Peach PRC Gets Honest About Mental Health and the Heartbreak Behind ‘Heavy’

More than a year after she first released a teaser of the song "Heavy" on TikTok, Australian singer-songwriter finally dropped the full song and its music video last month, and it's made a powerful splash.

In the song, the artist honestly reflects on her struggles with mental health and the fact that it can make her difficult to love at times, which can create a larger vicious cycle. It's something that even those of us without the same struggle can relate to, and in it, there's another deep message of strength and resilience.

We were enamored with it from the very first listen, and we got the chance to ask Peach PRC about how the song came to be, and what it means to her to finally be able to share it with her fans.

Sweety High: What was the songwriting process of "Heavy" like? What specific feelings did you want to channel in the track, and what does the song mean to you?

Peach PRC: I wrote "Heavy" after a really dark time in my life. I was in a headspace where I thought rekindling an old romance would fix things. We tried to make it work for a bit, but he ended up leaving because my mental state was just too much for him to bear. I was devastated, but I didn't blame him at all. I had recently been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and with that comes a lot of emotional dysregulation. At times it makes me feel hard to love, and hard to love myself when I feel like my emotions are exhausting for people.

SH: What has it been like to unveil this piece on TikTok over the process of more than a year? Do you feel like there was more or less pressure on the track being teased in that way?

Peach PRC: I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever release it. I wanted to solidify myself as a pop artist before going down an emotional ballad path, but the response and persistent demand from fans to release it inspired me to just go for it. I spoke with my label about releasing it and I'm so happy they were on board; the response has been so deeply moving.

SH: Do you have any advice for people who feel like they can be challenging to be with? How can we focus on our strengths rather than these difficulties?

Peach PRC: This is something I'm still working on myself, but I think being gentle with ourselves and giving reverence to the struggles we've survived. Understanding that our emotional responses are not faults or flaws but armor we've needed to protect ourselves and that is strong and powerful. Once you acknowledge and thank that part of yourself, you will find the people who make you feel weightless.

SH: What's your favorite lyric from the song? Why?

Peach PRC: "I'm hard to love there's no denying, if you've had enough thanks for trying." That lyric was probably the hardest for me to write and sing. It took a few takes of me choking back tears during the bridge, because I feel like it really encapsulates the whole song in just one part. To me, it feels exhausted and disheartened to know you are burdening someone who is trying their best to love you through it, but you can't bear to watch them keep trying to know it's hurting them, so you give them your blessing to stand down.

SH: How is this song different from what you've released in the past? Do you feel like your music is moving in a new direction?

Peach PRC: I've always written this kind of music and it's always been the easiest for me to write. Pop is actually so much harder to write than people think (including myself). I absolutely love girly fun upbeat pop, so that won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but I want to incorporate this kind of emotion into my songs and keep making depression pop for my mentally ill girlies.

Love learning the stories behind your favorite powerful tracks? Click HERE to read our interview with Baker Grace on her single "Midnight Thoughts."