Foundations: Kate Bollinger
Kate Bollinger essentially became successful… by accident. Studying poetry and cinematography at college, music was a hobby, a side hustle. Sharing her folk-pop vignettes online, something caught fire – within months she was being lauded by the New York Times, and signed to key tastemaker label Ghostly.
Her EP ‘Look At It In The Light’ became a breakout moment, buoyed by the soaring viral behemoth ‘Yards/Gardens‘. Taking time out, the now LA-rooted artist has spent months assembling and finessing her debut album, and it’s finally out on streaming.
A bold, beautiful experience, ‘Songs From A Thousand Frames Of Mind’ was made to resemble a mixtape, and it touches on all different facets of her work.
A kind of audio autobiography, the album is an ode to a lifelong passion for songwriting in all its guises. With that in mind, CLASH opted to go deep with Kate Bollinger on her foundations – the albums that truly matter in her life.
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of Montreal – ‘Cherry Peel’
Silly, fun, sweet album that feels timeless to me. Listening to it makes me feel like I’m in high school. There are so many amazing melodies that wind into unexpected places. Has a 90s / early 2000s take on 60s pop thing going on. Fun art project vibes!
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Feist – ‘Let It Die’
One of my first favourite albums. It’s super dynamic, with lots of different recording styles and genres. It seems like she takes all her influences and makes something new and impossible to categorise.
This was one of the first albums I heard that felt like a collage or something. There are songs that should contradict each other but because they’re both there on the same album it feels like we’re seeing a more true expression of someone’s life and feelings. So many albums have one mode and this album has ten.
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The Beatles – ‘Help!’
The only Beatles album that I really knew as a kid. My dad and I would listen to it all the time in the car.
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The Extraordinaires – ‘Short Stories’
Another album that has a lot of range. One of my first favourite bands, and another album that my dad and I would listen to in the car together. We first started listening because my oldest brother played violin on one of their albums.
When I was in high school I met the frontman Jay Purdy when I played a show with them and he invited me up to Philly to record an EP with The Extraordinaires as my backing band. It was the most exciting thing that could’ve possibly happened, they’re the best!
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Alex G – ‘RACE’
One of the first albums I drove around to when I got my license. I have a vivid memory of leaving my coffee shop job and driving home in my mom’s minivan to this.
I still love these songs. I love music that feels like an early attempt at songwriting. On this record it seems like there’s no expectation or pressure or conscious idea of what he’s doing.
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‘Songs From A Thousand Frames Of Mind’ is out now.
Photo Credit: Leanna Kaiser
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