Title: “bandages and gauze”
Artist: Amy Meyer
From: “bandages and gauze” (2020)
Release Date: November 11, 2020
Length: 4:38
Format: CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single, Weekly Airplay, Worldwide Streaming
Recorded: October 2020 – Half-Moon Studios, Las Vegas, Nevada
Genre(s): Adult Contemporary, Alternative Rock
Label: Studio60 Records / Half-Moon Productions
Written: October 2020
Writer(s): Amy Meyer
Producer(s): Amy Meyer, Adam Benjamin
“bandages and gauze” is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter ‘Amy Meyer’ and taken from her upcoming sophomore studio album as a solo artist also titled “bandages and gauze”. Formerly the lead singer of American alternative rock and pop-punk band ‘Riot! In The Boulevard’ it marks a new period for the musician in the music industry having taken a break following the hiatus of her band which was announced back in February 2019 with the release of their last album “Young Cardinals”, since then Amy took some time off and returned back to her hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada in a much needed break from the industry as a whole, having actively worked since their debut in 2011 when the members were all still teenagers. Although never officially announced, Amy decided to step away from the public spotlight and decided to take time to focus on resolving some long standing personal issues as it had briefly been known that she had been a sufferer of Depression and Anxiety since she was a child, her first episode and acknowledgement of this came at the age of eight years old and the former alternative rock frontwoman has been on some form of medication since the age of thirteen. This was revealed to the world for the first time following a statement from a former band member and childhood friend following his departure from the band some years ago.
Prior to the hiatus from the band, it was also revealed on an emotional post on her official website that Amy had also been battling with her own sexuality and the confusion surrounding this that she had faced over the years, officially coming out as gay in a post made in October 2018, having been brought up in a strict Christian household it’s something that she acknowledged in the post that she covered up and ran from for at least the prior four years as she buried herself in work and the busy schedule Riot! always kept was partly due to the fact that she needed those distractions and constant work commitments.
All of this leads to the nature of her return single “bandages and gauze” and her sophomore album of the same name which is set to be released unexpectedly on Friday 13, November 2020 with the album covering the depths of her own personal issues throughout her life and this track is a taster of what’s to come but is generally considered the most commercially accessible song from the album, so much so that it’s reported to be the only single planned from the upcoming album, however as things have been made pretty clear, things can change quickly.
“bandages and gauze” marks the first release involving Amy since February 2019 and her first solo work since April 2015. Coming at a time when she hadn’t been heard from in any real way for almost two years. In an upcoming interview she confirms that she hadn’t written a song for almost that two year period, a sudden surge of consciousness and feeling coming to her in October 2020 was enough for her to come up with an album within a four week period which led to the record being written and recorded, prior to this she had no immediate intention of making music or releasing anything in the near future. As of now, it’s likely that this will be the only single to be released from the album, set for release on November 11, 2020 through Studio60 Records and Half-Moon Productions.
Song Description;The lead single and title track from Amy Meyer’s upcoming solo sophomore studio album begins with a powerfully moving piano melody which immediately indicates the emotive vibe of the song, Amy’s vocals arrive and their crisp and clear but the lyrics are delivered in a sombre and slow melancholic vibe as she contemplates her struggles and emotional turmoil that has played it’s part throughout her life, “My head has had some trauma but it didn’t give in/And my heart has seen so much pain through all of this living/I can’t say I lost some of my innocence/Because I didn’t have it/To begin with.” From the opening bars to the conclusion of the opening verse, it’s clear that this is a highly personal song that encompasses Amy’s personal history that hasn’t always been talked about previously in songs but has been explored throughout the entirety of her upcoming solo album, with it’s pop-ballad vibes, it’s also likely the most commercially viable song from the album by the same name but the themes continue to be raw and personal alongside the entire vibe of her new record.
The beautiful tones of the piano continue as we arrive at the second verse as Amy sings lyrics that add to the idea and emotions of the opening verse, “So much going on in my head/I should just give in/I can’t remember the last time I ever did some real living/It’s a survival of the fittest/But I just don’t fit in.” and the lyrics flow in a way that make you want to sing along, the melody’s within the track already are earworms and the lyrics add to this feeling, it’s one of those songs that are completely sad but you can’t help but sing along to and this isn’t more evident than when we arrive to the songs chorus.
It's probably one of the most addictive choruses Amy has written in her entire career and wouldn’t be out of place being sung by some of the biggest pop balladeers in the music industry, alongside the backdrop of the hauntingly beautiful piano and the way in which Amy delivers the lines slowly to emphasize the words even further just add to the songs power to draw you in as she sings, “I cover up all of my feelings/Bandages and gauze so tight I almost stop breathing/But I don’t look for help/Because that to me was so defeating/That to me was so defeating.” Which gets repeated at the end of the song but makes you want to reset the song back thirty seconds on your device to hear it again.
Amy then goes into further depth with the songs personal lyrics but they’re written in a way that is open for fans to interpret the lyrics and link them to their own struggles, again the piano emphasizing every syllable and word being sung, “But some days I just wish I could have been young and foolish/Had to grow up quicker than my school kids/Sink before I swim/Countless medicine/Felt like the water closing in/With my child sized lungs almost giving in.” which is then quickly followed by a hook which is a lot more specific to the situation Amy found herself in as a teenager fronting one of the biggest music acts of their time, “Why did they ever look at me as a leader?/Man, I don’t need that/They all thought I had made it/But I just hate this.”
We’re given a rapid-fire breakdown where she rushes out the lyrics with a frantic energy almost as if she doesn’t want the words to sit with her for too long, “I’m at war with myself/Battling my own mental health/I’m at war with myself/Battling my own mental health.” And we’re then given a repeated verse before the songs catchy chorus returns to close out the song and make sure that it remains with you long after the song has finished, “I cover up all of my feelings/Bandages and gauze so tight I almost stop breathing/But I don’t look for help/Because that to me was so defeating/That to me was so defeating”
“bandages and gauze”“My head has had some trauma but it didn’t give in
And my heart has seen so much pain through all of this living
I can’t say I lost some of my innocence
Because I didn’t have it
To begin with
So much going on in my head
I should just give in
I can’t remember the last time I ever did some real living
It’s a survival of the fittest
But I just don’t fit in
I cover up all of my feelings
Bandages and gauze so tight I almost stop breathing
But I don’t look for help
Because that to me was so defeating
That to me was so defeatingBut some days I just wish I could have been young and foolish
Had to grow up quicker than my school kids
Sink before I swim
Countless medicine
Felt like the water closing in
With my child sized lungs almost giving in
Why did they ever look at me as a leader?
Man, I don’t need that
They all thought I had made it
But I just hate this
I’m at war with myself
Battling my own mental health
I’m at war with myself
Battling my own mental health
But some days I just wish I could have been young and foolish
Had to grow up quicker than my school kids
Sink before I swim
Countless medicine
Felt like the water closing in
With my child sized lungs almost giving in
I cover up all of my feelings
Bandages and gauze so tight I almost stop breathing
But I don’t look for help
Because that to me was so defeating
That to me was so defeating”
Credits & Personnel;CREDITSRecorded by Amy Meyer
Produced by Amy Meyer and Adam Benjamin
Engineered by Sara Brie-Loren and Adam Benjamin
Mixed by Adam Benjamin
Recorded at Half-Moon Studios, Las Vegas, Nevada
PERSONNELAmy Meyer – vocals, piano, lyrics, composition, production
Adam Benjamin – mixing, engineering, production
Sara Brie-Loren – programming, mastering, engineering
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