One never-before-shared demo, some buried treasure plus a 24 page zine-letter with photos.
The only way to get access to future Correspondent’s Club releases is to become a member – browse member perks here.
Track listing:
1. Lady Music For Ladies
2. Olympian Livestream 10/6/23
3. I’ll Start A Fire 9/9/20
4. Exotic Monsters a capella 26/1/21
My debut album “Disarm” is 13 today, so I’m running a flash sale to celebrate!
Get 25% off:
+ “Disarm” on CD
+ “Disarm” on vinyl
+ “Disarm” demos and rarities collection on CD (25 tracks WTF?!!!!)
+ “Disarm:15” 5-track CD (reworked versions of songs from “Disarm”
+ “Disarm” bundle – 1 x vinyl, 2 x CD
+ “Disarm” / “Little Battles” double vinyl deal
GO GO GO!
I always find it interesting looking back at blog posts from around album releases, and it’s especially pleasing to compare Past Laura’s opinions with Current Laura. I think the two of us would still get on very well!
Shared on 2nd September 2010:
“As artists, musicians and videomakers we have all the tools at our disposal now and absolutely no excuses not to use them. Gone are the days when bands could get away with saying “That’s not my job, I just make music” and expect to be handed opportunities.
I prefer it this way, having been stuck in a stingy record deal in the past with all rights removed, no say over the spending of money and told off by the label boss for asking too many questions (thankfully I hadn’t written the entire album of songs that got lost in the ensuing band / label split…), but hey, since I was a little girl I always wanted to be in charge.
The late nights and early mornings in front of the computer and the money spent on printing, videos, ribbon, glitter and suchlike is all time and cash well spent, in my opinion, in the quest to create my funny little world of art and music, and feels even more worth it when the reaction from the world is this warm.”
Social media shifted my focus from longer form written pieces for a good while, but with the launch of Penfriend in 2020 I signalled my forever return – so do have a browse of the Letterbox some time 
Here’s another smoke signal from the “Disarm” times:
A humble aside: I remember sitting down in front of the camera to film the quiet performance of “Eye Spy” in this video and feeling SO awkward and silly and embarrassed, even though I was in a recording studio I was paying to record my album in. Isn’t that funny?! Next time I feel silly sitting down in front of a camera to film something in my own home (probably next week), I’ll try and remember that – and, as always, will just try and get on with it.
Photo by Laura Ward taken at The Apollo Project, Herne Hill in June 2009.
Thank you for visiting!
Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here.
My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025.
Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available)
Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here.
If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website).
Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still 
TL;DR: House Clearance Sale – last day to get up to 50% off music and merch!
In 2009 I was living in a rented maisonette in South London where, for the first time, I had a separate room to write songs and edit videos in. The windows didn’t close, and there were definitely mice under the floorboards, but I finally had space!
A (real-life) friend I’d first met on photo-sharing site Flickr invited me to take part in a month-long local art installation called The Apollo Project, based in the old Apollo video shop in Herne Hill. Thank you, Laura Ward!
I played gigs, volunteered at other events and even sat on the floor before one of the shows burning CD-Rs of my first EP “Three…Two…One…”, clicking them into DVD cases that I’d decorated with a print of a photograph of a cassette tape.
I also uploaded the EP to Bandcamp.
Back then, I could never have predicted where sharing my music on the internet could take me. After years of playing bass and singing with big artists around the world, I knew it was time to say what I wanted to say, but I never dreamed anyone else would want to hear it.
Over the years, I’ve funded the making of new music through Bandcamp pre-orders, crowdfunding campaigns and, over the past four years, my Correspondent’s Club subscription, because music fans are the absolute best.
7 albums on, I’m preparing to move to Nottingham after 11 years of doing my thing in Bristol, and so I’m running a House Clearance Sale with up to 50% off 23 items: vinyl, CDs, tees and badges.
I will forever be grateful and thankful for Bandcamp for making it possible for indies like me to easily sell our music direct to you.
I ALSO have tons of free downloads available across both my Bandcamp pages, handily collated for you here.
BIG LOVE
BIG THANKS
Laura xxx
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
For this new article I was invited to share my thoughts on how artists can take control of their online presence, instead of leaving it all in the hands of big companies who don’t care about us.
