When singer-songwriter Leah* was feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life, the PRS Members’ Fund’s ‘Reset & Rewind’ initiative gave her the space to step back, recharge and rediscover the joy of making music.

‘I felt like I returned to a teenage version of myself – making music just for fun. I was creating without pressure and that felt really important’.

When Leah applied for support from PRS Members’ Fund’s Reset & Rewind initiative, she knew she needed a change of scene. Life in London was feeling intense and the balance between everyday life and creativity was starting to slip. She’d recently released an EP and was feeling bogged down in admin – organising, planning and handling the practical side of being an independent artist.

‘I hadn’t written a full song in a long time, and I just wanted to have a way to get back to that place where I could feel more grounded and in better place to create.

‘I was feeling trapped, I couldn’t afford to go anywhere, I felt like I couldn’t do anything. When the ad for Reset & Rewind popped up on my Instagram, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me’.

For her break, Leah travelled to Cove Park, a residency space for artists and creatives overlooking Loch Long on Scotland’s west coast. The setting offered everything Leah had been craving, distance from the city, space to breathe and the freedom to spend her days however she wanted.

‘I wrote loads of music and felt very inspired’.

‘I wanted to go somewhere completely different and feel like I was resting, but also have some kind of purpose,’ she explains. ‘Sometimes resting on its own can feel a bit vague for me. At Cove Park I definitely rested but I also wrote lots of music and felt very inspired being there. It was really beautiful. I’d highly recommend it’.

By the time she made the journey north in December, Leah had already managed to leave a difficult living situation. That meant the trip became more than a pause, it marked a reset.

Travelling alone and staying somewhere unfamiliar with people she didn’t know initially felt daunting, but it gave Leah the chance to step outside of her comfort zone and prove something to herself.

‘I was really nervous to go,’ she says. ‘But I think the fact that I was able to overcome that really helped. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I’m definitely better for it’.

That confidence stayed with Leah after she came home. Shortly afterwards, she moved into a new home with people she didn’t know – something she now believes the break helped prepare her for. Having spent time away on her own in a new environment, she felt ready to embrace change.

The break also helped her to reconnect with her creativity. Away from the admin and pressure to promote herself and her work, Leah found herself able to return to the simple enjoyment of making music.

‘It helped me go back to why I make music in the first place,’ she says. ‘I felt like I returned to a teenage version of myself – making music just for fun. I was creating without pressure and that felt really important’.

‘I can’t believe this is something that’s available to PRS members. The power of rest is so important.’

Leah says the five-day break felt just right, long enough to settle in, switch off and make the most of the time away. Financial help with travel and accommodation made it possible to properly step back and reset.

‘I can’t believe this is something that’s available to PRS members. The power of rest is so important,’ says Leah. ‘You literally cannot continue if you don’t take time out to rest’.

For Leah, the break offered exactly what the name promises, a chance to reset, rewind and return refreshed with renewed energy, creativity and the confidence to step outside her comfort zone.

*Not her real name

If you’ve recently experienced a period of illness, stress or anxiety and feel like a short break could be what you need, apply for support through Reset & Rewind here.