Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Shares New Song + Video “What’s Between Us”

After announcing her new solo album and sharing “Into Your Eyes,” electronic music mastermind Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith returns with another taste of her forthcoming full-length, GUSH. Titled “What’s Between Us,” the highly influential artist and producer shows off her sonic prowess with a euphoric array of sounds. From the 8-bit-sounding intro to pulsating vocal lines and undulating breathing rhythms, the song bubbles up to breathtaking heights. 

“What’s Between Us” explores the excitement and fear that comes with opening yourself up to someone—or something—new. The captivating video was directed, choreographed, and performed by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, with additional movement performed by Destefano Deluise. 

Kaitlyn elaborates on the song’s meaning:

“This song is about the moment of apprehension before one goes deeper with something / someone… the rush of concern that accompanies a “breakthrough”… 

Seeking boundarylessness…

the tender trust that exists when connections are made before feeling “ready”

It’s about following a “feeling” 

…that moment when you realize you’re on the edge of something significant, and the stakes feel higher, which can trigger a mix of excitement and fear.

 It’s like stepping into new territory where you don’t feel completely prepared, yet there’s still something pulling you forward.

…even if your mind or logic tells you it’s not entirely “safe” or “ready.” 

It’s about trusting that gut feeling to guide you, even when everything isn’t clear or certain.

 The song is about the balance between doubt and trust, between hesitation and surrender, and the courage to dive into something deeper without fully knowing where it will lead.”

Building off of ideas from her 2022 LP, Let’s Turn It Into Sound, Kaitlyn’s next project, GUSH, speaks to themes of sensuality, objectification, personification, experiencing the genius of everything and empathy of objects, and the search for truth through transcendence. NPR’s All Songs Considered hosts Robin Hilton and Sheldon Pearce touched on the themes of “magical realism” and the way she explores sound’s effects on the body, praising the “celestial” sonics.  GUSH is due out on August 22nd via Nettwerk.

WATCH & SHARE Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s “What’s Between Us” Video Here:
https://youtu.be/rRZ9qAyrrMM?si=Yq0dP1WtgOpqGIdi

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is a classically trained American composer, performer, and producer from the Pacific Northwest. Her music is a form of auditory interpretation powered by curiosity and her toolkit of modular, analog, and rare synthesizers (including her signature Buchla), orchestral textures, and voice. Since her first self-releases in 2012 (Tides), she has explored the endless possibilities of electronic instruments and the relationship between sound, shape, color, body movement, and expression. 

GUSH follows Kaitlyn’s recent collaboration with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard on the 2024 Neptunes EP, and it marks the first taste of new music since her 2022 full-length Let’s Turn It Into Sound, which was nominated for the LIBERA Awards’ Best Electronic Album of the Year and won the praise of NPR Music, Pitchfork, The Guardian, Bandcamp, and more. In GUSH, she sets her sights on aesthetics, focusing on the heightened awareness of and presence in the world, where every interaction—whether with people, objects, or nature—has the potential to become a moment of connection and personification. 

In her own words:

Gush – is about those “Look at this” moments…

shared between people…

It is about flirtation with objects and the environment…

It is about sensuality and personification…

It is about synesthesia and surrendering to those moments when the senses melt together…

It is about “ the third thing” that is created when 2 things come together…

It is about the way the human form is in service of…

It is about experiencing the genius of everything…                  –KAS

Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has been celebrated for embracing her urges, whether towards experimental production, Buchla synth mastery, or exploring the intersection of sound, voice, body, and form. She’s performed alongside artists like Hot Chip, Glass Beams, RY X, Caribou,and Four Tet, and composed original works for Apple, BBC Orchestra, Adult Swim, MoMA, Red Bull, and others. Kaitlyn’s song “Stratus” was also synced in the 2023 film Priscilla Motion Picture Soundtrack. 

Stay tuned for more from KAS.