How to stop your inner critic from holding you back

Your inner critic is the annoying voice inside your head that whispers mean things to you. It’s holding you back from trying new things, putting yourself out there and living ... Read more

“Why I’m still not playing gigs in 2021” [VIDEO]

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News Process

As an independent songwriter, producer and musician, releasing my new album this year was more of a challenge than usual. The UK government left venues with no choice but to ... Read more

Penfriend in the charts…look what you did!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox

I’ll Start A Fire (18/5/21)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News Releases Singles

I'll Start A Fire (single) by Penfriend Release date: 18th May 2021Label: My Big Sister Recordings GET THE SONG + Click to download pay what you want/can from Bandcamp.+ Get ... Read more

Music Week says my new album is “essential”

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

Imagine this indie upstart’s surprise and delight on the weekend when a friend sent me this photo*. Yes, that’s my artist name sitting pretty right near Billie Eilish’s face, with ... Read more

Behind The Song: Seventeen

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast Process

Get the song. This bonus musical mini episode of “Attention Engineer” is also available on your favourite podcast platform. Share this: ... Read more

Behind The Song: Black Car

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast Process

Watch the music video and get the song. This bonus musical mini episode of “Attention Engineer” is also available on your favourite podcast platform. Share this: ... Read more

Never fear, I’m still punk as fuck

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News Process

Can we make Bristol music history together?!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News Process

This is unbelievable! I have massive news to share with you today: my new album “Exotic Monsters” is two thirds of the way towards getting in the UK Top 40 ... Read more

Seventeen (23/4/21)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News Releases Singles

Seventeen (single) by Penfriend Release date: 23rd April 2021Label: My Big Sister Recordings GET THE SONG + Click to download pay what you want/can from Bandcamp.+ Get three album tracks ... Read more

Obey Robots – “Inside Out” (2/4/20)

by Laura Kidd Homepage Feature Letterbox Releases Singles

Release date: 2nd April 2021Label: My Big Sister Recordings Let It Snow by Obey Robots GET THE SONG + Get the song on pay what you want / can download ... Read more

Halfway to the UK Top 40!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News Process

Black Car (26/3/21)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News Releases Singles

Black Car (single) by Penfriend Release date: 26th March 2021Label: My Big Sister Recordings GET THE SONG + Click to download pay what you want/can from Bandcamp.+ Get three album ... Read more

Behind The Song: Cancel Your Hopes

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast Process

Watch the music video and get the song. This bonus musical mini episode of “Attention Engineer” is also available on your favourite podcast platform. Share this: ... Read more

Behind The Song: Exotic Monsters

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast Process

Watch the pop video and get the song. This bonus musical mini episode of “Attention Engineer” is also available on your favourite podcast platform. Share this: ... Read more

New Penfriend live album – available for one week only!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

Last Friday’s Correspondent’s Club livestream turned out so nicely I’m sharing the posh recordings with you for one week only! I played seven songs and had a nice chat with ... Read more

Cancel Your Hopes (5/3/21)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News Releases Singles

Cancel Your Hopes (single) by Penfriend Release date: 5th March 2021Label: My Big Sister Recordings GET THE SONG + Click to download pay what you want/can from Bandcamp.+ Get “Cancel ... Read more

Why I won’t be playing in-person gigs in 2021

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Mindfulness Music News Process

For everyone who’s been asking me whether I’m going to be touring in 2021 – here are my thoughts on the matter. We’re all missing live concerts, artists are floundering ... Read more

My song is in a film!

by Laura Kidd Creativity Letterbox Music News Process

Most songwriters dream of one day having their song in a film soundtrack, and I’m fizzing with delight that “Dear Heart” appears in 21st century rom-com Modern Persuasion, directed by Alex ... Read more

Power to the people

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News Process

At the end of last week, I was invited to write a piece sharing an artist’s perspective on a harsh new scheme to charge musicians to perform their own work ... Read more

Exotic Monsters (22/1/21)

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News Releases Singles

Exotic Monsters (single) by Penfriend Release date: 22nd January 2021Label: My Big Sister Recordings GET THE SONG + Click to download pay what you want/can from Bandcamp.+ Get “Exotic Monsters” ... Read more

2020 was my best year for reading – my recommendations

by Laura Kidd Homepage Feature Letterbox Process

I’m still gathering my thoughts on what 2020 meant to me. I really enjoy reading peoples’ end of year blog posts and have started mine a few times, from a ... Read more

Obey Robots – “Let It Snow” (4/12/20)

by Laura Kidd Homepage Feature Letterbox Releases Singles

Release date: 4th December 2020Label: My Big Sister Recordings Let It Snow by Obey Robots GET THE SONG + Pre-order vinyl / pay what you want/can download from Bandcamp. CREDITS ... Read more

