Words by: Lilja Cormack

Rising indie artist, Tess Posner debuts her newest single “Paper Walls” —  exploring themes of loneliness and how pride can be your own worst enemy. Isolation is something we have all experienced recently and this song calls attention to how painful it can be when you inflict it on yourself. Tess offers an honest and chilling lyrical portrayal of this feeling over a hauntingly magnetic background to create an ethereal alt-pop track that you will not want to miss.

Growing up in California, Posner got into music at a young age. She started singing and playing piano as a child. Later, she began to perform in coffee shops as a teenager. In 2018, she released her first EP, One Thousand Petals. On this project, she debuted her one-of-a-kind sound and praiseworthy songwriting skills that would later receive the recognition they deserved. In the following year she would continue to release singles, one of which was “New Angels”. The track, unsurprisingly, was a Semi-Finalist in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition. She’s clearly got a knack for this stuff and showcases it in her newest release.

In this single, Tess takes us back to pre-pandemic times in a way that you might not expect. She starts off the song singing about a dive bar she used to frequent — ah, remember those days? Posner reminds us of a time when loneliness could still exist in a room full of people. She offers her own explanation of the song sharing, “‘Paper Walls’ is about finding the courage to open up and be vulnerable to other people, rather than stay in your own loneliness and isolation. The song shares my story of time spent going out in New York City in my early 20’s and feeling so alone, no matter how many people were around; all I needed to do was reach out, and I wouldn’t have felt so alone anymore.”

The lyrics “I’m too proud to reach out” precede a catchy chorus about the walls that we put around our feelings so as to avoid vulnerability. While we may try to keep ourselves guarded, those walls are merely paper and there is always that certain someone who is the “match”, as Tess describes it. These clever lyrics are just part of what makes this song so hypnotic. Instrumentally, the track features a haunting piano and melody that is lifted up by bright and powerful vocals. The song pulsates over dynamic pop rhythms and

what results is a unique atmosphere that matches its message perfectly.

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