We Speak Music
Carlotta Schmidt Reveals New Single ‘Let Me Be Me’
Carlotta Schmidt has always displayed a knack for pairing introspective songwriting with broader emotional themes, but “Let Me Be Me” may be her most fully realised statement yet. Lifted from her album Overthinker, the single merges Americana craftsmanship with a contemporary perspective on identity, resulting in a track that feels both timely and enduring.
Born from Schmidt’s reflections on bisexual visibility and representation, the song finds its power in its refusal to overcomplicate its message. Instead, she embraces clarity, constructing a narrative rooted in personal truth while leaving enough space for listeners to project their own experiences onto the lyrics. The result is immediate and affecting.
Sonically, “Let Me Be Me” is rich without becoming overly ornate. Acoustic guitar anchors the arrangement while cello and electric guitar add colour and dimension around the edges. The production favours emotional transparency over studio excess, allowing the songwriting to remain firmly at the centre of the experience.
The accompanying visual demonstrates an equally thoughtful approach. Directed, edited, and produced by Schmidt herself, the video brings together 67 contributors from different backgrounds and locations, creating a communal portrait of individuality. The simplicity of the concept proves remarkably effective, underscoring the song’s themes through genuine participation rather than spectacle.
What makes the project particularly compelling is its balance between activism and artistry. The involvement of community organisations and advocacy groups strengthens the video’s message, yet the focus never drifts from the music itself. Schmidt understands that meaningful cultural commentary resonates most deeply when anchored by strong creative foundations.
Ultimately, “Let Me Be Me” succeeds because it feels authentic at every level. From its understated arrangement to its collaborative visual execution, the release reflects an artist committed to honesty, empathy, and connection. In doing so, Carlotta Schmidt has crafted a song that speaks to the present moment while carrying the timeless appeal of a well-told story.
We Speak Music
Phoebe June Traces Love, Distance and Heartbreak on New EP ‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’
For Phoebe June, some stories are easier to tell through music.
Her new EP, ‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’, is an intimate collection that traces the emotional journey of a relationship from the exhilaration of falling in love to distance, uncertainty, heartbreak and, ultimately, learning to let go.
Inspired by artists including Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, Phoebe June combines diary-like lyricism with melancholic ballads, subtle uptempo moments and an understated, emotionally honest production style.
At the centre of the project is ‘Thursday’, a bittersweet track about loving someone from a distance and holding onto the hope that the connection might survive.
Written after Phoebe left a country that held deep personal meaning, and left someone she cared about behind, the song looks back at the relationship from its beginning. Even its title is personal: the two first met on a Thursday.
The song captures the complicated feeling of walking away from something meaningful without believing that it necessarily has to be over. It’s about distance, memory and the possibility of finding your way back to someone, while recognising that hope only works when it goes both ways.
Across six tracks, the EP develops that story in sequence.
‘Everything You Are’ opens the project with the warmth of new love, while ‘Dead Sea’ explores the security of finding someone who helps you stay afloat through difficult times. As the story progresses, ‘Thursday’ introduces separation before ‘Getaway Car’ moves into the aftermath; unanswered questions, lingering attachment and the realisation that someone can profoundly affect your life while still being unhealthy for you.
‘One Day’ leaves the door open to the possibility of a future reunion, balancing hope with the understanding that some relationships may only exist in memory.
The EP closes with ‘Ophelia’, its emotional breaking point. Inspired in part by Friedrich Heyser’s painting of the same name, the track confronts the pain of feeling manipulated and unappreciated after giving everything to someone else.
The result is a project that deliberately moves from light to dark. Phoebe June considered not only the narrative but the emotional progression when sequencing the EP, allowing the brightness of its opening to gradually give way to the heartbreak of its closing moments.
Even the title reflects that feeling.
‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’ takes its name from a flower, with the image of a gate separating two people becoming a metaphor for a love that remains beautiful but just out of reach. To reach over it requires effort, just as maintaining a connection across distance, uncertainty and changing circumstances does.
Ultimately, Phoebe June isn’t interested in simply documenting her own heartbreak.
She wants listeners to recognise themselves in it.
‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’ is a collection about love, nostalgia, hope and regret and about what remains when something beautiful ends up on the other side of the gate.
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