The Devil’s in the detail
Finds out why MuddiBrooke’s third single is so deeply personal for singer Harriet
IN a decade of writing and performing her original music in Derby and further afield, Harriet McDonnell has always worn her heart on her sleeve – but the latest single with her band, MuddiBrooke, pushes the boundaries further.
MuddiBrooke’s third single, Devil, is grabbing airplay on radio stations all over the world and was the influential BBC Introducing’s track of the week last week.
It’s a dark, fierce, rocky song that showcases where MuddiBrooke – bassist Anna Melidone and drummer Mary Prince alongside guitarist/singer McDonnell – are coming from.
But perhaps few whose attention it grabs on the radio will realise just how personal, even frightening, the song is.
It is not unusual for musicians to reflect their experiences in songs but this one is extreme.
McDonnell thought long and hard about going with it at all but she bares her soul about an abusive relationship and hopes – indeed, has already found – that others are recognising the details and taking solace from not being alone.
“The lyrics of Devil unfortunately stem from previously being in a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship,” she says.
“The song was created out of anger from the realisation of what I had been through. I started to write the song when it felt like my brain fog from the relationship was starting to lift and things I had previously blocked out were starting to come back to me.
“Some of my friends have since pointed out to me that it was ‘coercive control’ that I was experiencing.
“The song, along with my story, might help raise awareness to anyone who is or has been in a similar situation and give them courage.
“I’m usually a very calm person, my parents always said maybe I was even too laid back at times, but when I wrote Devil, it came from a deep anger inside me that I’d been bottling up.
“The man I was with was very controlling. I didn’t even recognise he was until many months after it ended.
“He controlled what I wore, who I talked to, my music at some points. He was always around me and I couldn’t get him to spend some time apart.
“It was a very twisted relationship. On the flip side, it gave me some great lyrics. The whole song is basically just a big middle finger up to him – and he’ll know.
“I brought the lyrics and the bones of the song to the band and as soon as we started jamming it, we knew it was a powerful song.
“Anna and Mary wrote fantastic parts for it; I feel very lucky to share and create music with such talented musicians.
“They don’t just have talent and music knowledge, they also put in all the passion that comes with it.”
Once the song was out, McDonnell was surprised to hear from other women who had previously been in a relationship with the same man.
“A few of his other exes contacted me knowing that it’s about him (even without mentioning his name), saying that they have had similar experiences, if not worse,” she says.
“We’re not sure what can come of it, but we’re in talks, and it’s just nice we can support each other.
“I would not want it to seem like I’m using this vindictively or as a ploy – I’m not. The song came from the heart, this is just an interesting development that’s come from it.
“I never knew other women would contact me, I thought my experience with him was unique, but obviously not.”
Phew. Take a breath. Beyond all that, it’s still music, gutsy, raw and proud. MuddiBrooke really do have something.
But, having formed in January, they have not had much chance yet to demonstrate it to people.
McDonnell, Melidone and Prince began rehearsing and shaping up a set-full of songs – alternative rock and grunge, they describe it as – but lockdown came along just as they were ready to take them to a stage.
“We set out with a fresh breath of adventure and intimacy, nurtured by years of experiences playing many prestigious festivals and alongside the likes of The Beautiful South, Luka Bloom, Dr and The Medics and others,” says McDonnell.
The video for Devil – www. youtube.com/watch?v= NkzYuqHIZ3Y – was filmed in various locations around Derby, including Markeaton Park, The Hole In The Wall pub in Mickleover and Finewood Studios, the long-established pine furniture store in Mickleover.
Hopefully, the next time they use a Derby location, it might be a gig – you sense there will be a lot of energy to let loose when they do.