The slow but persistent / hungry artful rumble of "Feeder" by Wish Queen, the project of Cleveland-based singer/songwriter Grace Sullivan, fills the sonic spaces like a dense fog, a bit eerie, a bit haunting, like a knock at your door very late at night. Don't get me wrong, there is beauty as well within the abstract, thoughtful storytelling floating on the drones of sound, the intersecting vocals, the lilt of Sullivan's sinewy croon.
As LINER NOTES reveal:
["Feeder" tackles the doubt and fear that comes at the beginning of love. Feeling so jaded you wonder if you're walking into a trap or if this really could finally be it. The central metaphor being a vulnerable heart is akin to the feeder fish at the pet store, bred only to be fed to something else.]
The seeds of this song are revealing and has my head spinning. The overall atmospheres that feel somewhere between pop noir and gothic or dark wave could be the stuff of deep metaphorical reflections or fodder for an A24 horror or psychological thriller or something else. I will ruminate on the lyrics probably all day and not look at feeder fish at the pet store in quite the same way, ever.
"I picture all the bait fish
Waiting to be sold off one of oneSome things were born to be consumed
I feel the makeup on my lips
My hair undone
Some things were just born to be ruined
Some things were born to be consumed
Some things were born to be consumed
Some things were born to be consumed
Like me for you
Like me for you
Like me for you"'
From LINER NOTES:
[After years of panic attacks that would manifest as breathlessness and the sensation that her throat was closing, as well as a mysterious swelling in her neck that after a variety of tests yielded no medical causation, Grace began to realize that she needed to take her inner voice seriously. And so she began looking for more spiritual ways to heal herself - one of those being through sharing her music. As soon as she began to shed the fear, her symptoms miraculously vanished. Throwing off the baggage of her old life, she allowed herself to tap into her alter-ego - Wish Queen.]
Hope you dip into Grace's full bio below and hope someone at A24 or another production company is listening to "Feeder" because it feels so naturally poised to be on a Netflix or Hulu binger some day, maybe even from a movie of the same name (smile).
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/wishqueen_
https://www.facebook.com/thewishqueen
Until now, Wish Queen - aka Cleveland-based singer/songwriter Grace Sullivan - has been singing and writing music in the shadows, sharing glimpses of her larger vision only with a select few. Some strange stranglehold of blockages and fear made her art too difficult to share on a broader scale.
After years of panic attacks that would manifest as breathlessness and the sensation that her throat was closing, as well as a mysterious swelling in her neck that after a variety of tests yielded no medical causation, Grace began to realize that she needed to take her inner voice seriously. And so she began looking for more spiritual ways to heal herself - one of those being through sharing her music. As soon as she began to shed the fear, her symptoms miraculously vanished. Throwing off the baggage of her old life, she allowed herself to tap into her alter-ego - Wish Queen.
Emerging from the sweet shyness of her youth, Grace used the 2020 lockdown and her astrological Saturn Return as a catalyst for self actualization, and an opportunity to transform herself into the artist she always was, deep down. In astrology, the Saturn Return is when Saturn comes back to the place it was in your chart when you were born, signifying the full maturation of your chart - and bringing with it growth, reality checks, and commitment to one's own life.
Mystical and moving, Wish Queen transforms the intangible feelings of desire and yearning into moving melodies, ranging from danceable pop to deliciously introspective ballads you'd love to sit alone and cry to. Blending her rich, classic vocals and long-hidden poetry with layered reverb and synth-based production styles, Wish Queen transports her listeners to a myriad of times and places all at once.
Drawing inspiration from various Queens that came before her, including Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood, and Ethel Cain, Wish Queen has created a unique sweet spot that is all her own, and invites you to immerse yourself in her dream world.
A hypnotic blend of dream pop, art pop, and indie folk, Wish Queen's debut album, Saturnalia, explores earthly cycles, heartbreak, and coming of age via the Saturn Return. Recorded mostly in a garage in the summer of 2022, the album is a true diamond in the rough, complete with breathtaking layers of synths, powerfully intuitive vocal harmonies, and a meticulously crafted hidden narrative.
