“It’s Not Hard” to Love Catbells’ Melancholic New Bedroom Pop Single [Premiere]

Oftentimes, when you really start playing something out in your head, whether it be a decision, a choice, a preference, etc, it doesn’t seem all that difficult at all. Examples that come to mind may be quitting your job, embarking on a new career, moving and starting afresh in a new city or country. While it may seem like “It’s Not Hard” on the surface, when you start doing some real soul searching, it actually couldn’t be any harder.

On her brand new single, “It’s Not Hard,” singer and songwriter Catbells considers these challenges, and how difficult it really is to just leave it all behind. The song explores that deeper spectrum of human emotions and those feelings of escapism that arise in everyone. Along with its release, comes an accompanying music video that matches up well with Catbells’ pensive, wistful tone.

In elaborating on these points, Catbells said, “It’s a song about that feeling of wanting to run away from all your problems and to be totally free from the past. Not looking back and not feeling the regret of the past. But ultimately it’s about also realizing it’s not possible to really run away… when doing what you want to do is quite hard or even impossible, but feeling like you want to do it is not hard at all.”

When it comes to her art, Catbells is dedicated to combining her influences and concocting her own brand of melodic, and moody dreampop. If you look back on the last 60 years of pop and rock music, you’ll find many important artists that she has derived inspiration from, like the ‘60s psychedelia of Nico and Donovan, as well as the ‘90s shoegaze of Mazzy Star and Lush. Taking the best of these genres, she has created her own brand of “sad girl” indie-pop that’s defined by its poignant lyrics, stripped-down vocal approach, and dense melodies.

Earlier on in her career, while growing up in New England, Catbells was a member of many different bands and felt that was where her place was in music. It was only fairly recently that she decided to focus primarily on herself as a solo artist, baring her soul for all to see. It’s a place in which she has found comfort, conjuring up sweet feelings of nostalgia and delicate melodies for all of her listeners to enjoy.

Artwork for “It’s Not Hard” by Catbells