There’s a moment in Susan Aquila’s new rock single “Paper Promises” where the electric violin isn’t the main event—her voice is. That shift in focus is the most telling detail of a track that finds the veteran instrumentalist stepping fully into her own vision as a singer and songwriter, with no producer to filter her instincts.
The guitars are massive, the drums hit hard, and her six-string violin slices through the mix. But on “Paper Promises,” Aquila’s vocal delivery demands equal attention, marking a significant evolution for an artist whose career has zigzagged from classical recitals to stages shared with rock royalty. For an indie musician who has spent years navigating other people’s expectations, this recording represents a hard-won arrival: her solo sound, captured on her own terms.
The new single carries the scale and momentum to fit comfortably on rock radio, yet its impact isn’t just about volume. Aquila sings with the conviction of someone who has pushed herself to make the record she always wanted. Nothing here forces her to choose between being a singer and being a violinist; the power of the performance comes from embracing both. She’s her own boss now, and she’s leaning into it fully.
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Getting to that point required a deliberate break from past studio habits. Earlier producers had steered Aquila toward lighter material that didn’t match her rock instincts. This time around, she worked independently, without a producer, taking full creative control with the guidance of Jason Zarnowski, who helped carry her vision to completion. Rather than make concessions about how her music should sound, she trusted her own instincts as a songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist. The finished track stands as a point of pride because it represents her without compromise.
The song’s title points to another layer of that experience. Aquila knows how promises in the music industry can fall short of reality, and how women carving out a place in rock face additional hurdles. She distills the central idea as “the difference between what people say and what they actually do.” Rather than narrow the thought to a single grievance, she leaves room for listeners to find their own interpretation.
That independence draws on a musical life spent crossing boundaries between genres. Aquila began as a classical violinist, performing recitals, playing with orchestras, and touring internationally with chamber ensembles. Playing with Billy Joel and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra introduced her to rock; she has also shared stages with Paul McCartney and Led Zeppelin. She then moved into improvisation, songwriting, and singing without abandoning her classical foundation. Aquila plays a six-string fretted electric violin made by Mark Wood and Wood Violins. Her recordings span instrumental jazz, rock, and vocals, including the album “Electric Violin: Jazz In Overdrive.” She is currently touring with another Rock-and-Roll legend, THE ORCHESTRA Starring ELO and ELO Part II Former Members.
The accompanying video, directed by Jason Zarnowski through T.V.R. Recording Studios, drops viewers into the studio as Aquila lays down her vocals. The footage offers an intimate look at a seasoned musician taking command of her own session, with the vocal performance at the center of it all. The clip makes an immediate, no-frills, visceral connection with viewers, announcing that the time for games is over and she’s done with the “All Talk, No Walk” types.
Aquila continues touring with The Orchestra while writing and recording new material. With “Paper Promises,” she has defined what she wants to carry into those next recordings: a voice as unmistakable as her violin.
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Andrew Gesner
HIP Video Promo
+1 732-613-1779
info@hipvideopromo.com
Why it matters: Aquila’s decision to produce herself signals a broader shift among independent artists who are bypassing traditional gatekeepers to capture a more authentic sound. By pairing her classical pedigree with rock ambition, she’s modeling a path where genre boundaries no longer dictate an artist’s ceiling.
