Turning struggles into songs: how one artist is breaking the silence on male vulnerability, one lyric at a time.
Making music to me has always been about trying to relate to people, and allowing my audience to find a form of connection with my work.
In the past I’ve tried various ways to do that, but recently in my songs I’ve found the way I enjoy doing it the most is through depicting struggles that I, or the people around me have faced.
In this respect I found Sam Fender to be a large idol of mine, with the way he relentlessly writes lyrics about him and his friends, struggling through depression, relationship issues, drug use, to name a few.
For me, spreading word about mental health, and men’s mental health more specifically means a great deal.
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I feel more of a purpose in my music when I do this, and makes me hopeful that I’m making a difference, whether it be to my whole audience or just one person.
It also means that my writing sessions become therapeutic, as if my Notes app is my therapist.
My new single “Double Dutch” is an example of this, where I wanted to depict the struggle I felt growing up, trying to decipher important lessons from the ones I actually disagreed with.
With this is an underlying tone of being afraid to speak up about it as a male, and knowing now as an adult that it’s always better to express your emotions.
This is a message I really hope resonates with my audience, and a path I’m really eager to continue to go down.
Words by Sam Nicholls
