We had a chat with Hemes about ‘Home’, a track that sees her trying to find a sense of belonging as a first-generation Arabic person in the UK
As a first-generation Arabic woman living in the UK, Hemes is an artist who has always had a unique perspective and approach when it comes to crafting her lauded indie pop sound, and her latest single ‘Home’ sees her explore the complicated feelings that come with her trying to find a sense of belonging and deciding where she can truly call home.
The track’s sound matches the stakes of the release perfectly, managing to feel catchy and immersive in equal measure, and with a sense of gravity that makes for a poignant listening experience. There is a real sense of longing and almost desperation at times here, and a cathartic chorus that feels like an huge release of emotion from the artist, making for a really rousing and captivating moment. We love the depth and thought that has been so clearly poured into this track, and had a chat with Hemes to find out some more about it and the experiences that led her to write it.
Hey! We love your new single ‘Home’, what more can you tell us about it?
Thank you so much! I wrote home because I’ve always felt quite torn when asked the question of where I’m from. Growing up I felt torn between two cultures and where I really belong. As a teen I also moved around a lot, which meant I wasn’t’ able to keep friends for a long time, or build long term connections. As I have grown older, this has manifested into deeper feelings of always searching for belonging, so I wrote Home to emulate that feeling.
What was the process like putting it together?
It was really a really natural writing process, my boyfriend (Daniel Evans) is also my producer and co-writer on this song so I felt really comfortable talking about all these feelings and he was able to emulate these feelings perfectly within the production. It was one of the fastest songs we’d ever written, so it was so cool to see it come together.
How have your experiences as a first-generation Arabic woman in the UK shaped the track?
Moving around a lot has made me really question where I am from, and where I should call home, I wanted the track to feel like a journey, and to emulate the feelings of being tired of always searching for this place. We shaped the track around the pre chorus and how I’ve felt like I’m always on the run, trying to find the next place to call home, going into the chorus where it’s talking about that longing of being able to call one place your home.
What is your message for anyone that struggles with that sense of belonging and navigating their way through two cultures?
Embrace it! It makes you different and interesting, over time I’ve released that home doesn’t have to be one place, it can be all the places that shaped you.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’m currently finishing my second EP, I’m really excited as I’ve collaborated with more writers for this EP and I’ve been able to play some of these songs live and have had some great feedback. I’m also working on developing my live set further with my band, and we are super excited to be playing some festivals this summer!
