LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve been following Rainsford for the better part of six years now, and if the release of “Horse” is any indication, it feels like we’re finally galloping toward a full-length debut. That prospect alone is enough to excite me. But “Horse,” on its own, is a stunning piece of pop craftsmanship—one that proves Rainsford is still evolving, still peeling back new emotional layers, and still wildly underrated.
What caught me immediately on “Horse” was its rhythm—an off-kilter, almost sped-up waltz (is it in 6/8 or a playful take on 3/4?) that builds the kind of tension you don’t even realize is pulling at you until the chorus hits. Over that shifting cadence, Rainsford weaves metaphor and melody with poignant precision. The imagery of being a horse, led into confinement, tethered yet knowing, hits hard. And yet, despite the emotional gravity, she finds space for playfulness too—letting her lush alto stretch and squeal in the background like a nervous giggle hiding heartbreak. It’s brilliant. And it’s so her.
Out via Sparta Distribution, “Horse” marks the first official taste of Rainsford’s long-awaited debut album, due out later this year. The track follows her cinematic contribution “See Me Cry” from the feature film Off The Record, which starred Rainsford herself (under her given name, Rainey Qualley) alongside Ryan Hansen.
Co-written and produced by Michael Kamerman (of Smallpools), “Horse” is a raw yet restrained portrayal of falling for the wrong person again and again. Of the song, Rainsford says:
“It’s been a favorite of mine since we wrote it over two years ago […] At the time, I was really struggling in a toxic cycle of falling in and out of love with someone. I felt like I had lost all control… like a ‘horse in a trailer on the way to a stall.’”
That metaphor—of movement without agency, of beauty boxed in—forms the core emotional engine of the track, a restless and yearning piece of indie-pop brilliance. Following a creative pause to focus on motherhood, “Horse” signals a new era for Rainsford, one that seems poised to finally bring the breadth of her talent into sharper public focus.
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