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May 24, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Julian Owen

Olympia, Washington-based indie singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Annie Schultz makes a gothic and dramatic style of indie pop, drawing inspiration from morose touchstones like Joy Division and The Cure, as well as from haunting indie singer/songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers and Adrienne Lenker. They debuted in 2021 with their EP, Boy Blue, and returned late last year with another new single, “Search and Destroy.”

Today, Schultz is back with their latest new single, “Patterns,” premiering with Under the Radar.

Schultz’s latest effort unwinds gently and methodically, sprawling over a spacious expanse of dreamy synth beds and tremulous guitar textures. Schultz’s voice floats above the track, feeling icy and fragile as they lean into their penchant for both downcast intimacy and heart-wrenching earnest emotion. That same combination of dark dramatics and serene beauty extends to their poetic lyrics, which see Schultz exploring the struggles of love in the midst of a deep depression: “Good intentions made her cry / Love runs thin / He thought he really tried / When they see what you are / When they see what you mean / The wound that always scars / In places no one sees.”

Schultz explains of the track, “‘Patterns’ is a song that I wrote about navigating relationships while in a depressive episode. My songs often subconsciously end up being letters to myself, observing shifting dynamics with the people I love and posing questions about why I choose to make certain decisions.

I wanted to include elements of goth that I thought would be a nice compliment to the acoustic guitar on this track. I added a soft synth pad and asked one of my classmates to record a minimalist electric guitar part with a heavy chorus effect. We used analog plate reverb on the vocals, which I think served the song well and added to the overall ambiance of the recording.”

Check out the song below, out now via Trailing Twelve Records.