Norwegian elecropopper Mr Little Jeans (aka Monica Birkenes) has been away from music for a few years as she dealt with the outcome of an autoimmune disease diagnosis. As someone who has lived with autoimmune conditions since I was a kid, I can fully relate to Birkenes’ feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and pain. But the illness also has a funny way of engendering creativity, as one must reconsider their lives fully and how they plan to move forward in a new way. Throw COVID into the mix, and it’s been a really challenging period for people like Birkenes and myself.
Luckily, Birkenes is back in full force with her latest single, “Jump to Fall”, and it’s well worth the three-year wait. The song sports Birkenes’ warm and soulful singing, tastefully syncopated beats, sweet layered vocals, and a scrumptious hook. It’s a dreamy and compassionate song that ruminates on difficult issues while wrapped in delicious synths.
Mr Little Jeans says that she “wrote ‘Jump to Fall’ just before getting diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease (an autoimmune disease of the thyroid which affects so much more than just your thyroid). My mind was a mess. I was in rumination mode 24/7 and felt overwhelmed, tired, frazzled, and anxious most days. Shortly after being diagnosed, I remember reading about how the disease can express itself. I was sobbing at the table, realizing everything I had considered as my shortcomings were mostly symptoms and potentially something I could get help for. It had crept up on me so gradually and been my normal for so long at that point I didn’t know any different. Suddenly falling asleep (literally) in the studio day after day while writing “Pocketknife” made a whole lot of sense to me.”
Hear this song on the PM Picks Spotify playlist.