Dec Ramsay – Gretchen Ross
Dec Ramsay's 'Gretchen Ross' is a stunning debut, transforming survival into anthemic indie pop with cinematic force and real emotional power.
'Gretchen Ross' opens with plaintive piano and a vocal line that knows exactly where it's going. Dec Ramsay's debut single draws its title from the Donnie Darko character, and there's something of that film's strange, determined energy here: the track builds from a lovely, held tension into full-bodied indie pop, layering atmospheric production beneath lyrics that reckon with the aftermath of an abusive relationship. The song really doesn't wallow though, it moves. By the time the chorus lands, it's all defiance and forward motion. Anthemic pop, cinematic and deeply felt.
Dec Ramsay is a queer alternative artist raised across Aotearoa New Zealand and now based in London. They cut their teeth in Wellington's 2010s music scene after studying there, having been mentored as a teenager in New Plymouth by songwriter Peter Jefferies. 'Gretchen Ross' is their first single, written about leaving a violent relationship in 2015 and finding a way through. It's a statement of resilience dressed up as a pop song, and it lands. We're really glad to have Dec on our radar, and given this is their debut, we're very excited to see where they go next.