After Pledge Music folded in early 2019, stealing £6000 of my fans’ money aka the profit from my 2018 album “Brace For Impact”, I created my own Patreon-style membership club.
I invited everyone on my mailing list to join, and since February 2019 I have been able to do this weird and wonderful job full-time, instead of frantically freelancing in the day, trying to write songs at night and putting albums out every few years.
This is an unusual state of affairs. Most music makers have to juggle making their art with paid work doing other things. There’s nothing wrong with that, and the art isn’t any better or worse because the artist has to support themselves in other ways – but wouldn’t it be lovely if more of us could have a bit more time to make the things you love?
I’ve always been a grafter, and I enjoyed my freelance career making videos, taking photos and doing all sorts of digital bits and pieces – BUT I love what I do now way more. It’s what I’m best at, and I am forever grateful and thankful to everyone who’s:
– been a member of The Correspondent’s Club (and Supersub Club before it)
– crowdfunded or pre-ordered one of my albums
– bought music or merch from Bandcamp or my shop or at a gig
– come to see me play
– said hi and been friendly online
We’re in this together! If you’re in a position to support the artists you love by picking up music or merch please do, and if you’re not – PLEASE subscribe to their YouTube channels (hint hint), like and comment on their posts and, if you feel like it, send a compliment their way.
It all adds up to a really wonderful feeling of community, and spurs us on to keep making songs for you.
For my part, I’ll continue sharing how and why I do things, to help anyone else who wants to be more creative in their own lives.
Sending big love
Laura xxx
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
My first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” just turned TWO YEARS OLD forcryingoutloud, so I’m celebrating with some vinyl bargains and limited edition rarities INCLUDING this never-before-publicly-shared reworking of three album tracks on vinyl-effect CD, accompanied by a full colour story and photo zine.
Order by midnight on Tuesday 30th May and I will sign your vinyl / CD! Leave me a note at checkout if you’d like me to dedicate it to anyone: https://shop.penfriend.rocks/collections/exotic-monsters-birthday-sale
I’ll also include a FREE monster print in every order, as an extra gift!
3rd April 2020. Four weeks before I launched my new music project “Penfriend” on an unsuspecting world, life felt very different to today.
Do you remember how you felt on 3rd April 2020? It was just the start of it, but none of us could have predicted what would happen next.
That day, I was halfway through recording “Exotic Monsters” and one year into full-time music-making slash whatever-the-heck-this-job-is. With four weeks til liftoff, I was sharing secret weekly blog posts with my members, and I’m so glad to have these stories to look back on now.
As the weeks went by and the lockdowns continued, all logical signs pointed to calling the whole thing off. Who would care about new music at such a serious time, much less choose to support it financially?
With nothing else to do but keep on keeping on, I decided to stick to my deadlines. Half an album is no album, and I was grateful to have something to focus on amidst the uncertainty.
I launched Penfriend and The Correspondent’s Club in May 2020, completed “Exotic Monsters” in October 2020 and released it on May 21st 2021.
On May 28th the album I recorded all by myself in my attic home studio smashed into the Official UK Albums Charts at #24, rendering me speechless with gratitude for independently-minded music fans.
As I clear the decks to record the followup to “Exotic Monsters”, I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on its journey.
This collection of songs took me from freelance employment to full-time creativity, gave me a path through a pandemic and is an album I remain immensely proud of.
I hope you’ll give it a listen.
3/4/20 – secret blog post
Midway through my morning run yesterday I saw the words “storms don’t last forever” pasted up in someone’s window. Linking two cheerful rainbows, the phrase both sobered and uplifted me, burrowing into my brain just at the point I would usually be starting to bargain with myself:
“Walking is nice, you should walk”. “Yeah, but you’re doing intervals anyway, and you get to walk soon – look, it’s only another 20 seconds.” “Sure, but it’s an achievement to do any sort of run, it’s not about speed, is it? You’re not training for anything.” “Shut up, only 10 seconds til you get to walk for a whole minute, what’s the problem?” “Nothing – OH LOOK A RAINBOW”.
I’ve always preferred running outside because of the tangible feeling of progress. Putting one foot in front of the other propels you forward in real time, in the real world. You leave the house, go somewhere else, and then return. In a life made up of numerous ethereal projects where I conjure sounds from my imagination in a completely self-propelled bid to make something that I hope will be of use to a small group of people, spending time on anything with a measurable outcome is a relief.
