NADINE debuts “Pews,” a jazzy avant-pop song about chaos and spirituality

"What are you trying to say to me? I can’t hear," goes "Pews," a smooth jazz-informed new song by NADINE. Based in Minneapolis, NADINE is Nadia Hulett (Phantom Posse), plus Carlos Hernandez and Julian Fader (Ava Luna). The trio has a debut album of grand-sounding experimental pop songs coming via Father/Daughter Records at the end of the month, oh my.

"Pews," premiering today on The FADER, is the record's third and grooviest single. Its beat, layered but breezy, is anchored by Hulett's velvet voice, which she uses to examine her relationship to spirituality. But, as the singer and lyricist explained over email, this song doesn't actually attempt to figure anything out.

"There are a couple key ingredients of miscommunication and vagueness here," Nadia wrote of "Pews". "Chaos before integration. When I listen I see another version of myself rehashing a painful experience, externalizing the inner monologue, preparing for a talk with God, leapfrogging between seemingly unconnected memories. Yet here is one of those rare cases I am not grasping to put the pieces of this vague puzzle together. And it really doesn't matter that you know what I am reliving either. What is important is that the emotion underneath my words is felt."