Prem Byrne – How Life Is (2026)
Prem Bryne has been busy since I reviewed ‘Little’ back in January. With a slew of singles in 2026, the newest of which comes in the form of the poignant ‘How Life Is’. Byrne’s distinct style fits this track perfectly; musically, it is beautifully composed by combining so many elements to create a calming flow, which allows the real talent of Byrne as a lyricist and storyteller to convey a narrative in a way that never feels forced.
Telling the story of the loss of independence as you grow older is an important subject, which has been boldly tackled here. I loved how the opening lines, “He had his hearing aid in when the DMV lady said that he failed his test on the road. She took his licence, ‘cause failed three times and he can’t drive now he’s too old”, get to the point and essentially wrap the story up in one tight, concise package.
For such a serious theme, Byrne constantly keeps it light. Even when exploring the fight so many people put up when faced with what they see as a loss of autonomy, he keeps his quintessential joyful tone. The inclusion of pipes in the track adds to the whimsical feel that has been masterfully applied to such a serious, life-changing subject.
This song hit home for me, as I’m sure it will for many others who have ageing parents we all think will go on forever, and whenever a loss of independence happens, no matter how small, it makes you realise they’re not invincible. As time goes on they’re rely more on you than they’d probably like, and possibly the scarier fact is it makes you face your future too. I think the inclusion of the line, “Yeah, we can fight it, but where we’re all going we won’t need a car”, is important because it’s a reminder that there are things we cannot control and we all need to just focus on the now. I think when we are all faced with things we can’t control, we need to remember Prem Byrne’s words, “Guess that’s how life is”, and move on.
In addition to the single, Prem Byrne released an official music video for ‘How Life Is’. You can view the video below and/or on his YouTube channel.
Find out more about Prem Byrne on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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