Richmond, VA-based artist Kate Bollinger returns with her first song since the release of her 2020 EP, A word becomes a sound. Forced to finish her last EP in lockdown, Bollinger excitedly returned to sessions in the spring of 2021 to explore a new batch of songs, the first of which to emerge is “Shadows,” written by Kate with her longtime collaborator John Trainum and guitarist Chris Lewis. Warm and languid melodies mingle with pointed lyrics; there’s an air of mischief sweetened by a surreal, fish-eyed video directed by Bollinger’s childhood friend, Kia Wassenaar. “Maybe the last year made me want to hide a little,” says Bollinger, referring to the song’s abstract nature. “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.” Her verses and chorus bounce along stuttered percussion; augmented with swirling flourishes, the arrangement is as much ‘60s psychedelia as it is beat-infused contemporary pop.

Photo Courtesy: CJ Harvey