Zoe Stroupe’s latest single, “Colorado Bruise,” is a delicately and thoughtfully created piece on the intricacies of emotion, all wound up in a gently embracing instrumental with an acoustic front and centre. It begins on the very first strum of the acoustic guitar: open and introspective, building into rhythm with laid-back drums and layered harmonies, steeped in a quiet but moving sentiment. Zoe’s light and airy vocals grace the melody, swishing out a lyrical story through the air—a tale captivating and ever so resonating. Her voice is delicate but powerful, making up for an original vulnerability best suited for the right kind of backdrop: reflection on a drive through the mountains, sipping that morning coffee or watching the sunset with friends.
Drawing from artists like Big Thief, Boygenius, and Searows, Zoe treats songwriting like an art form, crafting stories that are both personal and universal. Not afraid to stumble into grey emotions, she explores a place between happy and sad. Lyricism nuanced in such a way allows any listener, therefore, to find their connections in her songs very profoundly. Her synaesthesia most characterizes Zoe’s artistry, allowing her to see music in colours. These kinds of cross-wire in the senses come through in visual choices, such as on a cyanotype track cover for “Colorado Bruise,” filled with hidden writings and ripped edges. It embraces blues, greens, and purplish greys; in other words, it visually parallels the emotional landscape that Zoe was moving through in life.
Recorded in Interlocken, Michigan, with production courtesy of Ally Waddell and the touch of mastering by Chris Newton at Luna Studios, “Colorado Bruise” expresses Zoe’s integrity to authenticity and emotional honesty in her work. You can feel, with each note and inflection, the intimate recording process that gives this standout track even more depth in her discography. The song lyrics of “Colorado Bruise” are so deep in telling about regrets, gratefulness, love, and loss. It is in these things that Zoe contemplates personal experience and a beautiful realization: grief and gratitude live side by side, and can make something intensely relatable and emotionally potent in this way. A bit of its storyline involves some self-realisation and acceptance, but it’s mainly a confirmation that beauty in a bruise is available.
“Colorado Bruise” is an open-hearted journey through the complexities of life, an arena in which high stakes, vulnerability, and connection flourish into a musical sanctuary. This is one of those songs that really stays with you long after the final note, expressing how music heals and bring us closer to ourselves.
You can find more of Zoe Stroupe at:
You can listen to ‘Colorado Bruise’ below:
Karen Harding is a Melbourne, Australia based singer/songwriter, founder of Sounds On The Couch, and founder and operator of boutique music PR service for emerging and independent artists, Rise Indie.