Katy Kirby Signs To ANTI- + Shares Video For New Track “Cubic Zirconia”
Following the runaway success and critical acclaim of her debut album ‘Cool Dry Place,’ the witty, playful and intuitive artist Katy Kirby has signed to ANTI- Records and is sharing her first track via the label today, titled “Cubic Zirconia.”
Speaking to the process of writing the track and its deeper meanings, Kirby explains: “I’ve been trying to write this song for nearly four years, but it only came into focus for me when I fell in love with a girl for the first time. It’s an attempt to say something that I don’t think I’m smart enough to articulate outside of the song–something about how much I admire when someone is unembarrassed of being explicit about the cosmetic and aesthetic choices they make for themselves. Why wouldn’t you love the little tricks of their trade–the way they wear makeup, the clothes and mannerisms that make them feel safest and most themselves– why wouldn’t these little tricks be the most endearing artifacts of their inner essence? If you loved someone, why would you not love those choices? It’s an honor to get that close to someone–close enough to see how they construct the image of themselves with which they move through the world as best they can (as we all do). Why wouldn’t that be enough?
Cubic Zirconia! A lab-grown diamond. A salute to whatever the world looks down on as “artificial”—even a defense of artifice. It seems like naturalness is not only a dangerously vague and subjective concept, but that whenever those concepts get invoked, the invoker is almost invariably being manipulative or even malicious. Insofar as the line between authentic/fake, natural/unnatural, organic/synthetic artificial/genuine is hopelessly thin. Insofar as it’s a line that shifts constantly and doesn’t seem to be in anyone’s interest except the people who’ve decided that they’re the most qualified to draw that line. What a useless concept. What an extremely suspicious concept to leverage in assessing someone’s worth. What a sanctimonious little scam!”
Raised as an evangelical Christian in a small town outside of Austin, Texas where she sang in church services, Kirby moved to Nashville to attend college and began to expand her musical palette and belief systems. She began releasing music in 2018 and announced ‘Cool Dry Place’ in late 2020. Now living in Brooklyn, Kirby has been spending a lot of her time on the road, touring with Waxahatchee, Andy Shauf, Pinegrove, Julia Jacklin and more.
“ ‘Cool Dry Place’ is remarkable,” said Consequence upon the album’s release. “Katy Kirby has crafted a series of captivating indie rock-pop tracks, all centered around a voice with clarity reminiscent of Sylvan Esso or Haley Heynderickx, but swift and whimsical movements that feel all Kirby’s own.”
Featured in many year-end lists, 'Cool Dry Place’ was included in the best 50 albums of 2021 by Paste and Consequence, one of the best underrated albums of 2021 by Pitchfork and a part of the best music of 2021 by NPR Music. Bob Boilen of NPR also added that Katy is “clearly putting her own twist on pop.”
Wrapping up this summer and heading into early fall Kirby and her band will perform at the End of the Road, Electric Picnic and Austin City Limits music festivals. All upcoming dates are listed below.
TOUR DATES
8/31 - 9/3 - Dorset, England @ End of the Road Festival
9/1 - Stradbally, Ireland @ Electric Picnic
10/8 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/15 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits