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Jun 27, 2023 By Caleb Campbell

Connie Cunningham and the Creeps is the new project from Hudson Valley-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nick Kinsey. Over the past few years, Kinsey has been a prolific presence in the world of indie folk, appearing on Waxahatchee’s St. Cloud, touring with Kevin Morby, and drumming for AC Newman, Hand Habits, and Cold War Kids. Most recently, Kinsey moved to upstate New York and began writing for his latest project, inhabiting the persona of an offbeat failed musician.

“I needed to create a fictional character to get into the headspace necessary to finish this group of songs,” Kinsey says. “I was able to escape my usual writing blocks and get away from any need to sound ‘cool’ by pretending I was this fictional weirdo and failed session musician.”

While in character as the titular Connie Cunningham, Kinsey crafts vintage AM radio pop gems, playing with golden-hued guitars, girl group harmonies, and finely-tuned orchestral flourishes. The band have already shared their lead single, “Going, Going, Going, Gone,” and their follow-up, “Time’s Up,” and later this year they’re back with a debut album, The Rare Recordings of Connie Cunningham and the Creeps. Today, they’re sharing another new track, “The Breaking of the Chains,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“The Breaking of the Chains” hits hard on the girl group influences, coupling a dreamy bassline and warbling guitar tone with Kinsey’s off-kilter vocal style. Kinsey’s vocals come buried beneath the instrumental, drenched in reverb and drama, giving the track an indelible vintage sheen. It sounds like a lost early ‘60s gem, complete with swooning harmonies (courtesy of Cassandra Jenkins and Annie Nero) and aching lyricism.

Check out the song below. The Rare Recordings of Connie Cunningham and the Creeps is due out in September via Earth Libraries.