Chicago songwriter Delaney Bailey is excited to share her latest single, “Wake Up,” an electronically tinged ballad about changing your ways and waking up from the rut you’re stuck in, available now via AWAL. Crawling with tension and atmospheric production from tinges of auto-tune, today’s release showcases her growing prowess as a performer and storyteller, capturing the depths of emotional lows among sonic highs. Synths trickle in around caressing vocals as Bailey pleads with herself to make a change.
“Wake Up’ is a song I wrote about realizing no one is coming to save you, I’ve dealt with depression and anxiety for most of my life, and living on my own for the first time has highlighted the areas of myself that I now know need a lot of work. I’ve come to realize no one is going to change the voice in your head except for yourself. No amount of encouragement from others will change your brain chemistry. I tend to let myself sit in bouts of depression for much longer than I should, and ‘Wake Up’ is essentially an affirmation that I can and will get myself out of that hole.”
Delaney Bailey
LISTEN TO “WAKE UP”
Earlier this summer, Bailey shared “Lion” with a stunning official music video, capturing the cinematic and immersive world in which her music inhabits. A pulsating yet slinky track that reflects growth from helplessness, the video sees Bailey fully in her power, protected by newfound independence and a hefty sword. Empowering and melodically sticky, “Lion” was the first preview of what’s to come from the sound-sculpting artist.
In November, Delaney Bailey will embark on her first headlining tour across the Midwest. Making stops in cities like Chicago, IL, and Minneapolis, MN, the tour will see Bailey bringing this year’s releases to the stage for the first time. For more information and to stay updated on upcoming dates, see below and follow Delaney Bailey on Instagram at @d.bxiley.
★ DELANEY BAILEY LIVE ★
NOVEMBER
14 – Icehouse – Minneapolis, MN
18 – Raccoon Motel – Davenport, IA
DECEMBER
2 – The Bishop – Bloomington, IN
4 – Lager House – Detroit, MI
5 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
ABOUT DELANEY BAILEY:
A fine artist will imprint emotion on canvas with strong and intentional brushstrokes.
Though she may not exactly be putting brush to canvas, Delaney Bailey imprints heavy feelings of heartbreak, betrayal, isolation, and uncertainty onto her music with alternately ethereal and expressive vocals. Her dynamic voice feels right at home layered into the fabric of otherworldly beat-craft, expansive sonic vistas, and living and breathing soundscapes.
Growing up in Indiana, Delaney uncovered her passion for music early on. Given that she was named after Jimmy Buffett’s daughter, it’s perhaps no surprise. She went from listening to Norah Jones and Adele to My Chemical Romance, Pierce The Veil, Nick Drake, Lorde, and Grizzly Bear. Simultaneously, she honed her voice by singing in theater and choir throughout high school. With seven siblings, she had an unpredictable and interesting childhood, to say the least. As such, she developed keen empathy and a heightened sense of understanding.
“Since I grew up around so many different individuals, it became an important skill to learn why others were feeling the way they were and, in turn, why I was feeling how I was,” she goes on. “I knew what mood everybody would be in based on what was going and how to navigate it. I’ve always had an ability to look internally, and I don’t take it for granted. Maybe it contributed to me growing up a little too fast, but it makes for good songwriting.”
In the middle of freshman year at Indiana University Bloomington, she endured an intense breakup and chose to write songs as an outlet. Her early uploads resonated online, so she bought a professional Focusrite audio interface (thanks to her followers sending money in a show of support), Ableton, and a microphone.
Launching her career, she dropped “Loving & Losing,” and it exploded online. In its wake, she picked up the pace with “Coffee Stained Smile” and the This Is About You EP highlighted by “Finish Line” and “For You.” However, the songstress reached critical mass with the breakout “j’s lullaby (darlin’i’d wait for you),” amassing 128 million Spotify streams and landing on The New York Times’ “Best Songs of 2022.” Her prolific streak continued with (i would have followed you) [2022], what we leave behind EP [2023], and Chiaroscuro EP [2024]. HitsDailyDouble applauded the latter as “a poignant reminder that even in the depths of pain there is always a glimmer of light to lead the way,” and OnesToWatch christened her “a natural-born storyteller.”
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