Kate Bollinger‘s voice is a gossamer swoon. The Richmond, Virginia–based musician released her breakout EP A word becomes a sound last year and has returned today with her first music since. “Shadows” is wonky bedroom pop that nestles Bollinger’s enchanting vocals into a paisley palette of guitar plucks and lethargic drums. The song was written with Bollinger’s collaborator John Trainum and guitarist Chris Lewis, featuring some psychedelic, flute-like effects. One moment we’re blissfully maneuvering retro pop and the next we’re at a renaissance fair.
“Maybe the last year made me want to hide a little,” the singer-songwriter said in reference to the track. “I made this song with two close friends of mine in our month-to-month storage space during a time when many things in my life were shifting. It was a complicated time with lots of conflicting feelings, which I think can be felt in the song.”
The one-off single comes with a trippy video, directed by Bollinger’s childhood friend Kia Wassenaar, featuring a fish eye lens, skateboarding, and Bollinger hanging out with friends and a mirror. Its colors are so bright, nearly stunning—words don’t really suffice.
Watch it below and check out her tour dates here.
