LIKE most people, Dane Tutty has found the upheaval of the past few years difficult to manage.
The Newcastle emo-folk singer-songwriter often felt powerless, like a pebble on a beach being constantly shifted by the changing tides.
Tutty has channelled those feelings into his new single If This Year Doesn't Kill Me, out on Friday, from his forthcoming second EP Swimming As A Metaphor.
The video clip was filmed around Newcastle's beaches and features Tutty literally being engulfed by waves.
"Swimming became a metaphor for living and the water became everything around me," Tutty said. "I was overwhelmed trying to balance family, work and my music.
"At some point you need to slow down and take care of yourself, but I had pushed way past that point. My mind was constantly racing with all the things I needed to do. I would struggle to be present for my son and my girlfriend, which only added to the guilt I felt that I wasn't doing enough."
After more than 15 years of playing in punk and emo bands, Tutty released his debut EP Bend & Break last year. The five-track record featured the assistance of Chris Barker, aka Chris No.2, the bassist from US punk heavyweights Anti-Flag.
Swimming As A Metaphor sees Tutty expand his sonic palette with acoustic emo-folk and ambient sounds.
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