Connecticut-based singer-songwriter, Kelaska (born Kelli Wright), is back with her latest single “autopilot”. Both nostalgic and melancholy, it’s a song that strikes a chord for those who feel like they might be moving through life at a different pace from the rest of the world.
“I was going through a depression when I wrote ‘autopilot’” Kelaska recalls. “I kept feeling so overwhelmed by the comparison of how I felt and how I should have been feeling. It was hard to give any energy to anything in my life, and all I was doing was beating myself up over all of the things I wished I could change. I kept comparing myself to others my age and that only made the situation worse.”
Despite the weight of the lyrical content, the song soars with a 90’s like approach to pop rock á la Alanis Morissette and Maggie Rogers. It’s full of irony and off-color, self-deprecating humor that feels relatable and inviting. She gives us a glimpse of what depression can be like while also allowing herself the space to feel her feelings.
“Depression is a funny thing” she says. “Tasks that should be so easy like answering a text or going out on a fun night with your friends turn into exhausting situations. Most of the time it leads to more anxiety about feeling like an awful friend, or human being because you don’t understand why you can’t get yourself to do these simple things. Autopilot is exactly how I was feeling in those days, and I wanted to write a song that people in my situation could relate to.”
“autopilot” is available now on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Amazon Music, YouTube, and SoundCloud. This and more excellent music can be found on the Alchemical Records Multiegenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
