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Jul 18, 2024 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Sydney Tate

Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Christina Ward makes a psychedelic and folk-tinged style of indie rock, marrying vulnerable lyricism and ethereal production with entrancing guitar work. She returned after a long hiatus from music in 2020 and has released a pair of EPs since, 2021’s Rent and this year’s Shapeshifter. Later this year, she’s back with another EP, Neon, out on October 11th via Bad Catt Records and Mint 400 Records. Along with the news of the record, Ward is also sharing the EP’s first single, “Darkstar,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Darkstar” is a moody and layered introduction to Ward’s latest project, led by haunting chord progressions and a ghostly vocal performance from Ward. The band crafts a simmering, mysterious mood, steeping the track in elliptical guitar lines and winding melodies. Although the instrumentation is dreamy and organic, the effect hints towards Ward’s roots in psych rock, especially as the track builds to its captivating finale. In its final minute, the instrumentation swells and Ward is joined by a multi-tracked chorus of vocals, crescendoing into a dramatic swirl of crashing drums and shadowy melodies.

Ward says of the track, “The song is partly about my life as a kid, growing up with a schizophrenic mother, and how it’s affected me in my adult life and my own mental health.”

Check out “Darkstar” below. The Neon EP is out on October 11th via Bad Catt Records and Mint 400 Records.