India Maxey is emotionally stuck in her new song, ‘Treading Water’. The phrase treading water is often used to describe someone who is locked in the same place. You aren’t moving forward. You aren’t moving backward. You’re just trying to keep from going under. For Maxey, she’s locked in a stagnant relationship. Her lyrics express her contemplation over the problems she has with her partner, and how she often tries to minimize their issues to keep things going. Maxey is stuck swimming in place, waiting for the day that things will get better. The longer she idles in the water, the harder it becomes to keep herself and her relationship afloat. As the last lyrics ring out, she keeps herself in place, waiting to see if she’ll finally get somewhere, or if the tide will grow strong enough to drag her under.
Maxey’s vocals shine over an electro-pop beat. Her light tone flutters over the music, creating the image of someone kicking in water to keep themselves afloat. The lyrics of the chorus show Maxey’s resilience and her desire to keep herself from sinking. The lyrics I was particularly drawn to were in the bridge. “Showing up uninvited/I hear you calling my name/Telling me it’s all over/But I can see all of your games”. The song tells a story of this unsteady back and forth between Maxey and her partner. I found these lyrics to really cement why she is continuing to tread through this relationship. Neither party is fully ready to commit to leaving. These lyrics help emphasize the confusion and uncertainty that accompany an unsteady relationship. If Maxey was to walk away, she wouldn’t be certain that her partner was truly ready to give up, and then she’d wonder if things could have been salvaged. Overall, the song creates a story that many can relate to and puts into words the trepidatious feeling that surrounds this type of relationship.
For some people, music is their life, and India Maxey is one of those people. The South West London native grew up playing the trumpet and being a part of various performing groups. She has inside knowledge of the music industry having graduated college with a BA Honors Degree in Music Production. While working as a production assistant on The Voice UK, a vocal coach introduced India to a producer, whom she still works with today. For the last 4 years, India has been working on creating a unique sound for herself. Maxey's other single, ‘You’, is a much more stripped back track that is definitely worth a listen. ‘Treading Water’ is available to stream now!
Written By Maddy Mahady
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