As I type these words, the results are in. It’s 5.51pm and I’ve been ignoring the internet all day, knowing that at some point a number will be assigned to my new album. It may well have been published somewhere online already, or is about to be.
So I thought I’d write to you before I read that number. Because, as I wrote to my Correspondent’s Club members this morning:
“We are not defined by things outside our control but by what we put into the world and how we carry ourselves. And I feel good about both of those things today.”
HUGEST thank you for your support and encouragement not only in this hectic week of album releasing, but since you first came across my work. It makes a huge difference knowing I have a friendly group of music fans to share my songs, words and videos with. You are appreciated.
Whatever numbers I read in a few minutes won’t change my belief in the album I shared with you last Friday, and the energy I have for continuing to create experiences around the songs on “House Of Stories”.
As I sang in “Emotional Tourist”: “I’m not finished”.
An album release is a new beginning, not just for those songs starting to find their homes in peoples’ lives and hearts, but for me to start the second hero’s journey of sharing them with people outside this lovely circle.
If you fancy helping me with that, I’ve created a webpage which gathers the album, videos and blog posts all in one handy place to easily share it with new people: http://penfriend.rocks/house-of-stories
Thank you!
Last time I put a record out (in 2023) it took so much out of me that I slumped into a long period where I didn’t write anything new. I’m not letting that happen this time.
Earlier this week I started excavating my piano from being surrounded by boxes of junk, and this morning I got myself set up to receive musical messages again. It feels good.
“Keep the channel open”, said Martha Graham. Too right.
I’m excited to keep sharing my new album “House Of Stories” with you in fun and creative ways over the coming weeks and months, but alongside that I’m commencing experiments for solo album 7.
#2 in the Independent Albums Chart #2 in the Downloads Chart #4 in the Album Sales Chart #10 in the CD Albums Chart #11 in the Vinyl Albums Chart #11 in the Scottish Albums Chart #74 in the Official Albums Chart
And…it’s the fourth-highest charting new entry this week.
Wow.
THANK YOU. You did this!
Now: go and have a lovely weekend. You deserve it.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
I’ve had several messages this week from people who want to support their local independent record shop and buy “House Of Stories” there ā a lovely idea! ā but in this case please support your local independent artist andĀ buy direct from meĀ ā¤ļø
WHY LAURA, WHYYYYY???
Between 2018 and 2024 I did have my records in shops, placed there through a distributor, but due to limited space it’s super competitive trying to get them to stock even 1 or 2 copies…plus they obviously have to charge quite a lot for stocking it and selling it to you.
Printing beautiful vinyl costs me Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£, so the whole thing just wasn’t working out ā especially when you were hearing about the records direct from me in the first place!
As a 100% independent artist with no job or funding outside of direct-to-fan record sales and my subscription club, I do everything I can to create beautiful music and merch collections to give the best experience of my work possible, while also paying for everything to be made in the first place. Without pre-orders for āHouse Of Storiesā, there would have been no vinyl, no CDs, no anything else.
Last year I made the decision to quit my physical distribution deal and go back to only selling my music direct. Hello there!
WHY NOW???
All physical sales made by 7.30pm today count towards the Official UK Albums Chart result tomorrow, and all digital purchases made until 23:59 also count BUT ONLY IF YOU DOWNLOAD YOUR DOWNLOADS.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
This is my fourth midweek chart placement, and each time I marvel at how these albums I write and produce myself and release from my house via email and social media posts have sat amongst some of the biggest names in pop.
I meanā¦hi Elton and Brandi Carlile! I LOVE YOUR MUSIC. You met through a letter? That’s very fun. You’re PENFRIENDS too!
Itās even more amazing when you look at the numbers ā if today’s chart was based on album sales (not streams), āHouse Of Storiesā would be #4 today. NUMBER FOUR.
Oh hi Taylor Swift, greetings again Sir Elton, and hello Hawkwind! 37 studio albums….RESPECT.
It would bring me great joy to see my name in the pop charts at the end of this week, but whatās way more important is to acknowledge and appreciate the outpouring of love and support for this new collection of songs.
