An incomprehensible breakup can either make you or break you. For Montreal goth-folk artist Flower Face, otherwise known as Ruby McKinnon, this breakup really made her. As a way of surviving, she focused on creating art out of the heartbreak, choosing to let everything go in the process. In the end, she came out with tracks like “Skeleton Key” and her newest single “Maniac,” both of which will be on her upcoming album, Girl Prometheus. Even though she expresses such intense moments on the album, she shows that these moments can be inspiring in a lot of ways.
On “Maniac,” Ruby gives us a straightforward, folksy delivery of the lingering questions and burning feelings she has post-breakup. Listeners will be able to take in the acoustics of the guitar, her flowy vocals, and pleasant-sounding melodies, assuming that this is the epitome of happiness. However, the cut-throat lyrics reveal that nothing is as it seems, providing a stark contrast to the cheerful production. Through it all, Ruby sings, “If I’m being honest / I don’t want you to be happy / I want you to suffer / Now, what does that say about me?” and “That girl is such a maniac / I think she loved me too much / Well, here’s to feeling nothing,” leaving nothing unsaid. You can check it out in the video below.
About “Maniac,” Ruby shares,
“It’s very tongue-in-cheek. I wrote it as this upbeat little indie pop song that contrasts the uncomfortable honesty of the lyrics. Like how sometimes you have to laugh so you don’t scream and cry. It’s me admitting a lot of unpleasant truths about myself, laying it all out on the table, and saying, ‘Yeah, I suck in a lot of ways, but I can acknowledge and accept that,’ which is not the case for a lot of people.”
You can listen to “Maniac” on platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music.
Listen to the first two episodes of Flower Face’s new Loveline podcast here.
Keep up with Flower Face: Facebook // Instagram // X // TikTok // YouTube // Website
