Jan 26, 2023
By Caleb Campbell
Photography by Allison Barr
Portland-based indie pop outfit Chipped Nail Polish first began as a solo project for singer/songwriter Jill Sullivan, with Sullivan Sharing their 2020 debut EP, B, while she was still in college. Since then, the project has expanded into a full band and honed in on a playful new sound, offering up a breezy blend of surf pop, power pop indie, and bedroom pop. They then knit it all together with tender melodies, disarming lyricism, and lighthearted instrumentation.
The band returned this month with “Rut,” their first new single since the release of B, and today they’re back with the Bottom Feeder EP, premiering with Under the Radar.
After opening with the wistful ukelele balladry of the intro track, “Bottom Feeder,” the record quickly picks up with its lead single, “Rut,” a sun-lit surf pop effort replete with infectious melodies and a rollicking climax. From there, “Shakin’ In Yer Boots” layers on the hazy lo-fi melodies before transforming into a sugary power pop rager, while “Gentle Lullaby” lives up to its name with a sparse and longing confessional. Finally, the EP draws to a close with “Say Something,” a final blend of surf guitars, dreamy ukelele interludes, and driving rhythms, weaving all of the band’s stylistic detours into one track and offering the best showcase of their chemistry on the EP.
Yet, for as upbeat and sunny as the record is, Sullivan’s lyrics also bring a degree of depth and weight to the EP, shading it with her reflections on coming of age, navigating difficult relationships, and feeling lost. As Sullivan says of “Rut,” “This is a song about feeling stuck and hopeless while also being naturally light-hearted and optimistic. It’s a sad winter song that’s been disguised as a summertime bop.”
She explains of the record, “The concept for this EP was created around the idea of bottom-feeding fish in an ecosystem. Most of these songs were written at a time when I felt like I was sinking. However, the more time I spent at the bottom, the more I began to appreciate my flounder friends. Just as bottom-feeding fish are vital to an entire food chain, our pain is required to experience joy.”
Check out the EP below, along with Sullivan’s new video for “Rut.” The Bottom Feeder EP is out everywhere on January 27th.