Inside the Avant-Garde World of @: Unpacking the New Single “Punish My Mind”

The modern indie landscape is crowded, but few bands are carving out a path quite as weird and wonderful as @ (pronounced “At”).

The Philadelphia-based art-folk duo—songwriters Victoria Rose and Stone Filipczak—operate on a frequency completely their own. Their day jobs alone sound like a creative writing prompt: Victoria works as a beekeeper, while Stone is a self-taught computer programmer.

When they get together, though, they turn into a singular, avant-garde songwriting force. Ahead of their debut album Autosmile on 4AD, the duo is back with a brilliant new single called “Punish My Mind”.

“A Chill Song About Self-Torture”

Described by the band as “a chill song about self-torture,” “Punish My Mind” walks a tightrope between acoustic beauty and jarring, off-kilter experimentation.

Often dubbed a “dystopian Beach Boys” track, the song pairs lush 1960s harmonies and fluttering woodwinds with wildly unexpected sounds—including some genuinely raucous, distorted monkey howls.

The lyrics bounce back and forth between punishing and comforting yourself before landing in a strange, oddly peaceful place of acceptance:

“When I try to punish my body, each new sensation I learn how to love,

When I try to punish my mind, I dream of an alternate timeline.”

It’s hypnotic, sharp, and proof that @ can make a song about psychological spiral sound strangely uplifting.

The Creative Pact Behind @

What makes @ so refreshing is the unyielding devotion Victoria and Stone have to each other and to their craft.

Their backgrounds bleed right into the music:

• Victoria Rose tends to hives, bringing a patience and organic rhythm to her delicate, grounded vocal delivery.

• Stone Filipczak writes code, channeling a structured, analytical mind into the duo’s complex chord progressions and unpredictable production.

Their partnership thrives on contrast. They take traditional folk elements and run them through a prism of avant-garde pop, digital-age anxiety, and raw human warmth.

What’s Next for @?

Following the massive acclaim of their 7-minute title track, “Autosmile” (which picked up Pitchfork’s Best New Track), “Punish My Mind” cements the duo as one of the most exciting acts going right now.

• The Album: Autosmile drops on October 16 via 4AD on digital, CD, and Soil Brown vinyl.

• The Visuals: The single comes with a DIY music video shot and edited by Stone, matching the song’s eccentric, playful energy.

• The Tour: The band is hitting the road this autumn for a run of North American, UK, and European dates.

If “Punish My Mind” is any sign of what’s to come, @ is proving just how far alternative pop can go when artists refuse to compromise.