Artist Interviews: ICEYSLURKIN

Icey mentioned that ‘SPIDERS’ wasn’t originally going to be on the album, “I thought it was too dark of a subject or people wouldn’t relate”. However, after working with Jolene, they changed their mind. “I knew what I had to do, not for me, but for anyone else out there who may be feeling the same pain.”

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Huddersfield-based ICEYSLURKIN specialises in Ice Wave, Rap and Ice Rock – and not only uses their music as a form of therapy for themself, but as a way for others to find some calm in their own personal storms.

What’s Your Background In Music?

As a child, Icey used to sing alongside their mother, and took to the stage for the first time at the young age of 5!

“When teachers asked me what I wanted to be, I’d say an artist like my Dad.”

Inspired by a childhood of being surrounded by music, Icey took part in the church choir and singing classes; after a seizure in 2017, Icey began to dedicate their life to music as a form of speech-therapy.

Tell Me About Your Discography

ICYSLURKIN’s first release was ‘ICICLES’ followed by the previously unreleased album ‘KŌRI’, “I originally recorded ‘KŌRI’ in 2017 but my speech was so bad back then that I couldn’t release it”.

Following a period of severe illness and a large hit to their mental health, Icey went into depth about how music has helped them in a multitude of ways, “‘RUSTIK REALITY’ goes into depth about past experiences and feelings accumulated in Huddersfield, delving into my upbringing, my journey through mental health and trauma, as well as the ongoing MRI scans and struggle of being diagnosed with a neurological abnormality in the centre of my brain”.

SPIDERS

Icey’s latest single ‘SPIDERS’ is about their abrupt diagnoses of a Pineal Cyst and the struggles that came with awaiting MRI scans, growth and benign results. Whilst already struggling with severe mental health, they mentioned how the haunting reality of your life being turned upside down, going from a uni student and working one day, to staying in hospital and extreme self-isolation can impact you so greatly, “the constant fear of needing brain surgery was unbearable”.

Icey states that the spiders in the song represent feeling alone, and full of fear in your own thoughts, “and quite literally spiders being the only other entity in your house besides yourself for months”. They touch upon the social implications of their illness, and the effect it had on their relationships: “I would struggle to tell people how I was feeling and why – people couldn’t understand the pain I was feeling in my head and my heart”.

After hearing Jolene Rae-Walsh’s poem ‘I wish I could be strong’ about her own struggles and the impact it has on those around her, Icey saw mental health from a Mother’s perspective.

“Jolene says all the things someone may keep inside, especially when you’re trying to be positive for your children.”