Girl Swallows Nightingale

Girl Swallows Nightingale (GSN) is the mythic art-pop project of multidisciplinary artist and producer Marica Petrey, channeling the voice of Nue (鵺), the night-crying chimeric yōkai of Japanese folklore. Emerging from Oakland, California, GSN creates a cinematic sonic universe where science fiction, fantasy, and mythology converge through haunting vocals, lush strings, and shadowed electronic textures. GSN’s live performances translate this mythology into immersive sound worlds, presented in adaptable formats ranging from intimate solo narrative sets to trio and full-band performances. Her debut LP Shapeshifter (2020) introduced Nue’s unfolding journey of identity and metamorphosis. In 2025, she filmed Moonlight Sessions, a live performance film capturing the project’s expansive yet intimate sonic landscape. Her forthcoming second LP Chrysanthemum explores grief, remembrance, and renewal following the loss of her father and a close friend. Drawing on the chrysanthemum’s traditional symbolism of mourning and memory, the album traces Nue’s passage through loss toward transformation and regeneration. Her latest single, “Honō,” will appear in the credits of the upcoming 2027 film Owl. GSN has toured the West Coast and recently debuted her solo set in Tokyo, reconnecting with the mythology that inspires the project’s central narrative.