The last time I spoke to SOAK was in 2015, shortly before the release of her debut album, Before We Forgot How To Dream. Bridie Monds-Watson was at the start of an extraordinary journey, but the route hasn’t always been scenic. SOAK’s follow-up record – Grim Town – is a concept album which beautifully chronicles those highs and lows. It’s a vividly drawn, dystopian portrait of the 22-year-old’s mental state, imagined as a placeless universe where all of our fears and insecurities are brought to life. “It’s the suffering that starts in the corner of your mind and ends with total loss of identity and control,” goes the press release that accompanies the album. “It’s the grim realisation that you are not who you thought you were, and that the only way you can face your most excruciating fears is through an unforgiving, unadulterated pop song.” Buckle up – we’re headed for Grim Town.
DIVA: Tell us a little more about Grim Town and how you found yourself there.
SOAK: After myfirst record, I’d really been neglecting my mental health. When it came to finishing touring and going back to Derry, where I grew up, it brought back a lot of memories. Initially, this album was really dificult because I’d put so much pressure on myself… it was as if I was writing the album for my record label, even though there was no pressure from them. I had huge moments of selfdoubt and a kind of personality crisis. I’d reached my lowest point, and realised that I needed to write music like I wrote it when I was 13. Then, it was a private thing between me and a guitar, saying everything, just to get it out of my brain. Once I reverted back to that kind of way of making music, it all lowed from there, and Grim Town was written and done within six months.