THANK YOU. None of this happens without YOU.
Music isnāt a competition. āHouse Of Storiesā is my best album yet, and Iām so proud to share it with you.
If you donāt have your copy yet, itās a great day to grab yours from my shop! Choose from four beautiful vinyl colours, CDs and KiT box sets. Iāve even made 3- and 5-CD bundles in case youād like to give the gift of Penfriend to your friends š
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
šø š Your copy of my new album “House Of Stories” is waiting for you here, now shipping worldwide: https://shop.penfriend.rocks/collections/penfriend-house-of-stories
VIDEO CREDITS Directed, shot and edited by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Nottingham.
SONG CREDITS Written, produced, performed, and recorded by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Nottingham. Mixed by Chris Sheldon. Mastered by Katie Tavini.
HUGEST THANKS to The Correspondent’s Club. I can’t do this without you xxx
TYPEWRITER CREDITS My beloved collection *currently* consists of:
Brother Deluxe 750TR (my first ā a gift from my Grandad in the mid ’80s) Olympia SM9 Olivetti Lettera 32 Adler Tippa S Hermes Media 3 (French AZERTY version!) Olympia SM3 (custom rose gold finish)
LYRICS
Cradling grudges Iāll grip til the end Biting my tongue cos forever will mend Keeping the peace with inscrutable men Never again
In the light sometimes I fall to pieces In the light sometimes In the light sometimes
Grinding up gravel to spit at the sun Simple affection can never return Swallow my secrets Protecting my home Building my own
In the light sometimes I fall to pieces In the dark sometimes I canāt believe it You think I forgive you but I never mean it In the light sometimes In the light sometimes
In the light sometimes I fall to pieces In the dark sometimes I canāt believe it You think I forgive you but I never mean it In the light sometimes In the light sometimes
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
During the pandemic I remember reading an article about how one of the ways living in close proximity was changing peoplesā relationships was the lack of literal perspective. Standing close to loved ones all the time, rarely getting a chance to step back and see them as a whole person. It has an effect.
Iāve been pondering this while making and sharing music videos for my new album this year. I make my own videos: setting up lights, tripod and everything else I need to shoot, doing my best to make my weird and wonderful ideas come to life on screen, then editing them afterwards.
Itās well-discussed that working with constraints makes you more creative. 3 minutes to tell a story in sound and song. Small budgets, basic equipment, small spaces. Using only what you already have.
But it can be hard to get the feet and legs in. It can be hard to show the full person.
āEmotional Touristā was shot in my front room, in front of a variety of backdrops. I set the camera up behind my armchair to get a decent shot, but didnāt want to show the mess on both sides, plus my backdrop didnāt go down to the ground. No feet shots possible. Dagnabbit.
I tried to change this for āSpace, Manā, hiring a studio in town so I could put the camera a bit further back. But the backdrop wasnāt wide enough again, so you didnāt get to see the white socks I wore to match my inflatable space rocket. I tried. š
While filming for āThe Life Of The Partyā, there was a weird issue with the stage lighting. I couldnāt figure out why it was giving me a totally blue, blown-out face if the camera was set back too far.
If I was calmly filming someone else I might have been able to work it out; dressed in a party frock grasping a ukulele, I did what I always doā¦my best.
For āIn The Light Sometimesā I decided to show the whole picture.
Last summer I spent 54 days in my attic home studio, The Launchpad, recording my new album āHouse Of Storiesā. I decided to show the whole space; the constraints I turned into creativity.
It was only after I hung my new action camera off the attic latch for the top-down shot that I realised my feet would be on video for once. And, though my slipper game is STRONG, I decided to be dead posh for once and change into some nice shoes for the occasion.
This song makes me cry. I hope you enjoy the video.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
Last week I wrote about how underground punk legend John Otwayās books and film have been inspiring me to cook up the most outlandish plan of my musical life so far.
Iām here today to tell you all about the logical next step in the story of my illogical, 100% independent music career.
If youāve known me for any length of time, you know there is no āTeamĀ Penfriendā.
