Ines Rae may still be only 19, but she knows how to hit hard with her music. Her new single, ‘Parma Violets’, the follow up to ‘Burner Phone’, is the second drop from her eponymous EP, and it’s an anthem and a half that gets you right in the feels.
While the sweets are a love them or hate them experience (I love them), the song ‘Parma Violets’ is one that can only be loved, as Ines captures perfectly those pressures of growing up, and how the desire to be part of the popular group can lead you to behave in a way that’s not being true to yourself. And this is an area where Ines’s age is a definite advantage; those memories are still fresh, and she can write from a viewpoint that feels very real.
Speaking about the track, Ines says,
“Parma Violets were my favourite sweets growing up. When I was writing this song, the idea came from my time at school. I remember playground games where everyone would pretend that the tuck shop sweets were pills. Looking back it’s kind of messed up for kids of that age to even be thinking about this kind of stuff – or to think that it’s a cool thing to make games about. I want this song to be a metaphor – an anthem for everyone who has ever felt like they have had to follow the crowd to fit in. If you don’t feel comfortable doing what everyone else is doing, that’s okay. It’s actually way cooler to be your own person.”
Ines sings what she knows about – societal pressures, and those challenges of moving from being a teenager to an adult – and she does it in such a way that even those of us much distanced from those times can relate. Her lyrics are packed full of metaphors, such as comparing the dying flowers on her window sill to snowflakes in July – and these are perfectly set against catchy pop melodies which will have you hitting replay again and again.
Ines Rae has positioned herself as one to watch since she burst onto the scene last summer, being signed to German label, Humming Records, and receiving support from the likes of Radio One, and Spotify’s New Music Friday. She’s also been featured in Wonderland, Clash, and was Line of Best Fit’s “Song Of The Day”.
‘Parma Violets’ is out now, and can be streamed and downloaded here. You can check out more about Ines Rae and her music online on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Listen to ‘Parma Violets’, as well as ‘Burner Phone’, below.
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