"Watch you / walk into the party / Everybody stops to look your way / You / smoke all of my darts / and drink all of my booze / and leave with someone / new you say that..."
The proggy bohemian indie rock psychedelic sleight of hand of "Magician", by Los Angeles based shape shifting indie rock quartet Zoë Kilgren, seems to pull from different iconic soundscapes, in a rather genre agnostic kind of way. AND while the breadth and scope might seems to pull (at first ) from 80's indie folk rock and post punk or 90's post grunge places, within the perfectly musically coiffed sound I feel dashes of Florence & The Machine, hints of The War on Drugs, hints of Pink Floyd even and 10,000 Maniacs (at least on this song). Of course, past music is a rich sonic field to pick from, a lot of artists naturally, organically are influenced by the best, most fruitful places but I guess what strikes me is that Zoë Kilgren does so in a utterly unique way. This is to say, that as a music writer, influences come in waves for most artists whether the wave is The Strokes or Boy Genius or Chappell Roan. Like the tendency to absorb what is the new sound while natural is a let down. That is not happening here, Zoë Kilgren, is painting their own ornately framed piece of art dabbing from genre colors but creating their own vision full of surprises. I dig it.
LINER NOTES (bracketed):
["Magician" chronicles the delicate dance between blind faith and betrayal, featuring an unconventional song structure that mirrors its complex emotional narrative. The track builds from stripped-back verses into a delayed chorus that arrives halfway through the song, creating a tension that perfectly captures the story's mounting desperation. A standout element is the track's bridge, featuring a mesmerizing minute-long instrumental build beneath a haunting spoken-word poem.
"This song broke the line I drew for myself," reveals frontwoman Zoe Kilgren. "It's about the utter desperation and naivete that comes with loving someone who will never get it together. The person you love who can't stop drinking and flirting with other people inevitably makes you look like a fool too, and then you're left to clean off all their mistakes that have ended up staining you."
The single's title draws inspiration from the duality of the Magician in tarot —representing both the conman and the creator, the end and the beginning. This metaphysical element adds another layer to the track's exploration of trust, love, and self-discovery.]
"This song broke the line I drew for myself," reveals frontwoman Zoe Kilgren. "It's about the utter desperation and naivete that comes with loving someone who will never get it together. The person you love who can't stop drinking and flirting with other people inevitably makes you look like a fool too, and then you're left to clean off all their mistakes that have ended up staining you."
The single's title draws inspiration from the duality of the Magician in tarot —representing both the conman and the creator, the end and the beginning. This metaphysical element adds another layer to the track's exploration of trust, love, and self-discovery.]
Zoe Kilgren's diaristic prose, evocative vocal countenance navigating through the artful and dense musicality is something to behold. Zoë Kilgren is comprised of of Zoë Kilgren (vocals and lyrics), Richard Follin (lead guitarist), James Wenz (bassist), and Nick Ferrucci (drums).
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.instagram.com/zoekilgrenband
https://www.tiktok.com/@zoekilgrenband
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/zoe-kilgren/1545013972
https://zoekilgrenband.com/
The Zoë Kilgren Band, or ZKB, is an indie rock quartet, comprised of Zoë Kilgren (vocals and lyrics), Richard Follin (lead guitarist), James Wenz (bassist), and Nick Ferrucci (drums), who met serendipitously in Los Angeles. Marrying the deeply personal topics of her life to the universality of music, Zoë creates vulnerable and honest anthems alongside her bandmates, carrying an unexpected weight and authenticity.
Flying off of their debut EP "The Phoenix" released in August of 2023, they are taking the Los Angeles scene by storm through a multitude of performances and local events. Fusing blues, indie, rock, folk, punk, and pop, ZKB is gearing up for the release of two new songs in 2024. They can’t wait to show their listeners what can only be described as the very beginning.
Zoë Kilgren, Los Angeles based alt rock, indie rock, psych rock, folk indie, folk rock, post rock, progressive shifts of sound, new single "Magician", diaristic lyrics, personal storytelling,
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