Billie Marten surprises with new single ‘Feeling’ and album announcement
‘Dog Eared’ is Billie Marten’s fifth album, set to be released on July 18th.
Photo: Frances Carter
The British folk artist has returned this year with an intimate rhythmic sound following her first single Crown off the upcoming album, Dog Eared, last year. After teasing fans with only live versions of the song, Crown acted as Billie Marten’s love letter to her cat whilst also a song about longing and the acceptance of being who you are. While Feeling – according to Marten – is about her ability to recount memories and specific sensory experiences from her childhood, whether that was old patterns from her grandmother’s carpet, fabric patterns in dentist chairs or bits of wallpaper: “Everything had a pattern to be noticed”.
Recalling another strong memory, Marten describes the feeling of “big, warm hands when you’re a child and how comforting and safe that feels. The notion of age being so far away from you, but you know it’s a future inevitability, and that you’re on your way there.” The feelings that are almost indescribable but still make you aware of the world’s pressure are clear in her lyrics: “Watch me as I disappear / Into the great unknown,” and the struggles she faces, “I am on my way, hey, hey / I am barely breathing / Into the feeling.”
The track is entrancing right from the get-go with an acoustic guitar, soft but crisp-sounding drum beats; all complemented by the piano and a hypnotising portamento from the pedal steel guitar. This song feels like the epitome of summer, in turn making it a perfect release to coincide with the week of the spring equinox. Paired with Marten’s distinctive and calming vocals, this is a beautiful track, one that makes you appreciate it more with each listen.
Recorded in the New York summer of 2024, Billie Marten shifted locations for this album and paired up with producer Phil Weinrobe and a wonderful array of creative musicians: Catalan singer-songwriter/guitarist Núria Graham, guitarist Mike Haldeman, bassist Josh Crumbly, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, indie musician Sam Evian, indie musician Maia Friedman, Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Vishal Nayak and folk musician Sam Amidon.
According to Weinrobe: “Like all songs off this album, it was recorded live, Billie sang the lead vocals as all the instruments were going down, huddled in a circle” – this became an innovative monument sparking the album into life, an album focused in rhythm — as Marten “sang these incredible melodies and gorgeous lyrics without any worries or fears or desires to control the art”.
The single’s vivacity is also shown through the music video, which feels incredibly nostalgic with its warming tones and setting, making it a cosy watch. Alongside the aesthetic portrait of Billie Marten using blue, pink and yellow as the artwork for the upcoming album, similar to most of her past album artworks being variations of her appearance. Although July feels like a while away, if the rest of the album follows in the footsteps of Feeling or Crown, it will be a perfectly timed release: truly capturing the sentiment of summer.
Dog Eared is out July 18th via Fiction Records. Pre-order here.
