Video Premiere: Julie Kathryn “Black Trees”

She’s got Audrey Hepburn’s class, Duffy and Macy Gray’s nasaly-yet-soulful voice and Joni Mitchel’s tell-all introspective lyrics, but singer-songwriter Julie Kathryn has much more to offer than just a laundry list of other artists’ redeeming qualities. This Lake Placid, New York native has been featured on Music Connection Magazine’s annual “Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands” list, and her song “The Coast (Fast Johnny)” recently won third place in the Americana/Country category of the Indie International Songwriting Contest.

Check out the video for “Black Trees,” the first single off her debut album of the same title, due August 27. The album will feature eight original songs as well as covers of Son Volt, Bob Dylan, and Greg Brown.

“‘Black Trees’ was directed by Aaron and Alex Craig (Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond), and is a series of scenes slowed to near stillness – in effect, memories suspended in time,” Kathryn told American Songwriter. “These ‘sliced moments’ eerily illustrate the arc of of a romantic relationship, from its hopeful beginnings through its ultimate demise. The song’s dark lyrical tone stands in stark contrast with its upbeat rhythms and infectious melody, providing the track and video with an understated sense of irony and tension.”