RHYS' beautifully textured indie-folk revels in solitude
Swedish-American singer-songwriter Rhys revels in solitude & self-discovery on new single
"What's the Point of Crying"
New EP 'Portland' out 8th November via The Satchi Six
LISTEN, "What's the Point of Crying":
https://orcd.co/whatsthepointofcrying
(18th October) Swedish-American singer-songwriter Rhys today releases her new single "What's the Point of Crying" - lifted from her forthcoming EP 'Portland' - out 8th November.
Arriving following the global success of last month's single "Heathrow" (support from NPR, BBC 6 Music, Spotify NMF in 26 countries & tips from The Line of Best Fit, Spindle Magazine & more) - new single "What's the Point of Crying" provides further proof that Rhys is a truly special artist on the precipice of a breakthrough year.
With her beautifully textured indie-folk instrumentation, Rhys' ability to create a warm and intimate atmosphere for her universal themes of heartbreak, healing, and personal growth is undeniable.
Drawing influence from Ron Sexsmith, Brandi Carlile and Nick Drake, "What's the Point of Crying" humorously questions the value of prolonged sadness after a relationship ends. Lighthearted and optimistic, Rhys revels in solitude and self-discovery - emphasising the importance of moving on and finding joy in the present.
On the song's lyrical inspiration, Rhys said:
"Me and my friends talk a lot about first loves and first heartbreaks. The first ones could ruin you for months and months, even years. Nowadays, (it doesn’t necessarily ever feel great when someone decides to end something), you just kind of get used to it - you cry like you’re dying for a day, then you just move on. It’s almost become comical for us. This song is about that feeling of acceptance and just realising that it happens to everyone, and it’s usually not personal and you’ll get over it. Life continues."
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Having caught Sweden's attention at the age of 17, eventually racking up 225 million streams across her debut project Stages, singer/songwriter Rhys' journey sounds like a teenage dream come true, but in reality it was too good to be true.
"Everything happened so fast," she explains, "I wasn't ready for what I was about to experience. When I was signed, I wasn’t even of legal age, so my mom had to sign the contracts... It took me three years to shed the weight of expectations and rediscover myself."
Following a phase of introspection, she is back with a renewed sense of purpose. Her genre-defying sound now leans to the left, seamlessly blending indie and folk, with lyrics steeped in both nostalgia and everyday life.
Raised in Portland, Oregon, along a stretch of the I-94 highway known as Johnson's Creek, Rhys was steeped in music and culture from birth. Moving across the Atlantic ocean at the age of 10, life in Sweden brought a profound cultural shock. The pragmatic ethos of Sweden clashed with the boundless optimism of America, creating a stark contrast for Rhys, who never saw her artistic dreams as unattainable. This juxtaposition formed a middle ground that has shaped her all throughout life
The early years in Sweden were distinguished by a constant sense of rootlessness. Rhys' family frequently moved around the Stockholm suburbs, never settling in one place for more than a year. Having learnt Swedish by joining the school choir, her dream of a life in music came to fruition at 18. A year later, she released her acclaimed debut album 'Stages', garnering hundreds of millions of streams and establishing herself as the most played artist on Swedish national radio.
Despite the accolades and commercial success, Rhys found herself grappling with a sense of disillusionment, realising she had lost touch with her identity amidst the demands of the industry.
This autumn's EP 'Portland' is her very first project as an independent artist and the first step in a new journey for an artist who's starting again, but this time on her own terms.
Rhys' new EP 'Portland' is out 8th November via The Satchi Six. Rhys embarks on a short tour of Scandinavia to celebrate the release of the EP in November & December. New single 'What's the Point of Crying" is out now.
'Portland' EP Tour 2024
Tickets here
20th November – Nefertiti, Gothenburg (SE)
27th November – BLÅ, Oslo (NO)
3rd December – Vega - Ideal Bar, Copenhagen (DK)
4th December – Musikaliska, Stockholm (SE)
