Lyn Bowtell is back with a new single, and today, she’s exclusively shared the music video premiere with Countrytown.

Paper Cut is a poignant song that explores the pain of fractured platonic and romantic relationships. In the video, Bowtell’s moving words and vocals cut through as she is backed by a piano, acoustic guitar, slide, and drums.

The black-and-white video centres Bowtell in a church-like building, backed by Bill Risby on keys. Some scenes feature colour, as notes with some of the song’s lyrics written on them fall from the ceiling. The video is equally heartbreaking yet comforting, just like the song itself.

You can watch the music video below.

Paper Cut is the first single from Bowtell’s forthcoming album, Paper Cuts. The idea for the song came to Bowtell when she experienced an actual paper cut during admin, detailing the connection between a minor inconvenience and a painful relationship breakdown.

Bowtell explained, “When it happened, I thought to myself, ‘It won’t kill me; it’s just a paper cut,’ then that thought suggested a connection with my experiences of relationship breakdowns.

“The sense of loss when a relationship ends, whether it be creative, friendship or romantic, can linger,” she continued. “Sometimes, even a small reminder brings the pain back. It’s as much a heart wound as it is a physical one. It was one of those quick song writes that are a blessing: that arrive swiftly, almost fully formed.”

For the single, Bowtell teamed up with two other Australian country music icons: Kasey Chambers and her father, Bill Chambers. Their harmonies and slide guitar work complement Bowtell’s storytelling.

“Kasey’s harmonies add a real depth,” Bowtell said. “She captured the raw, broken-hearted emotion perfectly, reminiscent of an Emmylou Harris classic.”

Of Bill Chambers’ appearance, Bowtell added, “Having Bill involved was the icing on the cake. His contributions are a heartfelt nod to legends like Patsy Cline and George Jones, who shaped my love for country music.”

Bowtell premiered Paper Cut at the Tamworth Country Music Festival just four days ago.