Sukie brings us into her inner space with her single ‘Best of Luck,’ in which she opens up about her childhood in a tumultuous family dynamic peppered with mental health concerns. ‘Best of Luck’ follows Sukie’s 2021 independently released EP ‘Hey Cutie,’ as she prepares to launch 2022.
Sukie’s distinctive funny-yet-sad poetry in ‘Best of Luck’ brings to the track space of development, perseverance, and success as she focuses on the significance of letting go and moving on, despite its initially depressing impression.
Sukie, 23, grew up on Manchester’s outskirts. Her mother was usually singing to the latest pop music on the radio. Her father worked hard hours, but when he got home in the evening, he always played his guitar. She grew up listening to her father’s CDs and hearing him harmonise to the same tunes over and again. – “The Smiths, Joy Division, The Fall, any other band from Manchester you can think of, it was played in the car when I was a kid”, she remembers.
Sukie relocated 8 hours away from home to the extreme South of England to attend university at the age of 18, then at the age of 21, she and her partner (and producer), Theo, moved to Bath, where she is now based. She created her debut EP, “Feliz Cumpleanos Baby!” while in university. Working minimum-wage summer jobs to make finances meet, the EP came from making demos after hard periods at work.
Sukie’s trailblazing fun indie-pop inclinations continue with ‘Best of Luck.’ This music, built around rhythmic riddled rhythms over harmonic synthesisers, provides a home for Sukie’s trademark funny-yet-sad poetry. It examines intricate family connections in a caring yet cynical manner. It is sad yet triumphant, centred on navigating growing up in a household greatly afflicted by mental illness. Setting boundaries, learning to look out for yourself, and attempting to overcome long-held grudges are all part of the process. ‘Best of Luck,’ which mentions everything from PC games to cartoons, trick or treating, and Bionicles, is a song for the inner kid and nostalgic Gen Z.
In Sukie’s own words, she explains; ““Best of Luck” is really just about growing up in a family that seemed super ‘normal’ from the outside, but had lots of stuff going on that my friends & outsiders didn’t know about. It’s kind of an ode to me and my childhood best friend, as we both grew up in families that were very affected by mental illness. It feels like both a sad and a triumphant song to me. Writing it helped me to realise how much anger and resentment I was holding on to, and helped me to come to terms with the fact that mental illness is never anyone’s fault. it’s a song for my inner child, really. Giving her a hug and letting her know that it’s okay to move on from long-held grudges.”
Sukie is the driving force behind every aesthetic and creative part of her work, in addition to the music itself. She directs her own music videos with the aid of pals, develops all of her own cover art, and even dabbles with augmented reality by creating her own face filters for social media. Give me an example of something she can’t do!