From writing, producing, arranging, recording and performing the songs on my albums (with ace guest musicians drafted in when needed), to laying out the text on the CDs and vinyl packaging, writing and designing the lyric books, shooting and editing my videos, building and maintaining my website, releasing the albums on my micro-label My Big Sister Recordings with all that entails, and walking your merch orders up to my local Post Office twice a week ā hi, I am Team Penfriend.
With honourable mention to my beloved Tim who is very supportive and helpful (if youāve ever seen one of my ads, he set that up), Iām the one running the whole shebang.
This is not a brag: I say this only to underline the absolute ridiculousness of my last two album releases going into the Official UK Albums Chart. Not the āglitter-grunge synthānāguitar alt-popā albums chart, but the full-on, overall, why-the-heck-are-ABBA-always-still-in-there? albums chart.
I love ABBAā¦but, come on!
In 2021, music fans like (and possibly including) YOU put my first Penfriend album āExotic Monstersā at #24 in the overall chart and #5 in the Independent Albums Chart ā the chart for artists on independent labels, from big ones youāve heard of to very tiny one-person ones mine.
In 2023, music fans like (and possibly including) YOU put āOne In A Thousandā (my collaboration album with Rat from Nedās Atomic Dustbin) at #14 in the overall chart and #1 in the Independent Album Chart. NUMBER FREAKING ONE!
These numbers blow me away. Look what we did!
Between my efforts to make and share music and your absolutely stunning generosity and support, we can do huge things. And over the two years since my last album release Iāve received so many messages from people like (and possibly including) YOU telling me what fun it was to stick it to āthe manā, and asking when are we going to do it all again?
Honestly, I talked myself out of writing this email a few times. And then I realised I was letting them win! These big powerful structures that we’re not meant to be cheeky towards, let alone pay a visit to. These places that aren’t meant for the likes of us, because we didn’t do it their way.
I was too busy making seven albums to schmooze the right people, and I don’t regret my decisions for a minute.
OKā¦we had a Top 30 album together. That was wonderful. Thank you!
Then we had a Top 20 album together. Unbelievable. Thank you!
Where do YOU think we should go next?
ā¦
ā¦
Top 10. I’m whispering. Should I say it out loud? Should I shout it?!
Could we? Shall we?
WHY try and get in the charts?
Because itās FUN. Because itās FUN-NY. Because Iām sick of only the people with huge amounts of financial backing getting all the things ā radio play, multi-page magazine spreads, TV slots. Because itās an example of the sort of big things I think weāre all individually capable of if we decide weāre going to go for it. Because it shows what a passionate community of music lovers care about, and thrusts it, albeit briefly, to sit alongside the mainstream.
Because it shouldnāt be possible for a 43-year old solo artist making music in a colourful Nottingham attic to have her name and made-up record label listed alongside ABBA.
Even though, wait, yes I THOUGHT so… (spot the ABBA Gold): 2023:
2021:
I donāt make music for the mainstream, I make it for you. And both times Iāve had albums in the Top 40 itās been a victory for every single person who voted with their purchase of an album made by hand with loving care.
So, how do we get a Top 10 album in 2025?
This is the thing. Even though passive streams of big famous songs on playlists count as 1 chart sale per 1500 plays (!), and my streaming numbers are utter garbage because I refuse to advertise giant companies that don’t treat me well, this idea doesnāt feel thatridiculous.
Around 7,500 UK residents currently hang out on my big mailing list. And another 270 brilliant people are here. Hi!
So far, we have clocked up around 1400 chart-eligible sales from pre-orders of āHouse Of Storiesā.
Thank you!
To have a chance of getting into the Top 40, we need to find loving homes for another 1500 copies of the new record in the next FOUR weeks.
To get into the Top 10, itās another 3000 copies on top of that.
Is this totally ridiculous, or is it a fun idea?
There are enough of us here to make this happen, even without the help of other people around the internet. But you know I love creating experiences around my album releases, so I’ll be busy with blog posts, videos and live events over the next few weeks for all to enjoy. I hope you’ll join me!