Behind The Song: The Only Way Out Is Through

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast Process

Get the song. This bonus musical mini episode of “Attention Engineer” is also available on your favourite podcast platform. Share this: ... Read more

FREE DOWNLOAD – Attention Engineer S01 Nuggets available now

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast

Something different from me this Bandcamp Friday – a present for you from the first series of my creativity podcast Attention Engineer. Sixteen quotes from brilliant artists to provoke, inspire ... Read more

I’ve been finding everything really hard lately

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Mindfulness Productivity

Friends, I’ve been finding everything really hard lately. I have a lot to feel fortunate for – not least the ongoing generosity and support of my Correspondents, THANK YOU! – ... Read more

The Only Way Out Is Through (8/9/20)

by Laura Kidd Homepage Feature Letterbox Releases Singles

The Only Way Out Is Through by Penfriend Release date: 8th September 2020Label: My Big Sister RecordingsDistributor: Southern Record Distributors GET THE SONG + Download PWYW from Bandcamp.+ Get all ... Read more

New Penfriend TV live album – available for one week only!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

Surprise PWYW live album for youuuuuuuuuu! On Friday 31st July I played my third Correspondent’s Club livestream, including a brand new song called “Seventeen”, and I am making some live ... Read more

Chasing the mountain

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Mindfulness Productivity

Sometimes I wonder why I spend my time in the ways I do. A life’s primary occupation builds up through an infinitesimal series of decisions – what we wanted to ... Read more

Attention Engineer glowingly reviewed in The Observer!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast

“An interview series from musician Laura Kidd. Kidd talks with insight and warmth to (mostly) other musicians. Her opening show is with Belly’s Tanya Donelly, and is completely delicious; her ... Read more

Inspiration is for amateurs

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Mindfulness Process Productivity

The thing that’s got me through the ups and downs, the fear, the uncertainty, the confusion, the anger, the frustration and the sheer bizarreness of 2020 is the daily routine ... Read more

Surprise live album – available for one week only!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

Surprise live album for youuuuuuuuuu! Get your hands on 8 songs (7 unreleased) plus some fun chat, available on a pay what you want basis* for one week only. Penfriend ... Read more

Album update: how not to get overwhelmed by big projects and the danger of endless lists

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Mindfulness Process Productivity

“Old Tape” image by Ozant Liuky from Pixabay Suddenly, I find myself with only a little bit of an album to complete.You might know I started writing this new collection of songs in ... Read more

You are not a number (and neither am I)

by Laura Kidd Homepage Feature Letterbox Mindfulness Minimalism Process Productivity

NEWS THIS WEEK“Attention Engineer” episode 4 is available now, featuring my conversation with songwriter Frank Turner! Recorded on the precipice of the UK lockdown backstage at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Frank ... Read more

I wasn’t going to write this til I realised silence was worse

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Mindfulness

I am not a celebrity or a pundit (thank GOODNESS), or someone who thinks their “hot take” on every topic needs to be shared on all platforms. I’m on a ... Read more

So, why a podcast?

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast

I’ve been on quite a journey over the past couple of years, exploring my relationship with social media. The internet has undoubtedly helped me find my people, but I needed ... Read more

Beware Of Darkness, online gig this Sat + why I’m launching a podcast

by Laura Kidd Creativity Letterbox Mindfulness Music News Podcast Process

Art by @grandfunkrev This morning I got up early to do yoga in the living room before walking the dogs round the block in the blazing sunshine. On returning home ... Read more

“Attention Engineer” – trailer online now!

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Podcast

Announcing the launch of my weekly podcast series “Attention Engineer”! The trailer is done done done, and submitting it for inclusion in all the big podcast directories this afternoon was ... Read more

My lockdown anthem of hope is out today

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

GET THE SONG + Get “Everything Looks Normal In The Sunshine” plus unreleased track “The Only Way Out Is Through” FREE when you join The Correspondent’s Club.+ Download PWYW from ... Read more

Everything Looks Normal In The Sunshine (15/5/20)

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Releases Singles

Release date: 15th May 2020Label: My Big Sister Recordings GET THE SONG + Get all Penfriend singles PLUS unreleased track “Cancel Your Hopes” FREE when you join The Correspondent’s Club.+ ... Read more

Four Penfriend songs live on the internet – watch again links

by Laura Kidd Letterbox Music News

25/3/20 – Stay At Home Fest with Robin Ince, Josie Long, Jo Brand and Luke WrightStarts 44:39 – I played “Out Of The Blue” + “Everything Looks Normal In The ... Read more

Let me tell you a story…

by Laura Kidd Creativity Homepage Feature Letterbox Music News Process

When I was a little girl, one of my favourite possessions was a shoebox that I filled up with bits of paper, envelopes and leaflets gathered from wherever I could ... Read more