Katy Rea’s debut album, The Urge That Saves You (due out November 11th), was recorded entirely live. The empath rock, hook-filled record provides plenty to cling to all while splitting off into cinematic, dark psychedelia. The seamless shifts transpire masterfully, a unique mark of Rea’s talents. Her lead vocal is intense, melodic, and endlessly dynamic. This coupled with the touching restraint of the talented musicians joining her who’ve played with the likes of Angel Olsen, Fleet Foxes, Widowspeak, and more makes for a timeless collection of what Rea calls “premonitions, prayers, and warnings.”
Twelve years ago, Katy Rea left Texas for the promise of New York. It seemed everything was happening there, and it was. She auditioned for several television parts and stage plays, occasionally earning a role in someone else’s story, basking momentarily in the flickering glow of rare, unsteady success. Yet, songwriting was her true love and solace, the only way she could reliably self-soothe. For years, she floated around the city as if in a daze and found herself drawn to those who couldn’t love well. After late-night bar shifts, she’d come home to the New York night to write and strum along to the voices and sirens outside, often lulling herself to sleep.
One day during a rehearsal, Rea’s drummer and friend, Joshua Jaeger (Angel Olsen, Fleet Foxes, Jess Williamson) audibly observed that she’d be happier without her habits, but warned that it would take courage to overcome them. She knew in her heart he’d been right, so two weeks before recording The Urge That Saves You, Rea quit drinking.
It is with well-earned pride that she celebrates the completion of this record. Moving forward, she is inspired to continue engineering and producing future albums on her own. In ways, The Urge That Saves You sounds to Rea like a Katy who was meeting herself for the first time.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for the album’s final track and lead single, “We Come Back,” which brings it all home with an acceptance of past selves and a promise to ultimately come back as someone new to love. Set to a seductive beat and dreamy guitar, the song serves as a showcase for Rea’s enchanting and sultry vocals. Directed by Conor Hibbler, the video provides a compelling visual to complement the music and convey the emotion of the lyrics. The sprawling music takes the listener for a ride with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. Ultimately, Rea and her band craft a thought-provoking morsel of indie rock that leaves you wanting more.
Katy describes the inspiration and process behind the song and its video:
“The music video for ‘We Come Back’ was inspired by Adam Curtis’s BBC documentaries like Can’t Get You Out of My Head and HyperNormalistion. When I was writing the album, I was beginning to question which of my ideas and opinions were mine and which were influenced by society and the people closest to me. It can be challenging to think critically in what feels like a culture of followers going in only two directions. Intellectual independence is what I strive for, but it’s not born from isolation. I know that I’d be lost without connection to my friends and to god or the spiritual realm. I’m learning you have to get out of yourself to learn who you are. These feelings were affirmed when watching Curtis’s work. I was lucky to work with Conor Hibbler to pay tribute to Curtis’ work. It was a fun and nerdy process, as we are both such fans. We wanted to illustrate the isolation and distance from oneself caused by group thinking – and to show that, maybe, by finally getting out of that room and remembering the kid you were who easily found joy, you can connect to something greater.”
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