Katy J Pearson has today shared ‘Alligator’, the latest track from her forthcoming new album, ‘Sound Of The Morning.‘ The track follows previous tracks ‘Talk Over Town’ and ‘Game Of Cards’.
Talking about the track Katy said:
“I wrote this track with Dan Carey at his Streatham studio. The day we did so I was having the worst morning ever; I was really stressed as I had a £500 electric bill that I had to pay. I burst into tears at the studio and from that feeling, the song just surfaced from all my anxieties. The lyrics are quite literal and were born from the idea of dissociation when experiencing anxiety. The chorus note ‘it felt just like a dream, and it keeps on happening’ refers to when you are really stressed, things just don’t seem real. There is this juxtaposition between the lyrics and the soaring chorus which is quite euphoric – it’s quite tongue in cheek and I like that about it. Dan played the bass on this track and Yuri from the band Honeyglaze played drums which really gives the track some gusto!”
The accompanying video, directed by Edie Lawrence, features an eclectic cameo list including Paul McGann (reprising a somewhat familiar character from Withnail & I) and Tom Gould (of the band Pottery).
Talking about the stunning video, Edie Lawrence said:
“Alligator’ came about once we spoke about the track’s theme of paranoia, anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Panic attacks tend to mess with your perspective amongst other things, which is where the idea of placing Katy in a shrinking cafe of hysterical bean shovelling, age switching, glass eating customers came to me. Everything in the cafe was made to look as if Katy was sat in one of my miniature sets- so all food was made from latex, clay and gelatine and the counter, fridge, doors and frames were all made from cardboard. Katy was a dream to work with and completely trusted my vision throughout, I’m really excited about working with her again on future projects.”
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Written and recorded in late 2021, ‘Sound Of The Morning’ is co-produced by Ali Chant (Yard Act and the helm of Katy’s debut Return) and Speedy Wunderground head-honcho Dan Carey (Fontaines DC).
Katy’s debut album, Return, released in November 2020, saw her go from Bristolian newcomer to a critically-acclaimed breakthrough star, selling out shows up and down the UK. Praised for “the arresting quality of [her] Kate Bush-meets-Dolly Parton vocal delivery” by The Times, labelled as “finding humanity in every moment” by DIY and with lead single ‘Take Back The Radio’ described as “a whoop of pure joy” in the Guardian, amidst the bleak toll of lockdown, something about this curiously optimistic album began to really resonate.
It feels fitting then that, having provided an aural balm at just the right moment with her first album, its follow-up should reflect a world brimming with curiosity, back in action and wanting to expand its horizons. If Pearson’s extracurricular activities in recent months have shown that she can dip a toe into a multitude of genres – providing guest vocals on Orlando Weeks’ recent album ‘Hop Up’; popping up with Yard Act for a collaboration at End of the Road festival; singing on trad-folk collective Broadside Hacks’ 2021 project ‘Songs Without Authors’ – then forthcoming second album Sound of the Morning takes that spirit and runs with it. It’s still Katy J Pearson (read: effortlessly charming, full of heart and helmed by that inimitable vocal), but it’s Katy J Pearson pushing herself musically and lyrically into new waters.
It’s an album that’s as comfortable revelling in the more laid-back, Real Estate-esque melodies of lead single ‘Talk Over Town’ – a track that attempts to make sense of her recent experiences, of “being Katy from Gloucester, but then being Katy J Pearson who’s this buzzy new artist” – as it is basking in the American indie pop of ‘Float’, penned with longtime pal Oliver Wilde of Pet Shimmers, or experimenting with the buoyant brass of ‘Howl’, in which Orlando repays the favour with a vocal guest spot.
It all makes for a record that’s increasingly unafraid to explore life’s darker parts, but that does so with an openness that’s full of light. As an artist who professes to “always strive for the bittersweetness of things”, Sound of the Morning does just that, taking the listener’s hand and guiding them through the good and the bad, like the musical equivalent of an arm around the shoulder. “I want people to feel things with my music, but I don’t want to cause my listener too much trauma,” she notes with a cheeky glint. “Counselling is expensive, so you’ve got to pick your battles…”
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The album will be available as a DL, CD plus regular and limited purple and clear vinyl editions.
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To celebrate the albums release, a run of in-store events are taking place across the UK in July ahead of summer festival shows. Katy then hits the road in the Autumn for an extensive tour playing her biggest shows to date.
