Stepping into Petra Jarrar’s musical universe is almost an otherworldly experience, a wholesome and evocative journey filled with heightened introspection and metaphorical imagery. Hailing from New York, Jarrar champions a deeply elegant artistic outlook, one that benefits from orchestral and cinematic influences as well as leftfield soundscapes and pop-leaning melodism. ‘spiral’ is the perfect example of that, a single that kickstarts a cohesive and thematic new era and an upcoming larger record.
Using grief and intergenerational trauma as lyrical pivots, Petra has penned a striking piece, one that marks her return following a five-year hiatus. In it, we find a Petra Jarrar who has embraced true authenticity and deeper artistry, but who is also not afraid to be bold when required.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Jarrar to learn more about her upcoming material and her overall journey… Interview below!
Hi Petra, thanks for chatting with us! It’s great to see you back with new music. You’ve been missing for the best part of five years, with your previous single, ‘Love Again’, dating back to 2021. ‘spiral’ sees you back in full force; how does it feel to release music again?
It feels both terrifying and incredibly exciting at the same time. So much of my relationship with music has changed over the past few years, and coming back to releasing it now feels much more intentional and honest. For a long time, I was immersed in environments that didn’t fully allow me to express myself authentically, so returning with ‘spiral’ feels like reclaiming something that always belonged to me. After being away for so long, I’ve learned to value independence and creativity in a completely different way. Releasing music again feels deeply personal now, and I’m really grateful to finally share this new chapter.
We have a lot to unpack. ‘spiral’ is the result of deep introspection and heightened personal work. First off, where have you been the past few years? I suspect music never really left you, in a sense? Have you been writing songs?
Music definitely never left me. Even during the years I wasn’t releasing anything publicly, I was still writing constantly. A lot of the past few years were spent processing grief and trying to reconnect with myself outside of the noise of the industry. I had stepped away from releasing music after becoming entangled in a situation, creatively and contractually, that left me feeling disconnected from my artistry. It took time to recover from that and rebuild trust in myself again.
During that period, I took up a 9-5 and writing became much more private and therapeutic for me. I stopped thinking about songs in terms of trends or outcomes and focused more on honesty. A lot of what I wrote during those years became the foundation for this new project. In many ways, the break allowed me to rediscover why I loved making music in the first place.
Music and art in general have been a constant feature of the way you experience the world around you. Would you say that creative practice helps you process the complex reality that surrounds us? Could you ever imagine a version of you where that doesn’t happen?
Absolutely. I genuinely don’t know who I would be without creativity. Music has always been the way I make sense of the world and process emotions that feel too overwhelming to communicate otherwise.
I can’t really imagine a version of myself where creativity doesn’t exist. Even during periods where I stepped away from releasing music publicly, I was still creating privately because it’s such an instinctive part of how I navigate life. I think creativity, for me, is less of a career choice and more of a survival mechanism.
Let’s dive deeper into young Petra Jarrar. Your past includes being a touring pianist, an experience that must have had a deep-rooted influence on the artist you are today. What motivated you to take up music originally? Is there anything or anyone that has helped shape your love for the craft?
I grew up in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in a household filled with classical music. I started private piano lessons around the age of two and spent most of my childhood training as a concert pianist.
As much as I loved classical music, I also wanted to discover my own identity outside of that world. My dad gifted me a guitar when I was younger, and that completely changed everything for me. I started teaching myself songs I loved, and eventually wrote my first song at around twelve years old after experiencing my first friendship breakup.
A lot of my early influences came from artists like Fleetwood Mac, but as I grew older, I found myself deeply inspired by artists such as Lana Del Rey, Mitski, and Phoebe Bridgers. I think my current sound exists somewhere between those worlds, combining the emotional intensity and atmosphere of indie rock with the cinematic and compositional influence of my classical background.
Compared to your previous catalogue, ‘spiral’ feels like a new beginning, even from a production standpoint. Could you take us through its creative process? What were some of the influences for it?
“spiral” definitely represents a new beginning for me sonically and emotionally. I wanted the production to mirror the psychological descent happening within the lyrics. The song begins with a fragile restraint before gradually unravelling into something much larger, immersive, and disorienting. Instead of following a traditional structure, it’s guided more by shifting emotional waves and evolving melodies.
I worked closely with my co-writer and producer, All Made Up (Allee Futterer), to make sure the sonic landscape translated the emotional weight of the song as honestly as possible. We focused heavily on tension, atmosphere, and movement, almost making the listener feel trapped inside the spiralling thought process itself. Influence-wise, I pulled from a lot of artists who create emotionally immersive worlds, but I also wanted to bring in the cinematic sensibilities I grew up with through classical music.
The single ships with a compelling music video, one that features a Victorian Gothic aesthetic, of which you are a big fan. Is there any hidden meaning behind the footage for ‘spiral’?
Definitely. I’ve always been drawn to Victorian Gothic aesthetics because that era had such ritualised and visible expressions of mourning. There’s something haunting and beautiful about the way grief was externalised during that time, and I wanted to incorporate that atmosphere into the project visually.
The visualizer was filmed inside a preserved Brooklyn warehouse and opens with me emerging from a bathtub, almost as if resurfacing from the depths of my own mind. Throughout the video, there are recurring ‘hands’ that appear and pull at me. They represent emotional forces, memories, guilt, and cycles that attempt to drag you back into patterns you’re trying to escape.
Even the single artwork ties into those ideas. I partnered with Sophie Chalk, a prolific NYC-based tintype photographer, to create the artwork using a historic wet plate process traditionally associated with memorial portraiture. I was deeply drawn to the permanence and haunting quality of tintypes. The way they preserve memory is almost like a physical artefact of grief itself. It felt like the perfect visual extension of the themes explored throughout ‘spiral.’
Lastly, what are your plans for the future? Can we expect more music from you? Any live shows happening?
There will definitely be more music coming out this year; hoping to play these songs live again, too. I miss performing live. Make sure to follow across socials, that’s where I announce everything!