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 to order NOWĀ 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.
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)
It could have been so great. They could have been heroes. But no. The internet made us disconnected, but theyāre on another planet.
Maybe it was always like this, only now we can tune in at any time of day and hear the details. We watch, open-mouthed, as they get away with it. Criminal activity, noxious views, obscene gestures ā anything goes when you have all the money in the world and a platform to spew from.
Living in a permanent state of cognitive dissonance is exhausting. Let’s disobey, let off steam, take care of each other and never, ever, give up.
VIDEO CREDITS Directed and shot by Laura Kidd at The Createry, Nottingham, edited in The Launchpad. Additional filming and alien wrangling by Tim Bailey.
SONG CREDITS Written, produced, performed, and recorded by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Nottingham. 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
Spaceman Floating in your tin can Furious at everyone Will you go straight for the gun? Coulda woulda shoulda done Still you go Straight for the gun
Are we ecstatic or just numb? Pushing through the bodies as we run Boil the water slowly so we forget to scream Pick out the wrong side So we can just fight
Spacequeen Louder than you should have been Blowing it to smithereens Still you go Straight for the gun āUnbelievable scenesā Cos you go Straight for the gun
Are we ecstatic or just numb? Pushing through the bodies as we run Boil the water slowly so we forget to scream Pick out the wrong side So we can just fight
Itās too late Let your lies drag you under Tell me what you want now Can you tell me? Tell me what you want now Youāve got nothing to say anyway Tell me what you want now Itās all so strange, strange, strange Tell me what you want now Youāve got nothing to say Nothing to say Nothing to say
Spaceman Could have been the biggest bang But you go Straight for the gun Are we ecstatic or just numb? Pushing through the bodies as we run Boil the water slowly so we forget to scream
Pick out the wrong side So we can just fight Pick out the wrong side So we can just fight Pick out the wrong side So we can just fight
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available to order NOWĀ 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.
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)
Songs can mend moments. Art stretches time, giving me a chance to walk back into the room and say what I wouldacouldashoulda. Giving me the power to walk out.
āEmotional Touristā is a fiery anthem* for anyone whoās suffered at the hands of bullies, creeps and narcissists. Fielding comments – or worse – on your appearance, your weight, your life choices. Painted into a corner by politeness, with an inability to believe someone could truly be that awful – and be doing it on purpose, too.
Just me? Sadly not.
11 years ago, faced with my soon-to-be-exās final attempts to extinguish my creativity I did manage to get out, but there was no blaze of glory. Real life is usually quieter than that.
I know I’m one of the lucky ones.
āEmotional Touristā is a chance for me to rewrite my story in that blaze of glory – 3 minutes 40 seconds of foot-stomping, fist-wielding synth rock.
Because when events from the past refuse to stay there, the only thing to do as a songwriter is stab them in the eye with the blade of truth.
āYou reap what you sow.ā
* PS: my rule on such bragging is: if someone else (who isn’t a friend and doesn’t live with me) calls the song an anthem, I can call the song an anthem…
VIDEO CREDITS Directed, shot and edited by Laura Kidd.
Additional filming and warmest encouragement from Tim Bailey, my actual hero (can you spot his lovely face near the end of the video?)
Paper house crafted by LK, with a cameo from the Christmas tree fairy Sarah-Jane Osborne made for me a few years ago, when I went by the name She Makes War. Thank you, S-J!
PS I’m playing my beloved Reverend Double Agent OG in this video.
SONG CREDITS Written, produced, performed, and recorded by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Nottingham. 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
You think Iām an emotional tourist But you donāt know how deep I go Holding tight, but Iām lost in this forest And thereās no sign of my hero So I guess Iāll just sleep in the snow
Itās like this – The lure of a late night kiss A situation that shouldnāt exist Now Iām trapped in a house in the humdrum With a cut-price narcissist – Now Iām trapped in a house with a poisoned mind
He tells me to give up my dream The thing Iāve wanted since I was 13 Or Iām not on his team Now thereās smoke in the house And I didnāt even think to scream
You reap what you sow, motherfucker / lazy lover Go Go, go
You think Iām an emotional tourist But you donāt know how deep I go Holding tight, but Iām lost in this forest And thereās no sign of my hero So I guess Iāll just sleep in the snow
Iām not finished
Thatās two years Iāll never get back Iām sick of hearing Iām too fat Iām too boring Iām too this Iām too that
He said I couldnāt make him feel That I shouldnāt write about whatās real Then he lit that match Oh well – whatās a girl to do?
You reap what you sow, motherfucker / lazy lover Go, go I hope you know You reap what you sow So go
I hope you choke
You think Iām an emotional tourist But you donāt know how deep I go Holding tight, but Iām lost in this forest And thereās no sign of my hero So I guess Iāll just sleep in the snow I guess Iāll just sleep in the snow
You think Iām an emotional tourist But you donāt know how deep I go Holding tight, but Iām lost in this forest And thereās no sign of my hero So I guess Iāll just sleep And you can just weep in the snow
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available to order NOWĀ 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.
