Photo Credits: https://www.rikerbrothers.com/ ; Art: @quinnie.zol & @tatianalorich
17-year-old singer/songwriter, della, recently released her debut EP, "Playing Pretend" and it's already making waves in the contemporary folk scene having charted at No. 13 on Roots Music Radio.
TRACKLIST
matthew's in love
scar tissue
interlude
grapevine
playing pretend
della, also known as Natalie Schroeder, started recording and pursuing a music career about two years ago at the age of 15. Now in 2024, she finally debuted as an artist, releasing her first ever single "matthew's in love", then "scar tissue" which was in anticipation for her first ever EP which we will be covering today! Also over the past two years, della has been performing live and gaining experience to develop her sound. She has placed in multiple songwriting competitions and has been recognized as one of the top seven teen writers in the International Songwriting Awards. della takes influence from mixtures of folk, pop and rock music to create her unique sound, but her masterful lyricism and gorgeous voice is what really catches the ear more than anything.
matthew's in love
We start the EP with della's debut single, "matthew's in love". The song tells a tale of a young girl named Jessie May and a guy named Matthew. della uses detailed imagery in her lyrics to set the scene. It seems Jessie and Matthew grew up in the rural countryside. Jessie grew up with a kind father who taught her to be tough, and she had a clear vision of what she wanted for herself in a man one day. She had no idea that one day, she would meet someone who would end up clouding that vision. I don't want to give away the whole story, because I really encourage you to immerse yourself in the lyrics of this song and take in everything della sings. This is a very deep and also a very relatable topic that many people go through in their lifetimes, especially early on when we're young and naive to the world of dating and romantic relationships. "matthew's in love" features beautiful acoustic guitar at the forefront; it has it's moments where it picks up with drums, but the parts that hit the most are the come downs when it's just guitar and della's heartbreakingly emotional vocals singing the gorgeously crafted melody.
scar tissue
Next we have "scar tissue", the second single to be released in anticipation for the EP release. "scar tissue" is about being in a long-term situationship that you've always wanted to be more. They've been leading you on, wanting the benefits of being in a relationship with you without making it official or exclusive. You're in love, but they don't want to hear you say it. It's been so long that you're starting to become numb, and all the hurt and pain they're causing you is starting to become "scar tissue". This song has a nostalgic groove, a dreamy production style and melody that reminds me a bit of young Taylor Swift. della sings with a bit of Americana twang in her voice and does it stunningly well. Not to forget the layers of gorgeous harmonies that really add to the dreamy element of this song.
interlude
Wedging itself between the singles and the rest of the tracks, we have a 55 second interlude. We hear a soft, cathartic electric guitar picking pattern, and then voice recordings of what sounds like della and her best friend Claire. I don't have official statements, so I can only make assumptions off of what I hear in the song, but it sounds like they've been friends since they were really young. They had plans of growing up together and being neighbors, living in houses right next to each other. Now that they're older, we all know those plans we make as kids don't usually make it through, and it sounds like they now live very far apart because one of them had to move across the entire country, forcing their friendship to be long distance. You can hear della say in one of the voice recordings, "I'm going to put this in the interlude".
grapevine
"grapevine" is a heavily emotional piano ballad, with a classic chord progression and belting vocals. This song is about social media and being chronically online, and how it impacts our mental heath and wellbeing as a society today. The lyrics sound both very personal to della, and like an important message that everyone out there in the world really needs to hear and think on. It's a reminder that your internet persona is not who you are, and that we need to stop judging people and their lives based off what we see online. A picture or a 30 second clip of somebody is not who they are. That is a moment in time out of their whole entire life that you've never seen or known them. In fact, we need to limit our screen time and start living our lives while we've still got them. Spend time with the ones you love, go outside and enjoy nature. Read a book. write in a journal, play an instrument - heck, just close your eyes and sit in the quiet for a while.
playing pretend
We close out the EP with the title track, "playing pretend". Using a simple down-up acoustic guitar finger strum and a gentle cinematic production, this song features some blues notes as well as seventh and sustained chords to really emphasis the heavy emotion being portrayed here. della sings in a conversational tone as she recalls an encounter with another songwriter who seems to see the world a brighter light than she does. She finds herself comparing herself to him, wishing she could be more like him, because she doesn't understand how it's just so simple for him to be so happy when the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. However, as she reaches the end of the track, she realizes maybe it isn't that simple and he's also just someone like her who puts on a happy face, and plays pretend.
della is so talented beyond her years, and she's only just now getting started. She writes like she has the life experience of a mature, seasoned poet. Her storytelling and lyrical rhythm is masterful and the fact that she is only 17 (some of these songs being written 2 years ago) just absolutely blows my mind. The way she writes draws you in and captivates you from start to finish. Her songs are relatable; and even if you can't relate, the stories are so intriguing that you can't stop yourself from wanting to know more. Not only that, but she has such a beautiful voice and an ear for crafting stunning melodies. It's no wonder that she is named one of the best teenage songwriters in the world right now by the International Songwriting Awards. There's no doubt in my mind that people are going to start finding out who della is, and she's gonna make a name for herself in mainstream music. This is just the beginning for della, so make sure to follow her on her socials below. I can't wait to hear what she does next.
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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