Witch Cabin's New Single "Paper Boy" Explores the Heartbreak of Illusory Beauty
Witch Cabin opens up about "Paper Boy," a deeply personal new single arriving October 16th
Something Dope · · 3 min read
An Artist Spotlight, submitted by the artist in their own words and lightly edited by our team. We run these to put independent artists on.
What's the release, and when is it out?
My next single "Paper Boy" is coming out on October 16th.
What's it about? What were you trying to say or capture?
The original name was "The Distance Between Desires" because it felt like there was a chasm between what I'd thought and what was real. It is a very personal song about falling for someone and seeing all their beauty, only to find that their beauty was flimsy. With the lyrics: I saw a cardinal inside you but you were just a bird made of paper a paper boy I try to say it's only a paper cut from a paper bird, but really it's posturing that I'm okay when I'm devastated.
Take us behind the making of it.
I wrote the demo for this song- lyrics, harmonies and all, in two hours late one night, and I cried the whole time. These Scarbo synth chords were the beginning and they just really got me. I added a synth bass sound that I purposely made a little late and modulated, so it actually felt like a true distance. Then I ended the verses with a strange, slightly disorienting chord to capture that beauty-to-heartbreak flip. I added some kind of glitchy beats to give it a a heartbeat anchor. After that, I pulled myself together and brought it to the producer I work with often, Ryan Martin. He added his magic: a second bassline that really helps support the story and is very musical, and horror sounds to add an iciness under the warm bed of chords. It was mixed by Ryan and mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio. I'm really excited and proud of this one.
Is there a standout track or moment you want people to hear first?
Just listen to the whole song.
How would you describe the sound of this release?
Well-known artists I'd be proud to sit next to: Doja Cat, because she plays with genre; Billie Eilish, for her emotional honesty and vocals; and Bjork (Debut through Vespertine), because she may have been my mom in a past life.
What do you want listeners to feel or take away?
I want listeners to feel totally absorbed in the sound and emotion, but also to feel the beats. I don't feel like it's a downer song. It's everything: beauty, heartbreak, longing, and a sense of power. Calling it out instead of just shrinking within it.
What's next after this drops?
I just did a bunch of videos for social media with you! (shoutout Maiwand + Bundy... photo is BTS from that shoot). There will be a proper video for this song when the whole record comes out in March. Before that, I'm finalizing my live performance and getting ready to play shows. I'm so excited to get out there on stage again. A good reason to follow me so you'll know about parties, shows, and release goodies as it gets closer.
Where can people stream it and follow you?
You can presave and follow on most streaming platforms at https://bit.ly/4hyd5i6. You can also find me on Instagram at @witchcabinmusic, on TikTok at @witch.cabin, and on YouTube at @witchcabin.
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