Premiere: O Mer Addresses Current Issues with New Single “Refugee”

O Mer refuses to let us forget the human nature of the refugee struggle on his haunting single, “Refugee.”

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The experience of life as a refugee is one many of us are lucky to never have to undertake. We’ve never had to leave behind a place that holds all of our memories, cherished moments and precious belongings. We’ve always had a place to come home to.

For all the buzz about the refugee crisis in the news, it somehow gets forgotten that these are real people. Beyond their status as refugees, they are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. They are people simultaneously trying to find a place to call home while grappling with the loss of all they’ve ever known. This is a concept O Mer attempts to tackle in his new single, “Refugee” (via Thrive Music, October 20, 2017).

Where am I supposed to go?
What am I supposed to be?
When I wake up in the morning
I don’t know where I fell asleep

Listen: “Refugee” – O Mer

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Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering O Mer’s “Refugee,” the second single off the artist’s EP of the same name. “Refugee” opens with frenzied guitar riffs layered with heavier, demanding electric guitar in sections throughout. The frantic, hurried production elicits a feeling in the listener that may mimic what refugees feel every day. Being displaced must be such a constant feeling of stress and desperation, and O Mer brings that to the track.

O Mer’s vocals are a haunting addition to the stark, chaotic guitar led production. They cut through the noise and remind us that the refugee experience is above all, a human one.

“A major part of seeking refuge includes the loss of a home,” O Mer says. “Although obvious, we tend to focus on the home refugees are looking for and not the ones they leave behind. I tried to reflect both of these aspects in the verse-chorus relationship of ‘Refugee.’ The verse reflecting the chaos of leaving a home and being pushed into a new reality and the chorus reflecting the longing for the home left behind.”

As singer, guitarist, beat-maker and producer, O Mer’s music is entirely his own. This autonomy makes it clear that any work he puts forth is exactly what he intended. With “Refugee,” he shows a unique ability to tackle a difficult subject and make music that cuts to the core of it. He succeeds in humanizing an issue our society is desperate to desensitize. More than anything, he sheds light without belittling or patronizing, while giving us a solid piece of music in the process. We look forward to hearing more from O Mer on his forthcoming Refugee EP.

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