Back in October 2017, a friend of mine who was just after flying home from London after playing the esteemed acoustic music series, The Sofar Session, informed that another act who had been on the bill would be worth a listen.

The band were Bristol three-piece Two Day Coma, made up of Tom Harris, Jake Scarborough, and Ollie Lucas. A band who manage to mix heartfelt and honest lyrics with delicate and interesting instrument they are one of the most exciting young acts up-and-coming in Britain at the moment. Songs like Stuck and Still Swimming demonstrated a maturity of songwriting that was extremely compelling and made me take notice.

But there was one song that stood out from all the others, the fantastic If I Wasn’t.

If I Wasn’t is a song that everyone could relate to from the very first listen, an expression of all the insecurities that we all have but also a sense that we all have a secret potential that will remain untapped due to our short comings. Everyone of us often finds ourselves reflecting on our achievements and thinking about all the ways it could be different if we had of tried a little harder at different points, which for a lot of us can be a point of intense frustration and guilt. Whenever I listen to this song I find it different not to project my own thoughts on to the song, making it a compelling and often difficult listen. This is a testament to the quality of songwriting on show here, there are times when music should cause you to challenge yourself and Two Day Coma are doing it with an expertise that is rare.

“Think of all the things I could be, If I Wasn’t Me”

Across the song, Tom Harris outlines all the possibilities that life possesses if only we could be the better version of ourselves. In a delightful demonstration of songwriting and lyricism, we are taken on an exploration of a multitude of things that we all promise ourselves on a regular basis but never actually get around to doing and Two Day Coma capture the sentiment perfectly.

“Think of all the hands that I’d shake
The friendships I’d make
If I wasn’t
If only
I weren’t a fake”

The song begins as a lament at the better person that we can be for ourselves, but it is ultimately a love song and how we all want to be the best possible version of ourselves for the person that we care about most. Ultimately the message of the song is hopeful and positive when we reach the conclusion as Harris reminds us that despite what we perceive to be our weaknesses and failings are what attracted that special someone to us in the first place. That’s something that’s not worth missing out on.

“Think of everything I couldn’t do
If you weren’t you
If I wasn’t who you had wanted to choose”

MK