Browsing Tag

Mental Health

Wade Wilson brings the adrenaline to jazz hip hop with Be There.

Posted on 20 October 2021

The up and coming old-school-inclined hip hop artist and mental health activist, Wade Wilson, has dropped his highly anticipated debut album, Chop House, featuring the standout single, Be There. The Brooklyn-based artist’s hyper hip hop style practically brings a brand-new meaning to the term high vibe hip hop.

Right from the intro, you’re thrown into an electrifying jazzy hip hop ensemble that creates a viscerally adrenalizing platform for his high fire rap bars. While the intense BPM won’t be for everyone, anyone looking to be galvanised won’t want to miss out on this monolithic hit.

Wade Wilson’s debut album, Chop House, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

XANDE breaks barriers with his mental health alt-pop stormer, DOWNFALL.

Posted on 8 October 2021

Alt-pop singer-songwriter and producer, XANDE, is set to release his rawest single to date with DOWNFALL, which doesn’t just open up the MH conversation; it drops an atomic bomb to break down barriers and advocate for mental health awareness.

By mixing with contemporary pop elements with trap textures and alt-rock stylings, DOWNFALL could easily be  universally adored. If you thought that Wrecking Ball was evocative, brace yourselves for the emotional firestorm that blazes throughout this massive melodic hit.

The Portugal-born artist penned the single to reflect the emotions that transpired through being a caregiver for his father, who suffered from schizophrenia and PTSD. It finds a nuanced way of portraying the very real truth that the symptoms of someone’s mental health conditions can cause another’s trauma.

As someone that has also had to constantly creep around depression and anxiety during childhood, I couldn’t help finding myself in the lyrics; that hollowing feeling of knowing that your emotions will always be secondary and the people that should have your back just let you fall or push you even further. It’s a stunning single, in every conceivable way. We can’t wait to hear more.

The official video to DOWNFALL will premiere on October 8th; you can check it out for yourselves on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Losing Sight: Frannie B searches for the all-important meaning again with ‘Downfall’

Posted on 25 September 2021

After understandably letting the addictive forces of the internet control her for too long like so many, Frannie B emerges from the other side with a harrowing story that should serve as a wake-up call for us all on ‘Downfall‘.

Frannie Brown aka Frannie B, is an indie dark-pop/dance and RnB-fused PJ’s-loving singer-songwriter who truly sings from the heart. She makes that inspiring blend of memorable melodies that is real and from life experiences, in this controlled world which can suffocate you forever if you aren’t too careful.

”This song was written during lockdown last year. It was recorded in Frannie’s bedroom and produced over Skype with Danish producer Mört.” ~ Frannie B

Her lusciously projected vocals are excellently laced with so much pureness you can’t help but support her message, with a likable beat that gets your moving graciously and thinking deeply about how much you consume online. The lyrics are thoughtfully written and with such insightful meaning – each sentence leads you deeper inside her mind – to see how she feels about this vitally important topic, that seem to have been unintentionally forgotten.

”To me this song is about any form of addiction, including how damaging the internet is and how much young people (myself included) allow it to control almost every aspect of our lives. Addiction is an area that is attached to a lot of negative stigma but has really personally affected me so I hope this can help anyone struggling with it to feel less alone.”- Frannie B

‘Downfall‘ from the wonderful indie dance-pop artist Frannie B, is that stark reminder that one more swipe can really have you lose your true path, as you turn into an anxious zombie and worry about things you really shouldn’t. As social media and the internet has so many losing their soul just for some meaningless likes and follows, this is a striking message that needs to be heard far and wide. With so many impressionable eyes locked on their screens, there must be a better way to live and avoid getting sucked into a world that unfairly compares everyone.

Sung with a true care and love from someone who has lived the emotional journey, this is a catchy track to truly think about what content you absorb. Surely living life happily is about being outside in nature, with genuine human and animals, far away from our addictive phones.

Hear this fantastic new single on Spotify and see more news via her IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Abi Mia’s orchestral ballad, Shadow, resounds with empowerment

Posted on 22 September 2021
Abi Mia

Abi Mia’s latest piano pop ballad, Shadow, is easily one of the timeliest singles that we’ve heard this year; for the lyrics, she looked deep into the collective misery and burnout surrounding her, sonically, she constructed a compelling case for self-care that is impossible to ignore.

