More music is brewing

It’s almost time, and I’m so excited to finally share the next EP with you (title coming in due course...). We’ve really leaned into the country sound on this one, and the whole thing is glistening with fiddle, slide guitar, and harmonies galore.

I’ve often found that I’m not particularly good at expressing exactly how I want something to sound in the studio. I struggle to find the right musical terminology or confidently take the reins, which can sometimes leave me feeling like a passenger when recording my own songs. This time, though, I’ve been well and truly in the driver’s seat. Working alongside producer-engineer Alex Blamire of Polestar (who is honestly just mind-blowingly good at what he does), I really think we’ve captured something special. Eeeeeep - I’m so proud of it.

Gigs have been a little quieter this month while we’ve been focusing on recording and gearing up for a big festival season in July. We did, however, have the absolute pleasure of playing Hexham Bandstand, which was such a lovely day filled with local music lovers. Two 45-minute sets of original Americana music aren’t for the faint-hearted, so it was incredibly heartening to see so many people stick around -including a couple who slow danced to Unsympathetic, which was completely unexpected and very lovely.

Zac and I also had the pleasure of joining Steve Chaplin from 3 Tynes Podcast to chat about festivals, upcoming releases, songwriting and... hummus? The episode comes out in August, so you’ll have to give it a listen. I definitely remember saying something about hummus.

We also recorded a little live session with Dean Parker at In Heart Studios, who it turns out I played one of my very first gigs with over a decade ago, back when I was in a folk band with my twin sister. He even remembered a couple of our original songs, which was a real blast from the past.

It’s been a lovely month overall, and I’m feeling so much better after my little health scare last month. I’m currently not allowed alcohol, caffeine, or anything remotely fun, so I’m a little grouchy - but significantly healthier. Annoyingly... it turns out it really is worth it.

I was really channeling that hazy, loved-up summer feeling with this one... although there’s also a fairly obvious theme of craving food running through it. Can you tell I’m on a restricted diet?

So, with this very intentional dive into making more country leaning music, I’ve been trying to branch out beyond my usual country favourites and spend more time with newer artists - and wow, Olive Klug has completely floored me.

From lyrics like "if the world is my oyster then I’m poking at it with a plastic fork" to the gorgeous production and heartfelt vocal delivery, Lost Dog might genuinely be the best album I’ve heard all year. It’s the kind of record that makes you roll the windows down, turn the volume up, and sing along at the top of your lungs (which I’ve already done more than a few times).

Start with "What To Make Of Me" and thank me later.

Really getting into festival season now!

For all upcoming shows, check my website here!