Brisbane artist Calvin Pritchard drops powerful new single ‘Headnoise’

Calvin Pritchard has continued his stellar year with a heartfelt and important single called ‘Headnoise’. The song sees Calvin addressing his own personal struggles with his mental health in an effort to bring awareness to experiences that many people are unfortunately suffering from. Nothing in the world can torment you as much as your own thoughts

‘Headnoise’ is a song that can be interpreted in many different ways based on who is listening to the track. Each listening experience is unique and special to each individual listener and that is what makes this song so distinctive. It allows for everyone to think and reflect on their own challenges and demons that they have faced or are currently facing. Calvin Pritchard acts as the narrator that breaks down that difficult barrier and allows for that self-reflection to occur. Throughout the song we hear the pain and emotion through his vocals which creates a powerful trance-like effect that has you forgetting what you are doing and forcing you to focus on the lyrics and understand his agony. His ability to change his pitch and emphasis on his words throughout the track or what make it so captivating. This is seen through the opening of the song where he starts out reserved and mellow, before slowly adding a greater degree of urgency to his vocals towards the climax where he cannot take it anymore and we see a big release. This almost emulates a battle within itself, one of trying to deal with it softly and internally, until you finally get to that breaking point where you can’t take it anymore.

Production-wise, the eloquent and subtle play of the guitar provides additional layers of depth that allow the song to take on deeper meanings that may not have been previously realised. As the guitar is the focal piece of the production of the song, it forces attention back onto Calvin and his lyrics. It doesn’t distract from the meaning of his lyrics, and by creating and performing this song, Calvin acts as that beacon of hope to others. It not only shows that element of vulnerability by admitting he has gone through his own tough mental battles, but it potentially inspires others to talk about and understand that these battles are not something that can be won alone. The guitar solo at the end of the song is the perfect ending as it pulls us back from an intense listen, and it allows us to absorb what has gone on during the song and to provide us with that small taste of victory by letting us know that these fights can be won.

Production by Ryan Anderson and Brayden Jay Lindsay

Words by Joachim Subramaniam