Nicole Alexis (N/A) is stepping into a new chapter with “Broken,” a vulnerable new single that finds the Nashville-based alternative artist confronting what happens when keeping everything together becomes its own kind of exhaustion. Released alongside a stripped-back acoustic version, the song introduces the emotional world of her upcoming EP, Sympathy Rehab, arriving September 25 via Hard Working Records.
Rather than turning heartbreak into something overly dramatic, “Broken” sits in a much quieter and more recognizable place. It captures the experience of realizing that you’re struggling while continuing to function as though everything is fine. There is an uncomfortable honesty in that idea; the pressure to keep moving, keep showing up, and keep holding things together even when internally, everything feels considerably less stable.
That tension is what gives the song its impact. N/A isn’t simply singing about falling apart; she’s exploring the strange middle ground where you can recognize that something is wrong but still don’t know what to do about it. The result is a track that feels personal without becoming distant or inaccessible.
The accompanying acoustic version offers another perspective on the song, stripping the material down and allowing its emotional core to take up even more space. Together, the two versions demonstrate how naturally N/A’s songwriting can exist in both a fuller alternative setting and a more exposed environment.
Sympathy Rehab appears to continue that willingness to let the music exist without unnecessary polish. Across four songs, N/A says she found herself caring less about what she believed a record should sound like and more about following the instincts that felt natural to her. Live drums, guitars, imperfect performances, and conversational lyrics all become part of that philosophy.
That approach represents a noticeable step forward from her debut EP, Mirrors & Smoke. N/A has already established herself as both a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, while building an enormous online audience through stripped-down covers and loop performances. Her interpretations of songs associated with artists such as New Found Glory, Kelly Clarkson, The Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, A Day To Remember, Dashboard Confessional, and blink-182 helped introduce her musicianship to hundreds of thousands of listeners.
But Sympathy Rehab is an opportunity for N/A to move beyond being known for what she can reinterpret and put the spotlight entirely on what she has to say herself.
Her earlier work has already provided plenty of evidence of that ability. Mirrors & Smoke featured “Don’t Tell Me To Breathe,” which appeared in the launch of Fender’s Quantum LT, as well as “Just A Friend,” a song she previewed during her appearance on the Unplugged Stage at Vans Warped Tour in Orlando.
Now signed to Hard Working Records, N/A is entering another stage of her career with a project that sounds deliberately less concerned with fitting neatly into a category. “Broken” serves as a particularly strong introduction because its subject matter doesn’t require exaggeration. Falling apart can be loud, but sometimes it looks like quietly trying to get through another day while pretending you have everything under control. That is the space N/A explores here.
There is no attempt to package the experience into a perfect resolution. Instead, “Broken” allows uncertainty, frustration, and vulnerability to exist together. It is a song about recognizing your own cracks without necessarily knowing how to repair them and finding something worthwhile in being honest about that reality.
With Sympathy Rehab on the horizon, N/A seems increasingly comfortable letting imperfection become part of the process rather than something to hide. And if “Broken” is any indication, her next chapter could be her most personal one yet.
Follow Nicole Alexis:
https://www.instagram.com/nicolealexismusic
https://www.facebook.com/nicolebabinspooner
https://www.youtube.com/@NicoleAlexis
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hbrijTnbkBcMfTrxmNIzMsi=qliQltlESTiien9SWNPMFg
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