NYC Indie Artist Paola Bennet Opens Up On “My Mother Says”

New York City based indie folk rock artist Paola Bennet will be releasing her new EP ˆMaybe The Light later this spring. The Boston native has spent the last ten years or so living in New York City, honing her craft as a songwriter and storyteller, and on her new single “My Mother Says”, she merges both skills together.

Based on a conversation Bennet had with her mother about her own difficulties with mental health and coping, the new song is an expressive and heartfelt message from Bennet about being open with people close to you.

“It felt like a balancing act between being honest with my mother as an adult, and not breaking her heart,” Bennet says. “It’s hard enough to let someone you care about see you like that, but it feels even worse if they don’t understand or they get alarmed.”

Opening with a fragile verse about her depression, Bennet’s soft croon floats over a delicate guitar riff before snapping into an upbeat indie rock swing to the likes of Margaret Glaspy and Hayley Williams with each chorus. Adding to the homegrown honesty of the song, there are sound clips from old childhood videos mixed into the audio.

“The song isn’t hopeful per se, but its frustration is cathartic,” Bennet explains. “When you’re at the bottom of that mental well, there’s still a part of you that wants change. That part knows being more vulnerable can be good, but it’s hard to even begin. I want this song to reach people who are tired of the traditional ‘it gets better’ narrative. I want them to know that it’s enough just to want to try.”

Therapeutic and relatable, “My Mother Says” is a comforting embrace of lively songwriting and vulnerability. Listen below: