Sign up for our mailing list Real artists creating records on their own terms
Close

Sign up for our mailing list

News

Katy Kirby Signs To ANTI- + Shares Video For New Track “Cubic Zirconia”
Tuesday, August 29th, 2023

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  

Browse by Artist

2077All Artists 99Tom Waits 73Mavis Staples 59Neko Case 51Lost In The Trees 50Sean Rowe 48Dr. Dog 45The Milk Carton Kids
41Jolie Holland 40Bettye LaVette 37Man Man 36Son Little 35Tinariwen 33DeVotchKa 33Tim Fite 31Islands 31Grinderman 29Glen Hansard 28Saintseneca 27Galactic 27Wilco 26Andy Shauf 24Xenia Rubinos 24Michael Franti and Spe... 24The Drums 24Delicate Steve 22Doe Paoro 22William Elliott Whitmo... 22Bob Mould 21The Frames 21Nick Cave & The Bad Se... 20Christopher Paul Stell... 20Joe Henry 19Sage Francis 19Cass McCombs 19Yves Jarvis 19Booker T. Jones 18Deafheaven 18Calexico 18Gary V 17Yann Tiersen 17John K. Samson 16The Antlers 16Jason Lytle 16Ramblin Jack Elliott 16Danny Elfman 14Daniel Lanois 14Jeremy Ivey 13Billy Bragg 13The Dream Syndicate 13Madi Diaz 12Peter Silberman 12Leyla McCalla 12Xavier Rudd 12Combo Chimbita 12Girlpool 11Roky Erickson 11Mose Allison 11Purr 11Lyrics Born 11The Weakerthans 11Ryan Pollie 11Rain Machine 11Glitterer 11Jade Jackson 10Half Waif 10The Swell Season 10High Pulp 10The Melodic 10So Much Light 10Alfa Mist 10Darrin Bradbury 9Hey, King! 9M. Ward 9N.A.S.A. 9Cameron Avery 9Lido Pimienta 9Marianne Faithfull 9Curtis Harding 9Josiah Johnson 9Wynonna 9Moor Mother 8Katy Kirby 8Greg Graffin 8Christian Lee Hutson 8Slow Pulp 8The Coup 8Solillaquists of Sound 8Cadence Weapon 7Richard Reed Parry 7Dead Man's Bones 7Alec Ounsworth 7Title Fight 7Ben Harper and Charlie... 7Beth Orton 7Elliott Smith 7Ben Harper 7Kelly Hogan 7Kate Davis 7Japandroids 7Eddie Izzard 6Broken Twin 6Busdriver 6A Girl Called Eddy 6Rafiq Bhatia 6Os Mutantes 6Deradoorian 6Kate Bush 5James Brandon Lewis 5Art Moore 5Kristine Leschper 5Keaton Henson 5The Field 5Jasmyn 5Foxwarren 5Ezra Furman 5Beat Connection 5The Tallest Man On Ear... 5One Day As A Lion 5Scott McMicken and THE... 5Bonny Doon 4Sparklehorse 4The Good Ones 4Pops Staples 4sunking 4Marketa Irglova 4Ersi Arvizu 4Jackson+Sellers 3MJ Lenderman 3Danny Cohen 3Walter Wolfman Washing... 3Plains 3Mavis Staples & Levon... 3Mothers 3Sierra Leones Refugee... 3Marc Ribot 3Waxahatchee 3Petra Haden 2Jeff Tweedy 2Sam Akpro 2Fleet Foxes 2Various Artists: RANGO 1Lightman Jarvis Ecstat... 1Youth Group 1Merle Haggard 1Taylor Vick 1case/lang/veirs 1Joe Strummer And The M... 1The Locust 1Tricky 1Antibalas 1Simian Mobile Disco 1Various Artists: ROGUE... 1Rogue's Gallery 1ANTI- Records 1Solomon Burke 1Kronos Quartet with Br... 1Porter Wagoner 1Blackalicious
See Full List+