Kelaska - “autopilot”
Sometimes, all it takes to connect with a song is a single line in the lyrics. And Kelaska’s latest track, “autopilot,” may not be our usual brand of indie, but we resonated deeply with the lyrics, so here we are. The song begins with a DIY sample of an old school tapedeck, which immediately brings back the vibes of making mixtapes when we were kids. For all of you youngsters reading this, we used to have these things called cassettes and– never mind, you’re scrolling through TikTok by now… Anyway, once Kelaska gave us the line, “All my friends are starting families, while I’m just starting therapy,” we instantly became fans.
Kelaska has taken the perils of inevitable adulthood and turned them into a catchy pop song. She has all of the same questions that many people have when they reach a certain age– the difference here is that, instead of just freaking out about it, she turns it into art, which is more than we can say for ourselves. Okay… You grow up… Then what? Unfortunately, the answer does not come with age, but, on the bright side, no one is alone in thinking this. When she hits us with the hook, Kelaska lets it ring in with some distortion to emphasize the message of going through life because it is what is expected of you and not necessarily because you know what the hell you’re doing. The sound falls somewhere between Liz Phair and Avril Lavigne, with an occasional nod to Alanis Morissette, and it is completely righteous in its execution. More artists should embrace this concept because it happens to be one of the better lessons in life: no one knows how to be an adult and anyone who does is just faking it. Boom. Instant hit. Fin.
Kelaska says that she was going through a bout of depression when she penned this track, brought on by constantly comparing how she felt with how she was ‘supposed’ to feel. After growing tired of devoting so much energy to the things that she wished she could change, “autopilot” was born: “I kept comparing myself to others my age and that only made the situation worse. Depression is a funny thing. Tasks that should be so easy like answering a text or going out on a fun night with your friends turn into exhausting situations. Most of the time it leads to more anxiety about feeling like an awful friend, or human being because you don’t understand why you can’t get yourself to do these simple things. Autopilot is exactly how I was feeling in those days and I wanted to write a song that people in my situation could relate to.” We feel that many people will be able to relate to “autopilot,” but getting them to admit it will not be as easy as just pressing play:
-TM