#45 S.T. Manville - Best I Can Do
Since arriving on the scene in 2019, S. T. Manville has seen support from the likes of Radio 1, BBC 6 Music & BBC Introducing, amassing over 2 million streams with singles Little Victories and Somebody Else’s Songs.
A year on, Manville has returned with intimate and raw lead track Best I Can Do - an open letter to those struggling with feeling overwhelmed. Manville explains: "I started writing this song about having to raise my kids on my own, but as time went on I realised that I was actually writing it about more than just lone parenting. I suppose it's a reminder that as long as you are trying your best for those around you and taking positive steps to cope with your situation then that really is all you can do. Even if it doesn't feel enough."
B-side 'Diary' is a short and quiet contemplation questioning past choices and how they affect the present, culminating with the painfully honest lines; ‘But I won't change, 'cause failure is a choice that I have made’.
"I am lucky enough to have been a working musician my entire adult life and although I'm very grateful for it I would be lying if I said it was easy, especially when supporting a family” said Manville. He continues; “It is about as unstable a career as you can get and there are often times when I wish I could do an easier, more reliable job. I wrote this song during a period I had little work and was struggling to justify to myself why I continue to do this. I have accepted that for good or bad this is what I do, mainly because I honestly don't know how to work for someone else, but also because I feel compelled to.”
2019 saw him play a successful run of dates all over the UK and perform at Dot to Dot and Handmade Festival as well as support Frank Turner. 2020 has already seen a mostly sold-out UK co-headline tour with Katie Malco and plans to appear at several UK and European festivals. With a new EP scheduled for later in the year, Manville is quickly making a name for himself as one of the most exciting new emerging artists around.