December 2021
Combining music and mental health
Self-Improvement, Motivation & New Music MAJE
+ Interviews
MINDFUL Melody
UK Country singer-songwriter Sarah Louise Music Therapist Tiziana Pozzo
ISSUE 9
Christmas Music: The Marmite of the Charts - Why everything's going to be alright...even if it isn't - Zac Brown Band 'The Comeback' Review ....And More!
Introducing...Us!
3
Christmas Music: The Marmite of the Charts
4
Interview: Music Therapy with Tiziana Pozzo
6
Music Mental Health and Me #9: David - Was I Right to be Optimistic about 2021: The Trilogy
9
Cover Interview: Maje - Motivation, Self-Improvement and new 'Fly on the Wall' Project
11
Top 10 Songs - Christmas Edition!
14
Music, Mental Health and Me #9: Maxim - Why everything's going to be alright...even if it isn't
16
Interview: Sarah Louise - The UK singer-songwriter that just wants you to believe in yourself
18
Is the Music Industry Turning a New Leaf with its Support of Mental Health?
20
Quote of the Issue
21
Review: Zac Brown Band's 'The Comeback' - In Name and Nature
22
Lyrical Life Lessons #2: 'Don't Blink', Kenny Chesney
24
Contents
Hey there! This year I turned 23, which means I can no longer spontaneously start singing “I’m feeling 22” in my best Taylor Swift voice (actually, that's a lie, I'm definitely going to keep doing it regardless). I’m a huge fan of Country, Hip-Hop and EDM, but I’ve also got a guilty soft spot for One Direction. I recently finished a Buddhism & Hinduism Masters degree at the University of Oxford, and previously studied Philosophy & Theology there as an undergraduate. During this time I worked as Music Editor of two student publications, and I also started a blog over at www.maximoco.com, on which I’ve published album reviews, interviews, and some more general musical musings. My first foray into the relationship between music and mental health was in my Self-Help Songs blog series, where I’d pick a song that has an especially helpful message and discuss the meaning behind it. The more I studied Buddhism, the more I realised that most Buddhist practices and philosophies are aimed towards one goal - improving our mental health. This provided the inspiration for my blog’s 30-Day Happiness x Music Project, which combined a Buddhist step-by-step process of how to improve our mental wellbeing with a song that embodied each teaching. Two of my main passions in life are writing and music, and it’s been a long-term dream to start a magazine, so I’m incredibly excited to have co-founded Mindful Melody with my best friend, David. My favourite artists are Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Travis Scott, Florida Georgia Line, Kanye West, Avicii, Zac Brown Band, Drake, and Luke Combs...to name a few (!). When I’m not listening to music, I’m either out playing golf, over-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or wondering why it’s so quiet…
Maxim Mower
David Dawson
Hi, I’m David and along with my more talented and better looking (no I'm not bitter) best friend Maxim I co-founded this magazine. I have always had a passion for music and played instruments from a young age but when I was 12 I settled on the saxophone and with it played in multiple groups within and outside of school. Through an amazing band I was in I was fortunate enough to perform at the Royal Albert Hall twice and go on a tour to Spain. I also did work experience as an army musician and just about got involved in music in any and every way I could. I studied music throughout school and also had a keen interest in History, Philosophy, Ethics and English but as it was my passion music is the one I followed through to University. As well as performance modules, in uni I would also study modules focused on music psychology, musicology, film music, music journalism and the music industry. Bored yet? So, music has been a big part of my life, but so is mental health. Although I didn’t really know it at the time I suffered depression through my later years at school, I knew the way I was feeling wasn’t right but was unable to put any sort of label on it. Whilst at uni, although overall a positive part of my life for many reasons, I began to suffer more and more and finally went to the doctors where I was diagnosed and put on medication for depression. After five or six years I have finally realised that the journey is not one with an end as such, but more of a bumpy ride filled with ups and downs. Whilst the ride at times may be more difficult than others there is no way that we can fix the road, but only better prepare ourselves for when the ride isn't so comfy (maybe a new set of springs!). When I'm not working or writing I'll probably be playing football, Xbox or watching the US version of The Office on a continuous loop.
Christmas Music: The marmite of the charts
Photo by Rodion Kutsaev On Unsplash
It’s that time of year again; Michael Bublé emerges from his proverbial cave, sprouts worm their way back onto our plates and ‘It’s Christmas’ becomes the ultimate justification to indulge. One of the things I love most about the festive period is the music – but for some it is an unwelcome arrival come November. Why do I love Christmas Music? Logically I feel like I probably shouldn’t enjoy it so much. It’s the same brand of cheesy pop that we hear year after year. But, that’s actually why I do love it. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without the music. Throughout all my years of family time, over indulging, games, drinking and gift giving there has been one constant and that has been the accompaniment. The annual period is synonymous with every radio station and TV channel becoming dominated by the same tunes that we hear every year; meaning that as soon as I look back fondly at great Christmas periods in my life I can’t help but hear ‘Last Christmas’ or ‘Stay Another Day’ at the same time. This gives these songs an unbelievable power over me. The first time I hear a Christmas song every year is such a huge moment because it garners so much excitement and expectation – Christmas is finally here! In times recently when things have been particularly tough, but even before then, I find that Christmas music is like the symbol of a checkpoint. We have all played those video games where you slowly progress through an unbelievably hard level, trying time after time to make it through. The feeling when you hit that checkpoint is unrivalled. What’s done is done, there’s no more going back to the same frustrating respawn spot – we can finally move on. I feel like this is a great metaphor for how I feel about Christmas, and why the music is so special (maybe apart from the respawning bit). When I start to hear those familiar favourites once again it’s such a sense of relief; the year is nearly done and we can put it behind us, enjoy the festive period and focus on going into the New Year full of positivity (and chocolate). I also love Christmas songs because they’re almost like a guilty pleasure brand of music. Often we can be accused of looking down our noses at cheesy pop; smirking at the pitch corrected vocals, simple chord structures and repetitive lyrics only to find ourselves singing along in the car when no one else is around. Ultimately these songs are successful, they wouldn’t keep making them if they weren’t, and that’s because whether we like to admit it or not we do enjoy them. As much as I love a conceptual classic like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ I also love some easy listening. Sometimes a basic pop song that I can sing at the top of my lungs is more valuable to me. Christmas songs fall into this bracket. Although there are some more unique Christmas songs around, the vast majority of them are your classic pop song – catchy, accessible and upbeat – and I love that. The songs are known and loved by everyone; everyone knows the words and for a lot of them everyone knows the music videos. It’s like an annual throwback that we have every year when we sit and watch those Christmas song countdowns on TV – suspensefully wondering which one may come up next and rejoicing when the screen fades in to pan over some snowy mountains before showing George Michael arriving at a ski chalet somewhere. Christmas songs are not only fun and familiar; they also bring back great memories and excitement for Christmas that no other music can claim to. So in the interest of a fair argument – why do some people hate Christmas songs? Well first of all I know that I’m very fortunate that Christmas presents a lot of good memories for me. For some people Christmas is seen as being more of a let-down – two months spent anticipating for one day that passes in the blink of an eye followed by disappointment – and for some Christmas has just not historically been a great time. This means the songs don’t carry the same positive weight and in fact can actually do the exact opposite. A reminder of the money needing to be spent, the food needing to be cooked and the family needing to be organised. I must admit if I didn’t like the festive period so much I would find the music frustrating. A constant reminder of something you’re not looking forward to. The fact that the music completely dominates every TV and radio station presenting no escape from forced festivities for which you wish to play no part. Then there’s the repetitiveness – the same music since the 80s; the same mix of cheap pop songs where the artist sticks some bells or the word ‘snow’ or ‘santa’ in once to guarantee themselves a hefty Christmas bonus every year. I’ve met people in both camps – I know people counting down the days until Christmas starting every January and I know people dreading any talk of it basically up until the day itself. For me though, and from my own experience, Christmas is just a time when most people seem to be happier. There’s something magical about the festivities and the music is a massive part of that. It takes me back to a time when I was up at the crack of dawn to see if Santa had been, seeing family you don’t see much and just spreading some love! The songs are cheesy but that’s what makes them so great – and people can say what they like about ‘Last Christmas’ – but they’ll still be singing along to it at the end of the day!
