Every morning during the summer and fall of 2019, Sam Stucky would take a walk. He was trying to work on having a more consistent routine.
"Someone had told me that taking a morning walk and meditating every morning was a really good way to master your mindset," says the Pittsburgh alt-rock singer/songwriter. "Whether or not I agreed that having a positive mindset would lead to 'success,' I decided to stick to it and make it a part of my schedule."
"Breathe In," Stucky's latest release, which dropped Sept. 25, was born from that time. Featuring a watercolor image of a succulent plant as its cover art, the track reminds listeners, as the title suggests, to breathe in and take things one step at a time.
"This song is about how I really struggled (and still do) to meditate and block out all of the stress that is on my mind," says Stucky. "It often feels like to truly accomplish your dreams, you have to give up everything else, so this song is also about being afraid that I'm not doing enough to further my career as a musician."
"Breathe In" is the first single to come from Stucky's upcoming EP, Joelle. It's set to debut Jan. 8, 2021, and each song on the project was written about Stucky and his girlfriend, as he believes they both struggle with anxiety, seasonal depression, and "feeling like what we do isn't meaningful or isn't exactly what we expected it to be."
"All of the songs are a reminder that we're not alone in those feelings, and an attempt to help remember that what we accomplish in our life isn't what's most important," says Stucky.
The second single from Joelle, "No One Else" will premier Oct. 23. But until then, Stucky hopes his "Breathe In" can help relax and achieve their full potential.
"So whatever it is for listeners that makes them feel stressed and too inadequate to achieve their dreams, I want this song to let them know that it's natural to feel that way and remind them to just take a breath, block out the anxiety, and make space for self-care," says Stucky. "There's no 'right' way to pursue your dreams."
