Setting the tone with a moody rock vibe, Catherine Elms opens her debut single, Frustrations with the vulnerable lyrics, “The frustrations of neutrality, haunt me daily and oh, especially nightly…“
The intention of the song is to challenge us to “take action against injustices witnessed each day”. We love Catherine‘s brand of hybrid art-activism and the depth that she goes to in her delivery and message.
Frustrations is vibrant and has drums provided by the iconic Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls, whilst the soundscape fuses hard rock, dark cabaret, emotionally-charged melodies and impassioned lyrics from the Swansea-based artist.
The epic release also comes with a music video, created with Scott Chalmers and featuring hair and make up by Charlie Temps and an iconic performance from the rising artist.
Catherine vents poetically against the system and those with the power to make change who refuse to do so. “Together, we could be a revelation“, sings the visionary artist as she calls for equality and peace.
Writing from her experiences as a queer working-class woman, Catherine explains, “Frustrations explores the feeling of wanting to stand up for what’s right – be it through activism, work, or just in the interactions and little kindnesses in our daily lives – and facing constant opposition.”
“When it all feels impossible or overwhelming, you can get jaded and burned out, but you must dig deep and remind yourself why this matters, and stay connected to your purpose and strive for meaningful change. This song is for those of us who are tired of fighting injustice in a world that wasn’t built for us – but we get up and keep fighting anyway. For those of us who long for something more – for ourselves, for the world, for each other”, concludes Catherine.
We have added Frustrations to our New Music Spotlight playlist and cannot wait to hear more from Catherine Elms!