Photo by Memento Media On Unsplash
Ciao Tiziana, thanks so much for taking the time to chat today! I’m curious as to what inspired you to go down the path of becoming a music therapist, as opposed to being a regular therapist? Personally, my path in music has been quite hard. My mum is a music teacher, and in Italy the conservatoire is very difficult, so I had to practice piano all the time. I realised the mental effort that I had to put into this in order to reach the level my parents wanted me to reach, and I decided I did not want to be a performer. I started teaching piano when I was seventeen, and I loved that - music for me was the biggest passion, and I always kept it in my life, even when I was struggling with it. When I started teaching piano, children with disabilities would come to my sessions, and I realised that I had to study to be more prepared in order to be able to help them properly. Every individual disability has different needs, so I really needed to go deep and study psychology and its related fields. I’d also been doing lots of training for teachers, and in those situations I could see how adults could benefit from music and dance as well. You talk on your blog about how music can sometimes have effects on us when language or reason won’t work, for example when trying to calm down children. Why do you think music so often works in helping us to feel more peaceful, when all else fails? Music is definitely able to touch emotions in a different way. But emotions are also parts of our brains, so everything is connected to a cognitive aspect, it’s not just about our feelings. When we play music or sing for children, babies or elderly people that have mental health issues, first of all, you move their attention onto something different. You shift their focus from something that’s causing anxiety onto something else. Then, once the attention is caught, you can go deeper. Of course, when you’re singing gently or bringing the right music to the right person, you are also activating all the other elements connected to the feelings. For example, with my baby, I know there are particular songs she recognises from the womb, so for the first months of her life whenever she was upset, I could just sing a particular song and she would immediately stop crying. It was so powerful. It was a song I was singing during my piano classes basically every day, so she learnt it because I was practising with my students, and I now use it as a lullaby with her. With elderly people it’s the same, if you sing the songs that were part of their youth, it stimulates their memories, so they become more alert and aware of what’s around them, and a lot of things are brought back. Through the memories they get back to the emotions and the feelings they felt at the time, and it’s a way for them to feel really alive again. So it’s the familiarity of a song that can make it so powerful? If they are familiar with it, they can predict what’s going to happen in the song, and it’s that kind of prediction that makes you feel relaxed. If you sing something new, your brain can be attentive, but that’s not what you want if you’re anxious - you want to listen to something you already know and that you can predict, because then there are no surprises in it! You participated in the amazing Sounding Out project, where you worked with deaf children in creating music for a show. I have a hearing loss myself, so this is particularly resonant with me, as I often feel it’s a blessing rather than a curse because I get to hear music in a different way to most people. What was the experience like working on the Sounding Out project? It was amazing. It helped me realise a lot of things, for example, the important role of an interpreter. Some students were communicating just through sign language, and I didn’t know BSL at that point. Having a third person in-between me and the students was a filter and that really broke the communication I could have with them, so I knew I had to learn sign language myself. I also learnt another form of sign language for musicians, called ‘sound-painting’, and with that I could open the relationship with the children. Then, of course, I saw all the incredible possibilities that deaf children have. There is the common idea that a deaf person cannot do music - when you are in the situation with them, you can see that is not at all the case! You just need a different way to propose music in the beginning, and through many different approaches you can reach many goals and help them to realise that they can do music. Sometimes maybe they are children of deaf parents, and the parents think they cannot do music and they bring this idea to the children too. So it is great to see that these projects are in the schools now, and the children have these possibilities to explore and become better in music, if that’s what they want. Could you explain a bit more about what sound-painting involves, and how you use this to help people in your sessions? Sound-painting is literally sign language that was created by Walker Thompson in the 1970s in the USA. He was a composer, and as he was conducting one of his pieces, he realised that he wanted to change something during the live performance. Through signs, he communicated to the musicians the changes that he wanted to implement, and they understood. From that moment, he created this sign language which now has more than a thousand words to describe and conduct live performance with musicians, dancers, actors, and visual artists. It’s wonderful for children, I had two or three situations where I could create a piece of music with them through sound-painting in just one week, and then we performed it at the end of the week. You can use the children’s ideas and bring them to the music, and then they can conduct it themselves once they have learnt the signs. A lot of work goes on here in terms of boosting self-esteem, confidence, teamwork, responsibility and turn-taking. I’ve been reading on your website about the incredible effects that ‘body music’ can have. Firstly, what is body music, and how do you find this helps? Body music is born from the origin of human beings, because we were stomping before speaking, and clapping before being able to say ‘thank you'. It is about creating rhythms and dances that produce sounds through the use of our bodies and voice. When you do something that involves singing and moving at the same time, and with other people around you, your brain is 100% busy in that moment. You enter into this state of flow. It’s a way of leaving behind everything that doesn’t belong in that particular moment, and you focus on the here and now completely. When you’re feeling the flow, your mental health improves, your anxiety and stress levels decrease - there are a lot of connections between entering into this state, and there being an increase in your general wellbeing. With body music, not only are you creating music, but when you’re doing it with your whole body, you’re actually doing it materially on your body - even the fact that you’re hitting yourself sends different information to your brain. You’re not just strumming or playing an instrument, your whole body is involved. When you’re doing that with other people, there is an even greater sense of flow - not only are you working on your intra-personal relationship, you’re working on your inter-personal relationships. You’re constantly moving between a state of ‘myself and myself’ and ‘myself in the group’. How do I perceive myself in the group? How do I feel? Can I cope? Can I learn? Can I lead? Can I improvise? There are so many aspects that can be developed through working in music together. You don’t need to be a good musician or able to play anything - you just need to stomp and clap! It’s accessible for anyone. It’s like going to see a concert and you are synchronised with all the other people, so you feel energised. I think it was the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh that said, “We ought to listen to music at the beginning of every meeting or discussion”, because it stills our mind and prepares us for constructive conversation, rather than hostility. You’ve spoken before about the power that music can have in building empathy - how do you think music can accomplish something like this? We all feel something magical happen when we're creating music, especially when we’re creating it together. But on a cognitive level, our brain is really synchronised through the observations of our body doing the same movements as others, and through the vibrations that our bodies perceive. It’s not only a case of ‘It’s cool because I feel part of the group’ - no, you feel part of the group because there are a lot of vibrations and there is resonance happening in your brain and in your whole body through the possibility to move like other people. All of this synchronicity happens through a general connection of minds. Finally, we ask all of our interviewees to name their top three favourite songs or pieces of music that have a great theme of mental health and therapy. What would be your choices? 1. Feeling good - Nina Simone 2. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross 3. Man! I Feel Like A Woman! - Shania Twain All images taken from tizianapozzo.info
Maxim talks to Tiziana Pozzo about body music, sound-painting, and making music therapy accessible to deaf and disabled children
Music Therapy with Tiziana Pozzo
