FUSE TV - Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Bryde Talks About Toxic Addictions & Oversharing

U.K. singer-songwriter Sarah Howells appears on Skype with damp, fresh-out-of-the-shower hair, her classic dark brown fringe hanging just above her eyes as we adjust the volume for a cross-country chat. Howells, who goes by Bryde when she's singing from the depths of her soul, just finished up touring in the U.S. to support her EP1, and is preparing to start writing EP2 in a week. The night before our interview, she played a small show in Hollywood, and I could faintly make out the California sun pouring into the windows behind her.

Howells went solo after many years of playing in other bands, namely folk duo Paper Aeroplanes, but a shift in energy led her to create Bryde, a moody, raw version of her music, culminating with the release of EP1 in May on Seahorse Music. EP1 houses heavy songs like "Help Yourself," an isolating track packed with grumbling guitar, foreign howls, pounding drums and Howells' helpless wails attempting to break through the noise. 

The tunes are heartbreak-laden, with "Nectar" using the sweeter side of her voice to symbolize the effort put into a relationship that you realize is not going to be reciprocated. "Wait" embodies the feeling you get when you know your love is doomed, but delusion kicks in and can't leave. Electric guitar and menacing melodies are laced throughout the project, ending on "To Be Loved," an aggressive track driven only by six strings and Howell's vocal harmonies. The EP has caught the attention of BBC Radio 1 and Nylon, and with a small group of fans behind her, Bryde is ready to release another sachet of songs.

Before the singer trekked back to England, Fuse chatted with Bryde about breakups and why she got in a bathtub for her "Help Yourself" music video.