26 NOVEMBER 2021 – Sony Music Entertainment Malaysia’s freshest discovery is singer-songwriter – and recent signing to their all-new pan regional sub-label OFFMUTE – liesl-mae. In conjunction with the reveal of their latest initiative Bring The Beat 2.0, Sony Music Entertainment Malaysia is excited to present a special surprise single from liesl-mae entitled “Solace”, a self-written and home-recorded single born out of the lockdown-stricken crucible that is life in a pandemic.

In response to the ongoing MCOs and lockdowns that have made up the majority of 2020 and 2021 for Malaysia, Sony Music Entertainment Malaysia sought to fill the creative and collaborative void created by seemingly-never ending bouts of self isolation for their artists. Hence Bring The Beat 2.0 was created. The label divulges that the all-new initiative is aimed at “keeping our roster of artists active amidst the lockdown by getting them to write, produce, and record a track from scratch from the comforts of their own home while recording studios are closed nationwide”.

Malaysian songbird and songwriter liesl-mae, and recent OFFMUTE signing, is kicking off Bring The Beat 2.0 with her offering – a stunning acoustic single entitled “Solace”.

In an effort to rise above the cyclical nature of self-isolation in a pandemic and reconnect with oneself – and coupled with Bring The Beat 2.0’s “challenge” to create an original song at home from scratch – liesl-mae saw “Solace” come to life.

“After almost 2 years of being stuck in a pandemic, I struggled with a lot of hopelessness, helplessness, and feeling like [it’ll] never come to an end. [But] in that time, I also found solace in slowing things down, connecting with my close ones, and getting in touch with my emotions so that I could give my body what it needed,” reveals liesl-mae.

The single urges listeners, despite the current state of the world, to take a step back and reflect on the things that truly matter. “That’s essentially what the song is about – taking a moment to find peace in our inner world when our outer world is anything but peaceful,” liesl-mae adds.

On her participation in the Bring The Beat 2.0 campaign, liesl-mae notes that the entire process of crafting “Solace” took place in just one week. “It really pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was the shortest time I’ve ever finished a song,” says liesl-mae. 

In keeping with Bring The Beat 2.0’s sentiment of finding inspiration in the mundane and mining the light out of the darkness, liesl-mae further adds, “I always thought I needed to give it time when it came to songwriting so that it comes more naturally, but I guess working under pressure helped me come out of my stagnant phase, too.”

“Solace” is only the beginning of what’s to come out of Bring The Beat 2.0. Other artists involved in this project include Aisha Retno, Here Comes July, and Khodi.

“Solace” was released on 26 November, 2021. Listen HERE.