Last month, London-based newcomer AUBREY (real name Aubrey Harris) unleashed her debut single called ‘Stay Longer’, and we at Indie Top 39 took to her sound straight away! A dark and haunting synth-pop tune, AUBREY admits to being inspired by the likes of BANKS and Lana Del Rey to create her own unique soundscape. Focusing on, and trying to embrace, her own personal demons, AUBREY bravely examines her fear of being alone, and her staying in relationships longer than she knew was best, out of fear of being alone. “Could you stay a little longer, before my light grows darker,” she sings. “These nights keep getting harder, stay a little longer, a little longer.”
Working alongside mixing engineer and producer Alex Winter, the pair have created an epic little track that stays with you long after your first listen. We can’t wait to hear what AUBREY has to offer up next!
‘Stay Longer’ is a hauntingly beautiful synth-pop tune, and it’s hard to believe that this is AUBREY’s first release! The future is certainly bright for her.
INDIE TOP 39
What does the song mean to you?
On the surface, ‘Stay Longer’ is about a relationship that’s ending, but if you look underneath, it’s about someone who has to admit to herself that she can’t face being alone. The story behind the lyrics is very personal to me because I’ve struggled almost my whole life with anxiety, and the thought of being truly alone has always scared me. I’ve used relationships to place a band-aid over this feeling, even if that meant staying in relationships that I knew weren’t working out.
I tried to tell this story by adding more and more tension and desperation as the verses go on, until finally the last verse ends with the line “When I’m alone, I’m not alive,” meaning that sometimes I completely lose myself when I feel that lonely.
Who do you hope the song resonates with the most?
Anyone who is faced with anxiety, or any other internal struggles. In my case, a big source of anxiety comes from my fear of being alone, so this song is also for anyone who has stayed in a toxic relationship longer than they knew they should have for this reason.
In my music video for this song, I wanted to literally personify those paralyzing thoughts and feelings by having an “anxiety monster” and show the push and pull of being drawn towards those feelings, and also wanting so badly to break free from them. It’s been something I’ve dealt with for about 10 years now, and I really hope that anyone else who struggles with these types of inner demons can also relate to my lyrics.
Tell us about your creative process and how the song came to be?
I had actually written this song during a writing camp hosted by songwriter Mickey Shiloh, and originally had no intention of it being for my own artist project! I showed some friends my demo and they loved the song, and I had written it about such a personal topic that I felt like alright, I think it needs to be me who sings it. My producer Alex Winter and I were really inspired by BANKS and other artists in the dark pop/alt-pop world, and worked together on getting the track just right to create this melancholic atmosphere that still has an edge to it.
When did you realise that music is what you wanted to do?
I grew up in a musical family, both my dad and grandfather are professional jazz musicians, so I kind of feel like I was born to be a musician in some way or another. I started playing piano and guitar at a young age, but it wasn’t until I started playing the electric bass when I was 13 that I really felt like I wanted to pursue music professionally. I ended up attending Berklee College of Music for my undergrad, and since graduating I’ve primarily worked as a bass player for other artists.
I’ve also been writing songs for years but it was always something I never really mentioned to anyone. I thought I was more suited for the behind the scenes aspect of songwriting, and it wasn’t until the past year or so that I committed to doing my own artist project, and now that my song is released, I’m so happy that I put my music out into the world and am so excited to release more music soon!
Make sure to connect with AUBREY on Instagram »
Now you can listen to all the 39 songs in one place, right here on Spotify!
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