Grievances, the second song on the album, and the song that packs the most alt-pop punch, expresses a multitude of regrets and frustrations, not only with the creative process, but with living in this point in time, when so much feels futile. A planet and a society in distress, separation from our cultures and traditions and from nature in the name of capitalism and corporate greed, trapped by the screens that promised us so much freedom. There’s a lot to be angry about. The track is, as its title implies, a list of grievances. Some sort of purge not from Wish Queen, but from Grace, that allows her dreamy alter-ego to take over the rest of the album, slowly guiding the way into forgiveness and understanding of the larger picture. We are always working within cycles, and where we are now is always temporary. A shimmering soundscape full of rich synths, beautiful vocal harmonies, and bold instrumentals, a song this angsty has never felt so good.
Until now, Wish Queen - aka Cleveland-based singer/songwriter Grace Sullivan - has been singing and writing music in the shadows, sharing glimpses of her larger vision only with a select few. Some strange stranglehold of blockages and fear made her art too difficult to share on a broader scale.
After years of panic attacks that would manifest as breathlessness and the sensation that her throat was closing, as well as a mysterious swelling in her neck that after a variety of tests yielded no medical causation, Grace began to realize that she needed to take her inner voice seriously. And so she began looking for more spiritual ways to heal herself - one of those being through sharing her music. As soon as she began to shed the fear, her symptoms miraculously vanished. Throwing off the baggage of her old life, she allowed herself to tap into her alter-ego - Wish Queen.
Emerging from the sweet shyness of her youth, Grace used the 2020 lockdown and her astrological Saturn Return as a catalyst for self actualization, and an opportunity to transform herself into the artist she always was, deep down. In astrology, the Saturn Return is when Saturn comes back to the place it was in your chart when you were born, signifying the full maturation of your chart - and bringing with it growth, reality checks, and commitment to one's own life.
Mystical and moving, Wish Queen transforms the intangible feelings of desire and yearning into moving melodies, ranging from danceable pop to deliciously introspective ballads you'd love to sit alone and cry to. Blending her rich, classic vocals and long-hidden poetry with layered reverb and synth-based production styles, Wish Queen transports her listeners to a myriad of times and places all at once.
Drawing inspiration from various Queens that came before her, including Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood, and Ethel Cain, Wish Queen has created a unique sweet spot that is all her own, and invites you to immerse yourself in her dream world.
A hypnotic blend of dream pop, art pop, and indie folk, Wish Queen's debut album, Saturnalia, explores earthly cycles, heartbreak, and coming of age via the Saturn Return. Recorded mostly in a garage in the summer of 2022, the album is a true diamond in the rough, complete with breathtaking layers of synths, powerfully intuitive vocal harmonies, and a meticulously crafted hidden narrative.
Grievances, the second song on the album, and the song that packs the most alt-pop punch, expresses a multitude of regrets and frustrations, not only with the creative process, but with living in this point in time, when so much feels futile. A planet and a society in distress, separation from our cultures and traditions and from nature in the name of capitalism and corporate greed, trapped by the screens that promised us so much freedom. There’s a lot to be angry about. The track is, as its title implies, a list of grievances. Some sort of purge not from Wish Queen, but from Grace, that allows her dreamy alter-ego to take over the rest of the album, slowly guiding the way into forgiveness and understanding of the larger picture. We are always working within cycles, and where we are now is always temporary. A shimmering soundscape full of rich synths, beautiful vocal harmonies, and bold instrumentals, a song this angsty has never felt so good.
"Feeder", singer songwriter, musician, creator, Grace Sullivan, Cleveland based, Gothic, dark wave, alt rock, abstract art, post punk, dream noir, bedroom, spiritual, cathartic music,
No comments:
Post a Comment