their first official SXSW appearance, well, a little global pandemic stole their thunder.

In the spirit of their handle, Flora & Fawna kept their creative ecosystem thriving by focusing efforts on a sophomore follow-up to their eponymous debut EP. That essence of growth despite a harsh environment couldn’t have been fostered as well as it has without the help of multi-instrumentalist-producer Misha Hercules, who’s worked with everyone from Kendrick Lamar and Jungle to Maggie Rogers and Steve Lacy. An ongoing work in progress under the veil of quarantine, Flora & Fawna balanced out their studio time with some impressive appearances – hitting some hometown milestones with both ACL and SXSW last year, not to mention supporting slots alongside Son Little, Thievery Corporation’s David Garza, and even Harry Styles.

Well, finally, after all on-stage and in-studio flourishing, Flora & Fawna’s next EP is set to see the light of day in 2023. In light of its Halloween-evoking title, the record’s third lead single “Costume Party” just touched down with care-free summer-luvin’ goodness. It encapsulates taboos you only witness at such masquerades, like the one-of-a-kind kismet of catching Dracula swapping spit with Wonder Woman or a Squid Game security guard starting a drunken spat with Ted Lasso. Specifically, “Costume Party” relives a forbidden kiss with a past fling, and in doing so channels the flirty dirtiness of Charli XCX or Carly Rae Jepsen. So whether you use it to make amends with your own missteps, or just want something you can both blast with the top down and dance ’til your pores are drenched, “Costume Party” is ready for your RSVP.