Paper Lady Drops “Silt” Single off Upcoming Album ‘Idle Fate’

Boston-based dream-rock outfit Paper Lady sets the stage for its highly anticipated debut album Idle Fate with the release of its first single, “Silt.”

The track, a deeply introspective and emotionally charged piece, serves as a striking introduction to the sonic and thematic world of Idle Fate. At first listen, “Silt” may seem like a scathing confrontation, but lead vocalist and songwriter Alli Raina reveals that the song is, in fact, a note to herself—written during a time of intense mental struggle.

Raina shares:

“I was anxious all the time, and I wrote this song as if I was speaking to the parts of me that I dislike—the dark and restless corners of my mind. “Silt” became a way to confront those feelings head-on.”

The song took shape in the midst of the band’s writing retreat in the Catskill Mountains, where the natural surroundings played a pivotal role in its development.

Raina recalls:

“We were entirely off the grid, immersed in the quiet vastness of the forest. There was this little cliff with a waterfall at the bottom, and I sat there, piecing together fragments of lyrics from my journal. That’s where ‘Silt’ really solidified—both lyrically and melodically.”

The pre-chorus line, “Bury yourself in the dirt, to feel closer to God,” encapsulates the song’s core theme: the disconnection from oneself, from nature and the desperate longing to reclaim that lost connection.

The accompanying music video, created by Montréal-based artist Maximum Blue, brings “Silt” to life with eerie, fantastical visuals inspired by Czech new-wave horror. The video follows Raina as she attempts to outrun a cult-like procession of masked creatures – each representing a different negative emotion: trickery, malaise, shame, apathy.

Paper Lady ‘Idle Fate’ album artwork

About the video, she states:

“For most of the video, I’m trying to separate myself from these figures, but by the end, I accept them as part of me and join them. It’s not as sad as it sounds – it’s about learning to acknowledge and navigate these feelings instead of pretending they don’t exist.”

“Silt” is the first of three singles leading up to the release of Idle Fate, which arrives May 9th. Fans can expect more glimpses into the band’s world with “Static” (March 14th) and “Joe Modern” (April 11th), each unveiling new layers of Paper Lady’s intricate sound.