Sound Seekers: Cat
Kicking of the second of our weekly Sound Seekers feature where we hand over the rains to one of you to take us on a musical journey into the tracks that mean something to you. Think the five tracks you would take to a desert island. What’s fresh and new, what are the bangers that you just can’t live without?
Take it away Cat!
Music is everything for some people. Music can be too loud for others. However, music for me is to allow me that 20-minute journey on the bus to escape somewhere in my mind, forgetting all about my worries and concerns. The music in my list are ones that have left a long-lasting love for them, even to this day where I return to listen to them once in a while.
1. Nate by NF
NF is the initials of Nathan John Feuerstein who is a rapper since 2012. Some of his album’s link to many dark themes of his traumatic childhood, as after his parents divorced and his mother’s boyfriend abused him. He has said in a lot of interviews, rapping was an escapism for him which allowed to freely express his thoughts and feeling about anything he wanted. My favourite album of his work is called ‘The Search’ and his most popular song which people might know him and that went viral is ‘Let You Down’ which was released in 2017.
This song made me cry. It was very emotional but I could feel him relaying the message that nothing should stop people from continuing to try. It feels like a letter to his younger self, explaining his experiences whilst growing up. I love how there is truth interlaced with personal emotion that I think allows people to connect to one another. I think this song helps fans feel connected as they not only understand that we can be hurt and damaged by life but also that we have to be strong for the future.
2. Je Te Laisserai Des Mots – Patrick Watson
Patrick Watson is an artist I’ve started listening to more often nowadays. Some of his work has appeared in the most dramatic moments of Grey’s Anatomy, reflecting how Apple Music describes his work as ‘a foundation of anthemic songcraft, artful arrangements and heart-swelling orchestration’.
This song was just a vibe anyway, with the soft piano and violin creating a sweet tune with its French singing voice really putting the cherry on the top. But when I researched the song lyrics into English, I fell in love with it even more, as it seems comforting to the listener. It tells people you are not alone and that you can contact someone to either regain that comfort from isolation or just do the simplest thing – talk.
3. Nurse’s Office – Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez is one of my all-time favourite alternative artists, her two albums ‘K-12’ (2019) and Cry Baby (2015) releasing some of the most popular songs for teenage girls. For her newest album she has created a movie along with it that is available on YouTube which explores in a different universe a story about a girl surviving her school with her friends. Which in a way, is like a musical, but discusses many important themes such as eating disorders and female sexual harassment. The entire K-12 album is arguably an album criticising the entire school education in general, perhaps more focused in America.
I particularly like this song because of how relatable it is. Sometimes, school feels forced upon students, having to force them into dealing people that hurt them or just generally feeling like class is a waste of time. The lyrics focus on the singer wanting to fake an injury or illness just so that she can escape the environment she is in.
4. Safe Now – Harris Cole & Aso
Harris Cole and Aso are separate musicians. Harris Cole is the focus, an LA artist whose song ‘Game Over’ went viral on the Tik Tok for a short period amount of time. He has released an album in 2016 called ‘Pause’ and since then has released singles like “Hey September” or “Rosewood”.
This instrumental is a very sweet instrumental. A completely relaxing song, which I looked to plug my earphones and nap to, perhaps organise my bedroom for studying, using this song to chillax in a night of binge reading comics, manga, webtoons, books and all the good stuff. I don’t know where I would find such a good song that is so pure and dazzling.
5. Blue - John Bellion
Jon Bellion has many songs that are my favourites, and probably everyone else too. He began his career in 2011, focusing on genres between hip-hop to emo to pop to electric! His debut in “The Human Condition” allowed him to finally class himself as an artist, going on to produce one of his most popular songs being ‘All Time Low’ in that same album. Another one of my favourite songs is ‘Guillotine’.
Blu is a perfect summer vibe, a perfect dance. An uplifting beat that changes into soft vocals, a perfect harmony for people who need to feel like they have freedom. It really is a nice song to try and get motivated as it feels like you are in a music video, or performing and creating something really beautiful.