When everyone in pop music is going out of their way to be emotionally baring or politically outspoken, it’s pretty refreshing to hear a song that celebrates the simple pleasures in life.
Like cats. Cats are pretty great, huh? Samira Winter thinks so, so she wrote a loving tribute to her feline companion Zoey, and it’s likely to be the most endearing thing you’ll see today. Samira is the Brazilian-born frontwoman for an LA-based dream pop four-piece—aptly named Winter—who’s 2015 debut Supreme Blue Dream caught great critical attention and propelled the group to do significant international touring. Following a string of digital singles released over the last year, Winter recently announced their long-awaited sophomore album Ethereality, which promises to be another pastel-shaded romp through a hazy dream world of 90s nostalgia. “Zoey,” the second single from Ethereality—named of course after Samira’s furry friend—is a shoegazing pop-rock treasure that exudes a genuine childlike sense innocence and wonder that you just don’t see very often in today’s scene.
Winter’s songwriting ethos is based in a conscious choice to keep things simple, approachable, and honest, and “Zoey” proves that a band doesn’t always need to overcomplicate things with superfluous experimentation. Samira and crew stick to a basic formula of shimmering guitars and driving rock beats, Winter’s own spectral vocals extoling Zoey’s undeniable virtues. The dreamy nostalgic vibe sounds almost like My Bloody Valentine covering one of The Pixies’ more gentle tracks. The video itself is nothing short of adorable, showing Samira and Zoey enjoying a sunny day at the park and the glittering lights of the city at night. If you can’t get behind this, well you might not have a heart at all.
Winter has always made a point to foster a close relationship with fans, and Samira regularly goes out of her way to express her deep gratitude to the community that has supported her. In this spirit—and that of artistic independence—Winter decided to self-release Ethereality, supported primarily via a crowd sourcing campaign. Beyond your average rewards (records, autographs, etc.) Samira is offering hang outs with Zoey (still available!) and other one-of-a-kind perks, which serves as testament to the closeness she shares with her fans. Samira Winter might just be the most likable face in indie-pop today.
You can check out the video for “Zoey” below, streaming exclusively on Culture Collide, and be sure to pick up the album when it releases on April 6.
If you’re in LA, you can catch Winter at their record release show on April 13 at The Echo before they embark on their country-wide tour with Surfer Blood starting on April 19.