Our self-destructive need to work ourselves to exhaustion determination to be fine with everything our chaotic world throws at us is something that has been eating away at us since long before the lockdowns, but right now is the perfect time for a conversation. Abi Mia leads that dialogue with her soul-baring single that will quickly convince you to strip away your façade and allow the single to resonate with you on a deeper level.

The only question that the radio-ready orchestral ballad leaves you with is why isn’t she already a multi-platinum artist? It is only a matter of time before Abi Mia is scouted for her distinct vocals that only allow fleeting reminiscence while boasting the same robust propensities as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Adele.

Shadow is due for release on September 17th. Check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mani Knox delivers high vibe ennui in his standout single, ‘F.M.L’

Posted on 17 September 2021

NYC born and raised alt-hip hop pioneer, Mani Knox, has dropped his sonically high-vibe EP, Demons Dilemma, featuring the standout single, F.M.L; if you are going to curse existence to any track, make it this one.

Since his 2019 debut album, Love is War, Knox has been a mental health advocate through his music. Not in the superficial, good vibes only, way more in the I’ve seen the dark and, now I’m going to show you the light way, that you can’t help getting absorbed by.

F.M.L reels you in lyrical hook, bassline and sinker. His productions are just as massive and robust as you will find from artists such as Labrinth, The Weeknd, and Tinie Tempah but it’s the intimacy of the single that uses a female protagonist to allude to the depths ennui can take you to that wins you over with F.M.L.

F.M.L is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Those Scary Days: Dublin artist Guilherme shows us inside his mind on ‘Demon’ (Part II: Panic)

Posted on 13 August 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mgIDR8Jkzs

Taken off his solo five-track EP effort called ‘Demon‘, in which he explores various mental health topics that he has battled with in the past, Guilherme is at his honest best on ‘Demon’ (Part II: Panic).

Guilherme is a Brazilian-born indie singer-songwriter and the lead vocalist of the rock band Mary Bleeds, who is now based in peaceful Ireland. He makes a sterling blend of striking stories which has you thinking much deeper than before, about various issues that can take you down an undesirable road at times.

”Demon” is a collection of pieces for voice and piano about Guilherme’s experiences with depression, paranoia, PTSD and traits of bipolar disorder. A meditation on the thoughts and feelings of someone who‘s going through a period of hopelessness and confusion.” ~ Guilherme

With a soul stirring voice that has you totally wrapped into the experience, you feel like this is a man giving his heart and soul to us on each second. Growing up has been tough to say the least and this is his therapy, his voice shows you this dark tunnels of doubt, as the lyrics tell you what its been like all those years.

Being able to perform his music has certainly helped, as he pieces everything together – so that he may make his life puzzle to work out where he needs to go – in order to find that true contentment treasure.

”Initially insecure about his abilities, Guilherme kept his music to himself until his early 20’s when he found the courage to share it with other musicians. Although all his early work was in his native Portuguese, as a writer he loved the cadence and phonetical textures of English. He moved to Ireland to immerse himself in the language and never looked back.” ~ Guilherme

‘Demon‘ (Part II: Panic) from the Ireland-based indie singer-songwriter Guilherme, is a haunting single with visuals that may shock many. He has bravely let us into his mind to show you the scars and torture he has felt whilst growing up. Luckily through his art, he is able to express himself and not feel judged so that he may set himself free, to be happy and feel peace inside his burning heart.

Helping others deal with their own issues is his goal, and this has been achieved on a grand scale that must be applauded for its ultimate courageousness.

Stream this new emotional music video on YouTube and see more via his IG music channel.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

QuantumCaza explores mental health on a cellular level with his debut single, ‘Dopamine’.

Posted on 10 August 2021

Up and coming London-based rap artist QuantumCaza has released his debut single, Dopamine, which documents his battle with mental health on a cellular level and exposes how hard it can be to find affection when you can find little for yourself.

