Insidious, not just a song, it’s a call for compassion
Music Review | 4th June, 2025
Lael Summer
The Lael Project was set up in 2024, by writer and artist Marla Mase to pay tribute to her daughter', Lael Summer, life and music. Lael's wish was to help just one person
by fostering open discussions about suicide, eating disorders, depression and other mental health challenges. Marla believes that the sharing of stories, music and experiences are a gateway to healing.
Written and demoed on her iPhone just weeks before her tragic death by suicide aged 24, Insidious is an intimate and unflinching look inside Lael's lifelong battle with depression. Produced and mixed by Tomás Doncker and James Dellatacoma, the track features Lael's raw vocal extracted from that original iPhone demo, now restored thanks to the advancement of recording technology. The result is an impassioned plea that sheds light on the pain and confusion that those with mental illnesses endure.
By sharing Lael's story / our story (mental illness is a family 'disease'), we hope it will give others the inspiration and courage to share their own. To let them know that they are not alone and that it is OK to open up, to speak and that there is no shame or judgment in what they are experiencing. There are billions of u out here ready to listen and to connect and that perhaps together we can pave a way towards healing. I am a firm believer in the power of storytelling. It is a path, I am sure, out of the darkness.- Marla Mase
Lael Summer - Insidious
The single, Insidious, is available through all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Memphia Music PR & Managemen
