Ones2Watch Home

Photo: Alex LaLibertie

Indie pop connoisseurs Paul Cherry and Kate Bollinger join forces in their double-track feature Los Angeles Story, animating a world entirely their own. 

Chicago-based Paul Cherry’s woozy guitar and dreamy vocals have been garnering traction since 2014, while Kate Bollinger has been an intoxicative force in both French and English since 2018. Featuring the melodic tracks “OBO” and “Playroom,” the duo combined are nostalgically futuristic and whimsical in Los Angeles Story, honoring the true roots of indie. The fun that they had making this project is tangible and that ease transfers through as you listen, relaxing you into a sonic paradise. 

“OBO” is a groovy trip, dizzying as the two play off one another. The funky track doubled as a prophecy, as Cherry shares “The songs are whimsical, but also about real things. Kate was looking to buy a car the day we met at Jared's and she ended up buying the exact car she sings about, the Volkswagen Cabriolet (in blue, not red).”

“Playroom” has a much more childlike essence, integrating hints of jazzy bossa nova to build a scene both immersive and exploratory. With bare feet and curiosity, “Playroom” encompasses the feeling of choosing to see color for the first time. Wandering with eyes wide open, Bollinger questions why playtime can only be within four walls, taking it on her walk through the world with her. 

Defying gravity with their weightlessness, Cherry and Bollinger pair beautifully, like wine and brie. Their chemistry was understandably immediate, with Paul sharing “OBO was completed so quickly and it sounded so done that we were all riding a high and decided to write another one the next week, which ended up becoming Playroom, which also came together in only a few hours.”

Just in time for a season of picnics in the park and sunsets to call us back home, Los Angeles Story is a breezy nod to the ‘70s era and permission to take the serious stuff less serious. 

Listen to Los Angeles Story below: