We are not too sure who Andy is, but rising artist Courtney Paige Nelson isn’t a fan of him – and, rightly so. Aiming to portray the lows of a toxic relationship, the rising pop star unveils the ethereal visuals for track “Andy” which is hacked from her debut EP “Fever Dream”. Exuding pure defiance, the chorus’ bold statement of “fuck you, I am moving on” summarises the tormented strength the LA native showed when pulling herself out of the depths of the broken relationship that inspired the track. Whirling production meets momentary yet deafening silences as the song takes listeners on a turbulent journey through varying patches of soft and crashing sounds, further alluding to the song’s beginning filled with heartbreak and unrest. And, proving that limited access to resources is not enough to stunt the creative process, the track comes accompanied by newly-released psychedelic visuals in which Courtney transforms into an other-worldly being. Sporting elf ears and giving viewers triple vision with trippy visual effects, the artist only enhances the emotive feeling of her track with the new video.
“The glitching and manipulation that happens in the video is supposed to represent the glitch in communication and understanding in my previous relationship that I wrote this song about,” explains the ex America’s Next Top Model contestant when speaking on her new release. “He was not communicating at all, in real life or digitally. So, what better way to describe that disconnect than to have the screen literally glitching as I’m singing the lyrics. I felt like an alien in my relationship so knowing all of this, the video makes sense.”
Sitting down with Wonderland upon the release of her single’s new music video, Courtney talked her debut EP, switching up her aesthetic and what the future holds. Head below to check out the interview now…
Share with us about the single “Andy” ?
The concept was mostly because resources and money were limited during the pandemic, So, we took a green screen, three people, and some elf ears to make a music video. The glitching and manipulation that happens in the video is supposed to represent the glitch in communication and understanding in my previous relationship that I wrote this song about. He was not communicating at all, in real life or digitally. So, what better way to describe that disconnect than to have the screen literally glitching as I’m singing the lyrics. I felt like an alien in my relationship so knowing all of this, the video makes sense.
“ANDY” is the debut song from your new EP “Fever Dream” what is the album about?
“Fever Dream” is my entire 2020 wrapped into a collection of songs. I went through a lot during the pandemic, and I decided what better way to explain my experience than with an EP. Music is a release for me. I don’t keep a diary, I write music. I felt like 2020 as a whole felt like an unreal “Fever Dream” not just for myself, but for a lot of people. So, to me, it was the perfect title.
How did you come up with the artwork and visuals?
Because nothing ever goes as planned, this was not at all what I originally had in mind for the cover. In fact, the shoot for it was supposed to be something completely different. I didn’t have money to pay for a new shoot, so I had to improvise and work with what I already had. I have made all of my artwork covers myself except for one of them. I graphic designed this one with the photo I got back and made my own cover. I wanted it to be dreamy and fever dream-like, so I put lightning in the background, manipulated the lighting, added glitter tears, and transformed a normal photo into something great! I think this pandemic has made a lot of independent artists have to get crafty and more hands-on with their work. Mine was learning how to properly make and design my own album art for my releases!
So you’ve changed your look dramatically lately, what inspired the change?
I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me about my complete switch up. I went from a much darker persona and red hair to a little brighter persona with blue hair. I think the change comes from the change in who I am, what I want, and how I’ve grown into my own as an artist. I have grown so much in just one year and I took 2020 to really figure out who I want to be visually and sonically coming out of it. I realised I was no longer an angst-filled person, but an empowered person. What better way to show that than to submit to a new me. The blue is the empowered happier Courtney and she’s here to stay!
“Senses” is another unique single on the EP. What does this song mean to you?
It is actually my favourite song I’ve made lyrically so far and my favourite song on the entirety of the EP. Although “Andy” comes in pretty close behind that. This song is about the five senses that we have; taste, touch, smell, sight, sound and how they get triggered when you are processing the loss of someone. The smell of someone’s cologne or perfume, hearing that person’s name, a song you both listened to, the sight of a familiar place you went to together. It’s the nostalgia of all the things that remind you of a person, who is no longer your person. So, every section of the song has a part in it that talks about one of our senses.