From entertainer to storyteller to shoulder-to-cry-on to motivator, music plays many invaluable roles in our daily lives. While its benefits can manifest in a countless number of ways, perhaps the most important job of music is that of a therapist. For listeners, writers and performers alike, the therapeutic power of music is a vital element for living a healthy life.
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One testament to this is artist and songwriter Susie Blue. Through crafting refreshingly honest ‘gay indie-pop,’ the Northern Ireland-based artist has perfected the art of using music as a therapeutic tool for self-understanding. On Friday, Blue released a new single “Daughter” ahead of her EP Boys, Boys, Boys, which is due in the fall.
“’Daughter’ meant so much to me when writing it,” Blue told American Songwriter. “I had so many emotions in my head after my Mother had passed away — I find that when I manifest those uncomfortable emotions into a song it helps me to gauge at what is going on in my head from the outside, it’s very therapeutic.”
Along with the song came a video shot and edited by Blue herself. “When I write a song so personal, I feel like I need to protect it,” she said. “This is why I decided to shoot and edit my own music video for this particular single. I wanted to show a window into the queer youth of Northern Ireland from my point of view, which is why the shooting style is so much like a documentary. It actually is a documentary and my friends and peers allowed me to sneak a peek into our most sacred rituals as a family and put it out for the world to see, so I hope it gives any viewer an intimate beautiful feeling and a sense of belonging.”
Back from taking some time off from music, Boys, Boys, Boys will be Blue’s first release in over a year. “I had a hard time stepping away from music for a while because it’s always been in my life,” she said. “But I needed to take that break to try to work out what kind of musician I wanted to be, to tackle the existential dread that can sometimes come with being a musician. After a year of working on it, I feel like ‘Daughter’ and the rest of the EP are exactly where I want them to be.”
Listen to Susie Blue’s new single “Daughter” below:
