St. Catherine’s Child’s “Negative Space” beautifully portrays a gradual shift from isolation to intimacy, encapsulating the poignant longing of feeling alone in a crowd, while also revealing the delicate and vibrant essence of connection and love that emerges.
The video opens with a close-up of St. Catherine’s Child’s face, her expression laden with unspoken emotions as she sings to us. Gradually, the camera zooms out to reveal a shiny, metallic green party hat being placed atop her head, and the scene expands to show she is at a party – perhaps her own. She tosses the hat away in annoyance.
Despite the confetti drifting through the air and friends surrounding her, there’s an underlying sense of loneliness: the sensation of solitude amidst crowds. What starts as isolation slowly evolves into warmth and community. There’s no grand unveiling; instead, the transition is gentle, allowing grief to make way for celebration and sadness to give rise to love.
The essence of “Negative Space” revolves around this emotional conflict – the struggle between presence and alienation, between feeling embraced and an underlying hollowness. This heartfelt and introspective ballad, leading off St. Catherine’s Child’s forthcoming debut album, depicts how the transatlantic indie folk artist skillfully transforms grief into beauty, passionately capturing the quiet disintegration that follows loss and the lengthy, uncertain journey toward healing. It paints a vivid picture of depression with care, illustrating moments where everyday tasks like answering the phone can feel overwhelming, yet connection still manages to shine through.
In the lyrics, St. Catherine’s Child reflects on her internal struggle:
"I'm becoming increasingly difficult to reach
I’ve taken up knitting recently
My collarbone jutting out from my shoulders
And I weep in solitude like a child
All the boxes of his belongings remain to be unpacked
I haven’t eaten a meal in five consecutive days
Dave has always been so understanding
But I know it pains him to see me this way
I realize it’s probably best to
Leave this house
The woman in the mirror
Doesn’t resemble me at this moment
I can see it clearly on her face,
We’re wasting away."
Atwood Magazine is excited to premiere “Negative Space” on March 28th, via Shamus Records. For St. Catherine’s Child, whose real name is Ilana Zsigmond, this first release of the year is a significant one; she has poured her unexpressed thoughts and emotions into a song that evokes both chills and elevation.
"I'm frightened that my grief will make me uninteresting,
Because people generally dislike it when you cry.
It occurs more frequently when I’m intoxicated,
And wailing at the celebration disrupts the atmosphere."
Zsigmond shares with Atwood Magazine, “‘Negative Space’ was inspired by the peculiar phase in the grieving process where solitude becomes unbearable, and despair takes on a frenetic quality as you strive to avoid confronting it. Ultimately, I distill it down to the notion of being present, yet merely an impression of myself. I felt like the void where a woman should be. This song is about the type of depression that felt as frenzied as I did.”
Directed by Izzy Rubin-Burnett, the music video for “Negative Space” is just as compelling as the song, focusing on Zsigmond and illuminating her humanity – and ultimately, her sense of community.
“I wanted the video to capture that unique feeling of attending parties during a challenging time — I felt encapsulated in my own world while my wonderful friends and family did what they could to ease my burden,” Zsigmond recalls. “We envisioned portraying a manic-depressive state, with everyone celebrating around me while I remained somewhat detached. The session musicians for the album are my dearly cherished friends, and I aimed for the album and its promotion to reflect my support network – the individuals who truly sustained me. Consequently, I invited many of them to participate in the video.”
Gathering her most trusted loved ones, Zsigmond allowed herself to fully embrace the moment – in her music and in her vulnerability.
“The people featured in this music video include friends who supported me through that time, patiently offering drinks and hugs. At the end of the video, as we gather in a dogpile on the couch, I am thankful for them and their love every day. It’s me, Toria (my partner), and three of our very close friends – one of whom, Cal, co-wrote the final song on the album with me,” she explains. “He’s truly larger than life. He showed up and said, ‘I don’t know if this will be helpful, but I have three confetti cannons in my car.’ If someone asked me to pinpoint the most distinct Cal Williams sentiment ever, that might be it. So, we had three cannons – two didn’t
The pop superstar is set to take her latest album to various cities in the UK, Europe, and North America later this year.
Their upcoming album, ‘Forever Howlong’, will be performed in its entirety during their intimate tour dates in April 2025.
Oakland's queer shoegaze trio Pillowprince addresses themes of violence and loss in their deeply affecting third single "Care About," a powerful expression of presence, empathy, and the need for action.
Rico Nasty has released a new single titled 'ON THE LOW'. The versatile rapper plans to launch her new studio album this year, with 'LETHAL' scheduled to be available on streaming platforms.
My Bloody Valentine will embark on a complete UK tour this year, marking their first in more than ten years. It's an exciting time for fans of the mysterious shoegaze genre.
Lafawndah embarks on a new chapter of her artistic journey as KUKII. Raised in both France and Tehran, the producer has consistently been conscious of her Middle Eastern heritage.
A gradual, gentle transformation of solitude into closeness, St. Catherine's Child’s “Negative Space” depicts the subtle pain of feeling isolated in a busy room – as well as the delicate, luminescent beauty of connection and love emerging.