“Brace For Impact” – (2018)

From 2009-2019 I made music under the name She Makes War, releasing 4 and a bit solo albums and playing nearly 600 shows.

“Brace For Impact” was the final full-length She Makes War album, released on 5th October 2018. Funded through Pledge Music and the generosity of music fans, it reached #15 in the Independent Album Chart and narrowly missed out on a top 100 placing in the Official Albums Chart. It was all very exciting for this indie artist!

As I said at the time, “I’ve never wanted to wait around for the old guard to validate and endorse me – my whole career has been about making the art I want to and finding a way to get it to people.” “I’m here to share my stories and show my audience I hear and see them too. It’s human nature, to want to know you’re not alone.”

Stream the album in full below, pick up your copy on CD or “dogface” splatter vinyl and subscribe to my channel for more videos xo

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FREE online gig 26/10/22 – “Sad songs to make you feel better”

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Live performances Music News

The theme for my next FREE online gig is “sad songs to make you feel better”.

It’s all a lot at the moment, isn’t it?!! – and I’ve always found writing and listening to supposedly sad music very cathartic. So, far from being a depressing time, it’s a chance to hang out with a friendly bunch of music fans and feel your feelings. Like any other gig, then, but the drinks are cheaper and the crunchy snacks won’t bother others.

Mmm, popcorn.

If you’d like to request a particular song from my Penfriend and She Makes War back catalogue please leave a comment below!

The show will take place on my YouTube channel – subscribe here and tap the “get reminder” bell.

THANK YOU for visiting my website! I’m Laura Kidd, a music producer, songwriter and filmmaker based in Bristol, UK. It’s great to meet you.

+ Get two free songs immediately when you sign up for thoughtful letters about art and music.

+ Get your copy of my album “Exotic Monsters” and browse my back catalogue right here.

+ Watch my weekly YouTube videos here and browse episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” here.

+ Be part of the making of new music – check out membership options for The Correspondent’s Club.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

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“Roman Candles” – Death Cab For Cutie (cover)

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Live performances

When I heard this song earlier this year I was so transfixed I had to play it over and over and over (and over) again…that doesn’t happen often to me these days, but the lyrics stopped me in my tracks. I feel them so much.

➡️ Death Cab For Cutie’s new album “Asphalt Meadows” is out now and they have a great YouTube channel.

➡️ This is a live one take performance with additional vocal harmonies added afterwards. This time I experimented recording the audio using the Rode Video Mic Pro + and added some reverb in Logic Pro.

➡️ Watch more from my “Take a sad song and make it sadder” covers series.

✅ FUN FACT: one of the reasons I’m called Penfriend is down to loving The Postal Service’s album “Give Up”. Dream collab!!!

Join my mailing list for free songs and stories, subscribe here for future videos and get involved from the start of Penfriend album #2 by joining The Correspondent’s Club.

Have a lovely day! xo

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Digging ourselves a hole… – “A-Hole” Live from the Archive (2015)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Live performances

“A-Hole” performed live at Ort Cafe, Birmingham, 24th March 2015.

This song originally appeared on my 2010 album “Disarm”, released under the name She Makes War.

Bass by Simon Goff, drums by Elijah Dahl.

Recorded by Dan Hayward, mixed and mastered by Jay Chakravorty. Video by Blacklight Productions.

🎶 Browse my entire back catalogue – She Makes War and Penfriend – here.

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Pre-order the Obey Robots album today!

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News

The day is finally here! I’m delighted to invite you to browse the Obey Robots “One In A Thousand” pre-order extravaganza for limited edition coloured vinyl, CDs, cassettes, hardback books, guitar pick tins, tees and hoodies.

Order “One In A Thousand” today and be the first to get “Not The Quiet Type” as an immediate download, plus a new song sent to your inbox every six weeks leading up to the album release date of 24th February 2023.

Rat says – “I never thought I’d be sitting here again saying the words “we’ve got an album coming out” – and I can’t tell you how utterly amazing it feels to say just those words, knowing what both of us have been through over the last three years.

It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, and I had to do a lot of soul searching about whether I wanted to do this again.

I can’t say that I have any words to describe this.”

I say – “The title track “One In A Thousand” sums up the album.

In a potentially very disconnected and lonely world, I hold onto the idea that every single one of us can hold a valuable place in our communities, offering the best of ourselves and receiving love and support in return.

Instead of clawing our way up to a lonely pedestal to be one in a million, we can stand together and be one in a thousand.

I hope you’ll join our friendly robot army.”

Launching new music into the world always brings a mess of emotions with it, and I really can’t thank you enough for your support.

Thank you!

