Fighting for one’s mental health can be a lonely endeavor; one made much easier when you have at least one person in your corner. Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Sarah Tolle gives voice to that fight through the perspective of a loved one or a friend in her cascading new single, “Fight For You.”
A piano-driven electronic pop ballad, the song’s standout feature is its deeply heartfelt vocals. “For me, the song is sung by a caregiver — someone in a support role,” Tolle says.
“Fight For You” begins with one rolling, harmonious word: You. It’s the word that provided an entry point to the song Tolle wanted to write, but that she then got stuck on. So, she asked her mom for help.
“In order to write this song, I actually ended up asking my mom to write down what came to mind when she listened to the instrumental track,” says Tolle. “She’s not a songwriter by trade or anything, but there’s a richness of experience in working with my mom, who has dealt with more life than I have. Being able to paint some pictures with her words gave the lyrics more depth.”
As someone with lots of life experience usually knows, life is rarely tidy. “The caregiver in the song is supporting a loved one who’s living with mental illness — and they’re not perfect by any means,” Tolle said. “They express unconditional love and encouragement, but also signs of confusion, disbelief, and exasperation.
“I wanted this portrayal to feel real, and real is not always neat and pretty.”
So far, the song has been streamed more than 200,000 times since hitting digital streaming platforms in November. “Looking at the numbers so far, “Fight For You” is my most popular song,” Tolle said.
Sarah Tolle is a singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, BC, and her warm, energetic music is an exploration in radiant self-expression and a loving invitation to sing and dance. Her music is marked by a trusting openness, delivering pieces that are simple and accessible, yet empowering and fiercely catchy. You’ll hear themes of encouragement, acceptance, tolerance, and peace in her eclectic pop compositions that blend house beats, sweeping orchestral sounds, old time banjo folk, and more.
Tolle grew up on a beautiful old farm in Wisconsin in a family that practiced music for fun and supported artists. In this space where the lines blurred between work and play, creativity wasn’t so much taught as it was simply practiced. Her mission with music is to revitalize and heal; to help people love themselves and the beings around them.
“Fight For You” is available now.
