Shayla McDaniel is back with ‘Scared Now’, a danceable tune created out of that moment of panic felt once you’ve realized you might be in over your head. A song perfect to groove to after gaining a 20-20 hindsight, this bold combination of rock-infused, indie pop is just what you might need for your next (possibly online) party.
Even after knowing the artist from her previous releases ‘Let Me Breathe’ and ‘Better Days’ — with both songs being reviewed upon release by Less Than 1,000 Followers — we’re still surprised by the Knoxville, Tennessee, based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. As she believes in the importance of taking care of yourself and improving your mental health, Shayla McDaniel sings about emotional topics or the real thoughts that occupy her head, and by doing that she is a safe haven and comfort for those with similar minds.
If Scared Now, or its general theme, were to be described in a few words the following would be the best fit: “Uh oh… yikes!”… but make it modern indie pop. It’s a song that talks about false hopes, and the contrasting emotional whiplash felt when you suddenly descend from the highest point of happiness you’ve felt in a while. Akin to a roller coaster, Scared Now is centered around the confusion and discomfort caused by conflicting emotions and sudden mood changes, regardless of who causes them and who they affect.
As a song that focuses on the potential of something and how hope flourishes and quickly grows from a small idea, it is quite a nice and humorous surprise to know that the track began to take form once the lyrics for the chorus were done. Inspired by the small verse that tends to hold a song together, McDaniel let her emotions flow in a similar way as the core topic of the song, singing and writing to her heart’s content until the right lyrics arrived.
The artist described the main inspiration for the song, which is one of those many moments she sings about in the track.
“This song was inspired by a moment early on in my music career. I had been doing a lot of work trying to get booked for some local & regional music & arts festivals. I was at a networking event hosted by the production company who put on one of the big festivals. I ended up talking to another person who was there who also puts on another cool festival. She asked me if I wanted to play the festival with my band in early March, if my music was a good fit. I agreed enthusiastically and we traded contact info. A few days later, my band and I were confirmed for our first festival!
After the line of people waiting to talk to the main speaker of the night had gone down some, I got in line. After talking briefly with the speaker, we also traded contact info. A couple emails later, me and my band were set to play another festival in April!
I was so excited on the way home, but after I showered and settled in for the night, I felt like I had gotten in over my head. I felt like I had pumped myself up with false hope, false confidence. I had only been playing music professionally for three months. I had never played a festival before. I didn’t even have a band yet! I had only joked with a couple of my friends a few months earlier about playing in my band, but nothing serious. I was Scared Now. In the end, we had tons of fun and had great performances at both festivals.”
Shayla McDaniel continues creating music that belongs in the middle point between laid back, at ease and vulnerable, still catering to that growing niche that loves her music for its authenticity.
If you enjoyed Shayla McDaniel’s music and would like to stay updated, be sure to check out her official website. For social media you can follow her Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. To listen to her music, you can head over to her Spotify profile, Soundcloud, and Youtube channel, or you can purchase their music at Bandcamp.
You can also support the artist by streaming and sharing her music, which can be found in the following Playlists: Fresh Singles, Indie Only, 12 New Songs This Week , and Female Rising Stars.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you should subscribe to Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists we’ve talked about!
This coverage was created via Musosoup #Sustainablecurator https://www.musosoup.com/sustainable-curator