As 2021 draws to a close it’s now a year since I wrote my first one of these articles. Sat in my room last December wondering what the new year would bring feels like an unbelievably long and short time ago simultaneously, and my June review feels as if it could have been this morning. The theme of part one, released in the February issue, was bittersweet to say the least. Still shrouded in restrictions and lockdown it felt like there was no end in sight. As a usually fairly negative person it was surprising looking back that I managed to be upbeat about the whole thing; deciding to head into 2021 with a forced smile and the realisation that the only way is up. The June review was riddled with uncertainty. Although describing something outside of 2020 as a ‘strange time’ feels like an overstatement, the crossover from Spring to Summer certainly wasn’t ‘normal’. With the goalposts constantly moving and promises of freedom being ever delayed it was so difficult to know where to be. Whilst a return to the office for myself had reinstated some stability in my day to day it was hard to be upbeat. Despite being promised our freedom it seemed that every day there was a new rule to replace the old ones, just re- packaged to sound a bit less scary. Despite the situation being far improved from the first piece I was actually pretty negative this time around, being unable to fully enjoy our first tastes of normality in 18 months due to souring it with worries about how long it would last. So, what is in store for part 3? Well, I have to say I got it right the first time. The tag line of my first piece was that whatever happens in 2021 it just cannot be as bad as 2020, therefore anything will be an improvement. Now, when I wrote this, in my head there were images of being able to gather in groups of more than six and stay out past half ten – not something I do often being as boring as I am. Despite the first three months of the year being in lockdown and the feeling that the following nine months could be a bleak continuation there was an ineffable spirit, encapsulated in the attitude that it can’t be that bad. Having endured 2020 it felt like we could make it through almost anything. The second time I wasn’t quite as accurate. Having had a good few years of false promises from the government (I’m still waiting for Nick Clegg to drop tuition fees) I was choosing to take all of the talk of returning to some normalcy with a pinch of salt and despite the reports of better days on the horizon I’m ashamed to say I didn’t really buy it. This goes back to my original point about perspective as to why 2021 would feel good after 2020. I was able to write a positive piece about the future during a national lockdown, but my piece during a time that was relatively restriction free ended up being more negative. This is because during the lockdown it was easy to look forward and look up; once again I found myself thinking it can’t get much worse, so you have to aim better. In June when things were easing it felt like we had so much to lose again – instead of enjoying it I lived in fear that at a moment’s notice we would return to being locked in our homes. Whilst the current situation looks to be heading on a downward trajectory - and Boris is fuelled by a determination to ruin everyone's Christmas (except his own it seems) I am trying to remain upbeat. I’ve learnt my lesson – I am choosing not to engage in the Covid worry too much. Despite constant speculation in the news and from people around me about future lockdowns and case numbers, I’m completely shutting it out. I don’t want to make the same mistake I made in June and waste my remaining freedom worrying about when it might end. If we do get locked down again I don’t want to have to look back at the past few months with regret wishing I’d just taken the time to appreciate things as they were. So, was I right to be optimistic about 2021? In a word, yes. There are two reasons – the first being that it has actually exceeded expectations. During the Summer of 2020 we had a brief spell of optimism which was then followed by a swift return to lockdown, so it was easy to look at any sort of progress with suspicion. With this in mind I completely believed that 2021 would follow suit, even in the summer when things looked better I was still convinced that a repeat of 2020 was on the cards, and that by the winter the country would once again grind to a halt. Therefore, when presented with the ability to return to football matches, perform at gigs with my band, travel and meet up with friends again I was overjoyed. Although the year didn’t start off overly great, and may not end particularly great, the position we were in for a few months was beyond expectations (although as I write I realise how dystopian it sounds that my judgement on a good year is just being able to go out). The second reason is my 2020 vision. Not only does that mean I have good eyes, but also that they are rose tinted. As predicted in my first article any small improvement would feel major after such a terrible year and that has certainly been the case. Absence makes the heart grow fonder - and indeed it has. All the things we took for granted before Covid that are being exposed to us again feel so much better than before. Even watching my team get trounced 4-0 is a happy day just because I was able to be there, amongst people. A combination of the fact that the year has actually been a good one in the circumstances, and that any improvement is increased tenfold after the perspective of 2020, means that I can’t help but look back at 2021 with a smile on my face.
Music, Mental Health and Me #9: David Was I Right to be Optimistic about 2021 - The Trilogy
Photo by Weston MacKinnon on Unsplash
Let's be optimistic about 2022! Happy New Year Everyone!
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Hi MAJE! Thanks so much for talking to me today! You recently dropped "A Fly On The Wall"; you teased it on your Instagram just before it came out and there was a lot of excitement, myself included! Can you tell us more about this project? It’s basically my way to re-vibe the mixtape era. It kind of died off because of EPs and albums which is just the way music has gone. I just remember growing up how cool it was to hear your favourite artists on other people’s beats, so I’ve always wanted to do that. It’s also a great lyrical exercise because the verses and the videos are only a minute long, so it forces me to get straight to the point. It was kind of a few birds with one stone – reliving that moment but also working on my skills as a rapper and lyricist. I was eventually just like ‘I might as well make this a thing…” I could’ve easily just uploaded them as new remixes, but I wanted to make it a moment and this was my version of that. The idea also came from Tierra Whack. She had a bunch of one-minute songs that she made an album from – I just thought it was really cool. Also from a business, and human nature, point of view our attention spans are so short now so I was like 'That’s actually really cool!' This project then is something that came together over a period of time - as an artist it can be scary putting that out into the world. What do you hope your fans think the first time that they hear it? Honestly, to have fun with it. I wouldn’t say it’s a nonchalant project but it’s a very nonchalant vibe. It’s not like 'Here is my single it’s all I have' it’s more like 'I did this kind of cool thing with your favourite songs – I remixed them'. Putting them on Instagram and Tik Tok is already really interactive, it allows people to be interactive; the comments section can fill up. I like that vibe, and that’s how I think about it. I actually think about this stuff way too much so I’m super analysing how to release my art! In Mindful Melody we have previously supported the ‘slow down and simplify’ message which encourages taking things back to basics and enjoying the simple things in life – would you say that’s what you’ve done with this project? It’s not all about the chorus and the production but it’s saying 'This is me, these are my lyrics – enjoy!' Exactly! I don’t have to worry about mixing, mastering, intense rollout plans, Spotify and stuff like that. It’s something easy to obtain and consume without putting pressure on me as an artist or on the listener. You recently did a version of the 'Lemon Pepper Freestyle' on YouTube; a lot of the lyrics put an emphasis on how hard you're working at your music, and how hard you’ve had to work to get to where you are. What advice would you give to yourself when you were just starting out if you could go back? Honestly, I wish I would have started sooner – the energy I’ve had in the last two or three years I wish I would have tripled that when I was younger. It’s about the compound interest over time. Honestly some days I feel like I’m behind and I wish I could have those years back where I was almost nonchalant about it. The other side is that maybe I wouldn’t have been ready then – it’s like I was living then so I could tell my story now. Some days I think about it way too much and other days I’m at peace with it. I would’ve believed in myself a lot sooner. Linked in with that - you also say that when you were younger you were worried about success and how cool rapping was, but "that shallow mindset was foolish" and now you're focused on the "legacy and the movement". What would you want your legacy to be, what would you want people to be saying about you in 10 and 20 years' time for example? Honestly, I just hope MAJE never dies. I think that’s the coolest thing. Even when I’m gone it’s like that legacy. I want to build things that will last forever. Every time I’m collab-ing with an organisation or another artist – something that I really believe in – if we build something then even when I’m not here that can still go on and that’s the ultimate goal. I just want MAJE never to die. Sometimes you can do that through music but other times you can do that through a lot of other things so I’m hoping it's a combination. Like my business ventures, things I create, my music, and through people too. Possibly my favourite line from "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" is "don't think outside the box, think beyond it". What was the inspiration behind this? Is it a mantra you live by or something that you thought fit really well into the song? I think it’s a combination of all of those things. I was trying to end that verse and the lines before it were very ‘wisdom’ based lyrics so I thought I needed another one to end this. Honestly, when I hear that back it sounds like a cliché and then I realised, ‘No one has said this!’ 