āHouse Of Storiesā is an album that celebrates age, experience and personal power. In the 20 years since I wrote the first two songs that appeared on my debut album (āI Amā and āghostsandshadowsā), my life has completely transformed.
From strumming my guitar on a bed squashed into the corner of a tiny bedroom in a dirty shared house in South London to making music and videos in my colourful attic home studio in Nottingham, with all the adventures I went on in-between, making the songs I wanted to make sound exactly how I wanted them to and finding creative ways to share them with you has been utterly life-changing.
Taking my music projects into my own hands was a necessity from the start ā with no manager / label / agent, no industry help of any kind (moral or financial!), I have always funded everything Iāve made through freelance work and huge amounts of support from music fans crowdfunding and pre-ordering my albums.
Iām so grateful for what Iāve managed to build with your help. Thank you.
The second verse of the title track goes like this:
āTrapped in our warm bodies Still brimming with hope Reaching the highest places We think we can goā
In 16 years of releasing music online Iāve learned that interesting things can happen when I spend my time in positive, generous ways. But even greater things can happen when you decide on a destination.
Iāve decided.
Iāll leave you with this helpful quote by Normal Vincent Peale, the writer of āThe Power Of Positive Thinkingā:
āShoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the starsā.
You may recall I have a rocket ship at my disposal.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
Four weeks from today I am releasing my sixth solo album āHouse Of Storiesā: my celebration of age, experience and (hopefully) wisdom.
Helping me face up to ghosts from my past, the new songs are for anyone whoās felt trapped in the wrong four walls ā literal or metaphorical, caused by others or self-imposed.
My musician pal Charley Stone1 visited the Launchpad a few weeks ago to help me create a full-length album video and audio podumentary. Among her insightful comments and questions she described some of the tracks on āHouse Of Storiesā as āsoothingā, which I took as a great compliment.
I will never pretend everythingās okay in my songs, but the more music I make the more I want to leave you feeling hopeful and included. I love creating experiences within, around and leading up to my music releases (hence these posts), and I’ll always keep inviting you to get as involved as you want to.
Speaking of whichā¦
Last year I shared a video where I decided to think Very Big Indeed2, declaring that in the year 2027 I will be headlining Shepherdās Bush Empire.
Titled āItās time to set some ridiculous goalsā, I made it to choose optimism over pessimism, to dream big instead of opting for pragmatism all the time. Not sitting back and wishing for things to happen to me, but directing my efforts in exciting directions that seem out of reach, so I can work very hard to try and get there.
In the comments, Correspondentās Club member David told me about a fellow musician called John Otway3.
āThe list of things heās made happen in his career, by pretty much just saying heād do it, is clear evidence you can make amazing things happen.ā
I was excited. I devoured everything I could find online about John, watched his Netflix film, ordered both of his books (and immediately read them both) and even sent him a friendly email to say thank you for the inspiration.
And so itās John Otwayās (and Davidās) fault that Iām gearing up to unveil the most outlandish plan Iāve cooked up so far in my 28 years of making music.
Iāll tell you more next Friday.
To tide you overā¦I made a rare appearance on a music podcast! Thanks to sharing my music and writing on Substack, I made contact with Tim and Chris at New Sounds Union, who asked brilliant questions and made me feel right at home (I find these things nerve-racking when I’m not doing the editing).
Titled āHow an independent artist tops the chartsā,my episode is available here. I talk about how 10 years in the school orchestra led me towards arranging and producing my own songs, why I think doing stuff and keeping going is most important and how amazing music fans are (thank you).
Back at Penfriend HQ, the HOS goodies are starting to arrive ā I love this part of releasing albums!
** VINYLLLLLL **
The four publicly available vinyl colours are looking absolutely stunning!
** CLOTHING **
The sample tees and hoodies were printed this week by local Notts printer Phil at Whitewater Design & Print and Iām just glad I donāt have to choose between them…thanks to Jessica Wild and Daniel Catt for the beautiful designs!
