Samira Winter has been hard at work hawking merch to raise funds for her forthcoming album Ethereality, hustling everything from fanny packs to hangout sessions with her cat Zoey (those are $100 a pop, by the way). And her salesmanship is paying off.
The Echo Park songwriter, who used to crash Boston stages as a resident a few years back, released her record’s first track “High School” yesterday (February 28). Winter’s most recent iridescent pop gem comes complete with a ’90s-style instructional music video, directed by Peter Ferris Rosati, and she cites Colleen Green’s album I Want to Grow Up as a major influence on the tune.
“I really like her pop songwriting sensibility mixed with distorted guitars. It’s one of my favorite combos,” Winter says. “I also really liked her attitude in her vocal performances. So with all of that inspiration I started fooling around on my guitar and transported myself to the feeling of being in high school. I put myself in my teenager shoes and remembered those feelings of vulnerability and wanting to do things to make others happy. I remember caring so much about what people thought of me and the pressure of fitting in to what a ‘girl should be like.’ Which is why I wrote that line at the end of the chorus ‘For a little while…’ as a little wink-wink to everyone that thinks they have a hold on you. I have a special appreciation for pop music and pop songwriting, so when I was writing the song it was really fun to make it more playful and pop.”
Tune in to “High School” below before Winter’s album release on April 6 and upcoming gig with Surfer Blood at Great Scott on April 23.