Listen To This | M. Byrd - Only A Feeling

George Ward

Freelance journalist based in Bristol. Can be found at the Grain Barge, Rough Trade or in his tiny basement bedroom writing for CLUNK.

German-based singer-songwriter M. Byrd drops ethereal and thoughtful new single, ‘Only A Feeling’, ahead of his debut album

The whole of ‘Only A Feeling’, the new single from M. Byrd, is blanketed by a complete feeling of warmth. The production, vocals and instrumentation glow with this warmth and makes it almost impossible not to drift away with him.

Underneath this blanket is a story worth being told. As Byrd explains: “I have a close friend who deals with panic attacks on a regular basis. It’s crazy to think of how something just triggers such a powerful reaction where a person has an outburst out of nowhere and ends up gasping for air. The drums even mirror this shortness of breath.”

It is not immediately obvious that this is the subject matter of the track, due to the lush production and laid-back melody, though listen to the lyrics and they contrast quite heavily with this atmosphere.

Byrd puts these feelings of his friend into writing, exploring the struggles of anxiety with a poetic hand. His voice is the central focus, guiding us through the warm soundscape of the track. The guitars, drenched in reverb and other effects, come together with the other instruments until it is hard to determine what is making what sound.

This is the beauty of ‘Only A Feeling’. While M. Byrd is trying to write about these negative feelings, he has created a whole other feeling: one of nostalgia, bittersweetness and thoughtfulness.

Debut album ‘The Seed’ is out on 16th June.

Listen to ‘Only A Feeling’ here: