Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Delilah Brao has a talent for effortlessly translating her most intimate thoughts into relatably mesmerizing narratives draped in indie-pop interwoven with folk. Her latest single, “Over The Phone,” recalls the painful moment when a long-distance relationship finally fell apart — though, as the title implies, it didn’t happen face to face. With her upcoming debut EP Since You’re In New York, arriving sometime next year, now’s the time to familiarize yourself with the sad girl enchantments conjured up by Brao.
Originally from Boston, she discovered an affinity for music and writing at an early age. While her four siblings were playing sports, she kept her mother company in their 12-seater van, composing songs together, like the Easter-themed “Where Do Jellybeans Come From?” It’s clear that free-flowing creativity had an effect on Brao, whose lyrics have matured along with her from frivolity toward an unflinching vulnerability.
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A series of singles released last year has seen her coalesce around buoyant but visceral sound. On songs like “But Worse” and “Dodged A Bullet,” she tempers a sweetly upbeat melody with her playfully embittered lyricism. While the ebulliently churning “Do You Love Me Today?” hints at the crossroads of pop her music occupies.
She credits three albums for their inspiration and impact on her budding endeavors as an artist: Minor by Gracie Abrams and the folk-flecked pop found in Lizzy McAlpine’s Give Me A Minute and Taylor Swift‘s Evermore. Those influences are as apparent as ever in her new song “Over The Phone.”
Co-written with Matthew James Hemmer, the song pairs its heart-baring transparency with resonant acoustics. “You can’t ignore any longer / Every call is a bother,” she coos softly, her gleaming vocals illuminating the pain of an impersonal break-up conducted over FaceTime. “So you’re finally caving in.”
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Against a soothing tangle of wispy cries and strident strums, Brao waxes poignantly about all the reasons and excuses given for the hasty but not entirely unexpected split. Painting a wearied portrait of resigned acceptance — “Give me the tracking number / For the stuff I left last summer / Save you some minutes of your day” — the song’s emotional heft only slightly lightened by her tender sincerity.
“The call only lasted five minutes — it’s like he fit it in between episodes of the series we were watching together. It’s grim. We dated for years. But, long distance sucks and the song kind of speaks for itself in that way.”
Words: Steven Ward
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Listen to “Over The Phone,” the new single from Delilah Brao.
