Olympia, Washington-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Annie Schultz introduces their new single/music video, “Waiting,” a song about counting down the moments to a breakup via Trailing Twelve Records.
Annie explains, “‘Waiting’ is the only song I’ve ever intentionally written about a romantic relationship. I started dating somebody that was moving across the country within the next few months, and I wanted to articulate the feeling that comes with knowing exactly how a relationship is going to end and just having to wait for it to happen.”
Originally from Minnesota, Annie began playing guitar when they were 14 years old, followed by going to a performing arts high school and discovering Minneapolis’ DIY house show scene where they came under the sway of local, legendary influences such as Prince, The Replacements, and Husker Du.
Later, Annie moved to Olympia to pursue a degree in audio production at Evergreen State College. Throughout their studies, they became fascinated with the introspective songwriting of gothic bands like Joy Division and The Cure, as well as the emotional parallels that post-punk shares with the singer-songwriters who served as primary sources of inspiration.
“Waiting” opens on low-slung, boney, ringing percussion, giving the song a delicious lo-fi feel as blurry, almost psychedelic guitars provide the topline, accompanied by a fat, groaning bassline. Drenched in flavors of shoegaze, post-punk, and alt-rock, “Waiting” comes across as first-rate garage rock.
Annie’s vocals, the high point of the track, offer poignant timbres, aching with insight as to what is presently transpiring in their relationship – the sensation of waiting for the other shoe to drop with a final thud.
“Don’t pretend it doesn’t end like this / Don’t’ pretend it doesn’t end / Don’t pretend there’s more to it than there is / Don’t pretend there’s more than this / Just take it for what it’s worth now / There’s not much else left to do / But wait and watch it play out / Watch me disconnect from you.”
The video, directed and animated by Nick Roetemeyer, utilizes surreal images to imbue the song with a raw, emotional essence – the abyss between knowing and powerlessness.
Annie Schultz has it going on! At once innovative and granular, there’s a beguiling freshness, an edginess, enveloping “Waiting.”