dani mack unpicks her habits on "Nothing Better"

There are artists who spend a lifetime dreaming of being plucked from obscurity and signed to a major label, their talent recognised at last. But when this happened early into Baylee Barrett's career, she saw how quickly the dream can turn sour. The industry she encountered was consumed with internal politics, overbearing personalities, and a snail-paced approach to releasing records.

Having relocated to L.A. as a teenager to try her luck independently, it seemed counter-intuitive to be babysat by a major label – so she broke away and took things back to basics. Now styled under the name dani mack, she's had time to reassess what she wants from her music, and most importantly, make sure it actually gets heard.

"Nothing Better" is a relatable song about overthinking, in which Barrett weighs up all the things she could do with her time if she stopped worrying so much. The track boasts a slow-build, slacker energy, its mix of anguished outpourings and half-spoken utterances reminiscent of 1990s icons like Liz Phair. "Maybe I'll just take up knitting, ’cause knitting seems pretty hot these days," she deadpans.

The track may sound laconic, but it's powered by an autonomy and self-knowledge denied her in earlier projects, when she'd often see material shelved for indefinite periods. The desire to snatch back the reins of her own life also came from early trauma. “Losing my mother made me grow up very fast. That kind of loss at a young age gives you a perspective that most people don’t acquire until later in life," Barrett reflects. "That’s probably why I feel it’s so important to spend my life doing something that I love.”

As a child growing up in Lubbock, Texas, Barrett's early influences were strictly Christian: a world filled with church choirs and starchy morals. Last year's "Fleabag" examined casual sex and the feelings of guilt that still linger from her upbringing. She dressed in a nun's habit for the music video, ruminating over messy late night drinking sessions and asking for forgiveness all in the same breath.

That tongue-in-cheek self-scrutiny is characteristic of Barrett's songwriting, in which she identifies some trait buried in her psyche and talks herself through it with a refreshing, matter-of-fact breeziness. Alongside bandmate and creative partner Chris Reagan, she's found a channel for reconciling the anxieties of youth with the person she's finally grown into, discarding negative influences along the way.

For all the rejection of authority figures, there is one who still looms large: her dad, the inspiration behind her new moniker, gave her hope during the rockiest moments. “He’s the biggest part of my character and where my passion stems from," she says. "If there is anyone to do any of this for, it’s him!” She may have borrowed his name, but it's fair to say dani mack wasn't created in anyone's image but her own.