Singer-songwriter, Amy Geis has struggled with disordered eating and body dysmorphia since she was young. Like many others, Geis works daily toward overcoming her anxiety, body shame and the societal pressures.
Her newest single, “Pain” captures that internal struggle and aims to make others realize that they are not alone.
We chatted with the Utah based artist about her single, the music video and more.
When did you first become interested in music?
I loved music ever since I was a baby. I would ask my mom to sing songs to me every night, and I would try to sing along. When I was 5 I would stand on the mantle in our living room and belt out “Man I Feel like a Woman” by Shania twain for everyone who was there.
Who did you listen to growing up and do you think they had an influence on your sound?
I grew up listening to Shania Twain when I was little, and then as I got older I listened to pretty much every type of genre, so they all influenced me in some way. I loved listening to Taylor Swift – every album. She definitely had an influence on my sound, especially in terms of songwriting. I was amazed at her honesty, and how every song she wrote was so relatable, and an anthem for her tween fans. I have always tried to keep that brutal honesty in my songwriting, even if it scares me.
You’re based in Utah. Has Utah influenced your music?
Because there are so many talented artists, it can be really intimidating to do music in Utah. But I think it also helped me, because I saw that it’s possible for anyone to make music. There are so many talented producers and studios all over Utah, so I was able to find so many options of people I could work with to make my music come to life.
Your music often deals with a lot of raw emotions. What draws you to be so vulnerable in your music?
Like I mentioned before, I have always loved music that is brutally honest. I’ve come to realize that you are never alone in how you feel. So the more honest I can be in my songwriting, the more people I can reach and help them realize they’re not alone. If I think of a line that I’m scared of saying out loud, I put it in the song.
What inspired you to write your newest single, “Pain”?
I have dealt with body dysmorphia and disordered eating for most of my life, and recently it has been especially hard. I had been working on getting better but it only seemed to get worse. One day I was feeling so down that the first line of the song popped into my head. After that I decided to write about everything I was feeling in hopes that it would connect with someone else.
What did the writing process look like?
One night I was feeling so down, that the first line of the song just popped into my head. I remember it was super late, and I got out of bed to go take a voice memo so I wouldn’t forget. The next day I sat at the piano and it all came out pretty fast. It was a healing process because I wrote exactly how I was feeling without the fear of what others would think.
Did you find that writing “Pain” helped you work through your own struggles or look at them with a new perspective?
I think writing the song definitely helped me work through my struggles with this, because writing it all down helped me understand the flaws in my thinking. I also think it helps to talk about your pain, because it normalizes it and helps you move past it.
What was the inspiration behind the music video?
When I was thinking about what to do for the music video, I kept thinking, “What if I did this? What if I did that?” Until I said to myself, “What if I got a group of professional dancers?” I have a sort of deal with myself that if I think of something crazy, I’m going to do everything to make that a reality. The video turned out better than I could have ever expected – the dancers were amazing, the videographer was amazing, and it was so much fun to film.
On instagram, you noted that you had an unplanned rainstorm during filming and you decided to embrace it and keep it in the video. Why did you decide to include it?
I had envisioned a beautiful, summer evening for the video, and when I found out it was going to rain I was SO SAD! But we had already booked everything, so I just hoped that it would miraculously be sunny. It wasn’t, and we ended up getting drenched. So I didn’t have a choice but to embrace it – and I ended up loving the contrast of the rain, which matches the words even better.
When people listen to “Pain,” how do you hope they feel?
I hope they realize that they’re not alone! Whether they deal with anxiety, depression, comparison, body issues, or whatever else, I hope they realize that that’s okay. They don’t need to overcome it right now, or feel bad that they struggle. We all do!
What has it been like to see the response to “Pain”?
It has been amazing. The best thing is when I hear that someone connects with the song, and that it’s helping them get through their own struggles. That is why I write music – to give something to people that they can connect with and get them through hard times.
What can fans expect next?
I am in the process of writing a lot of songs right now, and I can’t wait to release them. I would tell everyone to follow me on social media to get all the updates about new songs, including what they’ll be about and what they’re inspired by. I love giving fans an inside look into why I write my songs and what they’re about.
What is one quote that you have heard or that you go by that you want to ECHO out to the world?
One quote I read recently is by Rachel Hollis – she talks about visualizing the best version of yourself, “your dream version of who you are…This is who you are on the inside. Your soul has always known who you are. That’s why it keeps tugging at your heart, begging you to listen.” I have been trying to follow my instincts and do what makes me happy no matter what anyone else thinks. I would challenge everyone to, although this is cliche, follow your heart. If you think, “what if I did this?” DO IT! Don’t let opportunities slip away from you because of fear. Jump into your dreams and make them happen – you’ll never regret it.