Andrew Veeder on December 12th, 2018

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As an artist, sometimes delving into new territory can yield big rewards, as singer-songwriter Willow Stephens has learned this year. The Montana native and Los Angeles resident is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, but spent a number of years playing solo around coffee shops in the Pacific Northwest before moving to SoCal in 2015. She released her self-titled debut EP in May 2017 via New York-based Miner League, reflecting her diverse roots in the classical, folk, jazz and R&B genres with such songs as baroque opener “Bird’s Eye View,” doo-woppy “Accolades,” and sultry stomper “Spend It All,” but parted with the label late last year.

Since then, Willow’s hooked up with writers and producers Ryan Short and Grant Sayler and cooked up some new music as an independent artist. Her first single to emerge is “Gold,” which expands her sound in a way she describes as “sultry casino pop” and imagines it soundtracking a powerhouse gang of women a la “Ocean’s 8” pulling off the heist of a lifetime. Backed by a funky bassline, tasty rhythm guitar and eclectic electronic production, it’s the biggest and boldest song she’s released so far, singing “I don’t want no silver lining / Gotta get that gold” as she vocally flexes all over the track. “The song felt like a pretty big risk artistically. My songwriting has always been pretty piano or guitar driven because that’s the way I’ve traditionally performed… but at the same time it feels completely authentic. This is the natural next step in my musical journey and I’m excited to see where it leads.” Get it stuck in your head below.

Willow Stephens’ debut album, “Shadow Sides,” is set for a May 2019 release, with more singles set to trickle out in the new year.

||| Stream: “Gold”

||| Live: Willow Stephens plays Breaking Sound at the Study on Feb. 20. You can also catch her each week for “Sunday Night Lullabies,” live at 9pm PST on her Instagram.