Suffice to say, this year has forced everyone to take the time for some self care, and Anna Hamilton is happy to lend a hand. With her new single, “Self Help,” she discusses the importance of setting aside time for oneself and listening to one’s own needs. The result is an authentic-sounding track that feels like a look into the heart of every person that puts other people’s needs above their own, and it comes across as a reassurance that it isn’t selfish to set boundaries.
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Set to a bassy synth beat, Hamilton’s smooth tone carries the listener through her personal reflections on the downsides of putting other people first. “I think we could all use a reminder that it’s okay to say ‘no’ and to take time for ourselves,” she said. “I, for one, am always looking for ways to stay busy, saying ‘yes’ to everything and everyone all the time. It’s easy to forget that taking care of ourselves is just as important as taking care of our friends.”
Even the song-writing process was a form of self-care for Hamilton, who said it “felt more like therapy.” The vocals featured the final version of the song were recorded during the writing process, as Hamilton lay on the floor of a cabin with her close friends. “I thought I’d go in and change some parts later for the master,” she admitted. “But we ended up just using the original vocals. This song has a lot of nostalgia tied to it, and that’s one of my favorite parts about it.”
The Kansas-based songwriter has strived to write and perform songs that carry emotions people don’t always want to bring to the light, citing both Lewis Capaldi and Dermot Kennedy’s “Outnumbered” as inspirations. “When I write and perform my songs, I want people to feel known,” she said. “And if I can pull that off, I’ve made it.”
This focus on authentic, emotive music that fulfills audiences looking for deeper pop has brought Hamilton great success, and she was on NBC’s Songland as a featured songwriter in the summer of 2020. She has over one million monthly listeners on Spotify and has been featured on 14 Spotify Editorial playlists.
