VIDEO PREMIERE: Rachel Garlin Dances with Memories Through Infectious Folk-pop on “Late to Bloom”

When Rachel Garlin was eight years old and bound for camp, she tossed her sleeping bag and duffel into the back of an old car her dad found at the used car lot—a 1959 Jaguar XK150 drophead coupe. A diamond in the rough, it had the potential to become a collectible classic, but needed some fine tuning and a new coat of British Racing Green before being open-road ready.

Fast forward to the summer of 2021 when, on the verge of releasing a new record, Garlin took the now-restored car for a spin through the Berkeley foothills where her parents still reside. With a songwriter at the wheel, the vintage sportscar embarked on a poetic journey not only through the hills, but also through years of memories including Garlin’s time as a student at Berkeley High School where her sense of belonging was both vulnerable and strong, both visible and hidden, both latent and alive.

The same can be said of Garlin’s video for “Late to Bloom,” which we are excited to premiere on Glide. Flashing back to long-ago relationships through the viewfinder of shyness, this is a song about love, about restoration, and about what holds us back from acting on the latent wildfires of our hopes. It’s also a reminder that all things bloom in their own time and that our memories are the wildflower seeds that lead us to the people we’ll eventually become. Simple yet sweeping instrumentation balances 90s pop, folk and Americana with a touch of orchestration that adds a certain lushness to the music. As the lyrics focus on memories, there is indeed a sense of nostalgia that permeates throughout the track and is amplified by the music video. Ultimately, “Late to Bloom” captures Garlin’s ability to write infectiously poignant music that resonates in a timeless way.

Directed by filmmaker Dan Foldes, the video for “Late to Bloom,” gives viewers the feeling that they’re sitting in the jump seat of a Jag and then savoring slides and photos alongside Garlin in the dim hues of a darkroom. Throughout the reel, it’s Garlin’s vivid and expressive lyrics that keep us hooked—her distinctive interplay of astute observations, literary morsels, and plain old truths—that easily endear us to her tale.

Garlin describes the inspiration behind the song:

“Memories become visceral when you bring them into the present and let them dance a little. In Late to Bloom we wanted to awaken senses, dance with memories, take them for a spin. You can always spend time worrying about things you’ve missed or time you’ve lost, but the other option is just to: spend time. As it happens.”

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Photo credit: Michael Paim