Song Review: laundry pile by Sravani Kameswari
Why is life so stressful? Where does all the pressure come from? It’s not like we’re short on time, right? Just break down an average week. We all get 168 hours. That seems plenty!
First off, 40 hours go to work, of course—that’s easy to calculate. Add another 5 for the commute back and forth. Doctors still recommend 8 hours of sleep a night, which totals another 56 hours. Personal hygiene is important too, so let’s set aside 5 hours a week for that. If we assume you eat three meals a day, that’s another 10 hours, allowing 30 minutes per meal to avoid rushing and feeling sick. You really should be making food at home. It’s expensive to eat out, not to mention unhealthy. So let’s add about 90 minutes a day for cooking, bringing that total to 11 hours for the week. Don’t forget grocery shopping—let’s say 1 hour for that. Cleaning up after cooking and tackling general chores? Add another 5 hours.
And we can’t overlook exercise! If you aim for 30 minutes a day, that’s 4 hours for the week. Then there are life’s other responsibilities—doctor’s appointments, car maintenance, budgeting—let’s estimate another 4 hours for those tasks. You should also read daily to stay informed and sharpen your mind, adding another 4 hours for the week. Socializing is essential; we’re not meant to live in isolation, so let’s squeeze in 2 hours for that. And family time, whether talking or spending time together? That should be another 3 hours.
Feeling stressed yet? Why? You still have about 18 hours of free time each week! That’s over two and a half hours each day for yourself, assuming no bathroom breaks, traffic jams, or unexpected emergencies. Oh, and don’t forget to breathe when life feels overwhelming—but remember, those moments add up too. Don’t worry! There’s still enough time to get everything done. Right?
If just reading that made your blood pressure spike, you’re not alone. It’s easy to understand why so many of us crack under the weight of modern life. We find small ways to push back against the routine—staying up late doomscrolling on our phone, grabbing fast food to skip the hassle of cooking and cleaning, or letting laundry pile up on the bed, untouched. Sometimes, you just want to rebel even further. In those moments, why not take a cue from Sravani Kameswari? Ignore the dirty dishes in the sink, push the unfolded laundry, lay down, close your eyes, and try not to worry about your lengthy to-do list. You probably won’t finish it anyway.
Kameswari’s new single, “laundry pile,” brings these relatable struggles to life, offering a soothing yet candid reflection on the stress that permeates every aspect of modern life. Recorded at Super Secret Studios RVA and produced by Stevie Johanson, this insightful song offers a calming embrace of these anxieties, serving as a gentle balm for the weight of daily pressures, while also confronting the specifics of that burden head-on (“Wish I had the energy to shout\ That the candle’s burning on both ends\ The house is set on fire\ But there’s nothing left to lose anyway”).
With nothing but a gentle guitar strum and a soothing violin melody, the song patiently explores the feelings of collective distress. This deliberate pace becomes an act of timely rebellion, creating ample space for self-care—or, as Kameswari aptly puts it, time to “try and get your shit together.” The words flow effortlessly, capturing an inner argument we’ve all had while waiting in a long line and anxiously glancing at the clock, fully aware that today won’t be the day we accomplish everything on our list. It may seem like an innocent thought at first, but after countless days of falling short, it morphs into a curse–a perceived weakness, a character flaw–especially when it feels like everyone else is gliding through life with ease.
But gliding in itself is never a steady constant. You dip, rise, and waver, all depending on the way the air is flowing around you. No matter how hard you try, you will never truly control that current, whether it’s in life’s big picture or the little moments.
For Kameswari, this uplifting single is all about recovery with the first step being recognizing what is truly happening around us—calling it out, describing it, and understanding it. As she puts it, “And I think I’m crazy for vomiting this song but / Caroline said to write it down when everything feels wrong.” By doing this, we can see that life isn’t solely about maximizing every hour of the day. Even if society isn’t set up for it, there are still ways to carve out time for yourself, whether by indulging in a binge-watch of a new show or finally taking that well-deserved nap.
Maybe you skip the gym for a day or postpone that oil change for another week. That’s perfectly fine—we’re all navigating the same choices, prioritizing some things over others. Sure, we might feel guilty when some delays lead to minor disasters, but that’s okay. We aren’t meant to live life so regimented that we fold laundry the moment it comes out of the dryer. The sooner you realize this, the sooner you can truly enjoy those moments of peace you’ve earned—hopefully with this comforting song playing in the background to wash away any lingering feelings of guilt or inadequacy. After all, taking time to listen only takes up 0.05% of your weekly schedule, but it’s certainly more fulfilling than the other 99.95%.
“laundry pile” is available now on all streaming platforms. To stay up-to-date on future releases from Sravani Kameswari, bookmark her website or follow her on Instagram.
