New Release – Afterthought by Demi Michelle
Demi Michelle is a pop-country singer originally from Pittsburgh (USA). She kicked off her songwriting journey in 2019. Demi turns her life experiences into songs that touch the hearts of her listeners through captivating storytelling in her lyrics. Her creativity and love for both pop and country music drive her passion for writing meaningful songs with melodies that wrap each song’s message in the warmest hug.
After releasing several singles, she delivered her debut album ‘Dear Diary’, in October 2021. Now the sun has set on ‘Dear Diary’ and Demi is ready for her next chapter. ‘Afterthought’ is the second single of her upcoming five track EP, with her previously released song ‘You Get What You Give’ being the lead single off the EP.
What’s ‘Afterthought’ about?
“It is a super sassy song about how I’m not going to let anyone treat me like an afterthought. I’ve been in many situations where someone reached out or invited me somewhere because they felt obligated to do so. I’ve never been someone who begs for any kind of attention, and over the years, I’ve discovered who my true friends are. They’re the ones who genuinely care and make me feel important and worthy.”
Writing ‘Afterthought’ empowered me to not settle in friendships or relationships where the energy I’m putting out isn’t flowing back.”
What inspired you to write this song?
“The story behind the inspiration for ‘Afterthought’ is a fantastic one I can’t wait to share. Last November, I went to Nashville for a songwriting retreat with multi-platinum songwriter, Andrea Stolpe. During one of our morning sessions, Andrea said the word “afterthought” while she was teaching, and my ears immediately perked up because that was such a great title idea for a song.”
“While I was still in Nashville, I wrote a song called ‘Afterthought’, but the cool story is that the original ‘Afterthought’ became my song called ‘Halfway Outta This Town’, which is also on my upcoming EP. After writing that song, I realized that I loved it but ‘Afterthought’ wasn’t the best title. I eventually settled on ‘Halfway Outta This Town’ after many rewrites, but I still wanted a song called ‘Afterthought’. This lead me to write the ‘Afterthought’ that I’m beyond excited to share with all of you.”
“When I think of an afterthought, I think of parties and being invited at the last minute. Because I wanted the song to be empowering and sassy, I decided to paint the picture of a super glamorous, A-list party scene and write unique lyrics that have a hint of sarcasm. In the song, I’m basically saying that I know what I deserve and won’t allow myself to be treated any less, no matter who someone may be.”
“It’s so interesting to me that the inspiration for this song can be traced back to a completely different song I got inspired to write at the songwriting retreat last year. Both songs are on my EP ‘It Is What It Is’ and these are the golden moments of songwriting that I love so much.”
What’s your favourite memory from writing and/or recording?
“I can’t put into words how much fun I had writing and recording ‘Afterthought’. I have so many memories, but some of my favourites come from recording.”
“When I first wrote the song, I envisioned it country-pop. The actual studio recording is pop-funk with subtle flavors of country and rock. Never in a million years did I think I’d release a song in this style. It just happened so authentically.”
“I remember when my friend and guitarist, Luke, sent me an initial idea for the electric guitar. The second I heard the fabulous groove he came up with, I was totally hooked. This is the kind of song you can dance to, and I’m obsessed with the guitar and bass.”
“When I went to the studio to record ‘Afterthought’ after Luke sent the final guitar and bass that he recorded from Nashville, it was the best experience hearing it come to life in such an unexpected way. My producer, Bob, and I had so much fun, and one of my favourite parts was recording the vocals. I’ve never layered so many background vocals in my life. I don’t even remember how many background vocal tracks are on this song. Bob and I got so many wild ideas on the spot, and by the time we got to the last chorus, the song was exploding with all of these powerful background vocals. I had a blast stacking chords and making ‘Afterthought’ have such a special atmosphere that none of my other songs have. I honestly can’t imagine this song without all the fun background vocals in it.”
“This song is one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written and recorded, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!”
‘Afterthought’ is out 29th July.
