There is a purpose to being here and Thea May isn’t going to half-ass any of it. The alt-rock artist from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek has always written songs about taking care of others, and now she’s asking the question of how she’s going to take care of herself. 

Thea’s music is a safe space to feel all of her feelings, then exorcise them. Known for her single “Fuck You For Dying,” she’s already got a reputation for bringing a pop-punk melody and a good sense of humour together. The songs on her new EP, Living With It, are a little less angsty than before, and her emo/punk sound incorporates influences from a little bit of pop and hip hop – because it’s fun to dance around when you’re angry. 

 “I’m carrying everything from my past but also leaving some of it there and moving the f*** on,” says Thea May. “You know what I mean? It's the rebellion of admitting that I might be really f***ed up and traumatized, but I'm going to face what I have to face in order to just continue to exist.”

Working again with collaborators Marc Koecher and Lexie Jay, the JUNO-nominated production and songwriting duo from  Illegal Audio, who helped write the hit single “Gone”(Top 5 on IMC radio charts), Thea is following her instincts as an artist and letting it guide her on the path ahead. 

The dynamic guitar riff of “Lip Service” sets the tone as the opening track, dripping with sarcasm. Thea knows that she’s been playing against a stacked deck ever since she was born, and this is her refusal to be defined by struggle or accept insincere charity. Then there’s the snark of the sci-fi-inspired lyrics of “Head Transplant” sung over the easygoing drum beat, where Thea considers the possibility of switching heads with another and realizing that still, you may never align. A pop-punk album is not complete without singalong-worthy anthems like “Not Okay” and “Last Life,” which are all about putting yourself first for once. 

If her debut Brought To You By Tragedy EP was an eye-rolling self-aware pity party, then the Living With It EP is a mindful look at Thea’s intentional decision to get up from the table of anguish. It’s about being present, and letting other things besides grief matter.

“I think that existing is hard enough no matter what it is you're facing,” says Thea. “Just being alive is hard. So that's why this is Living With It.”

After touring with Northcote and playing festival sets at Reeperbahn and more, Thea is ready to bring new music to her community in an upcoming tour.