Laura xoxo

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Illuminate my arrow. “In This Boat” live from Lightship95 (2011)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Live performances

“In This Boat” performed live on the Lightship95 music studio boat on the River Thames, November 2011.

This song appears on my 2012 album “Little Battles”, released under the name She Makes War.

At the end of 2011 I assembled a temporary band of superstars in their own right to showcase four songs from my upcoming second album “Little Battles”. We spent a whole day filming on the Lightship95 music studio inside a pink boat moored on the River Thames, and this is one of the songs we played.

Band members:
Annie Gardiner – bass / vocals
Tom Gardiner – drums
Dana Jade aka Ms Mohammed – guitar
Milly McGregor – violin
Bass – backing vocals

Video shot so beautifully by Ed Christmas, edited by Laura Kidd.
Audio recorded and mixed by Jarrad Hearman, mastered by Ian Shepherd.

🎶 Browse my entire back catalogue – She Makes War and Penfriend – here.

Join my mailing list for free songs and stories, subscribe here for future videos and get involved from the start of Penfriend album #2 by joining The Correspondent’s Club.

Have a lovely day! xo

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I quit social media for 30 days and slept better for a WHOLE YEAR

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox

In June 2021 I quit social media for 30 days…and it helped me sleep better for a whole year.

When I released my album “Exotic Monsters” in May 2021 I was burned out. Musicians can end up spending a lot of time online promoting their work, and I needed a rest.

Social media has been a really great space for me to meet music fans and make all sorts of interesting connections since I started blogging in 2004 and tweeting in 2007, but in recent years it feels like it’s all got a bit too much. Do you agree?

The tactics of the attention engineers employed by those big companies to keep us stuck to our phones seem to have got more aggressive over time, and I’ve personally felt embarrassment, guilt and shame about my sometime phone addiction.

I decided to do something about it, and I’d love to hear what you think of this video.

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With three little words you lied… – “Scared To Capsize” Live from the Archive (2015)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Live performances

“Scared To Capsize” performed live on ukulele, vocals and loop pedal at Ort Cafe, Birmingham, 24th March 2015.

This song originally appeared on my 2010 album “Disarm”, released under the name She Makes War.

I dressed up as a unicorn in the music video and travelled in a paper boat across East London.

Recorded by Dan Hayward, mixed and mastered by Jay Chakravorty. Video by Blacklight Productions.

🎶 Browse my entire back catalogue – She Makes War and Penfriend – here.

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Obey Robots album countdown starts here

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Live performances

Sign up here to receive exclusive early access to the Obey Robots album pre-order on October 4th and also be the first to hear the new music (existing mailing list subscribers don’t need to sign up again).

In 2019, I received an exciting email from Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff, asking if I’d be interested in writing some music with Rat from Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. Having first heard “Kill Your Television” on a mixtape in 1997, I was over the moon to discover that Rat had stumbled across my work on a YouTube binge – and a new collaboration was born.

Various roadblocks soon cropped up, meaning the journey between that first email and this exciting day has not been easy – but we made it.

In this new video I talk about the importance of keeping going, even when you want to quit (and oh, did I want to quit!), and how proud I am that we finished this record. I can’t wait for you to hear it!

🎶 Fewer than 30 copies of the Obey Robots 7″ vinyl “Let It Snow / Inside Out” remain – get yours here.

Join my mailing list for free songs and stories, subscribe here for future videos and get involved from the start of Penfriend album #2 by joining The Correspondent’s Club.

Have a lovely day! xo

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“Direction Of Travel” – (2016)

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

From 2009-2019 I made music under the name She Makes War, releasing 4 and a bit solo albums and playing nearly 600 shows.

My third album “Direction Of Travel” was made in the cold months straddling 2014 and 2015 in Bristol, Brighton and London. It felt like a long time coming.

After releasing “Little Battles” in 2012 I’d moved cities, lived in six different houses, loved a little and lost a lot. Right before I went into the studio in December 2014 I tested my mettle with a 35 date tour, consisting of three weeks adventuring around Germany on my own, travelling by train, and three weeks supporting The Levellers in Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and all around the UK.

I survived to tell the tales contained within these songs, and sent them out into the world to find their own direction of travel. Thank you so much for listening.

Stream the album in full below, pick up your copy in my shop and subscribe to my channel for more videos xo

THANK YOU for visiting my website! I’m Laura Kidd, a music producer, songwriter and podcaster based in Bristol, UK. It’s great to meet you.

+ Get your copy of my new album “Exotic Monsters” right here.

+ Get two free songs immediately when you sign up for thoughtful letters about art and music.

+ Join my Correspondent’s Club for exclusive member perks, and to power the making of new music, videos and podcast episodes.

+ Browse episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” here.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

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