Photo By: Alex Aroyan
On your own, the weight of a mental health struggle can be an overwhelming burden. Ideally, you’re able to outsource some of the heavy lifting. However, not everyone is capable of shouldering the load. Faced with a failing emotional support system, indie rockers Indoor Friends retreat into escapism on their new single, “Psyayayduck.” When the real world will not comply, the video game realm will have to suffice.
Oftentimes, suffering in silence is symptomatic of mental illness. However, the sound of cumulative stress echoes within. At times, “Psyayayduck” emulates this subtle tension via its swift bassline merged with sudden spikes of jagged chords. All of which underscore moments when no one hears you, even though you’re being as plain as day about what you’re feeling. However, “Psyayayduck” takes on a much more rollicking aesthetic for its choruses, ushering in its theme of taking up refuge elsewhere.
When you can’t rely on anyone else to ease your mind, one of the alternatives becomes solitude. In part, “Psyayayduck” is about opting to carve out a more hospitable space for yourself. However, video games are portrayed as a source of avoidance against “the breakdown underway.” Also, it also can be about having some semblance of control in your life. Through incorporating a coping mechanism, “Psyayayduck” is about filling the emotional void that you’ve been dealt.
All in all, “Psyayayduck” is not a “woe is me” type of anthem. Instead, it is more about making the best of it with what’s at your disposal.
Written by Travis Boyer
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