“When a candle is lit in your house in the middle of the day… that’s how I want this song to feel”, Kramar told his producer, Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, about his new song “Cover Girl” that drops today.

Called “a nuanced, engrossing, immersive piece of music” that is “finely sculpted, exquisitely honed” by CLASH, the hypnotic, mid-tempo ruminating track explores the narrative of a tragic figure who discovers that “strangers are gods until you know them” and sacrifices a rooted foundation for their boundless ambition.

It was written in New York with Francis Starlite and Jorge Elbrecht. Kramar wrote the lyrics and melody in bed and Starlite later set it to piano. Producer, Chris Taylor, brought in some of LA’s best players – John Carroll Kirby (Solange, Blood Orange) on piano, Daniel Aged (FKA Twigs, Frank Ocean) on bass, and David Campbell (Beck, Adele) arranging strings. They recorded at Capitol Studios and Vox in Hollywood and ended up with a lush, timeless track that feels right at home alongside the artists Kramar cites as his influences: Elton John, Laura Nyro, Fred Neil.

Kramar says, “I think of a cover girl as a people pleaser whose aim is to be celebrated by strangers. It is someone who struggles to find and maintain meaningful relationships while in pursuit of their dream. Ambition is often all-encompassing and isolating. I think of myself as a cover girl.”

The song is the next chapter in the career of an artist who had a truly unusual start.

Loren Kramar is a visual artist who studied painting and performance at one of America’s most prestigious art schools, Cooper Union. He had a major breakout in 2015 when Apple debuted his first single “My Life” during the unveiling of Apple Music at their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Last year, he had a drawing show in New York with queer icons, McDermott & McGough. He’s also a frequent collaborator of avant-garde fashion brand Lou Dallas, performing a live soundtrack with John Carroll Kirby at her fashion show at NYFW in September.

The beginning of his musical career began in New York as a lounge singer at art events, including MoMa PS1, Creative Time’s Gala honoring Julian Schnabel, and the late Glenn O’Brien’s TV Party performing alongside Blondie’s Chris Stein.

The last few years have seen Kramar opening up for buzzy artists like Zsela and Liam Benzvi. In 2018, he performed alongside Weyes Blood, Mac DeMarco, and Amber Coffman at a Christmas piano show he hosted with John Carroll Kirby.