Johnny Got Lost

Kenny by Still Woozy (cover)

Reasons

I wrote “I Can’t Stay” shortly after my roommate passed away in the room next to mine. 

I spent a lot of time on the other side of that wall trying to process what had happened. All around me, life just seemed to continue on in the same way it always had. How could he have been here and then suddenly…not? It didn’t seem fair that someone so young and so cool, someone with so much potential, could be taken so quickly. 

In the months that followed, while the police tape remained up in the apartment and the room remained sealed, I quietly experienced intense loneliness and confusion. I also just felt a bit lost in life. And then I fell for someone who seemed to have it all sorted out. The job, the apartment, the style, the charm. I desperately wanted something to escape to. Someone to talk to about life and death. And I really wanted to get my shit together like they did. Turns out they didn’t have it together at all. I’ve had the space to reflect on that time in my life and I’m grateful to have music as a way of processing life’s hardships.

I Can't Stay

This song encapsulates my 20’s…young adulthood in New York City on the hamster wheel of hangover hell.  Regularly blacking out but sober curious enough to *attempt* to take a month off the sauce once per year (usually a dry February because January had too many events lingering over from the holidays). I loved that as an adult I had authority over my
decisions, but as the years ticked forward I started to realize how much I missed the days when I could laze around the house as an angsty teen while my mum cooked me dinner and catered to my every need.
I was running away from expectations and seemingly perfect people because…how boring. But maybe a life where I didn’t wake up with a hangover most of the time had potential. I had to mull it over for more than a few years before I finally took the plunge and removed alcohol and various other indulgences from my life almost 6 months ago. I’m not sure if it’s forever and maybe it doesn’t have to be…but it does feel good to give my self a little love for once and to realize that there’s another (less traumatic) way to exist. Enjoy!

Sober Karaoke

"Useless" emerged from a raw place of emotion, initially penned by Amelia Bushell, fueled by frustration directed at her co-writer. In a dynamic collaboration, Bushell poured her feelings into the song, only to find her co-writer contributing suggestions that, rather ironically, amplified the negative portrayal of himself within the lyrics. Despite the tension, or perhaps because of it, their creative synergy took an unexpected turn, weaving a narrative of self-deprecation and introspection that added layers of complexity to the song's emotional landscape.

Useless

A cover of Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac. Imagine yourself walking into a casino, grabbing a cocktail (or mocktail), and gliding towards the pool with this fresh new take on the classic hit by Fleetwood Mac. Produced by Just Milk and sung by Extra Special.

Popular tracks by Extra Special