Deanna Petcoff Releases New Single, ‘If You Were Me’, Debut Album out in April

Home > News > Deanna Petcoff Releases New Single, ‘If You Were Me’, Debut Album out in April
© Nadia Doss

Toronto based singer-songwriter Deanna Petcoff share her new single, If You Were Me, the third to be released from her upcoming debut album, To Hell With You, I Love You – which is set for release on 8th April via Royal Mountain Records. 

Recorded in Toronto over the space of 12 months, If You Were Me discusses Deanna Petcoff’s frustrating experiences as a 24-year old woman, finding her feet and identity whilst navigating a world that is ever-changing. Throughout the song, Petcoff’s soft rich, textured voice is then juxtaposed by soft imagery, where her vulnerable, brutally honest lyrics take the listener to a land where a moment of emotion can become its own monument. 

Speaking of If You Were Me, Deanna states,

This is the oldest song on the record. I started writing this in high school about my partner at the time who was emotionally abusive. I wasn’t able to finish the song once I started it because I didn’t feel safe saying all of these things when I knew he would hear them. My good friend and collaborator Callum Maudsley helped me navigate those waters and come to a message that was clear and relatable to lots of other people; if I were you I would treat me better.

With the release of her debut album imminent, Deanna Petcoff shares an album that has been crafted for every occasion, one to laugh to, cry to, to heal to and one to help with learning to love again. 

The track follows on from previous single, I Don’t Wanna Get Over You, an ode to moving on, despite not wanting to – reflecting on and accepting that sometimes our heart moves on before our mind is really ready to. 

Speaking about the single, Deanna states:

I wrote this song with my good friend Jacob Switzer over zoom somewhere during the second lockdown. We wanted to write something to stay connected to each other during a time of extreme loneliness, so we decided to take this small idea I had and turn it into this sad, Strokes-y tune. We’d both been listening to a lot of The Magnetic Fields, and really valued how honest and brutal their writing can be. We wanted to say something that hurt a little bit, was a little bit embarrassing, and ultimately the most honest we could be.

Newly signed to Royal Mountain Records, the home of Pillow Queens, Alvvays and Orville Peck, Deanna Petcoff writes about the frustration in her experiences as a young woman, finding her voice and identity whilst navigating a city that always changes, where an ex could be hiding around any corner.

Listen on Apple Music

Katie Macbeth

katie macbeth

Katie Macbeth is a freelance music journalist for Indie Is Not A Genre based out of Manchester, presenter of @drunktankthink, and post punk enthusiast.



This page may contain affiliate links to providers from whom Indie Is Not A Genre receives a commission. These links are marked with an asterisk (*).

Scroll to Top