I’m proud to say I’ve taken myself out for a run twice a week for seven weeks in a row now, and not only do I get the pleasure of writing that down in my bullet journal so I can look at my exercise log and feel like I’m getting somewhere, but I can actually feel the progress I’ve made. I’ve started to increase my running intervals by one minute per week (currently 3 mins run, 1 min walk) and the nasty hill at the start of one of my regular routes isn’tbothering me nearly as much any more.
Another benefit to pavement running is getting to see snapshots of my neighbourhood. This is especially welcome at the moment; these two runs per week have become precious time alone with my thoughts outside the house. When I first started medium distance running in 2006 (training for 10Ks then half marathons before a trailing off of energy/interest and then a savagely broken foot) I always listened to music, but later I found I vastly preferred engaging with the sounds of wherever I was running. There’s a meditative quality to the rhythmic slap of trainers on pavement that makes me feel connected to my body and the earth I’m running on, and I don’t think I’d get the quality of contemplation I get on my sporty jaunts if I was distracting myself with music.
With spring springing at the moment, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying dashing past pretty front gardens, seeing nature bounce back after the grey weather and occasionally being surprised and delighted by the things people are sticking in their windows. The rainbows in windows theme may be aimed at kids, giving them something uplifting to spot around their neighbourhoods during this confusing, scary time – but it’s helping me, too.
I’ve been ploughing on with the many moving parts of my fast-approaching new music launch day by day: recording podcast episodes, liaising with my remote drummer on parts for the new song I’m recording, having Skype meetings with my illustrator, picking a WordPress theme for my new website and getting stuck into that, trying not to get too caught up in the news or feeds, trying to stay reasonably cheerful and pragmatic and feel lucky to have the things I have and not dwell on the scary parts (someone in my street has Covid, I’m not eligible for any government grants, I’m scared for my family and friends – you know, the new usual). But, on Tuesday, a storm hit.
I’ve written many songs in the past about feeling sad, and I’m sure I’ll write many more, and occasionally I am able to take my own advice and just give myself a break. So, for most of Tuesday, I lay prone on the sofa and felt my feelings, cuddled my dogs and made no apologies to anyone. Then on Wednesday, I got up and started again, feeling fortunate I was healthy and housed and in a happy relationship and had interesting creative projects to sink my teeth into, and a group of really great people to write an email to.
Yesterday, when I saw those four words connecting rainbows in a neighbour’s window, I felt grateful to whoever printed them out and taped them up. It’s very hard to reduce this big, messy, scary, painful time into short phrases, and not useful to dismiss everything people are feeling and say the equivalent of “cheer up, it might never happen”. It *is* happening, and whatever our situation and location, it’s happening to all of us.
I don’t know what’s next in all of this, and I’ll always be trying to figure out what my place and purpose is in the world, but I know I can believe in these four words: “storms don’t last forever”.
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
Four brand new Penfriend demos, written as part of the recent Laura Veirs x School Of Song workshop series, plus a 24 page zine of thoughts, feelings and photos.
The only way to get access to future Correspondent’s Club releases is to become a member – browse member perks here.
Track listing:
1. The Dust And The Dark (demo)
2. Survival Information (demo)
3. Hold Tight (demo)
4. In The Light Sometimes (demo)
I went to Rough Trade Nottingham in search of our Obey Robots album and found this instead!
Art by Niaski.
With hat tips to ace records by Sleaford Mods, Public Service Broadcasting and Self Esteem – click the links for podcast episodes with the last two 
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
It’s been a very exciting week here at Penfriend HQ!
The headline: it’s the last day to cast your vote for independent music waving merrily at the mainstream, by picking up your copy of “One In A Thousand” on vinyl (low stock!), CD, cassette (low stock!) or download.
All physical orders made in my shop before 2pm TODAY will be counted, and any digital orders made up until 11.59pm tonight will also be eligible. iTunes / Bandcamp / etc digital sales also count – only if you actually download the download – and 1000 streams counts as one album sale for the charts.
After our midweek result of #5 (!!!!!!) we are in with a chance of a Top 20 album – maybe even Top 10 – which would be a huge win for independent artists and independently-minded music fans everywhere.
