Cavetown Picks Out Songs To Soothe A Worried Mind
His new EP is incoming...
Bedroom pop aesthete *Cavetown* refuses to place a divide between his life and his art.
From those first Bandcamp uploads to his current major label journey, he's always sought to express the truth, and nothing but the truth - no matter the cost.
As a result, his songwriting - off piste alt-pop creations with an independent streak - touches on areas that other artists simply can't reach.
New EP 'Man's Best Friend' is out on June 4th, and it finds Cavetown attempting to distill his emotions from the past 12 months.
An undeniably strange period for everyone on the planet, the EP is led by new song 'Ur Gonna Wish U Believed Me' and it's bracingly autobiographical lyricism.
He comments: "It's about when you're desperately asking for help, but made to feel like you're not hurt or ill enough to get the assistance you need. Feeling like anywhere you go for help, you are made to feel like it's just attention-seeking behaviour when you're actually in a lot of pain."
With that in mind, Clash invited Cavetown to sift through some of the songs that helped him through the long, dark weeks of lockdown - songs to soothe a worried mind, in other words.
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*The Japanese House - 'You Seemed So Happy'*
This song really hits home for me. I find it super comforting to hear it put into words how you can be struggling regardless of how put together you seem to everyone around you. It always reminds me to check in on my friends, and myself.
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*Phoebe Bridgers - 'Kyoto'*
I’d never heard the impostor syndrome I’ve struggled with on tour put into words more perfectly than Phoebe has done in this track. At least for me, it really speaks to the acceptance that life doesn’t magically become easier when you become successful in your career.
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*Miloe - 'Everything (That Should Go)'*
Somehow this song feels both heavy and light simultaneously. It reminds me of how the small and confident parts of myself feel so distant from each other.
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*Sam Truth - 'All My Dogs'*
I just love the vibe in this track, which helps me accept our own mortality - both my own and that of my loved ones. It brings me comfort when I think of my family and friends who have left this world. The idea that they could all be happily reunited with their long lost pets is so freeing.
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*spookyghostboy - 'blank slate'*
Spooky is one of my dearest friends, so this song from his newest album 'smile when i see you smile' reminds me of the times I’ve spent with him when he lived in Nashville, driving at night, swinging by our favourite ramen place, and practicing songs together in his tiny kitchen. It reminds me of his gentle character and how he’s always made me feel safe and appreciated.
I’ve loved listening to his music, especially during this period of time when we’ve all had to be separated from our friends across the world for so long.
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*C418 - 'Mice On Venus'*
Minecraft is unironically my all-time favourite game and has brought me so much comfort during stressful times in my life. This track from the soundtrack is my absolute favourite. Sometimes I will put it on at night when I’m feeling restless and it lulls me to sleep like a lullaby.
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*allie - 'Everything Is Quiet'*
<a data-cke-saved-href="https://allie.bandcamp.com/track/everything-is-quiet" href="https://allie.bandcamp.com/track/everything-is-quiet">everything is quiet by allie</a>
This is another song by a dear friend of mine. Written during the early months of quarantine, it reminded me to take a breath, push all my worries aside for just a second, and appreciate the space the pandemic had given me to spend time with myself. It all of course didn’t come without it’s nightmares, but it’s good to remember that there’s always something to appreciate.
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Cavetown will release new EP 'Man's Best Friend' on June 4th.
Photo Credit: *Polly Hanrahan*
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