MELBOURNE, Australia — Singer-songwriter Kim Trinidad recently dropped her debut solo album Blinders on March 14. The collection includes her previously released singles ‘Tattooed Girl’, ‘Cigarettes’, and ‘Stay With Me Tonight’, along with five new songs.
Trinidad is arguably best known as the vocalist and one of the primary songwriters for alternative rock band Loop, who made waves in the indie music scenes of Iligan, Cebu, and Manila. Blinders marks Trinidad’s foray into music production, an interest catalyzed by the time and space imposed upon her during the pandemic.
“This is actually a 10 year old album,” reveals Trinidad. “Back in 2015, I made Blinders as a love letter to someone. Every song on it revolves around that person—the obsession, the glorification, the idea of perfection in someone.”
The journey from being a part of a band to venturing on her own has been challenging, as she admits, but ultimately rewarding. “Doing everything isn’t as thrilling as it looks,” she says. “It’s a lot to take on, especially after getting used to writing with Loop, where we bounced ideas off each other and did everything together.”
“But honestly? The trade-off has been worth it. I’m glad to have a deeper understanding of music—how my words, my songs, and authenticity all fit into it,” she adds.
In addition to releasing new music, Trinidad, who is currently based in Melbourne, Australia, is exploring unfamiliar territory in live music both in her current city as well as in other parts of the world, recently performing a solo set in Toronto, Canada.
Despite being far from home, she continues to be grateful to friends and fans in Iligan and the rest of the Philippines for their support. To celebrate the release and connect with listeners back home, an online listening party for Blinders was held on March 12 at 7 p.m. through her YouTube channel.
On its first week, the album’s carrier single “Your Space” has found its way into prominent Spotify playlists including New Music Friday Philippines and Poses.
While the songs that make up the album were written a decade ago, they remain highly relatable to this day, a mark of Trinidad’s songwriting prowess. “Maybe now, they can find a home in other people’s stories,” she muses.
‘Blinders’ is available on your favorite streaming platforms and the Melt Records Bandcamp store.