Here is ‘White Lies, White Jesus And You’, the powerful new video from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt. Through her thoughtful, sensitive lyrics, Pruitt explores our relationship with organised religion and how it can be used to oppress if we allow it to: “You talk about forgiveness like a favor // Like it’s something that you didn’t have to do // Speaking of some things I’ve put behind me // White lies, white Jesus & you.” Beginning with a gently melodic vocal, the song springs urgently into life with Pruitt’s voice soaring over intense percussion and fuzzy bass and guitar. The feeling of musical intensity reflects the tension of the subject matter and the video, which was directed by Alexa King Stone and Stephen Kinigopoulos, pulls us quickly into an emotive narrative. Pruitt says of the song: “I wrote ‘White Lies, White Jesus & You’ about shedding any remaining shame associated with the church. It’s an intentional protest song rejecting the narrative that the Bible’s purpose is to gate-keep or oppress. I hope it serves as a reminder to anyone who has ever been hurt by religion, that spirituality is yours to define for yourself and no institution can take that away from you.”
Pruitt’s new album, ‘Mantras’, is out on 5th April 2024. It’s her first new album in five years and a long-awaited follow up to Pruitt’s well-received debut, 2019’s ‘Expectations’. The album was a deeply personal project for Pruitt, with songs that reflect on spirituality and the church, the complexity of familial relationships and learning to know herself. She explains: “‘Mantras’ is a full circle journey from self-sabotage to self-compassion. Writing this record forced me to stop seeking external validation from the rest of the world and turn my focus inward. After hitting a low point that caused me to seek extensive therapy, I realised I had a problem with negative self-talk. So I started writing down phrases of encouragement and repeating mantras in the mirror. Through this practice I learned how to be a kinder friend to myself and ultimately a kinder friend to others. When life gets heavy and the future feels overwhelmingly out of our control, we can learn to turn inwards and build a home inside of ourselves.”
Pruitt is definitely one to watch. Along with her own headline shows, she has toured with the likes of Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls, My Morning Jacket, American Aquarium and Lucero, becoming known for the energy of her live performances and developing a loyal fanbase. Details of her US tour in support of the new record can be found here. In the meantime, check out this powerful video for ‘White Lies, White Jesus And You’.
