Mental health awareness can never be overstated, especially in the music industry. We’re consistently amazed and humbled by the array of musicians who open up about their experience with mental health. Most likely, they’ll never know just how many people they’ve helped with their songs, but that’s beyond the point. For Australian artist Ollie Twohill, he bravely tackles suicide prevention through his powerful new single ‘Stifled’.
Before we dig into the track, let’s first hear from Twohill himself. Here, he shares how his experience comes into play, “We all suffer with mental health related challenges at some point in our lives. I wrote it as a call for help in a way, channeling negative emotions I’ve felt in periods of my life where I’ve hit rock bottom and wanted to end it all.”
He continues, “Over the years I’ve learnt how important it is to speak to the people closest to you about how you’re really feeling. It’s honestly saved my life by doing so. If you or the people you love aren’t feeling 100%, it’s so important to speak out and check in on the people you love most. Even if people seem happy, it’s important to check in with people because you never truly know how they’re feeling and you might just save a life because of it.”
‘Stifled’ is dedicated to anyone who has lost a family member or friends to suicide, as it’s by creating community that we can overcome these issues as a society. In this way, the track has an upbeat nature through energetic pop-punk inspired guitars and uplifting rock rhythms, because it’s ultimately about encouragement and hope. Twohill‘s vocals are poignantly relatable, speaking directly from his heart. His performance ranges from blistering frustration to solemn contemplation, further revealing the emotional core of this track.
There’s something so tangibly cathartic about Ollie Twohill‘s songwriting. ‘Stifled’ is a reminder to reach out to a loved one and in turn prompting you to shows yourself that same kindness.
You can also listen to ‘Stifled’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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