Danish-American musician Emily Bowen finds expression of self in the details of indie pop’s sugary curlicues. She shapes her music into a diaristic travelogue of youthful memory and experience, corralling all the ache, joy, awkwardness, and independence into a collection of synth-soaked melodies and vividly introspective narratives. Her debut record, Hate Me for This, is out today, and it’s a compelling study of confessional affection and identity. Standout track, “Agnes”, paints a portrait of dramatic pop synthesis, a woozy M83-esque romp that feels emboldened by Bowen’s command of intimate recollections and nocturnal arrangements. The track is equal parts hazy memoir and dreamlike premonition, a gem of emotional momentum and ballast.
“I met Agnes a couple summers ago when I was backpacking around Europe,” explains Bowen. “We sat on a couch and talked for three hours – sucked into each other’s worlds in that moment that only the two of us shared and had together. Agnes moved on to Paris, and we’ve been strangers to each other ever since. But I took the moment along with me, bittersweet and beautiful, like the lifelong exercise of being honest with yourself.“
Listen to the song below.
Emily Bowen’s debut album, Hate Me for This, is out today via OPTUR Records/One Seven Music. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
