Philly’s own Julia Pratt is back with another release, and it’s one to take your breath away. Soft acoustic guitar gives way to Pratt’s delicate voice and haunting falsettos throughout the song. The looping guitar is a call-back to the song’s title and theme: Chronos, or the Greek personification of time.
The song’s cyclical nature is a product of the song’s inception. “In some sense writing ‘Carolina’ felt like it killed a part of me, and ‘Chronos’ is what came after a period of reflecting on that death,” shares Pratt in a press release. “It arose from thinking about generational trauma and about my father. In this song I contrast our upbringings, and unpack the cycle that has repeated in both of our lives — the cycle that has most likely repeated over and over again in the lives of those that came before us as well.”
There is a lot to unpack in the track, and the accompanying music video adds a visual layer to the pain and beauty in the song. Dressed in all black, Pratt is a ghost of her former self in the music video for “Chronos, Cruel Handler.” She moves in and out of flashbacks, further reinstating the theme of past trauma and the passing of time.
Fresh off a run of shows supporting acts such as Sammy Rae & The Friends, mipso, and Angie McMahon, Pratt is in full swing, prepping for her first headline show right here in Philadelphia. Along with the release of “Chronos, Cruel Handler,” Pratt announced an upcoming EP that is set to release before her show, Family Feud.
“This project details many of the experiences from my childhood that have been weighing me down foreverrrr. These songs are for anyone who grew up in a broken home, anyone who misses people/places/things that they never had, and anyone who feels like they were robbed of the innocence of childhood. It hurts my feelings big time, but making it has brought me so much solace and perspective. I am so excited to release it into the wild,” wrote Pratt in an Instagram post.
Her new EP Family Feud will be released on May 10th. Don’t miss her first headlining show at the Foundry on May 11th. More details can be found at WXPN’s Concert Calendar.