Phone a Friend: Advice from Holly Humberstone.

"Maybe this time I’ll say something / Something a little wild, out loud / Maybe this time I’ll say something I’ve been feeling for a while, out loud," muses Holly Humberstone in 'Overkill' - a standout track from her debut EP 'Falling Asleep At The Wheel' and an extremely relatable ode to the agonising headspace of weighing up the pros and cons of trying to decide if you should confide in a romantic interest how you feel about them. With Humberstone an expert at speaking from the heart in song-form, we ask: What advice do you have for how best to proceed when one finds themselves in this situation? "I think if you’re sure you’re really into someone then you should just say how you feel! Just be honest with yourself and the other person and if you're confident with it then getting rejected might not be quite as scary. Also, if they feel the same way then you’ll be so glad you brought it up."

In an opposite state of mind, Humberstone finds herself in 'Vanilla' (another EP highlight) wanting to escape the safety blanket of a familiar relationship and let go, "We’re perfectly comfortable in the worst way." About overcoming codependency and its normalisation, Humberstone says: "When I was in school I felt quite a bit of peer pressure as a teenaged girl to be in a relationship just like all my friends were at the time. It took me quite a few loser boyfriends to realise that I didn’t have to settle for less or feel validated by a shitty relationship, and I think as I’ve grown I realise my self-worth a bit more!"

Radiating eternal wisdom, Humberstone reflects in EP closer 'Livewire' that: "Life can’t always be one giant firework display." Is there a societal pressure to be always searching for the highest highs, especially when everyone presents such a curated version of their best lives on social media? "Yes, definitely. Especially at the moment when everyone is stuck inside it’s so easy to feel like you’re the only one not having a good time. I’ve been struggling over lockdown to feel motivated and inspired but I’ve realised that it’s okay to feel a little down sometimes. I've just learnt to allow it and let it pass in time. Social media really is just the best bits so I think you have to take it with a pinch of salt."

Looking forward, Humberstone says excitedly of the next few months and about her EP now being out: "I’ve put so much love into it and can’t wait for people to listen. I’m also going to be playing my first headline shows in London at Omeara which I’m so excited for. I’ve only ever done support shows before, so having a room of people there to see me just sounds dreamy. Until then, just a whole load of writing!!"

But in the meantime, Humberstone envisages a dream day: "My perfect day would probably begin with a huge bowl of chocolate shreddies. Then I’d go over to my mate Rob’s house in Nottingham and make tunes in his basement for a few hours. Then I’d jump on the train to go see my friends and we’d sit by a river and have some beers by a lake with some music on :-)"

So with Humberstone and her cereal of choice in mind, read on below for some idyllic life hacks:

I'M A GIRL WITH NOT MUCH CLUE, BUT HERE'S SOME ADVICE FROM ME TO YOU... :)

⁃ You know who you are. Don’t let someone say otherwise. Stay true to you and bin those that aren’t on your side.

⁃ Eating a whole cucumber will cure your hangovers. Just trust me!!

⁃ Take social media with a pinch of salt. I’m still working on this. I find it so easy to compare myself to others online and it really brings me down sometimes. Everyone is probably guilty of it; try to focus on yourself as much as possible and pay less attention to what everyone else has going on. Learn to be kind to yourself and tell yourself you’re the shit!

⁃ Look after your friends and family. We're living through such weird times right now and you never know how well people are coping or what others around you might be dealing with. Don’t forget to check in with the people you care about and make them feel loved if they’re not feeling good right now. It's always nice to know people are looking out for you, so be that person that someone else can rely on.

⁃ Any food with peanuts in will save your day - they are the yummiest little things. But also don’t eat them if you’re allergic or if you’re around people who are allergic because that’s not good.

⁃ Plan your time. I’m finding that setting out time to work and time to chill and have fun, stops my days from blurring into one. It makes me feel productive and less guilty about not getting out.

⁃ Find your vice! Allow yourself to do the things that help you cope. I’m finding buying second-hand stuff on eBay is a bit of a coping mechanism for me at the moment. It can be as simple as little walks each day, or a stash of snacks, or just something nice to look forward to and to get you through the day.

Listen to Holly Humberstone's debut EP 'Falling Asleep At The Wheel' here and watch the music video for 'Overkill' below: