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Jun 13, 2022 By Caleb Campbell

Last year, Seattle-based folk pop band Kuinka debuted their third full-length album, Shiny Little Corners. Fans have been waiting for a new LP from the band for a long time, following their 2014 debut, The Wild North, and their 2016 follow-up, The Heartland, but the wait for the band’s latest effort also brought out their most colorful and eclectic work yet. Many bands walk the edges between folk, dreamlike pop, and vibrant indie rock, but few bands manage to do so with the irrepressible joy and stylish flair that Kuinka brought to Shiny Little Corners.

The full album is out now, but accompanying the release the band have also shared a new video for one of the album’s highlights, “NY, LA,” premiering with Under the Radar.

Kuinka plays with pop conventions throughout Shiny Little Corners, but “NY, LA” may well be the most cathartic cut on the record. On the verses, the band’s mix of guitar, banjo, and stomping percussion interlace into a strident folk pop march, bolstered by an intense and raw vocal performance. Conversely, the chorus steers the track into a sudden left turn as the song bursts into dazzling color with sing-song vocals and galloping rhythms.

That marriage of raw emotion and dizzying lively energy is at the core of both the song and the accompanying video, which sees a soldier unexpectedly transported from the trenches into a vibrant ballet show.

The band shares of the new video, “Our most recent music videos have had a strong focus on collaboration with other PNW artists from various disciplines. I knew I wanted a dance element in the video, and I thought ballet would provide a neat juxtaposition to the rawness of the song. I reached out to Amanda Morgan who dances with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and is the founder of The Seattle Project (a group of collaborative artists who create new works to break down accessibility barriers in the community). I pitched her a few concept ideas, and then she built a dance piece from the ground up. It took several days of filming and a whole team to bring the concept to life from set pieces, costuming, and practical effects, but it was worth it to see these artists run with the ideas and deliver such emotional performances onstage.”

Check out the song and video below. Shiny Little Corners is out now via Dutch Records.