Reetoxa is the music project of Jason McKee, a Melbourne-based singer-songwriter who channels his own intense personal struggles into deeply moving songs. Instead of relying on traditional musical influences, he builds his sound directly from real life events, giving his music an honest and emotional feel. He has faced huge hardships and shown great strength to come out on the other side as a strong voice in music today.
To give his music a top quality sound, he works with talented artists such as producer, mixer, and mastering engineer Simon Moro, the Budapest Orchestra, James Ryan from Men at Work, Peter Martin from Jet, Kit Riley, who played with Robbie Williams, and singer Jessica McPherson-Riley from The Voice Australia. His previous record, Soliloquy, earned strong praise from critics and has led to promising talks with international record labels across the UK, Asia, and Europe.
Music isn’t just fun sounds, it’s also a way for people to heal, stay strong, and get through hard times. Reetoxa gets real on his new release Double A Side 2 (Akaroa / Erica And The Stars), opening up about his personal journey through major challenges including grief, time in prison, serious mental health struggles and finding peace again.
There are four tracks in total on the release, two vocal storytelling songs and two instrumental versions that concentrate on the music. The project was recorded at The Avenue Recording Studio, in Cheltenham, Victoria, with orchestral parts recorded in Budapest, as an example of how creativity and hope can come from the most difficult circumstances.
The first main song, “Akaroa,” is about dealing with sad loss, missing a parent, and feeling connected to loved ones who have passed away. The origin of the song began in 2017 while Jason was serving six months in prison, where he suffered the painful loss of his mother, Bobbie, during his first month inside. Weeks later, he had a clear dream in his cell where he saw two floating heads in space: his late mother and a young girl with pale skin and curly hair who looked like both his mother and his ex-wife.
His mother said she had to leave for a faraway place, and the child asked why no one was taking care of her, saying she was in Akaroa. After being woken up by a fight among prisoners, Jason realized the child was the baby daughter he and his ex-wife lost to a miscarriage back in 2010 during his naval service, just one day after their first ultrasound. He had never heard of Akaroa, New Zealand, but he wrote down the name, played guitar chords inspired by Jimi Hendrix, and kept the rhythm going until guards made him stop.
Although he forgot the tune the next day, in 2019 a cruise ship he was on was forced by bad weather to land in Akaroa. While walking on the shore, he felt a powerful spiritual presence, and the old melody returned to his mind all at once, showing him that his lost daughter’s spirit was in that town. He finished writing the song that night in his room on the ship, giving the message that love and painful loss are never lost forever but stay with us until we find peace.
The second main song, “Erica And The Stars,” tells an intense story about surviving a serious mental health emergency and overcoming dark thoughts. About four months after his trip to New Zealand, Jason suffered from temporary schizophrenia and psychosis, which made him hear voices and see things that were not real.
At first, the voices helped him write songs, but they quickly turned scary and ordered him to end his life by jumping off a balcony 24 floors up. Just as he put one leg over the edge, his dog, Lucy, whimpered, which distracted him and made him step back inside to safety. He then saw a vinyl record on a shelf where the singer named Erica seemed to move off the cover, wearing a spacesuit and holding a ray gun pointed at the stars.
He tried calling emergency services on 000 but was put on hold, so he grabbed paper and a pen and started writing down words as a shield to protect himself.This writing stopped the bad voices, who said “good song” before leaving him alone. Police and paramedics took him to the hospital to rest, and while in his room, he heard a grand orchestra inside his head that gave him the full idea for the song. The story of the song uses a special idea of flying in Erica’s spaceship to destroy the control tower, sending him bad thoughts, showing that creative energy can save a life even during the darkest mental health struggles.
The third track on the album, “Akaroa (Karaoke),” removes the singing so listeners can focus on the acoustic rock instruments and music setup. Without the main voice, the crisp acoustic guitar strumming, steady bass and clear drumbeat take the lead. This version, by veteran Australian rockers, shows how gentle guitar changes and steady beats can create deep emotion and quiet space all by themselves. It gives people a chance to sit back and feel the warm, calm musical background that carries the spirit of the original song.
The last song, “Erica And The Stars (Karaoke),” takes the second song and turns it into a grand classical piece, sounding like the big orchestra Jason heard in his head in the hospital. This track is paired with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and swaps out the vocal story for soft piano notes, big sweeping violins and deep brass horns. The music switches from quiet piano to giant bursts of orchestral sound, creating a feeling like a movie soundtrack. It takes a terrible moment of mental anguish and makes it into a grand musical battle of darkness and light.
Double A Side 2 (Akaroa / Erica And The Stars) is more than just a collection of songs. It’s a statement about getting through the difficult times and how art heals. Reetoxa channeled moments of extreme pain, like time in jail, losing his mother, losing an unborn child and facing a mental health crisis, into inspiring music. The album allows the listener to enjoy both the true personal stories and the great musical skills behind them, providing vocal story songs and rich instrumental versions. It is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest seasons of life, creative art can shine light and lead a person back to hope.
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