Irish pop singer-songwriter NEVE released her first single of 2023, “Should’ve Been Us,” on January 26th. This pop ballad tells a passionate story of loss and the regret brought on by this loss. It is heartbreaking to lose a lover. It is even worse when you can’t get them out of your heart and mind, no matter how hard you try. If you’re looking for a good song to cry to, NEVE’s poignant lyricism and heart-rending vocal delivery are sure to unleash the waterworks. We had the pleasure of interviewing NEVE, and here’s what she had to say:
Q: In “Should’ve Been Us” you sing “Here in my memory/I’ll keep you alive/Cause I never see you/But you’re with me inside/Should’ve been us/So I keep hitting rewind,” which I thought was deep. Do you mind sharing the story behind this song with us?
NEVE: This song actually was pulled from a couple of places for me, it’s written about someone who is no longer in my life physically but never really leaves my mind, but it took a bit of a turn for me when I was recording the chorus because 3 out of 4 of my grandparents have died in the last 2 years and it just hit me when I was in the booth because my grandad who is left misses my nana so much and loss of someone whether they are gone from the earth or just your life is so painful, so this song took a very deep meaning for me once I started singing it.
Q: I see you worked with Grammy award-winning producers and musicians, Mr Hudson and Maestro the Baker to create “Should’ve Been Us.” What did you take away from this experience?
NEVE: Firstly I just want to say they are both incredible and it’s just so easy to make music with people who are that talented and experienced, and it really allows my ideas to come to life and take shape into something radio ready very quickly. I look up to both of them and the respect they give me as an artist even at this early stage is something I’m extremely grateful for.
Q: What was your creative process in making this song?
NEVE: Maestro was playing chords on the piano, Mr. Hudson was playing guitar and singing and I found some lyrics I had written in my notes and I just spoke about what I would love to write about and I and Mr. Hudson kinda sang and wrote around that and Maestro just guided us to where the song needed to go, it was a very seamless process, but we had already written 2 uptempo ideas that day, so it was a good day in general, then I cried in the booth and also cried all evening just listening over and over again to the song.
Q: What impact were you hoping this song would have on listeners while creating it?
NEVE: I think I always just want to create a piece of art that allows people to either understand their emotions better or to heal any part of their heart or head through listening. I love listening to heartbreaking songs when I’m sad because I feel so much better after getting it all out and having a good cry so I wanna do that for other people too.
Q: You studied musical theatre in Ireland for years. How has this influenced your sound?
NEVE: I think it’s made me a better singer 100% and I also think it allows me to understand how important it is to tell a story through the way you sing a song as well as in the actual songwriting.
Q: What advice would you give to other artists trying to put their music out there and gain visibility?
NEVE: Well, firstly, I feel like I need advice just as much as the next artist, especially being independent. I understand the importance of promo and content, etc. But I think—just don’t overthink what you post online. I have gained so much confidence from being myself online but also understanding you need to be fearless because you have something no one else does, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it.
Interviewed by Zoey King
FOLLOW NEVE:
