A CHAT WITH BURRY
BY KATHERINE CHUNGBurry (they/them), an emerging genre-bending indie-pop artist from Halifax, Nova Scotia, is entering a new era. They began releasing music in 2018, and evolved into this pop queer stage of their career. Inspired by alt-pop and artists like Japanese House and Renee Rapp, Burry’s new era will introduce a new direction while keeping the folk indie vibes alive. On May 9th , Burry’s new song, “Peaches”, a fun summer song with a deep meaning, will be released on all streaming platforms.
Their storytelling and songwriting stand out for their raw honesty and emotional depth, tackling important topics like homophobia, transphobia, depression, and anxiety. As a queer, non-binary, and lesbian musician, Burry strives to inspire others to embrace their true selves. Each of their songs tells a dark, powerful story—but thanks to pop-forward, edgy influences like Renée Rapp and Billie Eilish, listeners might not realize the weight of the lyrics right away. Outside of music, Burry enjoys drag, shooting DIY-style music videos, spending time with their wife, and exploring color theory through the lens of famous artists.
Art Imitating Art
Looking back at Burry’s discography, most of their single or EP artwork had dark or muted colors on the covers. They are inspired by color, to the point where every release had a color theme to go with it. Whether it was muted grey or pale yellow, each cover artwork told a story with a color theme. “My first EP was inspired by Vincent Gogh’s life, so the theme for that was yellow. As we are coming up to this album, because my genre is changing and how I’m releasing music is different, this album theme is neon pink.” The hot pink is supposed to reflect the genre change and also the new music videos coming out soon.
“Peaches”: Burry’s Song of the Summer or Yours?
Burry’s music contains stories that are often seen as melancholy or dark and depressing. However, “Peaches” stays on brand with their dark storytelling but differs from other tracks because of its pop and summery vibes. “Essentially it is about going through a dark time but having this person that is able to lift you up and make you feel at peace.” As a queer artist, it can be difficult to find that joy during hard times. They mentioned that if this is not the song of the summer, it can be yours.
On first listen, “Peaches” feels like the ultimate dance party anthem—perfect for any mood-boosting playlist. Its energetic lyrics and instrumentals make it the kind of song that can carry you through even the worst day. More than just a feel-good track, it offers an escape from reality, transporting listeners to a cherished moment in time, whether that's with someone special or a fleeting connection with a stranger in a room. It channels the vibes of Trousdale and Perrie, but with Burry’s own unique twist.
Finding Solutions to Challenges
Earlier in our interview, Burry mentioned that the song is darker and explores heavier topics. When artists try to stick to a specific theme or narrative in their album, it can be challenging to incorporate a track that feels different in genre. “Making [‘Peaches’] fit into the rest of the album was a bigger challenge for us,” Burry said. “It was the first song that we had that was very pop. So going from my old EP, which is folk and indie, to this hyper-pop genre—that translation for me, performing it live while also having fun on stage, was a big difference too.” Like many artists who shift between genres, Burry faced the challenge of finding her rhythm again.
A D.I.Y “Peaches” Music Video
Storytelling has been a constant thread throughout Burry’s career in the music industry. Midway through our interview, they shared that the “Peaches” music video was filmed during a vacation with their wife. The process was casual and true to their aesthetic—using a camcorder, a point-and-shoot camera, and a phone. The result was a video that captured an old-school camcorder vibe while still feeling bright, beachy, and full of energy.
Burry adds,“If I had all the money in the world, my idea for “Peaches,” was to create this world in the movie Barbie where everything is plastic, fake, and pink. Everything is so colorful and so dream-like. That is what I wanted to do, but obviously we did not have the budget.”
A New Era and a Full-Length Album
Besides the new single, Burry talked about a few of their upcoming releases. “This is going to be my first full-length album. We have “Peaches” and one other single. Then the full album will be coming about before fall, that’s all I can say.”
They also repeated that, “It is so different for me in terms of genre. We really lean into pop, alt-pop, and songs inspired by other artists like Japanese House, Billie Eillish, and Renee Rapp. We have songs inspired by Sabrina Carpenter and Chappel Roan. We get really hyper-pop. There are also a couple songs that hold the indie-folk rock themes of my last EP that make it feel like Burry but a new direction.”
Pride Month Plans and a Playful Bonus Question
When asked about Pride month plans, they mentioned that, “I am playing a couple shows where I live in Nova Scotia where I live. We have a couple different pride Parades in different towns. I might be doing some drag too. And attending as many pride events as I can in our city of Halifax. We have a really big pride season so attending drag shows, drag bingo, parades, queer meet-ups, trans hang-outs. Just as much as I can do. I will be there.”
Burry shared that if they could create their dream pride parade lineup, this would be it: headliners Renee Rapp and Billie Eilish, local talent like Rema, T. Thomason, and Burry them self, plus indie and folk favorites Boygenius, Girl in Red, and Claud.