Alaina May: Tourniquet
by Rebecca Tregaskis
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Alaina May returned today with her single ‘Tourniquet’, a soft tender track all about the art of letting go. Following the release of ‘The Dog’ and ‘Casual,’ which has accumulated over 500,000 streams between them, ‘Tourniquet’ keeps May’s delicate story-telling while dragging itself deeper into an emotional terrain.
Originally from a small, conservative suburb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May spent her early life raised in the Christian Church. She spent that time conforming herself to fit the environment around her. It was when she left for college in Boston that May built an identity for herself and shed the parts that did not fit anymore.
Embracing herself as a queer woman and stepping into a more authentic side, May’s music resides in that push and pull of expectation and self-discovery. May remains an introspective writer whose work tangles itself in emotional intensity. May uses her songwriting as a way to give sound to the quiet shifts of identity and connection.
‘Tourniquet’ delves into the complex feelings that come with parting with someone you love. The song reflects on May’s first year in New York and how she was caught between wanting to move on and wanting to go back. Opening with a beautiful acoustic guitar the song is gradual in its build up of textures and layers, bringing the listener into the web of emotions. It is raw and tender and holds an ache to it. The repeating line ‘I couldn’t help myself’ brings the song to a close with an utter painful acceptance of the writer and her actions.
When talking about ‘Tourniquet’ May stated “Writing it felt so immediate and honest. It was one of those rare moments as a writer when you sort of enter a high and everything spills out onto the page. I hope those listening love it as much as I do.”
The new track is another beautiful installment of May’s artistry and it brings a new excitement for what is to come.
Listen to Tourniquet on Spotify here
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