Indie art-pop artist Ursae brings us four euphoric tracks in new EP Distance

Hailing from California’s Bay Area, indie pop artist Ursae releases his greatly anticipated EP Distance. Now based on the east coast, Ursae (also known as Andy Campbell) has crafted a sweet concoction of avant-pop, electro synth and gritty guitars. The new four-track EP details Campbell’s own experience of reinvention and self-empowerment. 

Inspired by the likes of SZA, Toro Y Moi and Japanese Breakfast, the Brooklyn based artist shares on the motivation of Distance, “I was feeling kind of lost and anxious – I’d recently finished school, Trump had just taken office, I was going through a sort of weird breakup. A lot of shit was changing and I had to figure out who I was gonna be and how I was gonna handle it. I was in a weird place at the time and I wanted to make sense of it by writing music that felt really bold and confident, and just be like, ‘fuck everything you’ve heard, this is me now’”. 

Leading single ‘Trust’ exemplifies Campbell’s extraordinary falsetto vocals, soaring above kaleidoscopic synths and blissful floating melodies. The track is reminiscent of Post Malone, with elements of Bon Iver’s soft, subtle instrumentation shining through. Then there is ‘Monday Morning’ bringing the musician’s love of quirky alt-pop to the forefront. Delicate melodies and infectious cascading vocals, emphasis how often less is more. ‘Long Distance’ showcases a funk-heavy bassline and playful synths, creating a fun and uplifting track. Lastly ‘Del Mar’ brings the EP to a close, again highlighting Campbell’s groovier sound and his ability to fuse fun, funk-fuelled instrumentation with ethereal dreamlike synths. 
We’re looking forward to hearing what Ursae has to offer next, as it’ll be tough to beat the sensuous, velvet tones of Distance