'Think outside the box' is the normal phrase… “Outside the box” has become inside the box! …yeah, exactly! I wanted to take it one level higher. That one felt kinda nice because I thought at first it was corny, then I thought, 'Wait, no.. nobody says this!' Having already spoken to Wren Kelly, a fellow artist from Nova Scotia, there seems to be a really strong community of musicians. In a career that is often perceived as being isolating, with songs like Justin Bieber’s ‘Lonely’ telling us how it can feel, how important do you think it is to have that support network where you can collaborate and help each other out? Great song by the way! I mean that’s big. If you think about it we are taking the road less travelled; I know a lot of artists but that’s because I am an artist. What I see in this field is people looking down on artists, not knowing how to appreciate artists or where they are coming from. You are kind of the black sheep at family events and stuff, you have cousins and siblings that are going to school – it’s something tangible that people can relate to upfront. When you’re an artist they’re instantly confused on what that means. To have people that relate to you when you feel like the black sheep is really, really dope. It’s important – you wouldn’t make it without them. In your verse on 'Game Over' you say "I used to have so many jobs, not doing a good job of working on me", does this relate to a particular moment when you realised you needed to take more time for yourself or was it more of a good fit for the song, and how important do you think it is for our mental health that we do so? It's kind of a combination. It is a really good line, once I came up with it I was like 'Man, yes! That’s the one!' It’s one of my favourite lines from that. But man, I had a lot of jobs, I’ve been working since I was 12/13 when I had a paper route. My heart wasn’t in any of my jobs. I was doing that for other people, it was what I was supposed to be doing having a job, but like I said I wasn’t doing a good job of working on me and rejecting what I actually want. I made up my mind that I’m never going to work again like that. You also feature on 'Daydreaming', a new Wren Kelly song in which you tackle some of the emotional turmoil in romance. One thing I love about your rapping is how deep and meaningful you get in your verses. Has this always been your style, and who would you say your influences are? No, this was not my style at all! Actually, when I first started I wanted to rap like Lil Wayne or just whoever I looked up to at that point. It took a long time to come into my own but I would say people like Kanye West, Drake and J. Cole helped me realise that I could just talk about myself, period. I used to have so many imaginary verses – things that weren’t really me but they sounded good. I was always like a wordsmith so I could rap any kind of way. I’ve always been good with lyrics and words since I can remember. Being an artist it's more about 'What is your story?' Even with my stage name too; it was just the initials to my government name then I made it into a word, but before I’d have really childish names. I was thinking if I want to do this for a long time I can’t have that; having a ‘Young’ name or a ‘Lil’ name. I realised I really needed to be thinking about what I do, because when you’re young you’re just mimicking what you see. I hit a point where I thought, 'I need to be my own artist'. A lot of my lines have to do with self-growth and self-worth and being an introvert – really direct. I always say you never want to have a verse that’s too broad where everyone can rap it – then it relates to no one. I try to have it so when I’m building verses I need that one line that only I can say; maybe it’s about my appearance or when I was 4 – but now that verse belongs to me. I always try to add that in my songs. That then links back to the line in the 'Lemon Pepper Freestyle' about how your younger self was worried about fame, success and being cool but now you’re focused on the legacy and the art. Exactly, yes! That’s exactly it. Finally, one thing we ask all of our interviewees is to name their top three songs that relate to mental health. What would be your top three? I had a hard time with this one because I was trying to find the songs directly – but for the most part it’s the artists bringing that. Juice WRLD is really good at that, he talks about mental health a lot – Rest In Peace. There’s a couple of Lil Wayne songs that I really liked where he talks about not being okay. I really like 'Me and My Drink' – that one is really good. Lastly J .Cole – Love Yours – that’s a really good song. Kanye West talks a lot about mental health too. I find that it’s not a scary topic anymore, so a lot of artists talk about it. Eminem, andDrake are quite vulnerable and that’s a big help to people all over the world that aren’t okay.
MAJE On Motivation, Self-Improvement and new 'Fly on the Wall' Project
David Catches up with talented Canadian Rapper MAJE following new project - Fly on the Wall David Dawson
I hit a point where I thought 'I need to be my own artist'. A lot of my lines have to do with self-growth and self-worth and being an introvert – really direct.
Make sure to follow MAJE on Instagram to keep up to date with all his latest projects - @magic__mic__
I wasn’t doing a good job of working on me and rejecting what I actually want. I made up my mind that I’m never going to work again like that.
50% advertisement for the Country duo’s brand of whiskey, 50% Christmas anthem. It’s light hearted, it’s silly, it’s everything I expect from a holiday tune. Revolving around the humorous and alcoholically-fuelled declaration that “The Christmas tree ain’t the only thing getting lit this year”, the FGL boys supplement this with relatable lines such as “Grandpa's in the pantry sneaking something from a flask/Yeah, nanny's nodding off again, and we can't help but laugh”. A rogue choice perhaps, but turn this on and get the eggnog flowing, and you’ll have an unbeatable Christmas party on your hands. MM
Peak George Michael and peak Christmas. This song isn’t really even that Christmassy, you could quite easily replace the word Christmas with any other occasion and it would work – although I’m not sure that ‘Last Bank Holiday Monday’ would’ve caught on in quite the same way. The fact is that it’s a great song – Christmas or not, and the fact that we only get to enjoy it for a short period every year means that it is firmly in place as a Christmas classic. Not as jolly or upbeat as some of the others but I couldn’t picture a Christmas without it. DD
It almost feels pointless doing a write up on this one – do I even need to justify its inclusion? Classic pop in the golden era from a classic diva; ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ brings all the fun and love that every Christmas song should. Everyone knows the words, everyone loves it and everyone sings it. If this song can’t put a smile on your face and remind you of the good times, I don’t know what would. Its key part to play at the end of ‘Love Actually’ only solidifies it’s spot as one of the all time greats. DD
6. All I Want For Christmas Is You Mariah Carey
It’s probably a symptom of the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of “Christmas music” that I tend to lean towards the more old-school crooners, rather than the more disco-heavy tracks of the last few decades. This song is a classic, and I personally love both Bing Crosby’s charming original and Michael Buble’s smooth, contemporary version. There’s something about the retro feel of the song that makes it sound even more magical and Christmassy. It’s a cosy slow-burner, and it plays like the musical equivalent of a warm cup of coco. MM
9. Mistletoe Justin Bieber
5. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Bing Crosby
7. Lit This Year Florida Georgia Line
10. Happy Xmas (War is Over) John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash
A slicker, more R&B-centred offering than others on this list, but what it lacks in traditional Christmas cheese, it more than makes up for in catchiness. A number of today’s popstars have tried their hand at a Christmas song, but few have enjoyed the success of Bieber’s ‘Mistletoe’, which is on its way to becoming a must-have for any festive playlist. Of course, if anyone was capable of making Christmas ‘cool’, then it would be the Biebs - on this track, he more than delivers. MM