I won’t be printing many more tees / hoodies than have been ordered by the end of next weekend, so make sure you secure your size ASAP (XS-4XL available).
** KiT Hybrid Digital Format**
The KiT samples arrived from Seoul this week, coinciding with a mention of “House Of Stories” in Music Week!
It’s true, HOS will be the first completely independently released chart-reporting KiT album in the UK…very exciting.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
Ten days ago I wrote 1,208 rather self-pitying words about my situation as an independent musician. I was tired, perhaps a little burned out, and feeling overwhelmed by the big structures making everything so much more difficult every time I do this (the existence of streaming, rising costs of producing physical goods etc etc blah blah blah).
To be fair to me, I was waking up every day at 6.30am with a clench in my stomach, thoughts racing. Iād lie there and decide right away the day ahead was absolutely impossible. I could only fail, so what was the point in trying to get through my To Do list?
Iād close my eyes and hope for sleep to return, waking late and annoyed with myself for missing the gym ā again.
Luckily for me ā and for you ā this meant I didnāt have the time or energy to return to those words, shape them into something more coherent and share them with you. A week later I scanned through them and realised they were working-out-words, not words to be read by others, and I blushed a little at the self-indulgence of considering publishing them in the first place.
This year Iāve tried to get into a regular practice of writing more not necessarily to share more writing, but to do more thinking.
Writing is how I figure stuff out, which means there are no wasted words, but when I see those words piling up in my Scrivener sidebar a part of me (the part that also panics about money all the time) wants to make the most of them, because writing is also how I intrigue, tempt and persuade people to listen to the music I make.
Creating albums is my main thing, but if I hadnāt worked writing into the heart of it all I wouldnāt be making such a go of it, Iām sure.
As someone who appreciates honesty on the internet, I donāt want to hide my tough times under a fake sheen. Iāve always made a point of sharing my process as a self-taught music / video / audio producer, because I want others to see an example of the possibilities available if they put the time and effort into the thing they really want to do.
I donāt believe in only sharing happy days and successes, because it paints a warped picture of things, but I decided long ago that itās important to me to bring optimism to the online spaces I spend time in. And when Iām writing to supportive music fans, busy with their own trials and tribulations, health issues, financial struggles and all the rest, why on earth would I want to complain directly to them about how hard it is for me sometimes?
At the start of this year I decided to try out this āword of the yearā thing Iāve seen people talking about. The first word that came to mind is āgratitudeā, and the moment it flashed up in my brain hole I experienced the resistance my 20ās and probably 30ās self would have felt if someone had suggested it.
āUrgh gross what?ā
I took that as a sign to face up to my discomfort, and to use this word to try and reframe my world. Itās been very helpful so far.
My feelings do matter ā as do yours ā but whatever Iām going through I am healthy, I am well and I am living my absolute dream of creating whatever the hell music I want and figuring out ways to send it out into the world to find the people who will love it the most.
Feeling the feelings and writing the writing are essential tasks on my busy To Do list, of course, but sometimes itās better wait and make sure Iām showing up with something interesting / useful / notĀ too whiny.
I am free, I am grateful, and I can write overly long sentences whenever I like.
Thank you for reading ā Iām grateful for you, too.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
A song for the introverts, for the bruised hearts, for the blushing ones fed up with holding it all inside.
Sometimes the past wonāt let us go, but if we turn and face it, we can take action to dull the blows. We can heal ourselves.
This is a call to tell our stories ā to ourselves and others. Our voices matter.
I wrote this song in one day in October 2023. Sometimes a song falls from the sky, and my job is to catch hold of it and nurture it.
This song helped heal me. Now itās yours.
THANK YOU.
VIDEO CREDITS Directed and shot by Laura Kidd at The Carousel, Nottingham, and edited in The Launchpad. Additional filming and warm support by Tim Bailey.
SONG CREDITS Written, produced, performed, and recorded by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Nottingham. Piano by Jay Chakravorty. Drums by Max Saidi. Mixed by Chris Sheldon. Mastered by Katie Tavini.
