Modern, organic songstress, Mackenzie Shivers premieres the cinematic and artistic video for "Afraid" via PopMatters who cheer, "Afraid" is a slow burn both musically and thematically, offering respite through empathy as its subject matter explores the lasting power of grief. Shivers carries the weight of the song's emotional heft, tenderly delivering a lyric that ruminates on longing and inner anguish. Piano, percussion, and strings carry the thought-provoking, haunting ballad's careful instrumentation."
"Shivers' 'Afraid' is met by a stirring music video, directed by Britannie Bond and Marco Pitruzella. Starring and choreographed by Candice Schnurr, the video accentuates the song's themes as she dances through entwinements. Bond says, "'Afraid' evokes an image of a woman getting tangled in her thoughts, and through trying to release herself of them, finds herself still burdened with fear and longing. You can move through grief, but it never goes away."
Of the song, Shivers says, "Soon after I recorded Rejection Letter, I happened upon Britannie Bond's 'We Move Lightly' photo series, which explores the vestiges of intimacy on the landscape of the body, the elusiveness of memory, and finally the physical transformation that occurs in the wake of subjectivity. I thought it was ethereal and bold and strange and beautiful, and I felt it really matched the vibe of 'Afraid."
"'Afraid' feels like an appropriate track to revisit right now," says the songwriter. "I've been taking a lot of time to reflect on the shifting state of the world and how I want to move through life in this new phase of covid, one that includes vaccinations and re-openings here in The States. An aversion to the phrase back to normal. A narrowing in on what really matters. Relief and gratitude mixed with questions and caution. A constant push and pull."
Singer, songwriter and pianist, Mackenzie Shivers released her third full length album, Rejection Letter, on April 2nd, 2021. Shivers retreated to Cape Cod as the pandemic hit to seek refuge from her home in New York City and armed with an old guitar purchased by her great-grandmother, gifted to her by her father, the pianist experimented with alternate tunings guided by Laura Marling's online guitar tutorials. Released from the pressure of touring and promoting, she unexpectedly wrote a batch of songs that would become the foundation for Rejection Letter.
The ten original songs on the LP were co-produced by friend and frequent collaborator, engineer and producer, Kevin Salem (Rachel Yamagata, Lenka, Emmylou Harris), and features performances by Yuka Tadano on bass, drummer Cody Rahn and lush string arrangements by Oliver Kraus (Sia, Adele, Florence and the Machine.)
Rejection Letter's soundscape is bolder and braver than past projects digging into more personal, lyrical territory that includes the expression of female anger, questioning the contemporary world, deciding to have a child and struggling to conceive, and the desire to help others feel less alone in their uncertainties and fears. This album is Shivers' way of speaking up, speaking out and embracing her rebellious spirit.
