Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak has released her new EP, 'Salt', a powerful four-track collection of glistening electro-pop that explores themes of healing, self-acceptance, and empowerment. The EP features previous singles 'You're Always High', 'My Body', and 'I Broke Me First', as well as the new focus track 'It's Not Your Fault'.
'Salt' is a deeply personal project for Oak, who wrote the songs as a way to process her grief after losing her mother to cancer. "I wanted to write about topics that I wanted to get out of my system, but I hadn't felt brave enough to do when I was younger," she says. "Every song on this EP has been like a therapy session - writing about these subjects has been like putting salt in the wounds, but also salt from crying tears."
The EP's focus track, 'It's Not My Fault', is a particularly poignant and empowering anthem. The song's gentle melody and vulnerable lyrics offer reassurance to Oak's younger self, reminding her that she is not to blame for the traumatic events of her past. "Without going into too much detail, I have been working up the courage to release a song like this for quite some time," she says. "It is obviously very heavy content, but I think it's important to have an honest release for this type of trauma. I hope that even just one person hears this song and feels a bit of relief from the pain by speaking over and over again 'It's not my fault.'"
'Salt' was recorded in Stockholm with Danish producer Vera, as well as Martin Stilling and Aron Wyme. The EP also features co-writes with songwriters Litens Anton Nilsson and Martin Stilling, Lina Hansson, and Moa Pettersson Hammar.
With her recent music, Oak has pushed deeper into her songwriting, seeking a more unvarnished sound that allows her poetic voice to shine through. The result is some of her most raw and authentic work yet, with a profound depth to her writing. Her previous EP, 'Void', marked an exciting new musical chapter for Oak, and 'Salt' continues that journey.