HUGEST THANKS to The Correspondent’s Club. I can’t do this without you xxx
LYRICS
When did the light fade out of your eyes? When did the life drain out of mine? Now when the storm comes Iām ready to run How do you explain what weāve become?
Just wait Donāt leave yet Donāt second guess
Iām not the life of the party Iām the light, Iām the light, Iām the light
I dream of a birthday – on my birthday Chocolate cake in my hands – donāt take my hand The gentlest fiction for my crash land
It shouldnāt surprise me – you surprise me The mess that weāre in – this mess weāre in Cos if itās not raining itās threatening – is threatening
Donāt leave Youāre never known me Just listen
Iām not the life of the party Iām the light, Iām the light, Iām the light
Where did the love go out of your kiss? Why does it always come back to this?
Iām not the life of the party Iām the light, Iām the light Iām not the life of the party Iām the light, Iām the light Iām not the life of the party Iām the light, Iām the light Iām the light
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
Itās two years since my collaboration album āOne In A Thousandā topped the Official UK Independent Albums Chart, and I have something to tell you.
Something strange and magical happens when people come together to make music. Thereās an unexplainable connection that means the songs written could never have existed without exactly those people being involved, at exactly that time and in exactly that way.
Thatās what Obey Robots is. And hereās what we made.
How it happened
Iāve been a solo artist since 2010, with my sixth album due out six weeks today. After playing in lots of bands as a teen and in my 20ās, I decided I wanted to explore my own inner world without compromising with multiple other people, and itās been a really fun creative adventure.
In 2019 Rat (the guitarist from Nedās Atomic Dustbin) came across the video for my song āDrown Me Outā on YouTube. He was spending some time recording his guitar ideas with Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff, and asked Miles if heād heard of me. āSheās a friendā1, M replied, before introducing us by email.
As you can imagine, I was beyond delighted to discover that the songs Iād been putting out into the world since 2010 had impressed one of my favourite guitarists. We decided to see what we could make together and, building on his brilliant source material, I wrote and produced the songs that became āOne In A Thousandā, emailing each new finished section to Rat over email to ever more enthusiastic responses.
Fun fact: Iāll never forget cutting up the āPorcupineā guitar riff, layering instruments and vocals to make a spiky song and then completely forgetting to send it to Rat for a few weeks. But it was worth the wait š¦
How it went
Every time I finish an album I hope that it will go and do *something* in the world, but I never know what that *something* will be.
āOne In A Thousandā was the first time I totally gave up on trying to get reviews and radio play, because I knew that talking directly to music fans was all I was interested in spending my energy on. And after his major label experiences, I know Rat was excited by the DIY nature of the way Iāve been doing things since first sharing my music online in 2009. He was fully on board, and I worked very hard with the release to make sure his trust in me was not misplaced!
I hoped āOne In A Thousandā would have an impact, but we could never have predicted the warm wave of support that we received. October 2022 to March 2023 was a very exciting time, and thatās all down to the generous support of music fans.
Our totally independently produced and released record went to #14 in the Official UK Albums Chart and #1 in the Official Independent Albums Chart ā and we have the trophies to prove it.
What the heck?!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH ā¤ļø
So, whatās next?
Every time someone asks when the next Obey Robots album is coming out, or when weāre going to tour, itās a huge compliment. Thank you.
It feels like the right moment to say that neither of these things are currently happening. We never planned to tour, and we never planned to start a band.
Rat is developing some music with another collaborator, which Iām excited to cheer on from the sidelines, and as you may have picked up from this post, my whole life is about making albums into the long-distant future.
We both hope āOne In A Thousandā continues to find its audience into the future. Iām so proud of what we made. Massive thanks always to Milo for putting us in touch, and to Rat for the YouTube binge that brought us together, and the wonderful guitar demos!
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available NOWĀ on super limited vinyl, CDs and KiT hybrid digital albums, with accompanying tees, hoodies and books. Music fans got it to #2 in the Official UK Independent Album Chart in April 2025. Bonkers!
ā¤ļøĀ Join The Correspondent’s ClubĀ on PatreonĀ 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)
