Katie Greenberg's Debut Single "Insider" Captures the Moment Want Turns to Need
Let's face it. As many states approach their sixth week of lockdown in an effort to contain Coronavirus, scores of unfortunate souls braving government-mandated hermitage are riding out a dry streak that feels as unprecedented as the pandemic itself. While some of us have found solace in Instagram's influx of stay-at-home thirst traps and Netflix's Too Hot to Handle, Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based artist Katie Greenberg has been directing her frustrations towards recording music that will turn your coldest shower scalding hot.
In her solo debut "Insider," the 25-year-old singer could move mountains with the delicate encouragement of her mesmerizing voice. In crystalline, arcing melodies that dance over a congregation of trembling guitar and lo-fi drums, Greenberg paints a portrait of desire that somehow manages to feel carnal, sentimental, and spiritual all at once.
Though Greenberg and her songwriting partner Kai Klitgaard started developing the foundations of the track some months ago, the pair chose to record the final version while quarantining together during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the choice to cut this particular record, the singer explains,
"This song felt right for the specific moment that we're all living in. Desire is one of the emotions at the forefront of everybody's mind in isolation, and it manifests itself differently in everybody. A lot of people are feeling starved of the physical connection that's highlighted more obviously in the song, but at this time especially the sentiment goes deeper than that. People are losing jobs and loved ones, and as the world crumbles around us it feels like the only tool left at our disposal in the fight for a return to normalcy is sheer force of will. The hook goes, 'mired in desire, I'm right down to the wire.' I think that's a feeling that could really resonate with so many people, now more than ever."
And it's true. With each additional listen, Greenberg seems to draw on the collective lamentations of a world interrupted, spinning them into a hypnotic refrain that glows like a reassuring light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel.
Listen to "Insider" below:
