With her new album Monthly Friend out next Friday, Zoe Mead aka Wyldest has given us one final reason why we should all be looking forward to it. The new single is called “Heal” and she has this to say about it:
“All people, and in particular females, are subject to emotional abuse and lack of confidence inflicted by societal norms. We grow up hearing phrases like, “You must be dying to get married” and, “You’re a good drummer/computer scientist/plumber for a girl” – that just becomes the norm, and when we reach adulthood, those notions are imprinted into our very being. ‘Heal’ is about how much these notions can affect us into making poor decisions and allowing others to keep us within a toxic environment.”
As ever, Wyldest tackles this stubborn topic with such melodic grace and aerodynamic production that you might not at first realise she’s taking on such a massive target. Honing in on the words, it becomes clear there’s a lot of strain behind the beautiful musical facade, with Mead lamenting “I’m trying to feel again / like two heavenly souls combined.” Rather than be weighted down by these desires, “Heal” remains bobbing along, intoxicating in its sheer lightness and finesse.
Wyldest’s new album Monthly Friend arrives next Friday, May 28, via Hand in Hive (pre-order/save). You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
She’s also got these dates in the coming week or so:
Fri 21 May – Manchester, Factory251
Sat 22 May – Liverpool, Grand Central
Sun 23 May – Stockton, Georgian Theatre
Mon 24 May – Birmingham, Castle & Falcon
Thu 27 May – London, Oslo
Fri 28 May – Bristol, Bristol Beacon
Sat 29 May – Southampton, Joiners
Sun 30 May – Brighton, Hope & Ruin
