“Coping Without A Cure” is the new single from atmospheric post-hardcore band, Lastelle – hailing from Oxfordshire, UK. The track is now available on all streaming platforms. The band recently signed to Year Of The Rat Records, the second band to join following The Young Hearts.
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Lastelle have an infectious sound, blending emotional lyrics with powerful vocals. The atmospheric element really lays down a foundation for the emotional themes in their songs. This can definitely be felt in “Coping Without A Cure”. The song title itself is pretty poignant before you’ve even hit the play button.
“Coping Without A Cure” is a song that can resonate in different ways for different people. That concept also has us thinking about the power of music in general and the way a song or an album can be a “one size fits all” scenario.
Lastelle’s new single opens with the lyrics, “When I’m gone I pray you won’t remember me this way. With every piece of me that falls away, I’m drifting further from this life we made” – holding one meaning for the band and another for someone else.
Sometimes when we can’t describe how we’re feeling, there’s always a song that can show us. The effect music has on mental health is a powerful one. Scientists have even weighed in to support that idea too. In 2011, researchers from McGill university in Montreal carried out the first investigation into the link between music and dopamine. They found that volunteers who were listening to their favourite music, released levels of dopamine that were up to 9% higher than normal. A music psychologist from Goldsmith College, University of London even applauded the research, concluding that it may not have answered why we love music but it still showed that we do.
Our scientific conclusion? Go stick on your favourite song and get that sweet dopamine!
On the other side of coin is the power of creating music and its effect on mental health for artists/bands. For Lastelle, “Coping Without A Cure” is a song that is close to home – more often than not, we think about what a song means to us and not what it means to the artist.
So what story are they telling? We caught up with Jonjo Williams, guitarist for Lastelle to find out…
What is the story behind “Coping Without A Cure”? Did you draw on personal experiences to create the single?
It was inspired by past personal experiences, yeah. The subject of illness is something we focus on in our lyrics quite a lot, and in this case the lyrics are spoken from the perspective of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s, and how they’re beginning to lose their memories and forget the people close to them. It’s horrible thing to have to see someone you know go through, and not something you hear spoken about that often.
Would you say writing “Coping Without A Cure” was a therapeutic experience?
I think so, as the lyrics definitely came quite quickly, which I find to usually be the case when you’re writing about something you have a genuine connection with. It’s definitely a therapeutic song to play, as there’s a lot of energy to it.
For those who are going through similar experiences, what would you say to them?
I honestly wouldn’t know what advice to offer, as everyone has their own way of dealing with things. In cases similar to what I took inspiration from, if you’re struggling to deal with the loss/potential loss of a family member, your friends are your friends for a reason, and will be there for you more than you might think when you need them.
What does the power of music and its effect on mental health mean to you as a band?
It’s a very important part of our band. Our songs deal with quite dark and personal situations, and I feel like a lot of people have related to our lyrics and found it to be a release for them. If our music can help people deal with their struggles, then that it is an amazing achievement for us, and we hope we can continue to do this.
Do you guys have a favourite song that never fails to lift you up?
I feel like we would all have a completely different answer for this, so I couldn’t answer on behalf of the other guys. One band I’ve been listening to a lot is a band called Half Alive, and their debut album Now, Not Yet is a great pop album. Listen to their track “Still Feel” if you want a great feel good bop.
Can you describe “Coping Without A Cure” in 3 words?
Wall of noise!
Check out the music video for “Coping Without A Cure” below:
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