This is when the big record label machine starts kicking in and our DIY release has to contend with all sorts of tactics, from price-drops to “buy-again” pleas. Two things that I feel disrespects the people who have so generously ordered and pre-ordered already.
Not here.
Someone asked me this on Facebook and I thought it was worth sharing an expanded version of my answer here:
What do the charts matter, when we’re all perfectly capable of deciding what music we like ourselves?
A great question! Being in with the chance of a high chart position with a truly DIY release is a reminder that we all have more power than we might think in this world of corporations running the show. I’m a big fan of defining my goals, to be in with any chance of achieving them, but it never even occurred to me to write this sort of thing down.
I didn’t think this sort of thing could happen for someone like me – someone who has funded all my work from saving up money from jobs to becoming fan-funded through crowdfunding and pre-orders, not label / publishing advances, family money or anything else.
Rat went through the major label system with Ned’s and came away with great music and great memories, but that way of working just doesn’t work for most people these days. I’d elaborate, but then this post would be VERY long. Something for a future video, I think…
This week I’ve been hearing from people who usually stream music, who have been choosing to buy vinyl, CD or a download to be part of this incredible team effort. Streaming has its place, but having compared the audio quality of various streaming services against a high-quality download, I’m very happy that these people will get a much more satisfying listening experience. Who knows, they might even be encouraged to buy music from other artists, which means more music can be made in future.
The connection between music supporter and music maker is that direct.
From the artist side of things, having an exciting chart result helps with future album making (both from sales paying us back for production costs, and opening doors for expanding the operation slightly beyond the walls of my bedroom studio), and potentially gig-getting, which all then comes back to offer more things to this wonderful community.
It’s certainly not about impressing the major labels…if anything, it’s to spite them. It’s a message: don’t get too comfortable, and don’t underestimate music fans.
Someone asked me yesterday what I’d do if the major labels came knocking.
My answer: charge them a consultation fee.
Let me be one in a thousand
Live my life and fall asleep
Give me peace – not pushing forever
I’d rather be one in a thousand
xxx
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
Wednesday 15th February. Rat’s monster riff is unmistakable – but I can’t understand how it’s coming out of the kitchen stereo. I walk back inside the house, my puppy Luna bouncing along behind me.
She’s always like this when we get home: keen to get out into the garden after a few hours without humans, but keener to let us know she loves us very much. This dog wags with her entire body.
“Tim!” I shout back at my husband, who has a strange look on his face. He doesn’t get to hear my “holy sh*t what’s happening?!!!” voice very often, so it takes him a minute to join me by the sink, staring incredulously at the words on the DAB radio.
BBC Radio 6 Music
Now playing: Porcupine by Obey Robots
Leaving the radio on for the dogs while we went out to watch “Spinal Tap” at the Bristol Slapstick Festival has paid off. Gideon Coe is playing “Porcupine”!!!
Thursday 23rd February. An exciting email. Steve Lamacq’s producer is writing to see if they can play “Super Connected” on his show tomorrow. Um, sure!!! I ask how on earth they came across the track, and she replies that Steve found it, she doesn’t know how.
I know how.
This shouldn’t be happening – and I don’t mean that in a surprised, self-deprecating, I can’t believe this is happening to me sort of way.
I DIDN’T SEND ANYONE THE SONGS TO PLAY ON THE RADIO.
This is happening because of YOU. People talk – and it appears there are still some very passionate music lovers working in the higher echelons of radio, interested in checking out the things people like you are talking about.
In the days after sharing the news of these radio plays, I hear from the two people responsible. People who decided to write into 6 Music and tell them about our songs. Fans of my work who just wanted to do something to help.
Scott and Andrew – THANK YOU. What a treat!
“One In A Thousand” by Obey Robots is out NOW, and it feels like great timing. This week, the hashtag #unsignedandcrap trended on Twitter, in backlash to Radio X DJ Chris Moyles’ ignorant words about independent artists.
Blah.
This entire album campaign has played out purely through these emails, videos on my YouTube channel and posts on social media. No pay-to-play, no pay-to-get-played. Just word of mouth from independently-minded music fans. That’s people power!
Over the 14 years I’ve been sharing my music online, I’ve been shown time and time again by loyal music lovers that there is space – and enthusiasm – for the things I make. Yet, every time I’m about to share a new album I can never quite believe it’s going to go well.
