What I Need

Tay Temple

Self care, a simple phrase that people often get confused with the term ‘being selfish’. While selfishness comes from a place of vindictiveness or lack of self awareness, self care comes from a place of mental well being and a self awareness that maybe just this one time, I need to say no. This confusion of terms and meanings have led to many individuals falling into bad habits. Habits of feeling so fearful of being seen as selfish that they forgo any of their own happiness and time in favour of placating others, and making sure that they are happy instead.

Pulling on her own experiences with these entrenched habits, Manchester based singer/songwriter Tay Temple poured all of it into her latest release…and what a result she has achieved. Not only does ‘What I Need’ highlight and speak to the process of ‘Self Care’ but it also digs a little bit deeper and explores the inner monologue you can go through when taking that first step towards putting yourself first. Much like her previous releases, Tay Temple has once again used an acoustic driven format and kept things minimalist to allow her message to dominate.

As the song opens, Tays voice is accompanied by a simple combination of guitar and bass, the bass emphasising the route note of each chord. This subdued opening couples neatly with the opening lyrics that already show Tay in full swing with her honesty on her message. “….I fell hard, then my world starting falling apart….” Stark, to the point. These opening lyrics paint a vivid picture of Tays starting point emotionally. Then, as the song picks up with the addition of steady drums, Tays voice rises as she begins to find her footing with her new convictions “….Its time to replace, what took centre stage….” This line alone is elevated as the song shifts into a more uplifting atmosphere and more focused build, mirroring the emotion of taking back control.

This then leads into the breakaway chorus in which the whole band joins in and Tays voice soars above it all with conviction “…..That is what I need….” Again the coupling of the music with the point at which the lyrics speak to throwing down the old habits is well timed and speaks to Tay Temples increasing ability to craft mature and deep songs. This growth in songwriting can also be seen in the way in which she acknowledges the difficulty of making this choice to put her self first from time to time, and that it isn’t always going to go easy. “….My hearts in flames, but I’m not ashamed….” This line acknowledges the guilt you can feel sometimes when saying no but at the same time reinforces the idea that you are saying no for the right reasons so you should be confident in your decision.

Overall, time and time again Tay Temple has proven herself at a young age to be a mature and sincere songwriter. Whether she is pointing out the hypocrisy of society, standing up against the impossibly high standards of beauty that woman face, or just simply opening up about her own mental health experiences, Tay Temple has approached each subject with enthusiasm, her trusty guitar, and an intention to make people feel heard. And with the way that she effortlessly weaves elements of Indie, Folk, and Pop together she is steadily crafting her own unique sound that pairs perfectly with her lyrics every time.

Listen to What I Need

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