Meet acoustic Folk/Indie Rock singer-songwriter dery, an artist who writes and co-produces sonic narrative anthologies designed to immerse listeners in a transcendent experience—meant to be experienced like a novel.
Her newest release, “breaking,” is a raw, emotional journey from start to finish, capturing the feeling of being unravelled, disappointed by a chapter of life, or perhaps someone in it.
The song is richly written, full of vivid imagery that transports you to Christopher Street in New York as dery processes her emotions.
Lines like “You’re gonna let me down, but it’s all in good measure. There’s a sickening pleasure caving into the floor. You’re not breaking like me, here on Christopher Street–” capture the complex dichotomy of suffering—how sinking so low can feel familiar, even almost pleasurable, as the depth of feeling becomes intoxicating.
While this is hard to convey in simple conversation, through melody and lyrics, dery succeeds in embodying the disappointment of love, particularly the way she experiences emotions more deeply than her counterpart.
The production evokes late ’90s to early 2000s folk rock—the kind of track that might play during a Gilmore Girls scene as Rory confronts a hard truth about a relationship, realizing the person isn’t right for her. It carries that familiar, bittersweet ache through the chord progression, which feels almost like home, while pairing with lyrics that are devastating yet inevitable—capturing the “yeah, this will end like all the others” motif perfectly.
While “breaking” is undeniably heartbreaking, it’s also a stunning display of artistry and a testament to dery’s ability to transport listeners to a painful moment—or help them relate to one they’re currently experiencing. The song carries a quiet, subtle power that may take a few listens to fully grasp, but once it lands, you’ll be grateful for the experience.