For fellow anxiety sufferers - when was the last time someone suggested you get some sleep or focus your breathing?

In a world that seems to demand so much from us, it’s no wonder that we become so overwhelmed, that we implode and mentally fall to our knees.

Marika Hackman’s new single No Caffeine runs us through an anti-anxiety routine, offering stale medical advice such as “make an herbal tea” paired with the more sarcastic suggestions thrown at us from those who don’t suffer - “stay away from fun.” The juxtaposition of these statements highlights the frustration many feel when it comes to seeking help for their mental struggles.

Hackman highlights this more by listing direct opposites within her lyrics such as “talk to all your friends, but don’t look at your phone.” This pinpoints just how impossible it feels sometimes to navigate modern living while existing with a disease of the mind.

A subject such as this requires a delicacy in delivery. Hackman’s vocals translate the exasperation felt but also the gentleness needed to sing the lyrics truthfully. The singer also recorded every instrument on the single, besides the brass and strings, and produced it too. Clearly, No Caffeine is a labour of love that the artist feels deeply connected to, and it shows.