Premiere: New Single from Finding Feebas. Release Show Tomorrow, 12/14, at Surreal Creamery in New Brunswick.

"I'm Not Okay"

"It's a really personal song for me... I just kinda hope this song gets out there and helps anyone who is going through similar struggles. It's embarrassing admitting that you're suicidal, and this song touches on that." That's Finding Feebas lead singer, Brittney Dixon, on the band's latest single, "I'm Not Okay."

Guitarist Nikki Karwacki adds, "We wrote 'I'm Not Okay' last fall, while Brittney was living in North Carolina for a little bit. It was a rough time for her, and she was already planning on coming back to New Jersey, so she hit me up and said, 'send me some ideas;' and we basically wrote this whole thing via email."

It was during her time in North Carolina when, as Dixon puts it, "I'd lost everything stable in my life." At her lowest point, she found the nerve to reach out to friends and ask, "Please call me or text me every day to check in on me. I need help." That support allowed Dixon to hang on and eventually make it back home to New Jersey, where she found the additional support and help she needed. It was overcoming that fear of admitting "I'm not okay" that allowed her to work her way back.

The realization that the simple act of asking for help can be lifesaving led to the bouncing, pop punk of "I'm Not Okay." On the song, Dixon's delivery is steady, conversational, confessional as the rest of the band -- Karwacki, Alejandro Atacusi (lead guitar), RJ Noebels (drums), and newest member, Tim Hickson (bass) -- wail away through the song's musical twists and turns. "I'm not okay, and honestly that's okay. It's okay to not be okay when everything falls apart."

Finding Feebas celebrate the release of "I'm Not Okay" on Friday, 12/14, at New Brunswick's Surreal Creamery with help from Longlife. Surreal Creamery is an actual ice cream shop, not the name of a New Brunswick basement; so the show will be extra family friendly.

If you ever feel like you have nowhere to turn, someone is always at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Premiere: First-Ever Single from Finding Feebas

Photo: George Lykogiannis

"Tire Pressure Low"

Brittney Dixon has probably booked your band.

For the last several years, Dixon has been a tireless supporter of local music both as promoter Brittney On Fire and as former GM of New Brunswick's Court Tavern. Dixon's latest foray into the NJ music scene is Finding Feebas, the punk rock band she formed with songwriting partner and rhythm guitarist, Nikki Karwacki. Joining the pair to round things out are Alejandro Ataucusi on lead guitar, Brian Erickson on bass / keys / backing vocals, and RJ Noebles on drums.

On forming the band, Dixon says, "I started Feebas because I realized I NEEDED to have a band as an outlet. Music is my #1 form of therapy and, honestly, there's not really anything like it. I was very fortunate to be able to gather some of my amazingly talented friends to help me create something so cathartic and close to my heart."

Finding Feebas have been at it for just about a year, and they're readying their debut, five-song EP. Today, the band share the EP's lead (and their first-ever) single in the form of "Tire Pressure Low." The song skirts the line between punk and alt-rock with some melodic elements accompanying Dixon's vocal.

Karwacki (The Candystripers, Batting A Thousand) talks about how sharing songwriting duties has been a new experience. "It's been a much different process. I'm used to writing music, lyrics, and vocal melodies all pretty much simultaneously. In Finding Feebas, I've had more freedom to challenge myself in terms of musical composition because Brittney handles everything on the lyrical/vocal end."

Check out how everything comes together on "Tire Pressure Low" right here.

This Friday, January 12th, you can catch Finding Feebas live when they celebrate the single release with The Vaughns and Brian Rothenbeck & The Adventuring Party at Pino's in Highland Park.