CATIE TURNER CONJURES UP 1980’S ETHOS AND SOUND IN UNAPOLOGETIC “NOTHING”

Catie Turner may not have even been born in the previous millennium, but she sure knows a thing or two about how to evoke its most memorable, powerful music, complete with self-aware lyrics and catchy beats that are impossible to ignore. A 22-year-old East Coast native and former “American Idol” contestant, Catie shows she’s completely at home with a more retro sound and sentiment on her latest single, “Nothing.”

The track sounds like something that Flock of Seagulls might have released in the mid-80’s alongside their New Romantics contemporaries, while the lyrics are much more Punk Rock in their resistance of social norms, eliciting memories of Blondie or Siouxsie and the Banshees. The flowing synths, classic 80’s electronic drums and upbeat tempo make for a whirlwind ride through Catie’s inner turmoil and defiance toward those who would call out her supposed hypocrisies.

Catie begins the song by singing, “And I hate this f***ing industry / But I won’t go back to college / ‘Cause it doesn’t feed my narrative / That I’m a victim to my problems,” and by the end she fully admits “But I can promise you one thing / I’m working on myself by doing nothing.” It’s a sentiment that’s very “now” and very classic – the plight of all young adults trying to figure themselves out in a world that always seems to “know best.” Yet, as Catie herself points out:

“I think I’m the only one who can describe my own crazy feelings. When you write from your own experiences, you can really dig into that crazy.”

“Nothing” never comes off as exposing too little or complaining too much. Rather, Catie Turner uses her self-awareness and youth to her advantage, showing the rest of us a candid, honest portrait of what it’s like to live and grow in today’s world. It’s a sentiment we may not remember, but thankfully we have Catie’s music to remind us just how beautifully messy life can, and should, be. Catch up on Catie Turner’s future music endeavours in an interview with Glasse Factory’s Helana Michelle, and listen to Catie’s new single, below!