Holy Ramen goes it alone on her intimate and introspective new EP In Exile — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Recorded in Toronto artist’s cozy home studio, the five-track In Exile offers everything you expect, want and need from a true bedroom production: A raw, real emotional and musical connection crafted and shared from one heart, mind and soul directly to another. On top of that, the compelling work truly lives up to its title — the up-and-coming pop and hip-hop artist birthed these works after cuttting herself off from the world for a year.
“In 2021, I put myself in a self-imposed exile,” she confirms. “Every time you go online or turn on the news, you see another terrible incident. I had been battling with depression throughout my youth. Seeing people post about their happy lives on social media while the rest of the world was falling apart made me feel a new kind of empty. It was too much, I needed to cut myself off from everyone and everything. I needed time alone to heal.”
During her solitude, she crafted a lot of music — but one handful of songs stood out thematically from the rest, perfectly and eloquently representing what she was going through emotionally and mentally. “The songs on the EP are an introspective look at how I feel as a human living in this 21st century world and an introspective commentary on the world I live in. From the first track to the last, there is a roller coaster of emotions — from wanting to leave this world to wanting to change it.
“Sanctuary was the first song written for this EP, so it seemed fitting for it to be the first track. Sanctuary embodies all the themes of this project. It’s a song about escapism. The lead single off this EP is 3am thoughts. The groovy beat is a contrast to the lyrics, symbolizing how all my youth I seemed fine on the outside, but not so much on the inside. My darkest thoughts come to haunt me late at night, and if you listen to the lyrics to 3am thoughts carefully, it’s quite dark. So the name 3am thoughts is fitting as well. The final lyric of the final track Disappear is: ‘I am here.’ This solidifies my intention to stay and create. This is just the beginning.”
Indeed. Holy Ramen is an up-and-coming pop and hip hop artist who calls Toronto home. Best summed up as relatable and infectious, possessing an unruly talent for writing and storytelling, Holy Ramen draws inspiration from her real-life experiences to create a link between her music and her personal life and hardships. Her adventure in the world of music started at 12 years old, after she took interest in writing and producing music.
Listen to In Exile below, watch the video for Sanctuary above, and get a taste of Holy Ramen at her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
