BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

 

Artist and singer-songwriter Mae Powell is making her debut on the Karma Chief label with the latest single from the Bay Area-based songstress, “Rope You In.”

 

Released on Thursday, March 6, 2025, through the Karma Chief imprint, “Rope You In” provides an early offering of what listeners can expect from Powell’s upcoming sophomore LP, the singer’s first since 2021.

 

 

Enveloping listeners in a dream-like soundscape, the single follows a moody chord progression in the midst of an almost psychedelic, indie-leaning musical structure which lends a vivid sense of color to the proceedings.

 

“I feel grateful for the way writing songs helps me make sense of and process emotions while I’m in the thick of them,” Powell said of the creative process behind “Rope You In,” as well as subsequently produced material comprising her second album.

 

The distinct tone of a guitar run through a Leslie speaker endows the single with a Beatles-esque quality, an element which is further emphasized in the song’s solo section, which features a 12-string passage through the Leslie performed by Garrett Barley.

 

Dry, understated drums further underscore the decidedly vintage feel of the tune, which, at just under three minutes in length, leaves the listener longing for more, as the tune is seemingly gone just as quickly as it initially arrived.

 

The single follows Mae Powell’s previous album, Both Ways Brighter, which was released in 2021 and has been characterized as, “an homage to love and friendship.” As for Powell herself, the singer is keen on jazz, vinyl, and spending time with her 5-piece band, said to be comprised of some of the artist’s very best friends.

 

Additional work from Powell, including the aforementioned Both Ways Brighter, is currently available at the Mae Powell Bandcamp page.

 

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Photo: Mae Powell Courtesy of Karma Chief Records