Now, Bollinger is returning to EP mode with Shop Girl, a five track release arriving October 2 via Ghostly International. Produced by Jonathan Rado, with contributions from Sam France, Alex Heaney, and Tim Bernardes, the project was conceived as what Bollinger calls “songs from an imagined musical.” Its little universe revolves around a boutique, its owner and the three young women working there, with four of the songs co written alongside longtime collaborator Matthew E. White.

The title track, “Shop Girl”, gives us our first proper look inside that world. Kate Bollinger turns the everyday routine of working in a store into something much more playful and cinematic, wrapping it in warm 60s pop, soulful melodies and just enough disco shimmer to keep everything gently bouncing along. It is charming, slightly theatrical and ridiculously easy to get stuck in your head. “Shop Girl” also comes with a gorgeous Kate Bush-esque video directed by Jennifer Juniper Stratford.

Their self titled debut album, Paycheque, arrives in June via Mansions And Millions. Written and recorded across 2024 and 2025 in a home studio just steps from their kitchen, the record carries a quiet sense of transience. During its creation, the duo witnessed the physical unravelling of the space around them, from storm damage to the eventual fate of the house itself. That atmosphere seeps into the album, which unfolds like a series of snapshots, capturing fleeting moments, shifting emotions and the fragile balance between ambition and reality in Los Angeles.

To mark the announcement, Paycheque have shared the lead single “Generic Actress”, alongside an accompanying video. As they explore the subtle trade offs that come with chasing a dream, they sing: “Well a job’s what you make it, and nothing’s for free,” distilling a feeling that runs throughout the record. In the video, we follow the two musicians during a playful night out, and at some point, you can even spot Sedona, Marci, and Kate Bollinger having fun with them.

Last year, Charlottesville artist Kate Bollinger released her gorgeous debut EP, I Don’t Wanna Lose, which was recorded in a live set-up. “I’m really happy with the way that I Don’t Wanna Lose turned out, but everything was so new to me, so I didn’t take things where they could have gone,” she explained. Her sophomore project, A word becomes a sound, will be more fleshed out, sophisticated as the 5 songs were crafted to sound exactly like what she imagined in her head.

After the amazing “A Couple Things” and the lead single “Grey Skies,” she has now unveiled the third single, “Feel Like Doing Nothing”. During summer, when it’s particularly hot, it’s not uncommon to feel lazy and unproductive. Her breezy, jazz-inflected new song reclaims the right to procrastinate and to allow yourself to postpone a task until the next day.

“By now I know that I am happiest when I’m keeping myself as busy as possible, but with that I always seem to make the same mistake again and again, which is trying to do too many things and wearing myself down,” Bollinger explained. “This song was written at that point, it’s meant to feel playful and like an abandonment of all responsibility, but it’s also supposed to feel a little uneasy. It’s a song about avoidance and escapism at its heart.”

The track also comes with a video, courtesy of directors Phineas Alexander and Graham Barbour. Watch and pre-order the EP via Bandcamp below.

Having grown up with her mother as a music therapist and watching her brothers toy around with various musical projects, it comes as no surprise that Kate Bollinger’s first release of 2020 sees her using her music to reflect upon her inner turmoil.

“A Couple Things” was penned at a time when Bollinger “was uncertain about a lot of things in her life. “I was stepping into a newfound independence, unsure of my footing, but the song was partially written as a means of clearing the uncomfortable feelings I had out of my head,” she explained.

Despite the torment described in the track, musically it’s a blissfully serene journey. “A Couple Things” has the relaxed sensibilities that are innate to Bollinger’s music. There’s the presence of intricate bass work that gives the track a heft to it despite the featherlight guitars. The ringing cymbals lend “A Couple Things” a near swinging sound and, in many ways, it is reminiscent of a smooth jazz track. It wouldn’t feel amiss in a cocktail lounge or poolside on a sun-soaked day.

As ever, Kate Bollinger has a specifically pleasant cadence and tone to her voice, one that gives itself perfectly to the bedroom pop genre in which she resides. It’s leisurely in sound but possesses a lovely flow that gives “A Couple Things” a delightful buoyancy and levity.

For a track that sits under three minutes long, “A Couple Things” is stuffed full of clever and playful nuances. With each listen, more is revealed: the careful way in which Kate’s vocals are layered creates a texture to the still surface of the track.

Like every year, our lists don’t have the pretention to be objective, or exhaustive. We only list the favourite releases of our staff. Also, we probably forgot some very cool stuff and we’re sorry about that. Before unveiling our favourite albums and tracks of 2019, here are the 20 EPs and mixtapes that made our year, as well as a Spotify playlist to (re)discover all these projects.

