Scottish indie artist Theo Bleak officially unveiled her single “Megan in New York,” a track that serves as a raw and haunting chronicle of a trip that marked the beginning of the end of a major chapter in her life. Co-written with long-time collaborator Mark Johnston, the song explores the damaging dynamics driven by passion and intense emotional connections lacking intellectual reason. Bleak explains that the track was inspired by the self-implosion of her life in the city, conversations with her friend Megan, and reflections on a man who kept her frozen in time. The single acts as the lead entry for her fourteen-song mixtape, ‘Bargaining’, which arrived late last month through Full Gloom.
The mixtape itself is a chronological documentation of a transformative year spent in the most intense stage of grief. Written and recorded at her saddest moments, the collection captures cathartic pain and hope with an unflinching honesty that even includes the audible creak of her studio chair. Theo Bleak excavates every bad experience and mistake for the sake of her songwriting, inspired partly by the complex philosophy found within the journals of her late great-uncle, John. This project marks a significant evolution for the Dundee-based artist following the success of her 2023 EP ‘Pain’, solidifying her reputation as one of Scotland’s most vulnerable and essential voices.