The New Single from Black Belt Eagle Scout Confronts Housing Instability

"Just Lie Down" is an angsty, cathartic song about coping with uncertainty.

(Abby Gordon)

Black Belt Eagle Scout is the moniker of Portland-based songwriter Katherine Paul. Last year, Paul released her debut full-length, Mother of My Children, on local label Good Cheer Records. It's being reissued Sept. 14 on venerable indie imprint Saddle Creek, giving the rest of the country a chance to discover one of Portland's best emerging artists.

Related: Black Belt Eagle Scout Combines Grunge and Dream-Pop to Heal Wounds Both Personal and Ancestral.

Earlier this week, Paul released the second single off Mother of My Children, "Just Lie Down," an angsty, cathartic song about coping with uncertainty.

Paul's last single, "Soft Stud"—a yearning anthem that displays Paul's grunge influences and delicate but bold vocals—got the attention of national outlets like NPR and Pitchfork. But on "Just Lie Down," Paul's frenzied guitar takes on a meaner growl, as she sings over tense drums. On the chorus, Paul delivers a gentle respite to the chaos: "Just lie down/Head on the ground/Sky looks blue/Just like you."

In a press release, Paul wrote that the song was inspired by a period of housing instability caused by a rent hike:

Along with her new single, Paul announced a long string of tour dates from the end of August through October. Before hitting the road, Black Belt Eagle Scout's next Portland show is at Bunk Bar with Hurry Up on Aug. 24.

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