Set to bright acoustic chords that quickly turn into and melodies reminiscent of the early-2000s pop scene, the track finds evvvie in dialogue with herself, as the chorus continues to snap her out of the vicious scrolling cycles. With the track apparently created in under three hours in a truly productive studio session, evvvie’s passion for and experience with the topic is evident in the lyrics and vocal delivery that came out of it.

We caught up with evvvie below to talk about dealing with anxiety, her musical friendships and the best soda for picking yourself up on a bad day.  

“Better Than Mine” tackles social media-fuelled jealousy – what inspired you to turn that particular feeling into a song? How do you feel about the current landscape of social media?

I was diagnosed with chronic anxiety a few years ago and suddenly my life made a lot more sense – I think anyone who’s sought out a diagnosis will relate to this. It’s like you finally figured out a puzzle you’ve been stumped on for years (or your whole life). A combination of therapy and medication has helped me immensely, but I really wanted to write something that touched on these intense, irrational feelings I would get when my anxiety would flare up and I’d start to feel insecure. 

I first started writing this song around a difficult anniversary for me, and at the time I was spending a lot of time with a friend who seemed to have everything going right. Even though he of course had his own struggles, all I could see was how things were working out for him, while I was having trouble just getting out of bed in the morning. As I continued writing, I realized a lot of my anxiety stems from assumptions, often based on how people present themselves online. My conclusion – and I think this is useful for anybody in this day and age – was that it’s important to pause and check yourself when you start to go down that path of jealousy. You’re usually only seeing the highlights reel of other people’s lives, and spiralling never really leads anywhere positive. I work in social media so it’s definitely an everyday battle for me.

Do you have any favourite lyrical moments on this track? What do they mean to you?

This song is interesting because it’s flipping between perspectives from section to section; the verses are an internal dialogue of bitterness and jealousy, while the chorus is like the moment you snap out of it and remember everything you’ve learned in therapy. It’s a higher self being like “Hey, let’s zoom out. We’re gonna be okay.” The bridge is definitely my favourite moment of this song, both lyrically and sonically. It’s a final confrontation where I had to get really honest about my anxiety and admit that my jealousies are truly just insecurities. I’ve really wanted to work “What I want doesn’t want me back” into a song for a while, and I finally got to do it here. Thankfully I leave everyone on a high note with the chorus again. 

What have you been listening to lately?

I’ve been all over the new Djo album. I saw him live in April and it was incredible. Also digging new releases from some of my pals: “Ratboy Fuck” by Dumb Crush, “Too Stuck (In My Head)” by Paitra, “so this is it” by Huxlii. It’s such a privilege to be surrounded by so many talented music friends!

You’re carrying a Big Gulp on the cover art – what’s your go-to 7-Eleven order?

I’m impressed you caught that! That Big Gulp had Dr. Pepper in it and was bought just for the shoot, but I definitely took a few sips between shots. I think my go-to is just a fountain Dr. Pepper. One time my friend brought me one when I was having a bad day and it made me sob. 

What’s next for evvvie? Anything else you’d like us to know?
Well, there’s certainly a lot more music coming!! I spent the whole winter recording and I can’t wait to share the new songs. I’m playing a show on June 24 at the Burdock Music Hall in Toronto, and aiming for some Canadian and UK tour dates later in the year. Keep an eye out!