micki maverick is the stage name for up-and-coming singer Dylan Neil, who hails from Los Angeles. Today she releases her newest single “DEMONS4FRIENDS” and we’re excited to be premiering the track. The dark alternative pop sound is similar to that of other big names in the alt-pop world like Billie Eilish, H.E.R, and Kehlani.

Over a sparse beat that’s heavy on the bass, micki maverick delivers her smooth vocals, which have a hip-hop cadence but never transition into full-blown rapping. The emotional delivery of the song makes sense when the lyrical content is fully understood – this is a song about the fallout of the singer, who is gay, coming out to her family and friends. She describes how after opening herself up to those around her, she’d frequently lose control of her emotions, cycling between self-hate and regret. That anguish is evident through every bar of the haunting, pulsating “DEMONS4FRIENDS.”

“I wrote ‘DEMONS4FRIENDS’ when my mental state was very fragile,” said micki maverick. “After coming out I was left with trauma that I pushed to the back of my mind in hopes of never having to deal with it, but over time the vivid pictures of my pain started to bleed back into my consciousness.”

DEMONS4FRIENDS is like being inside my nightmares, its like being in my head, and its like hearing the voice of the ‘other me’ that lurks inside my mind,” she said. “When everything goes quiet and its just me and myself lying awake at night, my mind tends to wander into painful moments in my past and at the time I wrote this song I didn’t really have control over my emotions at all. I would have episodes frequently and was stuck in a cycle of self-hate and regret. For a really long time I battled the thought that I wasn’t loved or even worthy of love and because of my mental state my relationship suffered.”

“I refused therapy for months on end because I was afraid people would think I was crazy if I went but after being urged by my girlfriend and loved ones I finally went and it changed my perspective on myself and gave me tools to handle my past that I never would have found on my own. I really hate talking about the meaning behind this song because it stirs up unwanted thoughts, but I am so grateful to be where I am today and feel stronger than I ever have. It is so vital to shed light on mental illness and to erase the stigma that comes with receiving mental help. ‘DEMONS4FRIENDS’ is now my battle scar and my biggest hope for this track is that it gets to the ears of people like me who need it most.”