Aotearoa singer-songwriter CAITLIN returns with “Wash”, a bold and emotionally raw single that marks a shift into more driving, indie rock territory. The track explores the bittersweet tension of longing, personal growth, and the courage it takes to walk away from people and places you love in search of change.
Wash reflects the internal push and pull many face in their twenties - the yearning for new experiences and the grief of what gets left behind. Inspired by the wave of peers leaving New Zealand and the pull of London, the song wrestles with the regret and longing that can exist on both sides of a decision to go or stay.
Caitlin references Baldwin Street (the world’s steepest residential street in Dunedin) as a symbol for the uphill emotional labour of choosing growth and how easy it can be to slip back into comfort. The river is painted as both liberator and threat, a current that can carry you forward or sweep you away on a path that’s not driven by intentional choices. The chorus echoes this uncertainty, with the lyric: “Water your own pasture, it’ll turn green someday. Or the river will wash you away.”
“Wash” builds on the momentum of CAITLIN’s recent EP Legacy and her 2024 single What You Love, which charted at #1 on the NZ Student Radio Network and was featured on Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists including New Music Friday AU/NZ and Equals.
As a self-managed artist, Caitlin continues to grow her presence in the alt-pop and indie scenes across Aotearoa and beyond. The release of Wash marks the beginning of a new chapter, with more singles and a new EP to follow later this year.
“Wash” is available to stream on all platforms from 29 August 2025.