Good music truly has the power to completely turn your day around. When the weather is gloomy or things aren’t going your way, sometimes all you need is a good playlist to get you out of a funk and feeling back to your normal self.
Other times, you need a good list of songs that fit your mood to help you truly dive into your feelings and allow yourself to feel these darker moods and be reminded that you are not alone in your struggles.
And since today is a gloomy Boston day, we figured today would be the perfect day to launch a mini New Music Friday, featuring some of our favorite ‘less than happy’ releases of the week. We’re talking the ones that are gut wrenching, emotion packed and help us make the perfect dreary, rainy, hide-under-a-blanket playlist.
With new picks from This Wild Life, a debut single from Maddie Glass, and three other artists you do not want to miss out on, this mini-post will be sure to give you the perfect excuse to get in your feels in a way that would make Taylor Swift proud.
You can stream all of our first few picks for the week below, and be sure to check out our full April release playlist for even more new music- including happy tracks- linked at the bottom.
“Still Wondering Why You Left Me Behind” by This Wild Life
This Wild Life is the definition of “acoustic Emo,” and each track they release hits deeper than the last. One of the best acts in the scene, they constantly deliver hard hitting lyrics, beautiful instrumentals and a brutal honesty that makes each track so easily relatable it feels almost too spot on. And today’s new song “Still Wondering Why You Left Me Behind” is no different.
Inspired by vocalist Kevin Jordan’s relationship with his own father, “SWWYLMB” is a track about loss, grief and bargaining. Recounting Jordan’s own experience with the death of his father following years of a strained (at best) relationship, the song explores the conflicting feelings that come with unexpected loss and brings listener’s on a journey through some of life’s most difficult moments.
“When I attended his funeral, watching stranger after stranger tell stories about the man he was… and the string that connected all of these stories was that he was like a big brother or father figure to them,” Jordan shared via Instagram. “It left me more angry that I never had a chance to express the way his lack of love made me feel. This song is a small way of letting go of some of that anger, resentment and self pity that I’ve carried with me since.”
“Like the Weather” by Hand Made House
A track about going through difficult times- specifically a rough breakup where you feel that your partner deserves better than what you can offer them but not wanting to be apart from them, “Like the Weather” is the latest single by pop band, Hand Made House.
Coming off of their 2020 EP, “Like the Weather” is their first single of the year and gives fans a look into the band’s darker and more alternative side. With catchy lyrics and an even catchier beat, the song reminds listeners that you don’t have to always have yourself pulled together and that it’s okay to express the less than ideal emotions you may be feeling at any given time.
“We’ve felt as though we’ve always been good at sad or bitter songs, and this last year was unfortunately a time where I felt a lot of those emotions,” the group shares. “I remember moving to California and trying to write joyful songs still, and then telling Amin and Josh ‘I’m not happy, and I feel like I’m lying trying to write songs that feel happy.’ This song was a culmination of a lot of pent up feelings and a lot of soul searching. I wanted the song to feel like the waves of emotion that I was dealing with on a day to day basis.”
“Livin in 2021” by Maddie Glass
Maddie Glass may not be new to performing, but today marks her official musical debut as she releases her first ever single, “Livin in 2021.”
A pop punk performer from New York, Glass has experienced a lot- from growing up battling anxiety and eating disorders, navigating what it means to be a woman and staying safe in the city, and attending a world renowned art school at NYU Tisch. And through all of this, as well as spending the past year living through an unprecedented pandemic, she has come to realize and write down some of the double standards that exist within today’s world for both women and people in general- prompting her to write today’s new release.
Inspired by her experiences with all of the aforementioned things, as well as how 2021 has yet to be any better than the past 12 months, “Livin in 2021” is an honest recount of society’s shortcomings, common anxieties and relatable life experiences that will have all listeners (especially the ladies and theydies) wondering how Glass got inside their heads to write these thoughts down.
A track all fans of the pop punk spectrum should listen to- this song has us eager to hear future releases from Glass as she is truly just getting started.
Another act this week that are just getting started are Florida based braveweather, who have dropped another great track today titled “rosecolored.”
The band’s second single of the year and fourth single to hit streaming services, “rosecolored” shares the experience of knowing it is time to end a relationship- be it with a romantic partner or a friend- but having a difficult time letting go.
Using the band’s well crafted mix of indie rock meets punk instrumentals and emo inspired lyrics, the single takes listeners through all of the thoughts you have when saying goodbye to someone, including the happy memories you’ve shared, the love you still have for them and the general discomfort of having to move on.
Captivating listeners with lines such as “you paint all my thoughts rose colored” and “no paint in chasing fading light,” the song pulls you in and reminds you that you should never settle for less than you deserve. Your mind may be playing tricks on you helping to redraft your memories in a nostalgic light rather than allowing you to see what is actually in front of you. The pain of moving on is only temporary, and though this track is not the happiest release, it confronts these natural feelings so effortlessly that it makes you feel at peace just knowing you are not alone in these struggles.
“If I Could” by Ashley Kutcher
The last, but certainly not least heartbreaking track of the week comes from rising pop singer Ashley Kutcher with her new single “If I Could.”
Released yesterday, “If I Could” shares the mixture of emotions that come with seeing someone you love go through pain. From wishing you could take their suffering away to feeling guilty for not experiencing the same levels of hurt, the track showcases Kutcher’s unique yet beautiful voice and songwriting abilities.
With lyrics that are vague enough for listener’s to relate them to their own situations, while also hitting hard enough to capture your attention and pull at your heart strings, the track leaves you thinking of people in your life who you wish you could help and reminds you to share your love for them while you can.
“”If I Could” is a very unique release for me because it was the first song I had ever written about someone else’s battles” Kutcher shares. “But as it all came together, I found my own meaning within the lyrics. I think everyone will relate to this song in completely different ways and that’s what’s so beautiful about it.”
You can stream all of these releases now, out wherever you stream music- and be sure to check out our full and ever-growing April playlist, linked below.
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