Premiere: The Soft Swell of Neev’s Captivating “Seawall,” a Beautiful Song of Burnout & Fatigue

Glasgow singer/songwriter Neev captures the heavy weight of burnout and fatigue on her tender new single “Seawall,” an intimate serenade brimming with soft swells and rich acoustic warmth.

Stream: “Seawall” – Neev

I’ve been roaming around, gravity down, energy low… what a way to exist, you’ve been polite, ignoring this hole…

Burnout is real, and it hits harder than anyone can possibly expect or imagine. As Newton’s Third Law of Motion theorizes, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; when we constantly and consistently push ourselves to our limits, ultimately our bodies push back. Glasgow singer/songwriter Neev captures the heavy weight of burnout and fatigue on her tender new single “Seawall,” an intimate serenade brimming with soft swells and rich acoustic warmth.

I don’t find it easy
To look on the bright side
I’m tired and wheezing
Been running for miles
And I know
That there’s a hole
Take no notice take no

Well I’ve been roaming around, gravity down, energy low
What a way to exist, you’ve been polite, ignoring this hole
You said slow down and I said no
You said don’t burn both ends of the candle
I can’t hide but I can run
The earth will pull me back at once
And I will hit the Seawall

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Seawall,” Neev’s first single of the year (out now via Trapped Animal Records). The follow-up to 2021’s sophomore EP Currants finds Neev bringing a dazzling ray of musical light to what is often an incredibly dark experience: Yet rather than dwell in melancholia, Neev channels an array of relatable angst, stress, and woe into an uplifting sonic sunburst.

This isn’t the first time the singer/songwriter has blended two ends of the emotional and musical spectrum; in reviewing Currants, Atwood Magazine‘s Coco Rich praised Neev for coming back “with a brighter shine than before,” going on to write: “She’s harnessed the endless echoes of folk magic… Neev is continuing to create soulful, acoustic masterpieces.”

With its rich lyrics, lush harmonies, and gentle flow, “Seawall” is further evidence of Neev’s singular and growing prowess.

Radiant, immersive instruments flourish alongside the artist and her acoustic guitar to create a singular moment of connection and reflection. Neev’s voice sits front and center in the mix, her words telling a familiar story of churn, charge, and eventual collapse”

If I were a heartbeat
Somewhere heavy to lean
This uneven feeling wouldn’t terrify me as much as it does
But I know that there’s a hole
Take no notice take no

Well I’ve been roaming around gravity down energy low
What a way to exist but I might break down if I don’t just go
You said slow down and I said no
You said don’t burn both ends of the candle
I can’t hide but I can run
The earth will pull me back at once
And I will hit the Seawall

“I wrote ‘Seawall’ a few years back, as lockdown hit,” Neev tells Atwood Magazine. “I’d watched the play Seawall during lockdown which written for and performed by Andrew Scott, I’d seen it in the theatre too, and it’s a play that shares a monologue where the central character offhandedly refers to a hole in the middle of their stomach. This kind of fed into my songwriting, focusing on the themes surrounding fatigue and stretching yourself too thin which became represented by a hole in the stomach. Hence the lyrics, ‘I know that there’s a hole, take no notice,’ and ‘what a way to exist, you’ve been polite ignoring this hole.'”

“Seawall” reckons with this notion of exhaustion and tiredness, and yet the song itself is more a sprightly, sweet seduction. Neev’s enchanting melodies and captivating performance neither embody nor channel those feelings of lethargy and weariness, instead filling our ears and souls with a spirited sense of resilience, inner strength, and unbridled passion.

If it’s not in my blood then it’s not in my lungs
I can’t remember all the things that I have given up
If it’s not in my hands not something I can plan
This isn’t something I’d expect for you to understand

If it’s not in my blood then it’s not in my lungs
I can’t remember all the things that I have given up
If it’s not in my hands not something I can plan
This isn’t something I’d expect for you to understand
Understand

Well I’ve been roaming around gravity down energy low
What a way to admit that I might break down if I don’t just go
You said slow down and I said no
You said don’t burn both ends of the candle
I can’t hide but I can run
The earth will pull me back at once
And I will hit the Seawall

We can push ourselves as hard as we like, but we will hit that seawall eventually – and when we do, all we can hope for is some kind of life raft or anchor to hold us afloat. Neev’s colorful language and poetic imagery convey the magnitude and impact of burnout, breakdown, and fatigue, without necessarily putting those emotions themselves out in the spotlight, front and center. Hence whether we’re metaphorically drowning, or going about our day, we can all find something to love and cherish in this song.

Stream Neev’s “Seawall” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!

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Stream: “Seawall” – Neev

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