Astrid Cordes is one of the vocalists in the Danish indie-pop duo Shy Shy Shy. However, there is an altogether darker, broodier sound on the single Portrait, her debut as a solo artist.
Regarding the project, Astrid states: “I was lucky enough to write and put out music with one of my dearest friends through Shy Shy Shy for a long time, but after shaping everything to fit into that frame, I really felt like making something where I could put myself more on the line and be a bit more risky. I’ve tried to keep a curious approach to my own voice and musicality and have allowed myself to dive into more personal subjects than in the past”.
The first thing that struck me about Portrait is her beautiful and elegant voice. It’s packed full of emotion and intensity and accompanied by a straightforward guitar riff. The song was inspired by a visit to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, and the haunting lyric “I wanna paint myself a picture that I like, I wanna paint myself a picture I can recognize” reflects the mood that day. “Looking at painting after painting of the same face, it became clear to me that I do the exact same thing. I paint the picture of who I am over and over again, and I am never completely satisfied with the result. It’s as if I’m always a little off. Like I’ve left something out or managed to become someone else in the process. It left me full of both wonder and comfort that a human being from a completely different life and time had felt the same way, and I’ve tried to capture that in Portrait. It took me under a minute to explain this to Lise, and she just got it right away and made this beautiful video for it”.
If you get a chance, you must watch the highly unique lyric video made by graphic designer Lise Grønvald Nielsen. It has Salvador Dali-esque imagery, with an ever-changing collage filled with contrasting and intriguing elements. Very surreal and appropriate for this beautiful track.
Portrait is out tomorrow on Celebration Records. Listen to it now on Independent Music News.