I would never release a single note of music I didn’t believe in, but we’re all experiencing hard times at the moment and we have to be realistic about what’s sustainable and what’s respectful.
Manufacturing physical products costs a lot of money, and no-one wants to live surrounded by boxes of their unsold vinyl, t-shirts and pick tins – but I don’t expect everyone to be able to buy things.
You’ll always be able to access the things I make in low or no-cost ways, but this whole cottage industry relies on there being enough people in a position to contribute.
So far it’s working…so thank you again!
Your support for this new record has been overwhelming, and I’m so grateful. Releasing new music in this fashion is complicated, and exhausting, but it’s been brilliant to be able to invite Rat along as a guest on my tiny record label this time around. The last time he released a new album it was on a major label – but he said this is just as exciting, and he’s really enjoyed being more hands-on with this project and getting to talk directly to you.
Over to Rat for his thoughts on sharing new music with you:
“How do I feel about the album coming out?
Surreal… a definition by the Cambridge dictionary – strange; not seeming real; like a dream: sums up how I’ve felt all week. The fear is real. it’s been nearly 30 years since I’ve released any new music and this is the first time I’ve ever released music that wasn’t with the Ned’s.There is also an overwhelming happiness that we’ve done it… we really have done this!!!
“Let’s make an album” is seeing the tip of Everest above the clouds… what lies beneath to get there is a colossal task in itself, a journey for which I will be forever grateful to Laura for.
Some folks have said they’ve never seen me this happy in a long time, and they are right in saying that.”
Thank you so much xxx
Get “One In A Thousand” here.
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
Taut and propulsive, “Elephant” marries the pop nouse of XTC with the stop-start dynamics of 00’s post-hardcore mainstays Hundred Reasons before opening up into the kind of shimmering chorus that would have shot Obey Robots to MTV stardom had it been the 90’s.
Pre-order the Obey Robots album “One In A Thousand” now and receive this track PLUS four more immediately. Shop limited edition vinyl, signed CDs, cassettes, tees, hoodies, lyric books and guitar pick tins.
SONG CREDITS
Produced by Laura Kidd.
Mixed by Chris Sheldon. Mastered by Katie Tavini.
All music by Laura Kidd and Rat, all lyrics and arrangements by Laura Kidd. All vocals and bass by Laura, all guitars by Rat. Drums by Max Saidi.
Rat’s guitars recorded by Dan Austin. All other instruments recorded by Laura in The Launchpad, Bristol.
Single artwork by Laura Kidd, robot illustration by Alex Tillbrook.
LYRICS
Newspaper shouts that we’ve had enough
The radio says we’re all out of love
Don’t let them take what you worked hard for
Slaving away for your family
There’s nothing left for the strangers who bleed
Hold tight to the things that you value
Thank your lucky stars
Look to the future
There’s freedom in guitars
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Count the seconds as they crystallise
It’s just a little further
The government says we’re overrun
They get a break while you soldier on
Cos you don’t have the life that you deserve
You’re working hard for your family
There’s nothing else, you believe what you read
This wasn’t given to you on a plate
Don’t politicise
Stick to the music
Dance for a little while
Always scraping the barrel
Parroting lines
I’ve never felt so angry
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Count the seconds as they crystallise
It’s just a little further
We’re wasting time
Don’t want to feel so bad
We’re wasting time
And it was all we had
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Count the seconds as they crystallise
It’s just a little further
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Losing hours as they hypnotise
It’s always a little further than we can
Thank you for visiting! Tap to get your FREE 12-track album + 31-page PDF zine of stories, photographs and artwork here. My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories” is available to order NOW on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Get five songs in your inbox immediately when you order before the release date of 18th April 2025. Join The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon to receive quarterly bundles of art and members-only music plus extra perks + immediate access to my entire digital archive (digital and analogue memberships available) Listen to my first Penfriend album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue here. If you make things too – or want to know more about the creative process – I’m sharing thoughtful weekly essays here on my experiments in art, music and life on Substack (and I won’t be at all offended if you prefer to read my stuff there rather than on this absolutely gorgeous website). Chat with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
See you soon xo
PS yes, my songs are available everywhere else you listen to music online.
Just search for Penfriend, She Makes War and Obey Robots.
You could even subscribe here to send a message to the algorithm overlords that Penfriend rocks!
Better still
