Nell Mescal sings with biting, coming-of-age honesty on ‘Graduating,’ her debut single. The 19-year-old Irish singer-songwriter has already gained a sizeable following in the United Kingdom for her piano-rich melodies and textured vocals.
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“Graduating” unpacks the emotional complexity of finishing high school. “The song is about feeling like you’re supposed to be sad about something but you’re not, then feeling a little bit angry, I suppose, and trying to turn that anger into something a little less all-consuming,” Mescal said in a statement. “It’s so important to me and a little bit scary because it’s quite personal!”
Mescal wrote the song within an hour, sitting on her bed in her pajamas one day. The lo-fi demo she created grew into a track lush with synth strings, keys, and percussions. Overtop, her voice runs silky and full, reminiscent of indie greats like Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers.
Nell Mescal hails from an artistic family, with her brother, 26-year-old Paul Mescal, co-starring in the BBC’s Normal People alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones. Though “Graduating” is her first release, Nell has been writing and singing music her entire life.
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