Mackenzie Shivers Shares New EP 'but i cried for violets'

New York-based, folk-pop artist Mackenzie Shivers has released a new 3-track EP, but i cried for violets, which follows her acclaimed new album primrose was in season, released earlier this year, where she boldly gives a glimpse into her healing process after losing her first pregnancy, triumphantly capturing a depth of feeling that illuminates both her resilience and vulnerability. The EP features a remix of "nest,” a piano version of "paper dolls", and a new track, "crying in slow motion."

“The title of my new EP, but i cried for violets, completes the lyric that makes up the title of my LP primrose was in season, its three tracks continuing the primrose chapter,” explains Shivers. “I’m releasing these songs as spring turns to summer, the solstice marking the end of the season of Persephone, when life and death are held in equal embrace. I have experienced great fortunes in the springtime. I have also experienced deep losses. but i cried for violets leans into the ephemeral nature of the season, half-lit in twilight, life and loss delicately intertwined.”

“‘crying in slow motion’ paints a raw portrait of grief. We recorded it during the primrose was in season sessions, and it is the only track made up solely of piano and vocal. The piano figure moves like a tricycle with slight wobble, like someone trying to hold in a cry. I have found that time makes little sense in grief. A day can feel like a month, a month a day. And the only way out of it is through it.”

“The remix of ‘nest’ is a collaboration with Tiffany Topol, whose wildly creative indie-alt-pop album Sophomore Effort is a favorite of mine. I'm a Tiffany Topol super fan, and I am deeply in love with her ethereal and meaningful take on my favorite song from primrose was in season. The connector is a piano version of “paper dolls”, a haunting plea to begin anew.”

Produced by frequent collaborator Kevin Salem (Rachel Yamagata, Emmylou Harris), primrose was in season is vivid feminine alt-folk, a powerful portrait of inner fragility and strength that’s at once gossamer and deeply profound. Electric guitar, a mix of dance beats and organic drums, and Shivers’s trademark piano bolster her most adventurous work to-date.

The ten compositions intertwine magic with grief, illustrating the two can, and often do, co-exist. The self-portrait she paints is honest and flawed, shimmering and spirited. The title, a lyric from the gritty and grooving “hush now”, holds meaning beyond its wistful beauty. The primrose, signaling the end of winter with its vast array of colors, has a reputation for healing wounds.

The album earned praise from Glide Magazine, No Depression, The Week In Pop, Rock And Roll Globe, NYS Music, and many more including Chorus.FM who called Shivers, “an artist to watch as this year unfolds.”

Photo Credit: Sara Haile