Sea Girls on how mental health struggles influenced their debut album

Sea Girls singer Henry Camamile has opened up on how suffering a traumatic brain injury influenced the direction of the band’s upcoming debut album.

The singer of the hotly tipped London band recalled how he hit his head on a pub cellar door, with the injury directly causing Camamile to suffer from mental health struggles.

As they prepare to release their debut album ‘Open Up Your Head’ this Friday (August 14), Camamile explained to NME how the title reflects his attempts to purvey the struggles on the record.

“I had a head injury and life wasn’t going great anyway. I was partying too much, and I was relying on the wrong things. I was a sad post-teen,” Camamile explained.

“I think that’s typical to a lot of people, but I experienced this head injury when I was knocked out at work. After that, my perspective just changed. With my writing, I was like: ‘Shit, I feel like I’m in fucking trouble’. Things had just got worse and I felt miserable.

“I started writing a lot more bluntly, a lot more truthfully.”

While ‘Open Up Your Head’ ultimately failed to make the cut on the band’s debut, Camamile said it was important to reflect on the first time he had managed to capture his emotions while writing.

“‘Open Up Your Head’ isn’t on the album, but that song was me putting down how I felt. It was my first way of reaching out and saying I’m in trouble,” he said.

“I was acknowledging it, talking to myself and saying: ‘There’s something wrong here Henry, you’re in a fucking bad way and your head isn’t sorted. You’re depressed and you’re still turning to partying and drinking’.

“I couldn’t stop it, and the album title is just what it became about. I wanted to put truth into all of these songs. It was an element I just felt was really important.”

Camamile added that he feels it’s important that fans can relate to such themes throughout the record.

“I hope they do. I grew up listening to music where I wanted to hear flaws, I wanted to hear someone sounding imperfect,” he said.

“That’s what I’ve found comforting. If any fans hear this and are going through the same thing, I want them to know that they’re not alone.”







While the record shows off Camamile’s personal side, it’s also loaded with arena-ready anthems that have landed the band a sold-out show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton next year.

“To sell out Brixton is crazy,” Camamile told NME. “I don’t pinch myself, but I listen to the album and just visualise myself singing it at Brixton. It’s just the biggest fucking privilege and I can’t wait.”

Sea Girls’ ‘Open Up Your Head’ is out this Friday.

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