20. Liss – “Second”

19. Ana Roxanne – “~~~”

18. Chela – “Delivery”

17. Kilo Kish – “REDUX”

16. Andy Stott – “It Should Be Us”

15. Malibu – “One life”

14. Cherushii & Maria Minerva – “Cherushii & Maria Minerva”

13. Hana Vu – “Nicole Kidman / Anne Hathaway”

12. Toro y Moi – “Soul Trash”

11. Christelle Bofale – “Swim Team”

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10. Jackie Mendoza – “LuvHz”

9. Kate Bollinger – “I Don’t Wanna Lose”

8. Kate Teague – “Kate Teague”

7. Magdalena Bay – “mini mix vol. 1”

6. NOIA – “CRISÀLIDA”

5. MUNYA – “Blue Pine”

4. Saeyers – “Saeyers EP”

3. Sandy – “Traces”

2. Dear Japan – “Hollow Hearted Hands”

1. Charlotte Adigéry – “Zandoli”

Bedroom pop talent Kate Bollinger presents her own take on love in new single “No Other Like You”. Complete with her signature laid back vibes that are reminiscent of Rex Orange County or Benny Sings, her delightfully breezy vocals take the listener on a journey of transcendental joy. Featuring her band members John Trainum, Jacob Grissom, Chris Lewis, and Jimmy Trussell, “No Other Like You” is anchored around a playful bassline, upon which the varying elements of the song bounce over. The jazzy drums further the sense of buoyancy and the beat is allowed to float atop these two components in a languid way.

As we’ve come to expect, Kate Bollinger’s voice holds a power that’s unprecedented – she’s simultaneously airy and commanding, her vocals are a powerful presence, orchestrating the track into a cohesive soundscape of bliss. It’s expansive yet delightfully intimate sounding and this comes from the carefully constructed layered harmonies, making it sound like a cyclical round of Kate Bollinger’s, a delicate symphony of bedroom pop.

“No Other Like You” is simplistic in its presentation of love, yet there’s a poeticism to be taken from the frank presentation of lyrics such as “With me I’m getting better now/See the weather now/Behind the clouds that are draped in front of me”. Of the track, Kate Bollinger commented that it’s “an example of writing something as a means of forcing myself to come to terms with it. ‘No Other Like You’ is a love song, but it’s also an attempt at accepting impermanence. If you write about something you’re afraid of in calm terms, I think you can start to believe yourself”.

It’s this acceptance, the feeling of facing the things that cause you agitation in a calm and measured manner, that elevates the track beyond another rumination of love. And it’s almost useless to add that the track is equally transformed by Kate Bollinger’s beautifully thoughtful manner. Listen below.

Earlier this year, Charlottesville-based singer-songwriter Kate Bollinger amazed us with her 5-track EP I Don’t Wanna Lose, which notably features the dreamy songs “Untitled” and “Je Rêverai à Toi“. Before being recorded with a full band, the closing track of the record,”Talk About It”, was first written on a ukulele, with assistance from producer John Trainum and Jake Vanaman on saxophone amongst others. Bollinger has now unveiled this beautiful original version, which you can hear below.

Kate Bollinger‘s music is downright therapeutic. Given that the Charlottesville-based singer-songwriter is the daughter of a music therapist, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Her latest EP, I Don’t Wanna To Lose, is the perfect example of how successfully her calming, effervescent vocals to carry a project. Perhaps most poignant is track “Je Rêverai à Toi”– which roughly translates to “I Will Dream Of You.” The song kicks off on a vibey foot by establishing a tranquil, bass-driven, head-nod-inducing backbone. Bollinger‘s music channels the careful musicianship of contemporaries like Slaughter Beach and Dog, with pronounced guitar and a strong backing band that impresses without being overbearing. Bollinger has established a reputation for a unique performance style, and this track showcases the singer-songwriter’s ability to sonically surprise as she balances syncopated vocals that juggle dizzying lyricism with hard-to-manoeuvre rhythms. Hidden between dreamy French refrains, she couches in the melancholy promise, “I will stay.”

“Je Rêverai à Toi” does a satisfactory job of maintaining what fans have come to expect of the up-and-comer while also expanding her sound and reach. Her music thus far has proven to be palatable bedroom pop, but she doesn’t acquiesce to expectations on this project. Indeed, Kate Bollinger seems intent on proving that she’s not constrained by much, refusing to adhere to traditional genre conventions or even writing in her native tongue of English. Her first release utilizing a full band as backing track “Je Rêverai à Toi”– and the rest of I Don’t Wanna to Lose— is sure to win you over. Listen now, and be sure to catch Bollinger on tour throughout the East Coast.

Upcoming Tour Dates- (tickets)

6/22 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern

6/23 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel

6/26 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Vinyl Lounge

6/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits

6/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Gold Sounds