Following the 90s alt-rock-tinged ‘Walk Away,’ ‘Oxygen’ gasps for air as we experience increased limits imposed on our bodies, be it reproductive freedoms or restrictions on trans rights. In Anika’s words, ‘Oxygen’ “is about feeling trapped in your own body, in your own narrative, in your own society, within the norms and expected behaviours of this claustrophobic socially constructed world. It wants to break out of this cage, it wants to breathe, it wants to be in tune with its true self, its true feelings, sensations and desires – without restriction.”

Sonically, the track was “inspired by Breeders and Pixies, the way it creeps in slowly and then crashes with this weird chorus/part that only comes in once,” Anika explains. “I didn’t want to write things too rigidly, or by the book, more let them flow as they wished.” The accompanying video was directed by Laura Martinova.

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On the track, Henderson says: “This song is saying all the things I want to say but am too scared to say or that society doesn’t accept me to say. It is dealing with mental health – the state of poor mental health in these fucked up, divided, isolated, social media, war, pest, rise of the right times. It is the deconstruction of the feminine – of topics considered to be private realm.” As inspiration, Henderson cites “the reckless nature of 90s /2000s Hole / Courtney Love records – of not giving a shit – telling it how it is, not scared to offend, not scared to be cancelled. We have also lost the space for healthy debate, for difference of opinion, shutting down those we don’t agree with, removing them from our social networks.”

The song’s accompanying video directed by Laura Martinova was shot in an ex-brothel in Berlin and “plays with the socially constructed ideas of femininity, of sexuality, of sexual restriction and confronts them,” Henderson explains. “The character is quite sufficient by herself, sexually and socially liberated – and also a bit of a mess, destroying the prim and proper idea of how a good wifey should be. She is a hedonist, she lets herself go, she shows anger, she shows being drunk, she seems to enjoy dusting the pictures of the naked ladies very much, she is independent and breaking out of all the bars imposed by the patriarchy. The guy in the video never finds her, never even gets close, doesn’t in the slightest disrupt her life, he continues to look but she seems to always be a step ahead.”

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The thrashing, driving, lead single and album opener, ‘Hearsay,’ hones in on the extreme divisions between the left and right in contemporary society. Anika sings: “And yesterday’s papers they line my bird cage. / And you’re telling me tales to get your own way. / And you’re making up stories to push your narrative./ And you’re making up tales to be provocative.” In Anika’s words, “This song is about media moguls – about the power of the media, whether social, tv or beyond – we are as much under its spell as we ever were and some nasties are exploiting it for their own gains. Parasites feeding off the blood of the public — PJ Harvey inspired for sure.”

Director Laura Martinova added the following on the visuals, “The ‘Hearsay’ music video is inspired by vampire aesthetics and seeks to connect with the grungy essence of Anika’s new album. We aimed to create a dark yet dynamic and surprising video. My collaboration with contemporary dancers and the use of raw camera movement transcends this imagery, while Zeynep Schilling’s creative direction elevates the video to another level—somewhere between evil and heaven. We worked with stylist Danny Muster and emerging designers to craft a timeless aesthetic.”

Abyss:

1. Hearsay
2. Abyss
3. Honey
4. Walk Away
5. Into The Fire
6. Oxygen
7. Out Of The Shadows
8. One Way Ticket
9. Last Song
10. Buttercups

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