It’s finally out! My brand new album, As We Once Were, is released today!
14 tracks. One massive concept. 21 vintage synthesizers and four generations of women. All wrapped up with some really special guests, including James Dean Bradfield from Manic Street Preachers, Hannah Peel, Gwenno, and Eaves Wilder.
Listen/Order your copy here now: found.ee/AsWeOnceWere
My primary message today is: if you can afford to buy a copy, please support the album in its release week.
We have a real chance of making a dent in the charts again (according to the lovely Scottish guy who’s good with figures over at Last Night From Glasgow). Chart position is calculated from sales this first week only, so grabbing your copy before Thursday at midday matters.
If you’ve not seen it already, we’ve made a really lovely 2LP vinyl with actual leopard print etched on the fourth side. It’s so on-brand for me it’s ridiculous. It also sounds amazing. Sea Bass Vinyl have done a phenomenal job on the pressing and you know how picky I am about these things… But please don’t play the fourth side. You WILL annihilate your stylus (No, really). The other three sides? Please play them to death and absorb all of the hours of love and devotion and craft that have been put into the making of this album. It is what the term “labour of love” was invented for.
We’ve also put together a fancy 2CD media book with 16 bonus tracks of writing demos, alternative versions and remixes, plus 48 pages of liner notes, scans from my studio notebooks, and gorgeous unseen photos by Talie Eigeland. I’ve not actually held a finished copy yet — the manufacturer decided to dice with my historically low blood pressure and introduce a “printing error” right before our pre-release deadline. I’m assured that it’s landed at LNFG towers now, and is on its way to you as I write this, dear listeners.
A little preview below…
So: 2LP, standard CD, fancy 2CD, or limited cassette… Yes, we really went there, in homage to the cassette tape of my grandma’s voice that ties the whole album together and in two colourways, in a beautiful Maltese cross card case that’s like some kind of origami puzzle to open (see below). The choice is yours. 14 songs, a meditation on womanhood and the past, all dressed in some luscious arrangements and made using some gorgeous vintage synths once owned by Pete Townshend from The Who.
If you want something signed and didn’t manage to grab one with the preorder, I have a limited run of signed and numbered artwork prints over on Bandcamp now, as well as a handful of super rare signed 2LP test pressings. I’m also doing two free instore signing sessions in person next week.
All the reviews of the album so far have been AMAZING, but I don’t say this lightly: the real “success” of this record has been just how much I’ve enjoyed the process of making it.
Far too much of art gets weighed only against its end result. I’ve just finished watching the new season of The Bear, and my takeaway from the service-from-hell episode was that all that really mattered was just how much they loved working with each other. The two Michelin stars were just the icing on the cake.
And so too here are all the lovely press reviews that keep rolling in: Lovely to have, helpful in amplifying the album to more ears and more people, but it was already a success to me before anyone else even heard it because of how damn happy it made me to create this thing.
So, a huge thank you. Diolch. To everyone who was a part of making this record with me. And with special thanks to all my Patrons, who have been such an important part of making this record a reality.
ALBUM RELEASE WEEK EVENTS
Here’s a quick rundown of all the events taking place this week:
Friday 7th August - Album Release Day (Bandcamp Friday) Signed Test Pressings & Ltd Edition Numbered Art Prints on sale, as well as all album formats.
Saturday 8th August - 10.30pm BST BBC Wales Interview with Adam Walton (1 hour special). LISTEN HERE
Sunday 9th August - Bandcamp Listening Party, 7pm BST Online Free Event. RSVP to join here
Mon 10th August - Free Album Playback & Signing at Rough Trade Denmark Street 7.15pm (no purchase necessary) TICKETS
Wed 12th August - Free Album Playback & Signing at Banquet Records, Kingston 6pm (no purchase necessary) TICKETS
Every format, every stream, every share this week helps!
Know someone who'd love this? Forward it on.
Grab your copy here: found.ee/AsWeOnceWere
P.S. Final tickets for the album launch show on Sat 22nd August at London’s legendary 100 Club are also here. This is the ONLY show of 2026 so don’t miss out!
PRAISE FOR AS WE ONCE WERE:
“Bold, impassioned & literate art-rock.” RECORD COLLECTOR ☆☆☆☆
“Artful, affecting third album.” MOJO ☆☆☆☆
”Compelling… dreamlike musings on modern womanhood.” UNCUT ☆☆☆☆
“A spectacular vision. Thought-provoking and intelligently crafted.” PROG ☆☆☆☆
“Heartfelt pop rock that recalls both Chrissie Hynde’s emotional delivery and Karen Carpenter’s sad-eyed purity.” THE TIMES ☆☆☆☆
“One of the UK’s most thoughtful and enigmatic artists.” ☆☆☆☆ CLASSIC POP
“Glistening synth pop, stately orchestration and torch balladry.” ☆☆☆☆ THE SCOTSMAN
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