Manley’s ‘I Picked My Scab and Now There’s a Scar’ Brings Vulnerability to the Surface

Q&ASpotlightMusic

Feb 24

☆ By Rufaro Chiswo ☆

SINCERE, POIGNANT, AND RAW — are just a few of the words that come to mind upon listening to Manley’s I Picked My Scab and Now There’s a Scar. This is the 21-year-old’s second EP, an indie rock exploration of Manley’s inner world. “My own music is one of the few places where I can be the most vulnerable and honest even with myself,” they said, and vulnerability and honesty are traits that are the core of what makes this EP unforgettable.

Having been written in fragments since late 2019, this EP marks the first time in a while that Manley has released music. “I can’t write music unless I’m in a specific mood,” the self-proclaimed DIY artist stated, who has been developing their mixing, mastering, and editing skills all while making new music. The result: an EP that employs clashing drums, electrifying guitars, and irresistible hooks that are reminiscent of many of Manley’s influences. Actively steering away from “way too much white male music” that we have all be pre-disposed to, Manley stresses the importance of listening to indie rock that is made by women, queer people, and BIPOC artists. Some of their primary influences are Snail Mail, beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, and Clairo, and Manley is able to integrate these influences in their music while still imprinting their own personal musical DNA.

“I named the project I Picked My Scab and Now There’s a Scar because the topics that these songs touch upon felt like wounds at conception,” they explained. Apparent on the EP, this echoes through all four tracks. “How to Love Again” beautifully captures the energetic and catchy indie rock charm of Manley’s predecessors while accentuating Manley’s superpower: their understated ethereal vocal tone. We are then ushered into what feels like an indie-rock staple: “Mooncakes” — a song dedicated to their deceased grandpa who used to bake mooncakes for the Moon Festival. The track is emblematic of a genre that can use punchy drums, stirring baselines, and syncopated guitars to communicate the more melancholic moments of our lives. “The song touches on [feelings] I had about his passing, like what would it have been like if I came out to him as queer while he was still alive.” Just as we develop a specific sonic understanding of Manley, we get “Sad Songs,” which layers compressed swinging drums with easy-going psychedelic guitars. Manley sings, “In reality, it will always hurt, it just makes me feel sadder,” which is another emotionally bare moment that allows us further into Manley’s emotional orbit. The closer “I’ll See Myself Out” sees Manley experiment further with cacophonic drums alongside the melodic elements of the song.

While they did release a project prior to I Picked My Scab and Now There’s a Scar (the 2019 EP You Wouldn’t Know What’s Good For You Even If It Hit You in the Face), the majority of Manley’s work was centered around live music. Since the live music industry was forced to halt, and their career path was yet to be decided, Manley took advantage of the spring of 2020 to make the EP with the help of their friend Andrew Perrea in the mixing and mastering stages. The final product is an EP that is moving and sentimental, and both these qualities are part of the very lifeblood of Manley the artist as well.

The name “Manley” comes from a street in San Gabriel, CA: the street of their childhood home. “I feel very privileged to have grown up there because it is a predominantly Asian community,” they said. “San Gabriel — and the 626 area in general — has boba shops on every corner, extremely authentic Asian restaurants that span across many ethnic cuisines, and supermarkets brimming with ‘exotic’ ingredients that you would have no chance of finding at a typical American grocer.” Their personal identities and how they utilize them to inform their lyrics and sonic experimentation is part of what makes Manley the kind of artist they revere.

With the uncertainty of the last year as it permeates into 2021, Manley has been flirting with the idea of a future release this year. “I may put out a couple singles or covers throughout the year,” they explained. “In the near future, I hope to collaborate with friends on music. I also hope to play some online/virtual events until live music returns.” And with an EP as enthralling as I Picked My Scab and Now There’s a Scar, you’ll want to keep an eye out for Manley.

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“I want to set the mood for younger emerging artists in Toronto, to be like, ‘Hey, you could, like, fucking work with literally anyone who has a kind soul.’ I do want to uplift the artist community. I do think collaboration is important, because if you wanna be in the community, you're gonna have to collaborate one way or another." - Cruz ⭐️ 🎞Allowing themself to take a more vulnerable & meaningful approach with their work, photographer Cruz is combining her creative talent with her passion for mental health advocacy. Read more about this incredible artist & how quarantine shifted her work + about the work they are doing for the community in our feature on the site now 💞