Kim McClay – Velveteen Girls (2026)
Pouring intimate narratives into genre-hopping melodies with “strong convictions, vibrant guitars, and vocal prowess”, singer-songwriter Kim McClay is a powerhouse fire-cracker with a mischievous smile and a twinkling wink. All the way from New York – where she cultivated and honed her sound on the music scene – McClay may have been writing and performing since 2020, but she’s only hitting our ears now. From her debut single, ‘Goodbye!’, in 2021, to the most recent release, ‘Velveteen Girls’, McClay brings warmth, energy and a crazy fervour to audiences through speakers or live. Join us as we take a deeper look into ‘Velveteen Girls’.
The first release since her 2023 single, ‘Comin’ Home’ – at least according to Spotify – ‘Velveteen Girls’ is a powerful sweep of pop-rock that is as much vintage as it is contemporary. Co-produced by McClay and Dustin Beardsley, the single binds Jim Bloom’s crashing guitars with Trevor Brown’s steady bass, Beardsley’s guitar soaring and scorching across the track, and McClay bringing the edge with rich and warm, but gritty and vulnerable vocals. It’s the song that you can jump about to, singing along into your hairbrush with zeal, and feeling absolutely thrilled with its pure, unfiltered, rambunctious gusto.
‘Velveteen Girls’ brims with fiery spirit, pushing its theme of empowerment and complete self-love, resilience, assurance and strength. Kim McClay explains:
“I wrote this femme rock anthem for my nieces – or all girls for that matter – to empower them to feel beautiful with their bodies exactly as they are! Inspired by ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’, this song is a celebration of every woman at every age, exclaiming how it is a privilege to age. May we celebrate every wrinkle as it marks a life well-lived!”
Sincerity, honesty and sentimentality clasped by a hard-hitting pop-rock vibe, ‘Velveteen Girls’ is a song I can have on repeat. With the promise of a new EP on the horizon, I cannot wait to hear more from this sensational musician.
Give yourself a treat and head to Kim McClay’s YouTube to view a live rendition of ‘Velveteen Girls’. You can view the video below and/or on her YouTube channel.
Find out more about Kim McClay on her official website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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