8. Last Christmas Wham!
Top 10 Christmas Songs
This isn’t exactly your classically upbeat, sleigh bells infused run of the mill Christmas song but it is still an all time great in my opinion. What makes this song so special is that in classic John Lennon style it carries so much weight. In a sea of trivial ‘santa’ songs to get through a really powerful message whilst still maintaining the Christmas spirit is really beautiful. For me it’s one of those songs that comes straight to mind when I think of Christmas. DD
It's turning out to be another strange end to the year, which inevitably makes it harder to get into the Christmas spirit. But don't fret - here are 10 festive tracks that will take you straight from 'Humbug' to 'Ho Ho Ho' in no no no time. David & Maxim
3. Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney
What a great tune. This has always been a favourite in my family and my Dad always remarked how it was playing in the hospital when my brother was born. I often envy the fact that we know what the first song my brother ever heard was – I wonder what mine is? Anyway I digress – ‘Stay Another Day’ is a great tune. Classic romance with a Christmas twist this beautiful ballad from the cheeky boy group is a staple of the festive period. It’s so good that even the horrific video with terrible effects and coats that are 6 sizes too big is now iconic. It wouldn’t feel like Christmas without it. DD
It might be controversial to include such a new release in this list of the best Christmas songs, but this dream-team collaboration is an instant classic. It ticks all the boxes - a hook packed with good tidings of joy, a healthy dose of mistletoe references, and, of course, the obligatory choir. It almost feels like an ironic Christmas song, and I love how both artists aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. Make sure to check out the music video, in which Ed and Elton spoof a whole host of festive hits - the highlight is certainly Ed dressing in a skimpy, Kylie Minogue-inspired outfit for a ‘Santa Baby’ mock-up. Christmas has never been sexier. MM
1. Merry Christmas Ed Sheeran & Elton John
2. Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid 1984
An irresistible hook coupled with a slightly off-kilter beat, this makes for a perfect blend of being fun and memorable, whilst also not growing annoying after more than a couple of listens. The ‘Ding-Dong’ moment is admittedly a little peculiar, but hey, when it comes to the musical genius that is Paul McCartney, sometimes you just have to embrace the experimentation and let him do his thing, right? It’s the kind of song that gets stuck in your head, and once it’s there, it’s nigh impossible to dislodge - don’t blame me if you find yourself spontaneously shouting ‘Simply having a wonderful Christmastime’ throughout the holiday… MM
4. Stay Another Day East 17
I had to put in the year because despite later attempts nothing has ever quite matched up to this one. An absolutely stacked roster of unbelievable talent in what (in my opinion) was the golden age of pop – this song had to be good – and the fact that it was all in the name of charity already stood it in good stead. Well, it definitely delivered. Probably in the top 3 of most people’s top Christmas songs list and still being a mainstay despite its re-incarnations in later years. If the song itself wasn’t iconic enough on its own then its use in the ‘Gavin and Stacey’ Christmas Special (my favourite Christmas special of all shows and all time) just makes it more so – and I think that scene perfectly describes how most people in the UK feel about this song. DD
Music, Mental Health and Me #9: Maxim
This isn’t the first article I’ve written that’s been inspired in some shape or form by one of David’s. Perhaps I can call it an homage, or maybe I’ve just perfected that age-old music technique that some refer to as ‘plagiarism’…! Last issue, David wrote about the importance of ‘enjoying the ride’ in life, and not wasting our time looking ahead to a destination that never really arrives, like a mirage - because by the time it does, our sights are already set on the next goal. I’ve had to apply this a lot, because as I’ve mentioned previously, I find myself naturally inclined towards a mindset of perfectionism. I tend to place too much pressure on the smallest decisions, as well as - inevitably - the big decisions, like what career to pursue, what my ‘5-year-plan’ is, and at what point I should up sticks and move to Texas for the sole purpose of trying to meet George Strait…(just kidding!) They say your twenties are the season of life where you try out different things and learn along the way. You’re not supposed to get your dream job straight away, you’re not supposed to know all the answers, and - somewhat scarily - you’re not supposed to be in control. But this is easier said than done. It’s difficult to just let go of the reins and let everything fall into place. There’s always those nagging questions in the back of your mind: “Well, what if it doesn’t fall into place? What if I trust that it’ll all work itself out, and it doesn’t?” This is where one of my favourite words - ‘optimism’ - comes in. Now, a lot of people say that whether you have an ‘optimistic’ or ‘pessimistic’ mindset simply depends on the kind of person you are - some people are born optimists, some are born pessimists. But while I appreciate that a lot of our brain-wiring is of course dependent on our genetics, I don’t buy the idea that optimism is only available to a select few, while others are sentenced to a life of pessimism. I think it’s important not to confuse ‘optimism’ with ‘positivity’ - I’ve talked before about toxic positivity, where we don’t allow ourselves to feel or express our negative emotions, and instead paper over the cracks with a forced smile and call this ‘happiness’. That’s not what I’m talking about when I say ‘optimism’. This is the definition of ‘optimism’ that I found from extensive research and many long nights spent poring over its various etymologies. In other words, I quickly googled ‘define optimism’, and this is the first thing that came up: “Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something.” This is not too far off from what most of us understand ‘optimism’ to mean - but, predictably and annoyingly, I’m much more interested in Google’s ‘philosophical definition’. One of history’s most esteemed thinkers, Leibniz, defined ‘optimism’ as: “The doctrine that this world is the best of all possible worlds.” This slightly oversimplifies a very complex philosophy, but it gets to the heart of the point I’m trying to put across. According to Leibniz, ‘optimism’ is a choice, not a predisposition - it’s about trusting that, in every single situation, everything will work out for the best every single time. This is quite a leap of faith, and some of you might be thinking, ‘Well, of course that isn’t true, because if it was, I wouldn’t ever experience grief, sadness, frustration, etc.’ While that’s a completely valid point, there are some that would argue that, despite the agony and the heartbreak, we learn and grow the most when faced with the most difficult situations. There seems to have been a surprisingly large number of songs released during Covid about seeing the silver linings, and how, despite the immediate pain the global pandemic has caused, it has had some really positive long-term outcomes, from making us more appreciative of the little things, to reducing greenhouse emissions, and much more. Admittedly, there are some things in life that just seem too painful to justify - when the suffering doesn’t seem to produce any good whatsoever. But I guess we just have to hope. Hope that at some point in the future, we’ll be able to look back and see that there was some good that came from it. It’s a radical mentality, and it’s not an easy one to wholeheartedly and genuinely embrace, because it’s essentially training yourself to believe that the universe is rigged in your favour. Whether you explain this through karma, God, destiny, or another worldview, it is all about trusting that things will always ultimately work out for the best - even if immediately, it seems far from the case. I’m always annoying my friends with the phrase, “Even when it doesn’t go to plan, it does”. For me, because of my personal worldview and ideology, I believe it’s ‘God’s plan’ (in the wise words of Drake…), but for someone else this could be the karmic cycle of everything balancing itself out, where everything is geared towards helping us grow spiritually, or it could just be ‘the universe’ helping us to fulfil our destiny. We’ve all been in a situation where everything seemed to be messed-up and wrong and off-track, and it was difficult to see a solution. But then, after a period of time, things just came together and - somehow - worked themselves out. I use these moments to reinforce this trust that, no matter how bad it seems, everything will be okay. It sounds fantastical, and probably even a little self-centred, to think that all the events in our life are designed to bring us as much happiness as possible. But I can honestly say that - along with a daily practice of gratitude - this mentality has been the most beneficial thing to my mental health out ofeverythingI’ve written about. On a more practical level, some might dismiss this approach as positive reenforcement. If I believe that things will work out, then even if things go terribly, I will still believe that it was all for the best - even if things could have objectively gone a lot better. But to that, I would say that it doesn’t really matter whether I’m believing this rightly or wrongly. Either way, in my mind everything is going as well it possibly can go, and for me personally, I’ve found that this is the mentality that brings me the most peace in life. I’d rather be completely wrong about everything but be happy, than discover the secret of the universe and be completely miserable about it (which, speaking from past experience as a philosophy student, is an easy mental space to arrive at…!) Some subscribe to the increasingly popular doctrine of manifestation, which is the idea that we can pretty much ‘think’ things into being real by genuinely and wholeheartedly believing them. To return to the aforementioned Drake, he said in an interview that, before he was a world-famous rapper, he used to drive his friends past this huge mansion in Toronto, telling them again and again that this is where he’d live in future. Fast forward to the present, and that’s exactly where he now lives, and Drake talks about this in a very matter-of-fact way as an example of him being a powerful manifestor. If manifestation is your thing, then believing that everything will work out seems to be a surefire way of manifesting everything to actually work out. When it comes down to it, whether our optimism is true or not isn’t really the point. If this approach to life makes us happy, then surely that’s the real test of its value? It’s a liberating relinquishing of control, which, ironically, is a way of us feeling like we have some control over what happens to us. I’m sure psychologists would have a field day dissecting and picking apart this way of thinking - “Of course the universe isn’t rigged in our favour, don’t you know how utterly ludicrous that sounds? What happens happens, for better or for worse. Period.” And they may well be right. All I know is that, for me, it brings me peace and happiness to hold onto that annoying little phrase of mine - “Even when it doesn’t go to plan, it does”. Just for fun, try this out - the next time something frustrating or aggravating happens, however mild, make a mental note of it. Then, keep an eye on how that particular annoyance plays out over the coming days or weeks, and just see if there is anything good that comes from it. For example, there’s the classic scenario, where you get rejected from your dream job, but that paves the way for you to get a job you end up adoring, something that wouldn’t have been possible had you not had that initial rejection. Take comfort in the idea that right now, in the grand scheme of things, you are exactly where you need to be. The universe has your back. Or maybe it doesn’t. But either way, why not believe it does regardless?
Mind Over Matter - why everything's going to be alright... (...even if it isn't)
Photo by Meiying Ng on Unsplash
“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” - The Dalai Lama
Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash
Sarah Louise: the UK Country singer-songwriter that just wants you to believe in yourself
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for taking the time out to answer these questions! You recently released the inspirational ‘Sunflower EP’, which opens with the powerful track, ‘True to Me’. It sounds defiant without being vindictive, which gives the song an overwhelmingly uplifting and positive feeling. How important was this to you when writing this song? Thank you! I am so pleased you got that feel from the track, I wanted it to come across as a liberating feeling to finally take back control of a situation, and it was important to me because I know a lot of people who can relate to the chorus especially. One of my favourite things about Country music is the harmonies - yours are beautiful and very distinctive. Who would you say your main musical influences are? I love creating harmonies that’s one of the reasons I love country too. My main influences are Shania Twain, The Chicks, The Shires and Ward Thomas, but I also love Jo Dee Messina, Lauren Alaina and Taylor Swift. ‘Can’t Stop Me Now’ covers your use of affirmations to help boost self-esteem, with mantras such as “I am enough”. How have you found that mantras have helped you, either in terms of your personal wellbeing or your creative process? Creating my own affirmations that I actually believe in has been a hard process, as I used to talk to myself in the mirror and feel silly. But now I feel silly if I don’t do it, and I really notice if I miss a day. I think it is so important to speak kindly to yourself daily, there is always something nice you can say to yourself. I also like to help my singing students with this process. I previously wrote an article on how we could use song lyrics as daily affirmations. If you had to choose a particular line from a song that you feel conveys a really important message and would make a great mantra, which lyric would you pick? Wow, good question! I love George Benson's song, ‘Greatest Love Of All’, and used to listen to Whitney Houston’s version. It was my go to song when I was growing up. “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside.” I think children are a precious gift. and if we don’t show them from an early age what they have, it will take them longer to believe in themselves. I really love the title-track, ‘Sunflower’, where you encourage the person you’re singing about to fully appreciate and realise their worth. What’s the meaning behind the line “The only thing stopping you is me”? I was going to see how long it would be until I had to explain that part, as I really wanted the listener to use the lyrics for their own interpretation. It is actually a song about me talking to my conscience, and the response back. Sometimes we listen to the negative voices more than the positive ones, and I am trying to get across in the song they we will always find a way out of sadness or unhappy thoughts. You include some really moving voice-notes from Lottie Wickenden on ‘Sunflower’ - what inspired you to introduce these into the song? Lottie has always been my little best mate, since she has been growing up she has always been involved with me making songs with her Daddy - Mark Wickenden, my producer - in the studio. She asked me what my song was about, I said it was a sunflower, and she said, “They are the most beautiful flowers of all, as they love you just the way you are.” I was so taken aback, I posted a video of this in my group and a friend suggested I used her voice in the song. I asked her and she was so excited to be included, and she completely made the song so special as that’s what it was about - being completely happy with who you are. I’m a huge Country fan, and it’s exciting to see how quickly the UK Country scene is growing. What drew you to Country music in particular? My Dad always used to play Don Williams, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, and I also was in a country band when I was a young teenager. I loved how the artists wear their hearts on their sleeve and speak so much truth in their songs. I found a new love, but tried to hide it as none of my friends really showed an interest in it, until I auditioned for The Voice and the judges said I had a beautiful natural country twang and should concentrate on this genre. From then on, I created a whole album of my favourite country songs and I knew then I was “home”. You’ve spoken before on social media about the difficulties of being an independent artist, and all the added pressure, stress and work that goes into each release. What advice would you have for other independent artists that might be struggling with this? Giving up my steady job is one of the hardest decisions I have made, but I knew I wanted to grow as an artist, and to be able to do this I needed to put all of my energy, heart and soul into it without any distractions. I would tell everyone who wanted to release their own music to definitely do it now whilst they have the chance and never look back. Even if people think you are crazy, just know what you want and don’t give up. I lost my friend to cancer in May 2021, and she said to me, “Sarah, if you don’t make it work as a singer-songwriter you will be doing the world a disservice.” That has stuck with me and always will. My friend Carly and my daughter Francesca are my “why” - the reason that I am so driven and determined. Finally, we ask all our interviewees to name their favourite three songs that have a theme of mental health. What would be your three choices? 1. Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson 2. Greatest Love Of All - Whitney Houston 3. Getting Good - Lauren Alaina Sarah Louise's Sunflower EP is out now on all platforms!
I lost my friend to cancer in May 2021, and she said to me, 'Sarah, if you don’t make it work as a singer-songwriter you will be doing the world a disservice.' That has stuck with me and always will."