There’s almost a matter of fact feel to the delivery of the candid lyrics with QuantumCaza’s determination to convey the emotion for connection instead of self-obsession. To his audience, he conveys familiar thoughts, stripped of shame over contemporary trap beats with elements of pop weaved into the mix.

With the amount of hype amassing around his ground-breaking debut single, QuantumCaza is already proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Save a spot on your radar.

You can check out Dopamine for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rap artist and producer Sea High has released his cinematically raw single, ‘Bad Habits’.

Posted on 12 June 2021
Sea High

Swathes of mental health-related singles have hit the airwaves during lockdown, but rapper and producer Sea High’s ode to despair, Bad Habits, is a fiery candid hit that makes most tracks sound superficial at best.

Bad Habits, in the best way possible, is a manic release that reflects the instability we feel and our tendency to rely on our vices to bring a sense of comfort and stability, even though indulging in them is an act of self-sabotage.

With his dizzying canter that accurately reflects the often-chaotic nature of our intense internal monologues as we try and make sense of the endlessly confusing world, the dramatically cinematic feel of the production and the meta power of the lyrics, Sea High can definitely be regarded as a triple-threat.

Bad Habits is due for official release on June 25th. Check out Sea High via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

In Aid Of mind.org.uk: Simon Turner and Associates show us that some people just don’t appreciate help on ‘Nova Scotia’

Posted on 6 May 2021
https://soundcloud.com/simonturnerassociates/novascotia-1?in=simonturnerassociates/sets/my-crisis-of-confidence

Taken off the important debut three-track mental health fundraiser EP called ‘My Crisis Of Confidence’, the brave Simon Turner and Associates tell us about the story of ‘Nova Scotia‘.

Simon Turner and Associates is a courageous UK-based Jonny & The Mental Breakdowns bassist, who has completed an incredible project that originated from demos back in 2003. This quality release has been used as a way of self-therapy to move beyond the past, and to look towards the future.

”A photographer and musician with a long history of depression, anxiety and an attempted suicide behind him, Simon has been behind many fundraising efforts for Mind including the very well received 2017 ‘Top Of The Punks’ compilation and numerous charity auctions, raising £8,000 to date. This time it is a project 17 years in the making featuring contributions from his many talented friends, or ‘Associates’.” – Simon Turner

This sterling effort features contributions from members of Paul Weller, Shura and Jazz Colossus, with all proceeds going to the mental health charity mind.org.uk.

He plays with such vigor and love, each note is made with tender care and you feel the world class quality here. The lyrics are catchy and the vocals are a pleasure on the earlobes, as you relate to the story of trying to forget about the one person that made you feel so small, when you totally didn’t deserve their disrespect.

‘Nova Scotia‘ from Simon Turner and Associates, is that striking story that digs deep into your thoughts, as it shows you that even if you want to help, some people will also take advantage of you which causes a terrible feeling in your stomach. The will to assist is there but you need to be careful to who you help, as some just take and never give back.

Stream this true-life inspirational story on Soundcloud and see more news on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Run Away: Top class Swedish band Ghost Nation lead us from the ‘Black Dogs’ of our mind

Posted on 29 April 2021

Bringing us a vitally important message about mental health that is often swept under the carpet, Ghost Nation show us unrivaled honesty about issues that have plagued the band in the past, as they perform with so much passion on their new song called ‘Black Dogs’.

Ghost Nation is a thriving two-piece alt rock/pop act from Stockholm, Sweden. They make that spiritually enlightening music that has your mind alert and gives you so much admiration for their stunning soundscape creativity.

”The black dog is that constant darkness that follows you and that you can’t get rid of.” – Ghost Nation

You feel the superb vocals that are entrenched into your mind, you hold onto the beat that washes over your body to cleanse away the self-doubt, the lyrics are striking and gives you a true warning.

‘Black Dogs’ from sensational Swedish duo Ghost Nation, is a message to not look back, as you run from the dark shadows and the barking of the mind, as you find your peace to figure out who you really are in life. Looking behind and getting bitten by the past isn’t helpful at all and leaves you with those deep scars.

Taking a breath and believing in yourself with good habits away from bad company and unhelpful vibes, will only make you smile and happier after all.

Stream this new single on Soundcloud and see their FB for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen