We found out a bit more about expansive alternative pop artist MYRY following the release of her atmospheric new single ‘Not urgent’
Characterised by her slick and forward-thinking approach to her sound and the rawness and intimacy that goes into her writing and vocals, MYRY is a modern alternative pop artist who specialises in crafting the captivating with an emphasis on atmosphere and vibes.
The artist’s latest single ‘Not urgent’ perfectly encapsulates this, a slow-burning and mesmerising track that tackles her struggles with perfectionism in typically raw and vulnerable fashion, making for a package that feels both relatable and engrossing as it progresses. There is a level of catharsis that builds in a really powerful way throughout the track, evoking something within you in a way that feels timeless and all-encompassing as it builds. We love this new release and how composed and intricate it feels, and had a chat with MYRY to find out a little bit more about the new single and her journey as an artist so far.
Who TF is MYRY?
MYRY is an alt-pop singer-songwriter and producer who combines a broad range of modern alternative influences and hybridises melancholic pop with indie electronic sounds.
She had an unusual upbringing, raised between Belgium, Italy, and the UK, giving her a unique accent and timbre to her voice.
She moved to London to cultivate her passion for music as well as to attend medical school and is now a practicing medical doctor part-time.
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been involved with music in some form ever since I can remember – as a child, I enjoyed anything musical from being in the choir in school to singing lessons, piano, guitar and drums lessons to dance classes (or indeed dancing alone in the living room) of all sorts.
When I was a teenager, I started releasing covers on YouTube, gradually moving towards sharing more of my own original material.
In 2019, a management team reached out to me and supported me through my first few releases – this was instrumental in helping me shape my early sound and image and finding my voice.
During the pandemic, I had to temporarily pause music to focus on my work as a doctor. In that time, I naturally drifted away from my label and management team (Lyricom, who now manage artists like Charlotte Plank), though we’ve remained on good terms and still keep in touch.
After the pandemic, I got back to music and went fully independent. I also began diving deeper into music production – something I had previously only dabbled in for demo purposes – and started releasing tracks I had produced myself, as well as learning more about videography to be able to direct, shoot, and edit my own music videos.
Why do you make music?
It helps me process the world, express (and even understand) my emotions, and most importantly release them when they get heavy. It’s my safe space, and sometimes it’s the only thing that makes sense, the only way I know how to really be vulnerable and free myself. It’s more of a necessity than a choice.
What are your biggest influences?
I pull from a pretty broad palette. Lyrically and emotionally, I’m inspired by the likes of Radiohead, Bon Iver, Keaton Henson, The National, Daughter, and Billie Eilish. On the production side, I love to branch out and experiment with more cinematic and electronic worlds of Bonobo, Moderat and Fred again, combined with the alternative vibes of Glass Animals, London Grammar and Alt-J, with a sprinkle of the more epic arrangements and choir-like layered vocals of Florence + The Machine or FOALS.
What would you say has been your best moment so far?
It’s hard to choose just one. It may have been the realisation that Maze hat hit over a million streams on Spotify – it was a totally self-produced release that I’d absolutely poured my soul into (especially in shooting, producing and editing the music video, which took several months of intense work), so it felt incredibly validating.
Also, performing Not Urgent live for BBC Introducing Radio and doing the in-studio interview felt really special and humbling.
Similarly, performing at Bang & Olufsen in Mayfair (via Mahogany Music) for an intimate audience and hearing them singing along to the lyrics was a really beautiful moment.
How would you describe your sound to somebody unfamiliar with it?
Melancholic alt-pop meets ambient electronica. Fragile vocals, haunting harmonies, ASMR-style details, cinematic synths, deep basslines, chill beats. Lyrics that are emotionally honest, but also deliberately open to interpretation.
What’s your dream “I’ve made it” moment?
Honestly, I’d just love to write or perform together with any of my favourite artists (the same ones that inspire me). I remember feeling a little like that when my first manager got me in a studio with the guitarist from Daughter (Luke Saunders), just to jam and brainstorm together over a song I’d written. That was pretty awesome.
We love your new single ‘Not urgent’ – what more can you tell us about it?
Thank you! ‘Not urgent’ is about my struggle with perfectionism and self-criticism and the constant pressure to always be improving.
It opens with a distorted question: “If you could set aside everything you think you should be, and just be… what would you be?, and ends with a gentle challenge: “So why the rush to be anything else? It’s not urgent.”.
In the chorus, after ‘It’s not urgent’, I chose the specific words ‘scratching the surface’ because they allude not only to how humans are by nature imperfect and therefore any attempt to perfection can only ever really ‘scratch the surface’, but also to my compulsive skin picking, something I’ve struggled with since childhood (which I’ve come to think is part of my ADHD as it’s a ‘stimming’ behaviour, rather than a self-harming one).
‘Not urgent’ is a slow-burn emotional purge wrapped into an electronic arrangement, with intimate vocals, layered harmonies, and pulsing bass. In the music video, I perform and dance with contemporary dancer Yanaëlle Ritter: we paint the picture of her being my ‘inner critic’ and of our struggle to eventually find harmony.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’m continuing to release new music regularly – roughly one track every month. I’m trying not to pressure myself back into full blown burnout, as I’m also finishing my specialty training and have one more exam to do as part of that soon, so I’m taking it one step at a time.
And finally, who is your biggest fan right now?
Probably my dog Raymond (full name Captain Raymond Holt), though my parents come pretty close!
