Swedish singer/songwriter Julia Logan bares her restless, aching heart in “Mirrors,” an enchanting eruption of desire, longing, and our eternal soul-search – and the latest single off her upcoming sophomore album, ‘Faraway Nearby’!
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Stream: “Mirrors” – Julia Logan
What I like most about “Mirrors” is that it’s upbeat, direct, and straightforward — a melancholy yet hopeful song about finding that spark even when you’re feeling stuck or untethered.
Restless hearts are never fully satisfied; even when they find what they’re looking for, there’s always more to see – more to be done.
It’s a fire burning deep down inside – a flame that never goes out; a tension that never fully releases. The endless ache in our bones drives us onward in a seemingly never-ending journey of discovery and exploration – and while it hurts, there’s a beauty to that pain. For us restless hearts, it’s an intrinsic part of the human experience.
And it’s a condition Julia Logan knows all too well. “I got an anger in my heart, it’s running me over,” she passionately declares in her latest single. “I just wanna let go, if you’ve got me somewhere to land, with a looking glass in my hand.” The Swedish singer/songwriter dwells in a heated space of raw reflection and reckoning on “Mirrors,” a spirited eruption of desire, longing, and our eternal soul-search.
After all, dreamers never stop dreaming.
Had a chance to be honest
If I ever caught you
Got a lifetime of sorrows
But I’ve been running from you
I’ve got nothing to say
And there’s nothing to set us apart
I’ve been thinking about
All the times I was hoping for change
If I don’t like the ending
I’ll make something else just up for fun
Released May 31 via Mayborn Music / Dumont Dumont, “Mirrors” is Julia Logan’s second song of the year and the latest single off her forthcoming sophomore album, Faraway Nearby (out this fall). Building upon the anticipation following this past March’s lead single “Top of the World,” “Mirrors” is as dynamic and driving as it is utterly spellbinding.
Earlier this year, Atwood Magazine dubbed Julia Logan “an instant classic,” praising both her “undeniable prowess as a songwriter and vocalist” and her “radiant, spirited, soul-stirring sound.” An enchanting mix of melancholia and hope, “Top of the World” was her first bit of new music in two years’ time (following 2022’s debut album Everly Foreverly), and it proved a powerful return to the spotlight, with a Laurel Canyon-esque vibe weaving throughout its catchy, sun-kissed soft rock sound.
“Mirrors” is yet another striking combination of melancholia and hope, albeit even more existential than its predecessor (which dealt with depression, getting older, and navigating societal expectations, among other things). Made with her producer and co-writer Daniel Bengtson (First Aid Kit, M Ward, James Yorkston), the song finds Logan wrestling with that insatiable hunger for more than what she has right now. She hits her high in a dramatic, emotionally charged chorus full of red-hot yearning:
I’m running through spaces and faces
I already know
I got an anger in my heart
It’s running me over
I just wanna let go
If you’ve got me somewhere to land
With a looking glass in my hand
It’s that propulsion that never abates; that thirst that can never be quenched. “‘Mirrors’ came about when I was about to go on a month long trip,” Logan explains. “Daniel started playing the piano melody on an old synth and the melody and some words came about in a flow of consciousness. It was kind of an aha moment, because we don’t have many upbeat songs. I think it opened us up to a sonic landscape we hadn’t explored before. The song deals with life’s frustrations and feeling stuck, but also about finding a beacon of light in the dark.”
For Logan, that push-and-pull between what is and what could be is all too familiar; time and again, it has found its way into her art. Sometimes it’s more veiled, covered in metaphor, and sometimes it’s as transparent as it is in “Mirrors.”
“I think recurring themes of isolation, frustration, and hope always find their way into my songwriting,” she shares. “I like to write from my own lived experiences and my inner emotions, but I am also affected by friends and places around me. ‘Mirrors’ is introspective and goes on a contemplative journey. It’s about confronting one’s own desire for change and self-acceptance.”
Had a time I was so lost
I kept on driving all night
Then I saw the light
And the pale moon sky
I found a door, yeah
It pushed me out alright
The fear is breaking me down
Can I make it out somehow
If I don’t like the ending
I’ll make something else just up for fun
I’m running through spaces and faces
I already know
I got an anger in my heart
It’s running me over
I just wanna let go
If you’ve got me somewhere to land
With a looking glass in my hand
Julia Logan recently caught up with Atwood Magazine to talk about restless hearts, musical inspirations, and her exhilarating new single. Dive into “Mirrors” in our interview below, and stay tuned for more to come from the Swedish singer/songwriter as she continues to unveil more songs off her forthcoming sophomore album. Faraway Nearby is set to release this fall!
Strangers linger
Mirror, mirror
Who’s that singing in my head?
I’m running through spaces and faces
I already know
I got an anger in my heart
It’s running me over
I just wanna let go
If you’ve got me somewhere to land
With a looking glass in my hand
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:: stream/purchase Mirrors here ::
:: connect with Julia Logan here ::
CATCHING UP WITH JULIA LOGAN
Atwood Magazine: Thanks for chatting today, Julia! Firstly, what's the story behind “Mirrors” for you? What excites you most about it?
Julia Logan: “Mirrors” came about when I was about to go on a month-long trip. Daniel (my producer and co-writer) started playing the piano melody on an old synth, and parts of the melody and some words came about in a flow of consciousness. We quickly added keyboard drums and the verse melody, and we already felt that this song had something special, and was different from anything we had previously done. I was really excited when we started writing the groundwork for the song since we didn’t have many upbeat songs and opened us up to a sonic landscape we hadn’t explored before.
You've talked about the frustrations, stuck feelings, and light in the dark that inspired this song. Where, for you, did those emotions stem from? Were these real life, lived experiences, and how did you navigate them?
Julia Logan: I think recurring themes of isolation, frustration, and hope always find their way into my songwriting. I like to write from my own lived experiences and my inner emotions, but I am also affected by friends and places around me. “Mirrors” is introspective and goes on a contemplative journey. It’s about confronting one’s own desire for change and self-acceptance.
“I’m running through spaces and faces I already know,” you sing in the chorus. “I just wanna let go if you’ve got me somewhere to land, with a looking glass in my hand.” Can you share a bit about these lines, and what the chorus means and represents to you?
Julia Logan: The chorus navigates different emotions. It’s a story of frustration, struggle, and hope — frustrations with yourself, your surroundings and the space you’re in, your internal struggles and wanting to change, and wanting something different in life.
Sonically, this song feels so warm and invigorating. What were you going for when recording it? What was your vision for it, if any? Did you have any musical North Stars?
Julia Logan: I was listening a lot to Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” at the time, as well as Fleetwood Mac and War on Drugs. We wanted the voice to feel warm while having a continuous flow and upbeat energy to the drums, piano, bass, and guitar. There’s recurring themes of running in the song, and I wanted the production to force the song to sort of move forward.
Do you have any favorite lyrics or lines from this track?
Julia Logan: I really like the line, “If I don’t like the ending, I’ll make something else up just for fun.” It’s light, airy, and playful compared to the rest of the lyrics, and talks about not to take yourself or life so seriously.
Lastly, what do you love most about this new song, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
Julia Logan: What I like most about “Mirrors” is that it’s upbeat, direct, and straightforward — a melancholy yet hopeful song about finding that spark even when you’re feeling stuck or untethered.
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:: stream/purchase Mirrors here ::
:: connect with Julia Logan here ::
Stream: “Mirrors” – Julia Logan
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