Behind the lyrics ‘Hold Me Close’ from Code 2 & Jodie Poye

In the often glittering and glamorous world of music, where artists are celebrated for their talents and charisma, it's all too easy to overlook the battles they face behind the scenes. Yet, for Jodie Poye, a rising singer/song-writer in the industry, her journey has been anything but smooth sailing. Overcoming a series of debilitating health conditions and grappling with mental health challenges, Jodie's story is one of resilience, courage, and the transformative power of music.

Chapter 1: A Journey of Trials and Tribulations

For years, Jodie silently endured the relentless onslaught of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, and SCDS (Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome). Misdiagnosed and misunderstood, she fought tirelessly to reclaim her health and her identity. "I had become a shell of my former self and was slowly losing the person I once was," Jodie reflects. "I suffered daily with pain and exhaustion unlike anything you could ever imagine."

Jodie’s medical conditions caused her to experience hearing loss, sound distortion and balance problems triggered by loud noises or intracranial pressure caused by sneezing or coughing.

Despite the physical and emotional toll of her conditions, Jodie refused to let them define her. As a mother of two, a wife, and a musician, she found solace and strength in her passion for music. Collaborating with the talented duo Code 2, Jodie discovered a sanctuary in the studio, where she could channel her innermost thoughts and emotions into her music. "Music became my lifeline," she says, "It was my escape, my therapy, my salvation."

“I’m a mum of two, a wife, a musician. I had all these hopes and dreams that I could see just being taken away from me and the kids, I started to not be able to go out other than to pick the kids up and take them to after school clubs. I became a shell of the person I once was and I would secretly cry myself to sleep wishing that I could just go back, back to being me. I felt trapped in a body that I no longer could control.” - Jodie Poye

Jodie felt the weight of her responsibilities pressing down on her shoulders. "I just had to accept that there was nothing I could do and there was no one that could make these things go away," she reflects. Despite her inner turmoil, Jodie found herself caught in a relentless cycle of obligations, struggling to meet the demands of motherhood, marriage and music career while battling the debilitating effects of fibromyalgia.

"I had all these hopes and dreams that I could see just being taken away from me and the kids," Jodie confesses.

As the tendrils of fibromyalgia tightened their grip around her, Jodie felt herself slipping further away from the vibrant, vivacious woman she once was. "I would secretly cry myself to sleep, wishing that I could just go back, back to being me." she admits.

Yet, amidst the overwhelming sense of loss and despair, Jodie found herself grappling with a deeper, more insidious fear—that she was failing her children. "The worst part for me was I felt like I was letting my kids down," she reveals, "Mummy can’t take you to the park today or mummy can’t go on that holiday because she’s in pain or too tired or too dizzy." Despite the weight of her burdens, Jodie clung fiercely to her role as a mother, determined to shield her children from the depths of her suffering. "I started to feel really depressed and worthless," she admits, "But still, I didn’t show it. I had to be strong! I’m a mummy."

Chapter 2: The Birth of "Hold Me Close”

Jodie had been working on a few vocals for Code 2 and had really not been feeling great. Determined not to let her symptoms hinder her passion for music, Jodie pressed on. Yet, despite her resolve, her health issues began to seep into her work, culminating in a mix-up where she had written lyrics for the wrong song that left her feeling embarrassed and disheartened. "I never make mistakes, so this, for me, was just so embarrassing," Jodie admits. Despite her self-doubt, Barbara (1/2 of Code 2) proved to be a source of support, gently guiding Jodie through the challenges she faced. "Barbara was amazing and let me down gently that I had made a few errors."

It was during one fateful week, amidst the chaos of studio sessions and both mental and health struggles, that the lyrics for "Hold Me Close" took shape—a hauntingly beautiful ode to vulnerability and longing. "I sat there for a while waiting for my dizziness to calm down," Jodie recalls. "I popped my headphones back on, played the song three times over, and just listened."

In a moment of raw honesty and introspection, Jodie poured her heart out into the microphone, without writing any lyrics down, weaving a tapestry of vulnerability and longing. "I don’t want to be alone, but I can’t pick up my phone, lost in silence and shame," she sang, encapsulating the essence of her journey—a quest for comfort and understanding in the face of overwhelming pain. "It was like I could hear myself, my subconscious self through the music saying 'you're not okay, Jode,'" she remembers. "It had come to a point where I could no longer ignore my mental health. I was struggling to carry on."

Chapter 3: Finding Strength in Shared Struggles

Drawing strength from fellow Reason II Rise artist Pinkque, who has been vocal about her own struggles with mental health, Jodie has found the courage to speak up and share her story. "Mental health has always been seen as a taboo subject, but for me now more than ever, it’s important to be an advocate of mental health and to say that it is okay not to be okay," she emphasizes.

Through her music and her advocacy, Jodie reminds us of the transformative power of self-expression and the healing potential of community. "If I have a particularly bad day, I know that I have help," she says. "I'm really lucky to have a huge support system around me now and I’m eternally grateful to my husband, Ryan. Without him, the days wouldn’t be as easy as they are”.

As Jodie continues her journey of self-discovery, Reason II Rise Music stands proudly by her side, amplifying her voice and championing her cause. Together, we can all rise—not in spite of struggles, but because of them, forging connections that transcend genre and geography, uniting us in a shared humanity.