RVBY MY DEAR Explores Mental Health In New Track 'Lose My Mind'

A story of love, loss, and self-discovery told through five dream-pop-tinged tracks, RVBY MY DEAR's latest EP (out November 18) embodies the musical prowess Gabbi Coenen has spent her entire life nurturing. Today, we announce the second single from the new self-titled EP, "Lose My Mind" releasing on Spirit House Records October 18th.

In "Lose My Mind" Coenen describes how difficult it can be to coexist with someone who has an entirely different view of the truth than you do. "We were really struggling with reality, with what was actually going on," she says on how her past relationship inspired the song. "I think we both felt like the other person was trying to trick the other and just not being honest."

The sound of "Lose My Mind" is heavily influenced by the beat-driven electronic pop songs of The Chemical Brothers and the blissful techno textures of Madonna's Ray of Light. However, unlike its bright sound, it examines a darker theme, sharing what it's like to be in a relationship with someone who's grappling with their mental health. "We talk a lot about mental health as a society, and it's a big conversation right now," Coenen says.

"But, I don't know that I've heard songs go into that conversation from this particular perspective." In one line, she captures that feeling of dissonance she experienced, singing,"I can't trust my memories when you're always next to me." She shares, "I hope that it's at least a different point of view people can listen to and maybe relate to."

Of the music video, director Nikki Rodriguez says: "Gaslighting is a hot buzzword right now, but the more mainstream the word becomes the more people can misinterpret its definition. Gaslighting is more than a disagreement, more than neglect. It's someone else reaching inside your memories and scrambling the details around, over and over again, until you're left unsure of who you are anymore. People often ask victims why they didn't leave toxic relationships sooner, because from their perspective the red flags are glaring. But to understand how they got here, you have to retrace their steps, watching in real time as the abuser twists the details, and slowly unraveling the truth."

A captivating listen from start to finish, the EP's intricate beats, thoughtful textures, and existential lyricism set it apart from any traditional collection of pop songs, pulling you in close with its emotional soundscape. As Coenen puts it perfectly, the album "rewards careful listening."

Coenen, the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter behind the noir-pop project, didn't set out to make an EP when she decided to record songs during lockdown. But, as she started playing out ideas on a keyboard in her bedroom and sharing them with producer Andrew Lappin [L'Rain, Chromeo, Big Red Machine], his confidence in their sound encouraged her to complete them. Soon she realized each song not only reflected a new version of her sound but of herself as well, one she was ready to share with the world. "I do view it as a reset in a lot of ways," the Los Angeles-based artist shares. "That's why I chose to make it a self-titled EP."

Originally from Perth, Australia, Coenen's bond with music started at just four years old when her mother put her in piano lessons. It was just a few years later that she picked up the electric bass, ordaining it her instrument of choice. Coenen then attended high school for performing arts, honing her vocal talent by singing in choirs. She continued that education in college, studying jazz voice, first in Australia then at The New School in New York.

"​​That's where I started writing my own music," she remembers, noting how the formative experience helped her create a signature sound. "The vibe at The New School was very experimental: avantgarde noise rock free jazz along with neo-soul and future R&B." The New School is also where the first iteration of RVBY MY DEAR was formed and the band released their debut album, Waiting in 2019. But, after going on tour the band "fell apart."

In March of 2020, with her calendar completely clear, thanks to the hiatus from her project and the pandemic, Coenen decided to move closer to her family who was now in Los Angeles.

The songs she written during that time, which would ultimately feature on the self-titled EP out November 18, 2022 on Spirit House Records, were not only inspired by the feeling of being alone sparked by the global lockdown, but the recent end of a long-term relationship as well.

"It was a very dramatic breakup, just before my birthday," she says. "I was by myself for six months in this apartment and finally getting used to being on my own again, and that informed a lot of what I was writing. Then when the pandemic hit, everyone was alone. Those feelings of being in that relationship coupled with what was going on in the world filtered into the songs. It was the starting point."

Coenen not only wrote each of the songs on the record, but leaned into her wealth of musical experience by playing multiple instruments. "I played all the piano parts, all the bass synth parts, and most of the synth parts," she shares. This was a new experience for Coenen who in the past had been too overwhelmed by the desire to play perfectly to trust her talent.

"With previous records, I was relying on the band, and coming from an academic jazz background, there's a lot of pressure to be the absolute technical best at your instrument," she says. "I had shied away from really owning that side of my musical background because I felt like I wasn't good enough, so it was important to me to play as many of the instruments as I could this time."

That acceptance and awareness of self, from the textures and beats that highlight her musicality, to the lyrics that shine a light on the emotional debris she sought to clean up after the collapse of a romantic relationship, can be heard in each track of the self-titled EP.

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