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
There seems to be a bit of a mental health revolution in music at the moment. Sony have recently begun offering their artists mental health support and it is becoming a much more widely acknowledged and supported discussion in the arts in general. After my initial ‘about time’ reaction I found myself wondering ‘why now?’. After all – it isn’t exactly a new thing to have artists struggling with mental health issues. Realistically if you look back over the last 60 years in the charts there’s quite a few classics that come from such a place of mental struggle and turmoil. The Artists Artists have had enough, and frankly I’m relieved. We’ve seen in recent years artists throwing their metaphoric weight around in searches for contracts and money but more recently it has been about mental health. The music industry has always been so cut throat and lonely. ‘You’re not good enough’ or ‘You’re too ugly’ seem to have in the past been commonplace for artists to hear. I’m not sure any other industry outside of the arts would deem it okay in the slightest if when asked for interview feedback on failing to get a job you were told you were too fat, too thin or that your nose was too big for you to be successful, as Lady Gaga infamously heard. For some reason though in the arts it has always just been a ‘That’s just the way it is’ exception. The rewards are big but the risks are bigger and everyone wants their shot at the big time, and no one dares to speak out in case of blowing their chances at getting there. That’s why it’s so relieving when it comes from the top. Adele has always been an exception to a rule in that her voice was allowed the space it deserves to do the talking. It’s that same voice that sees her being one of the true icons of this generation of music talent, and I’d say to be honest she’s basically untouchable at this moment in time. In light of her new 30 album though, Adele has been very vocal about her mental health and the effects it has had on her as an artist – not making music for five years and being frightened to bare all of her emotions amidst the breakdown of her marriage. Adele isn’t alone either; Selena Gomez, Tori Amos, Lady Gaga, and Sam Fender are just those who have spoken out recently, but moving back further in time the list is endless. The great thing about this is that when artists at the top are being so frank and honest about their struggles it sets an example for everyone. In making this magazine I have interviewed some very talented up and coming artists who right from the very start embrace their mental health and openly talk about it – no longer having to worry how they may be perceived and the knock on effect to their careers. The Industry Let’s face it, music is a business and the artists are the money makers - and the unfortunate news is that if something didn’t make business sense it still probably wouldn’t happen. When record labels have huge artists signed to them like Adele who doesn’t want to make music because of their mental health, this is a problem for them. When artists are unhappy or have highly publicised breakdowns, this is a problem for them. More recently, as artists have been more and more vocal about the lack of support received form record labels in terms of mental health, labels are faced with a PR nightmare. To be honest, I’m surprised it took so long for the industry to fully embrace mental health and offer support – because it had to be losing them money. Whatever the reason behind it, it would be harsh so early on to call this nothing but a money ploy. The fact is that they are making an effort, and whilst it is easy to say they are a bit late to the party, we still live in a society where it is only just really becoming acceptable over the past few years to open up about mental health – and we still have a long way to go before we get there. Artists for years have used their mental health to channel into some of their best music and have never felt comfortable asking for help – so can we really blame label execs for not seeing something that was right in front of them? After all, if they had an artist making huge money, making hit songs and becoming a huge star it would be very easy to assume that they were completely fine, especially in society as it was not even ten years ago. I think a lot of the credit has to go to the musicians. In a developing society embracing mental health they have often been the pioneers. Going public with stories of mental health helps us to accept our own problems, whilst telling us that if they can tell the world surely we can be more open too. Just a scroll through fairly recent news brings up such stories as ‘Ariana Grande donates $5 million worth of free therapy’, ‘Arlo Parks speaks out on lack of mental health support in the music industry’ and ‘Sugababes on ‘overdue’ changes for mental health in music industry’. The fact of the matter is that artists have helped force a change. Being open about their own issues and calling out the industry has no doubt had execs scrambling as their hands are forced – ultimately it demands them to take a look at themselves and make a change. I have no doubt that it is continued artist pressure that has encouraged Sony to start taking steps towards helping mental health and I can only hope more companies follow shortly. It is just relieving to see that the industry is continuing to evolve, and I think this is great news for any artists hoping to make it to the big time who don’t want to sacrifice their mental health to do so.
Is the Music Industry turning a new leaf with its support of Mental Health?
{{page}}
Photo by Sarah Shull on Unsplash
Photo by Youssef Naddam on Unsplash
Zac Brown Band - 'The Comeback' In Name and Nature
Zac Brown Band is like gateway country. They're the ones that pull you in and turn you into a fan, selling you on that country dream – the sunsets and the sweet life. It’s safe to say, therefore, that expectations were high for their new record, especially as the majority of it had already come out on the brilliant ‘Fun Havin Fun’ and ‘Slow Burn’ EPs. Both EPs had offered slightly different takes and emotions so I was interested to see how the album would come together. Their previous offering The Owl was actually a strong showing, despite it being much maligned for its pop and EDM influences, but even so, it’s exciting to see Zac’s group returning to their Country roots on The Comeback. The album opens on a high with a series of stadium-rock tinged tracks. ‘Slow Burn’ launches straight into what sounds like the climax of a Coldplay song before peeling back again for the verse. In typical Zac Brown style it’s an anthem of reminiscing; summer, the radio and young love are all at the centre of this emotive opening. The song is about how great memories don’t fade. It somehow manages to be happy and sad at the same time - I’m not sure how they achieved it but nevertheless, a fantastic song. ‘Out in the Middle’ is a more rugged stand-out, and Luke Combs’ co-writing influence is evident throughout. The song again focuses on the idealised country lifestyle with an emphasis on cutting loose, suggesting that the week is for hard work but when Friday evening comes things really do get out of hand. The song also has an underlying pride and what feels like a defence of the country life, with references to city folk and people having dreams of a concrete world, before Zac proudly bellows, “Out in the middle of nowhere, that’s where I want to be”. It’s a solid start, without yet reaching the sonic heights that ZBB fans had grown accustomed to before they began experimenting with their sound. ‘Same Boat’ is a great song. It’s ZBB at their playful, sun-soaked best, and runs more in the vein of the band’s light-hearted hits like ‘Toes’ and ‘Chicken Fried’. It also carries a great message through some great lyrics. A short description doesn’t do it much justice, but essentially the song suggests that really we aren’t too different. We all get heartbroken, lose money, grow old and have been hurt from time to time. It’s a call for empathy, with lines about walking a mile in other people’s shoes and respectfully agreeing to disagree on certain things. This is just one of those classic country songs that makes you dream of a simpler world and it’s no surprise that this has been the most successful single from the record, with its ‘come together’ message and addictive, uplifting hook. ‘Fun Having Fun’ is incredible. A song with two ‘funs’ in the title gives itself a lot to live up to but it has to be one of the best songs of 2021, let alone the album. The track moves into a distinctively bluegrass style with a beat that seems to move at a million miles an hour accompanied by a banjo and fiddle. The song contains stories about a young Zac getting into all sorts of trouble by driving and crashing his grandad’s truck when he was just eight - yes, eight - and inadvertently setting fire to the hayloft. It’s a great listen with wacky sound effects and a whimsical delivery, which involves Zac impersonating various characters in the stories and a carefree guitar that races away - quite literally, during the chase scene - and takes on a life of its own. The chorus and the message of the song are what I love the most. When confronted at the end of his mischiefs, Zac proclaims, “It’s fun having fun, there’s only so many trips around the sun”. The song takes an almost nihilistic stance that we are only here for a short time and a life without mistakes is boring. The title couldn’t be more appropriate, because this is Fun with a capital ‘F’, and Zac presents a convincing case in favour of this song’s cri-de-coeur that “the worst decisions make the best stories”. The song beautifully portrays the idea that we should stop worrying so much about the future and just enjoy the time we have, or you might miss the fun of blowing stuff up! If you want an easy laugh, a song to tap your foot too and a reason to adopt a more laissez-faire attitude to life make sure you give this track a listen. ZBB’s jovial, carpe-diem songs often gain the most attention, and arguably rightly so, because few other artists can match their strength in this department. But never underestimate a classic ZBB sad song - the likes of ‘Highway 20 Ride’, ‘Colder Weather’ and ‘My Old Man’ are, in my opinion, some of the most moving and beautiful Country songs out there. The bluer side of The Comeback is found in tracks such as ‘Wild Palomino’, the sparse production of which really allows Zac’s vocals to shine - the second verse is virtually a cappella, making it all the more touching - and ‘Any Day Now’, which finds Zac in a familiar role as the ramblin’ man trying to make amends with a lost love. The title track also fits the bill. The song opens by focusing on a world stricken by the pandemic before hanging hopes on a positive future, with a ‘making lemonade from lemons’ sort of feel. The gospel choir really makes it for me and you can’t help but feel positive as they accompany Zac singing about making a better world for the next generations. I have to admit though, putting my negativity hat on, that this song was sort of unwelcome for me on the album. As great of a listen as it was, we’ve all spent the best part of two years hearing nothing but talk of the pandemic. I use music to escape and although the song was generally upbeat about the situation, I listen to Zac Brown to dream of wild horses, whiskey, barbecues and the simple life – I don’t really want to be reminded of Covid. I think it doesn’t help that it follows straight on from ‘Fun Having Fun’, which is just all about fun and letting go, to then suddenly get serious and start talking about Covid just brought me straight back down from my high when I was listening to the album all the way through. ‘Paradise Lost on Me’ follows on and takes us back to that classic Zac Brown brand of escapism. This time, instead of the country lifestyle, we go for the holiday vibe. Margaritas and sandy beaches make up some of the idyllic holiday descriptions, before Zac gets all gushy and says that without the woman he loves it’s just ‘Paradise Lost on Me’. I like this song a lot. It’s chilled out, easy going, sweet and fun. For some time now, it’s felt as though Zac has been at odds with his original fanbase, receiving flack for straying away from Country into other genres, such as on his EDM Sir Rosevelt project and his solo album. In turn, he has criticised those who try and pin him down into that ever-present ‘box’ that artists always seem to be trying to escape from. I think ZBB have covered so much musical ground since the ‘pure Country’ of The Foundation and You Get What You Give, that it would almost feel forced and superficial to try and return entirely to this when the group clearly have a different vision. The Comeback presents a perfect compromise, not ‘coming back’ wholeheartedly to their original sound, but giving us a good portion of that classic ZBB we all crave. Either way, it certainly returns them to their rightful pedestal at the top of Country music. The only issue is now I don’t know whether to book a holiday, hug my loved ones or set a haybarn on fire!!
Maxim Mower & David Dawson
Photos from https://zacbrownband.com/pages/music
Lyrical Life Lessons #2 'Don't Blink', Kenny Chesney
Photo by Allister Ann
Last issue, I wrote a piece on Scotty McCreery’s ‘The Waiter’, which tells the moving tale of an elderly man who returns to the same restaurant each Friday to talk to himself. We later find out that he’s actually talking to his deceased wife, as they used to visit that very place every week for their date night. It’s a heartbreaking story, but every time I listen to it it brings home a very lucid appreciation of the people I have in my life, and it reminds me to try and make the most of the time we have together. It’s a three-minute burst of wisdom that never fails to refresh my priorities and shift my perspective back to what really matters. So I thought it would be fun to explore some similar songs that have both a beneficial and striking message that captures a particular ‘Lyrical Life Lesson’, that can in turn help us with our mental wellbeing. Forgive me - to use one of Boris Johnson’s favourite phrases - but I suspect there will be quite a few Country songs featuring in this section, simply because of the fact that compelling storytelling is pivotal to so much of the music in this genre. Following on from McCreery’s ‘The Waiter’, this issue I’ve chosen Kenny Chesney’s philosophical track, ’Don’t Blink’. It opens with Chesney watching a man who’s just turned 102 being interviewed on the news, and the reporter asks him if he’s learned ‘the secret to life’ in the many years he’s spent on Earth. His answer is tinged with sadness, as he looks up from his pipe, laughs, and reveals his answer - “Don't blink, just like that you're six years old And you take a nap And you wake up and you're twenty-five And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife Don't blink, you just might miss Your babies growing like mine did Turning into moms and dads Next thing you know your better half Of fifty years is there in bed And you're praying God takes you instead Trust me, friend, a hundred years Goes faster than you think, so don't blink” The details of this man’s story are obviously specific to him, but regardless, the way the lyrics condense an entire lifetime into a few lines makes you realise just how quickly it all passes by. When we’re younger, everyone tells us how life goes by faster than we think, and naturally, we think they’re exaggerating - we have our whole life ahead of us! And I find it easy to fall into this mindset, particularly given I’m at a stage of my life in my twenties where I’m expected to be thinking ahead to the future - to things like what my career will hopefully look like, where I see myself living, and so forth. David’s written some powerful pieces on the pitfalls of this way of thinking, and this feels particularly important in today’s world where everything seems to move faster and faster. The final verse of ‘Don’t Blink’ epitomises this sentiment - “So I've been trying to slow it down I've been trying to take it in In this 'here today, gone tomorrow' world we're living in” It’s a really effective reminder for me to bring my focus back to the here and now, and to really cultivate a sense of gratitude for the little things - even something as simple as the feeling of getting to wake up and experience a brand new day. This also really underlines to me why music can be such an effective tool for helping us with our mental health. We all follow at least a couple of ‘inspirational’ pages on Instagram, and every now and then a motivational quote will position itself on my news feed - something along the lines of “Live for today, not tomorrow” or “The best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none”. That’s all well and good, and those pages are great for occupying a really positive space and being a beacon of light on social media. But personally, I find that once I’ve read the inspirational quote, it’s in one ear and out the other. It just doesn’t resonate and lodge itself in my head the way that a particular hook or lyric does. “I was glued to my TV, when it looked Like he looked at me and said "Best start putting first things first” 'Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand You can't flip it over and start again Take every breathe God gives you for what it's worth” So don’t take my word for it - take my lyric for it (I know, how corny, right?). But seriously, I feel like the real message of the song will never resonate as deeply as it will if you listen first-hand to ‘Don’t Blink’. Grab your headphones, connect up your speaker, turn on your radio - and let this issue’s ‘lyrical life lesson’ find its way into your heart and help to keep your feet planted firmly in the present.
Photo by Matthew Bennett
Mental Health Contacts If you need assistance with your mental health please follow the link below to find a list of contacts and organisations that can help you
www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression /mental-health-helplines/
Albums to look out for...
Give Me The Future - Bastille(Out February 4th) After Drake (rather selfishly in my opinion) finally released his album I've had to turn my attention back elsewhere. Bastille are a bit of a dark horse for me; I'm not sure they'd come in to the convorsation if you asked me about my favourite artists, however they consistantly make good music. I'm hoping this album can be another strong showing and that by March we will all be singing along to this very project.
Coming Next Issue Hixtape Visionary: HARDY Canadian Country star Tebey
Flower Shops - Ernest ft. Morgan Wallen (Out December 31st) A single rather than an album, but when a song is already a fan favourite before it’s even been released, due to live snippets and leaked demos, you know it’s going to be something special. Ernest’s songwriting prowess coupled with Wallen’s unbeatable vocals, this mournful track looks set to light up the 2022 Country Charts.
www.mindful-melody.com @mindfulmelodymagazine mindfulmelodymagazine@gmail.com