One of the most disturbing trends in recent years is the way that social media fuels self-judging. UK artist Billy Lockett has penned the most eloquent answer to that problem in his uplifting new single “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself”, a highlight from his debut album Abington Grove, which is out today.
The haunting pre-chorus builds to the simple-yet-powerful solution in the chorus: “You can’t forget the places you’ve been / and you can’t forget the fire you bring / and you can’t forget the little voice in your head saying / ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself’.”
“I worry about everything all of the time,” says Lockett. “Am I eating too much? Am I smoking too much? I think that’s why I was a drug addict for so long; it just numbed it. When I got sober, I realized, ‘Shit, I do worry all of the time. That’s an issue’. Now, I can address it and see it with a clear head. I kept going back to the phrase, ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself’. Everything will be okay. My girlfriend has a lot to do with it. She’s the polar opposite. She doesn’t worry about anything ever. So, it’s a message to stop being a worrier.”
Lockett’s new single is just one of many great tracks on his debut LP Abington Grove. “Not Okay” is Lockett’s favorite song in the collection. “It’s a desperation song. It’s being honest, opening up, and saying things are actually really bad. You’re confessing, ‘God, I need you’. Sonically, the vocals sound very percussive, which I’ve always loved about guys like Ed Sheeran and Post Malone.”
For the millions of people worldwide who are tangled up in social media-fueled self-condemnation, Lockett’s new album is a godsend.
Listen to “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” below, and find Billy Lockett’s new LP Abington Grove on your favorite streamer.
Abington Grove is out on Photo Finish Records. Follow Billy Lockett on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
