Wish Queen unflinchingly lists her many Grievances with the world and herself in her mesmerizing new single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The second song from Cleveland singer-songwriter Grace Sullivan’s upcoming debut album Saturnalia, Grievances packs a potent alt-pop punch, expressing a multitude of regrets and frustrations, not only with the creative process, but with living in this point in time, when so much feels futile. A planet and a society in distress, separation from our cultures and traditions and from nature in the name of capitalism and corporate greed, trapped by the screens that promised us so much freedom. There’s a lot to be angry about. Grievances offers some sort of purge not from Wish Queen, but from Grace, that allows her dreamy alter-ego to take over. A shimmering soundscape full of rich synths, beautiful vocal harmonies, and bold instrumentals, a song this angsty has never felt so good.
Until now, Wish Queen has been singing and writing music in the shadows, sharing glimpses of her larger vision only with a select few. Some strange stranglehold of blockages and fear made her art too difficult to share on a broader scale.
After years of panic attacks that would manifest as breathlessness and the sensation that her throat was closing, as well as a mysterious swelling in her neck that after a variety of tests yielded no medical causation, Grace began to realize that she needed to take her inner voice seriously. And so she began looking for more spiritual ways to heal herself — one of those being through sharing her music. As soon as she began to shed the fear, her symptoms miraculously vanished. Throwing off the baggage of her old life, she allowed herself to tap into her alter-ego — Wish Queen.
Emerging from the sweet shyness of her youth, Grace used the 2020 lockdown and her astrological Saturn return as a catalyst for self actualization, and an opportunity to transform herself into the artist she always was, deep down. In astrology, the Saturn return is when Saturn comes back to the place it was in your chart when you were born, signifying the full maturation of your chart — and bringing with it growth, reality checks, and commitment to one’s own life.
Mystical and moving, Wish Queen transforms the intangible feelings of desire and yearning into moving melodies, ranging from danceable pop to deliciously introspective ballads you’d love to sit alone and cry to. Blending her rich, classic vocals and long-hidden poetry with layered reverb and synth-based production styles, Wish Queen transports her listeners to a myriad of times and places all at once.
Drawing inspiration from various queens that came before her, including Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood and Ethel Cain, Wish Queen has created a unique sweet spot that is all her own, and invites you to immerse yourself in her dream world.
A hypnotic blend of dream pop, art pop, and indie folk, Saturnalia, explores earthly cycles, heartbreak, and coming of age via the Saturn return. Recorded mostly in a garage in the summer of 2022, the album is a true diamond in the rough, complete with breathtaking layers of synths, powerfully intuitive vocal harmonies, and a meticulously crafted hidden narrative.
Listen to Grievances above, hear more from Wish Queen below, and have your say on her website, Facebook and Instagram.
