Mental health is something all of us should see and treat as a priority in our lives, and the ongoing pandemic has seen millions of people address their own on a level never seen before. SOUNDR – real name Katherine Thomas – is not afraid to speak out about her own struggles, as highlighted on her latest single “Mania”, which PopWrapped are delighted to premiere.
She’s an artist who finds music to be an outlet for the thoughts and feelings she can’t express any other way, and her openness to address such has allowed her to create a rather intimate, personal connection with her fans – she writes and sings about topics, like mental health. that so many can relate to.
Asked about the creative process behind “Mania”, SOUNDR shares: “I wrote the ‘hook’ lyrics at like 3am one night in a bad insomnia spell – I was disassociating really bad and felt like no one gave a crap or saw it. Felt like I was losing my mind. I got up the next morning and cranked out the rest of the lyrics and melody. I knew I wanted the song to have a lot of grit to it. Something that hits hard but also has a poignant sadness to it. I took the rough idea to my producer, Stetson, and he composed the instrumental in one session and we demo’d out rough vocals. We ended up going back in and adding more guitar layers and distortion to both guitar and vocals later on.”
She goes on to add: “Tracking vocals for “Mania” was probably one of the most cathartic and reaffirming experiences I’ve had in the studio so far. I got to yell those hook lyrics with the exact emotion and frustration I was feeling at the time. But it did take me a bit of coaching in that session to feel comfortable being that vulnerable… Instead of like… screaming your thoughts into the void when you’re struggling which feels safe, I yelled them into the mic knowing full well how I felt would be put out into the world. Once I was able to let go of the fear of other people hearing that vulnerability, it was really cathartic to record. I think that’s what makes the song really powerful. Every time I hear it, I’m proud of the genuine emotion we captured.”
She says of the meaning to and behind the song and what she hopes those who hear I will take from it: “I think just that they’re not the only one feeling the need to hide pieces of themselves. When you’ve been through a lot, or struggle with mental health it’s so easy to feel like a burden or like someone can’t handle knowing every side of you, so you only show the good. But it’s exhausting. And it doesn’t have to be that way. Everything you think and feel is valid. Your experiences, your emotions and thoughts, all of that makes your human experience unique to you, and that is so beautiful. You are enough as you are. And you will find people that want to know every side of you. Just speak your truth, even when it’s extremely uncomfortable to do so. We’re in this together.”
Give “Mania” a listen below and for more information on SOUNDR, give her page a like on Facebook or follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Header photo credit: Josh Kump.
