Rising Switzerland-based musician, singer, and songwriter Mary Middlefield releases her emotive sophomore single, “Two Thousand One.”
Middlefield began writing “Two Thousand One” immediately following a complicated and toxic breakup. The foundations of the track were written from the comfort of her own bed with her mother there by her side.
Throughout “Two Thousand One,”Mary Middlefield offers full transparency on the emotional abuse she experienced throughout a previous relationship. The title of the track holds a significant meaning to Mary that is much more than meets the eye. Building the track around her initial chords, “Two Thousand One” was further developed with a synth and drum arrangement to complete a Folk-inspired sonic driven by Middlefield’s rich vocals.
“The process of finishing the track happened so quickly, it was recorded two weeks after it was written, but it’s definitely one of my favorites to date,” Mary Middlefield explains. “I love how the song offers emotions from the head and heart which people often get during difficult moments within a relationship. It’s a fun, sad, Folk song.”
Mary Middlefield’s songwriting floats along the ethereal and blurred lines between indie-folk and indie-pop with whispers of indie-rock delicately weaving their way through her compositions. Middlefield cites artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Christian Lee Hutson, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, and Taylor Swift as some of her musical influences.
The rich and delicately mournful guitar work on her debut single “Band-Aid,” and the seemingly limitless vulnerability beautifully sung on “Two Thousand One” serves as a testament to Mary Middlefield’s lightning-fast mind. Throughout both tracks, Middlefield displays a soulfulness that typically takes decades for an artist to cultivate, even though she only just learned how to play the guitar in February of 2021 by teaching herself to play Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift songs.
In an era full of powerful female singer-songwriters turning their pain into something beautiful, Middlefield’s voice and vision stand out as being more complex than many. Mary wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn’t shy away from the musicians she’s learned from. But, like some of her favorites, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead included, her music shapeshifts. Like the girls you know, the ones you were and those you love, Mary Middlefield is one in a million.
Photo Courtesy: Valeria Shashenok
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