B-Side Guys

Self-harm as coping mechanism rarely gets addressed with the unflinching directness Izzie Derry brings to “When Will It End.” Her lyrical examination of running nails down skin “to feel human again” acknowledges destructive behaviors without romanticizing them, presenting psychological overwhelm as lived reality rather than artistic metaphor.

Derry’s decision to write and produce the track herself proves crucial to its emotional authenticity. Rather than filtering her mental health struggles through external interpretation, she maintains complete creative control over how burnout and anxiety get translated into musical form. Sam Clines’s mixing and Jon Astley’s mastering provide professional polish without sanitizing the song’s raw desperation.

The production choices mirror the song’s thematic preoccupation with cycles and repetition. Derry builds musical tension through accumulation rather than dynamic explosions, understanding that genuine overwhelm feels relentless rather than dramatically punctuated. Her Glastonbury and festival performance experience shows in how she constructs songs that work both as intimate confessions and communal catharsis.

Her musical heritage—particularly her grandfather’s resilience in forming a jazz band during wartime imprisonment—adds context to her approach to survival through creativity. Rather than treating music as escape from difficulty, Derry follows family tradition of using artistic expression as tool for endurance. This historical perspective prevents the song from wallowing in contemporary anxiety.

The track’s power lies in its specificity about modern burnout culture. The line “when I ask for help / it’s just more work than help” captures something essential about how support systems can become additional burdens rather than relief sources. Derry’s examination of perpetual productivity pressure feels especially relevant given her crowdfunded album success and DIY approach to career building.

“When Will It End” succeeds by treating mental health crisis as collective experience requiring both individual acknowledgment and community support. Derry creates space for listeners to recognize their own struggles while suggesting that survival through creative expression remains possible.