Amber Farnan has blown me away with her personal new single, “When I Get Better.” Through this beautiful indie-pop ballad, she shares the pain and acceptance of living life with chronic illness.
“There’s a kind of loneliness that doesn’t come from being alone, but from watching life move without you. ‘When I Get Better’ is a song born from that space,” Amber explained. “‘When I Get Better’ sits inside a kind of grief that’s harder to name, the feeling of growing up while also being held back. Written from the experience of living with chronic illness, the song reflects on years spent in and out of hospital, stretches of time bed-bound, and the quiet realisation that parts of adolescence weren’t just missed, but taken. Not postponed. Not waiting. Gone.
“There’s something particularly confronting in recognising that no matter what happens next, you don’t get those years back. The song lives in that feeling of being robbed of something you can’t replace. At its core, ‘When I Get Better’ isn’t just about illness, it’s about what it means to hold onto the idea of a future version of yourself when the present feels uncertain. It captures that persistent belief that things might change, and the emotional weight of carrying that belief for years.”
The release of “When I Get Better” marks an exciting return to the music scene for Amber, who last gave us her EP The Motions in 2022. Listen out for more new music from this talented singer-songwriter in the months ahead.
Photo credit: Saskia Hilton Imagery