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)
40 years after āLast Christmasā changed the festive singalong forever, āOur Last Christmasā is here to shed light and nuance on an innocent love story gone sour.
The fictional prequel to the biggest Christmas banger of all time, a festive tale of love, understanding and the particular resignation that, when you break a songwriterās heart, theyāre probably going to write about it.
We all get carried away sometimes, taking steps down a road that steals us further away from our true selves. That awkward, sinking feeling when we realise weāve made a mistake, led someone on with the best intentions. The conversation where we try to explain.
Like milk left out on a hot day, love can turn so quickly to something else, and – if youāre (un)lucky enough to be dating a songwriter – you brace yourself for the inevitable lyrical backlash.
Empathy is always an option, and my fictional retelling has it in spades, as our protagonist sends her spurned lover off with openhearted wisdom as she steps into her own changed future.
Itās easier to make a cartoon of someone who hurt you than to see their side of the story – and thereās always another side to the story.
āOur Last Christmasā is proof that we canāt always get what we want, but if we try sometimes we just might get what we need.
There’s always another side to the story.
Happy holidays! xxx
VIDEO CREDITS Directed, shot and edited by Laura Kidd.
SONG CREDITS Produced, performed, recorded and mixed by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Nottingham.
With HUGE thanks and maximum respect to George Michael for 40 years of musical inspiration.
I’ve never understood the “Whamageddon” thing, I love hearing “Last Christmas” and will happily spend every December in “Whamhalla” – see you there?
LYRICS
It’s our last Christmas Our last Christmas
My friends think you are trouble But I like your leather coat The bad boy in the kitchen With the world in every note
It’s our last Christmas Our last Christmas
But I don’t want you to go Not like this So give me one more kiss
You made a fuss of cooking But something won’t compute You seem to like my brother And I think your sister’s cute
It’s our last Christmas Our last Christmas
But I don’t want you to go Not like this So give me one more kiss
It’s honestly fine We’ll be just friends And I’ll tell my family
Promise me this Come over and give me one last kiss And promise you’ll write a global hit Come over and give me one last Christmas kiss x
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available to order NOWĀ 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.
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)
Two days ago a member of my online gig audience asked why the sea has been a recurring theme in my music since I wrote my first water-based song “Scared To Capsize” in 2008.
“I think there’s so much rich metaphor in waves, and depth, and sailing, and stuff…”
Deep.
It’s Bandcamp Day* – hooray! – and I’m celebrating by sharing a FREE / pay what you can live album of all my sea-themed songs, performed live on the internet on the 4th anniversary of the Penfriend launch^!
13 audio tracks, 8 songs, 1 “Gremlin interlude” and a lot of love.
I performed 8 songs that mention the sea in some fashion, PLUS had a chance to answer your burning questions, including:
ā¢ what’s my choice of ice cream flavour? ā¢ am I sand or pebbles when it comes to beaches? ā¢ if I could only visit one beach ever again, which would it be?
and
ā¢ did I *really* swim in the sea at Blackpool last week?!!!
* This album is FREE / pay what you can for the next 10 days only AND today is Bandcamp Day, so all proceeds come directly to me instead of paying the platform.
^ This sort of thing makes me appear incredibly organised, but was in fact a complete fluke.
Thank you for your support – have a wonderful weekend!
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available to order NOWĀ 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.
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)
The life of a new song, something to dance to, plus a 20-page zine Q&A with photos and studio recording notes.
The only way to get access to future Correspondent’s Club releases is to become a member – browse member perks here.
Track listing:
1. Life Of The Party (rehearsal) 2. Pearlescent Brilliant Sporty Blue (posh demo) 3. Life Of The Party (posh demo) 4. Life Of The Party (phone performance)
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)
“Elephant” by Obey Robots features on our album “One In A Thousand”, out 24th February 2023 and available here.
Someone said the thumbnail of this video makes me look like I’m in an episode of Doctor Who, and I am here for that.
VIDEO CREDITS Directed, shot and edited by Laura Kidd. Filmed in the corner of Rat’s messy attic in the Midlands and in the middle of Laura’s messy home studio in Bristol. Luna tried to get on camera, but it wasn’t the right time. Can you spot her in this one though?
SONG CREDITS Produced by Laura Kidd in The Launchpad, Bristol. Mixed by Chris Sheldon at Red Cedar, London, mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton. All music by Laura Kidd and Rat. Guitars by Rat. All lyrics, arrangements, vocals, bass and synths by Laura. Drums by Max Saidi.
š My new Penfriend album “House Of Stories”Ā is available to order NOWĀ 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.
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)
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