Daily Dose: Kate Teague, “Gilly”

Daily Dose is your daily source for the song you absolutely, positively need to hear every day. Curated by the Paste Music Team.

Kate Teague’s debut album won’t arrive until 2019, but the indie singer-songwriter out of Oxford, Miss., is sowing the seeds of a standout release, the latest of which is her heartwarming new single “Gilly.” The deeply personal track finds Teague reaching out to console a loved one, doing her best to be there for her from afar.

“My sister was going through a difficult time and it hurt me that I couldn’t be there for her since we live far apart,” Teague explains. “Most of our calls consisted of me listening to her because I didn’t want to upset her by giving her unsolicited advice. Writing [‘Gilly’] was the best way I knew to make sense of both of our feelings at the time.”

Teague sings softly over a bright, yet restless lead guitar line that roams both high and low, not unlike the peaks and valleys of a life. She reassures her heartbroken sibling that the best is yet to come, promising, “Gilly, you’ll be alright / Let it end / Don’t let your willful heart win / Tomorrow’s man will be all in.” The song is a moving attempt to bridge the kind of gap that can’t help but exist between two adults, with Teague reminding the song’s namesake that when she needs a loving sister to lean on, there’s no distance too far.

“Gilly” follows two other 2018 singles from Teague, “Good To You” and “Low Life.” The former song, which we also highlighted as our Daily Dose upon its release, matches breezy instrumentation with self-conscious, striving lyrics, while the latter track, Teague’s debut single, introduces her captivating sound to the world with confidence. Though it’s early yet, all signs point to 2019 being Teague’s year, and we can’t wait to hear more.