Kate Vargas Adventures on a New Mexican Pilgrimage in New Song 'Glorieta To The Holy Place'

Kate Vargas, known for her incredible storytelling and adventurous song structures, takes listeners down a new road today, on a pilgrimage to a place she'd experienced long ago as a child, and now feels once again in adulthood, expressed through a new lens with the tale of "Glorieta to the Holy Place." The new single follows her recent releases "Church of the Misdirection" and "Rumpumpo," the title track to her highly anticipated upcoming album which comes out next Friday on July 16 via Bandaloop Records.

"Glorieta to the Holy Place" resides in the setting of Chimayo, New Mexico. It's a small town that houses the church El Santuario de Chimayo. Every April, thousands of people make the pilgrimage to the church on Good Friday to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The trek is upwards of 30 miles but is said to be well worth the hike.

Kate explains, "The church is said to have healing powers, particularly the sand inside. There is a room with a hole in the floor and people come from all over the world to reach inside and take a handful of sand. Some people rub it on injured body parts. There is also a room where people leave notes and crutches, all sorts of things, claiming that the sand cured them of their ailments."

As a child, Kate, alongside her father, made a very similar pilgrimage which had a very heavy impact on the singer-songwriter, now coming to light as "Glorieta to the Holy Place." Kate's distinct connection to the memory has been re-imagined in the eyes of a young girl who makes the pilgrimage amidst the pandemic. The plot within the new song is visceral and heartfelt, especially with Kate's indisputable vocals that ride the wide range of emotions faced by the protagonist along the way. Kate is an undeniable storytelling force, and "Glorieta to the Holy Place" is her most beautiful and intricate odyssey yet.

"The song is about a girl, maybe 10 or 11 years old, in Glorieta, New Mexico who is witnessing the confusion and devastation of the beginnings of the 2020 pandemic," Kate shares, painting a vivid picture. "She is sitting in church listening to the priest (Father Rodney) preach, telling the congregation that this is 'the year of the faithful,' that it is a test of faith. The girl is saying the prayers and singing along in the mass, but her mind is clearly elsewhere. She's fidgeting with the threading of the hymnal."

Kate continues on the song's narrative, "The girl has seen the fear and pain the pandemic has brought with it. She recalls hearing about El Santuario de Chimayo and the healing powers of its sand. She decides in that moment that she will make the pilgrimage, for the sake of her family and her community, that an extreme act of faith such as this is the only way to make the hurt go away. Still in the pew at church, she writes a letter to God in the margins of the 'Blessed Be Thy Name' part hymnal. She signs her name, tears out the page, folds it up, and puts it in her pocket. This is the letter she will bring with her on the pilgrimage and then leave in the sanctuary. She's thinking of what she will pack in her backpack for the trip - 'a sweater for the morning, a jacket for if it rain' along with the letter."

In this third act of Kate's singles leading up to the release of Rumpumpo next week, she has given fans a glimpse into the full-length album that is filled start to finish with versatile musical offerings in a way that is meant to be listened to in its entirety, jam-packed with wild imagery and beautiful contemplations. Get ready to dive in, as Rumpumpo is a feastful treat.

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