Local singer releases single

Pat McCays new single, Shape Shifting, speaks of grace in the chaos of uncertainty.

Singer and songwriter Pat McCay has released the second single off his recently launched EP, Ready.

The track, called Shape Shifting, layers subtle melodic vocals and laid-back beats to offer a vivid glimpse into the personal metamorphosis the Kenilworth resident underwent in recent years.

“About 10 years ago I was given a book called Power Thoughts; this little book kick-started my process of healing. I began to ‘cultivate the observer’ i.e. I started to acknowledge some of the thoughts that I was unknowingly ‘in reaction’ to.

“This, along with many failed attempts to get clean at a host of treatment facilities, finally brought me to a place where I was ready to change my life at the end of 2016,” says McCay.

Parts of the journey that brought him to wellness can be heard in the mood and lyrics of the songs on his recent EP, especially Shape Shifting.

“It was super rough, but I’m so grateful for my family and friends that supported and helped me on my journey to wellness. I experienced a major shift in the beginning of 2018, and I can honestly say life has been radically different since then,” says McCay.

He says one of the skills he learned in recovery was to speak from his own experience instead of dissociating, and that he brought this to his music as well.

“When you share truth in your songs, others can see their own experiences echoed in the music and it makes them feel connected.

“Pretty much everyone struggles with some form of addiction and in some ways connection is the opposite of addiction. Instead of giving empty advice, I choose to share where I’m at – it’s raw and it’s real.

“In a sense the EP addresses some common longings, such as the need to be seen and heard. There are a lot of people out there who are trying to fix the world before they’ve done the work to fix themselves. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything more powerful than truly learning to love what God made – namely yourself. Learning to love others is a natural part of that process.”

McCay says Shape Shifting is the track that is most descriptive about his past and also draws attention to the common struggle of feeling out of place, while simultaneously focusing on hope.

“Shape Shifting celebrates the fact that in those times that I wasn’t really present, there were people looking after me, watching out for me. Some might call them angels. It’s a song of grace and the realisation that we’ve always been unconditionally loved, both in our mess and in our glory.”

Listen to Shape Shifting on Apple Music / iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, YouTube or SoundCloud.