Brighton band Thyla have released “Breathe,” their first single of 2021. The band has also confirmed they will be releasing their debut album later this year, following their well-received sophomore EP Everything At Once and August 2020 one-off “Fade.”
“Breathe” kicks off with a dreamy synth as singer Millie Duthie effortlessly weaves in a bittersweet, “I’ve been coping well / I’m good on the inside.” The song looks inward, manifesting a strong sense of self even while dealing with feelings of loneliness and abandonment. The music video for “Breathe” finds the band in what might be an ‘80s prom, with Duthie in full glam under a disco ball as the band poses for their school portraits.
Duthie said of the band’s latest single:
“Breathe” was written in the early hours of the morning. Eventually we chanced upon this really vibey atmospheric lick that you hear in the intro, and the whole song grew from there. The song blossomed into a slightly melancholic dream-pop bop, it’s bittersweet and has a slightly inconclusive feeling to it; imagine a film where the main character never actually gets the happy ending you’ve been so long yearning for. The result of how the instrumental sounded no doubt manifested lyrics that held the same sentiment. The song is about loneliness, estrangement from family and close friends, yet despite this, feeling a sense of inner strength about the situation. It’s like recovering from a breakup and realising you’ve come out stronger, but a reflection of the scar tissue that resulted from the trauma.
Watch the “Breathe” video (dir. Joseph D) below and stay tuned for further details of Thyla’s full-length debut.