Billie Marten shares enchanting new single "Bird" ahead of new EP

23 September 2015, 21:00 | Written by The Line of Best Fit

(Tracks)

(Billie Marten)

Writing music can be hard. Writing music with far fewer years of experience may prove harder, but not for 16-year-old singer/songwriter Billie Marten.

The Yorkshire soloist has been writing songs for her latest EP, As Long As, admirably between studying for her GCSEs. Take that and another EP released last year (Ribbon, which saw airplay from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music, to name a few) and Marten's creative output truly seems to belie her age.

On "Bird" we hear much of what of what the blogosphere has praised her for: a breathy, angelic vocal that resonates far beyond the notes it leaves behind. Here, poignant piano walks beneath Marten's lyrics: "Hope is a distance unreached / ink on her skin incomplete / and the faint sound of friends / as she neared to the end she had peace”). It's “a song about how words can truly affect people, not always for the right reasons", she explains.

"Bird" appears on Marten's forthcoming EP, As Long As, released digitally via Chess Club Records on 13 November and physically (10” vinyl) on 20 November. "Bird” is out now.

September
27 - Blue Flowers, Debut London Headline Show October 10 - FESTIFEEL! House of Vans, Waterloo 19 - Manchester Academy 3* 20 - Bath Komedia* 21 - Cardiff Tramshed* 23 - Norwich Waterfront* 24 - Wrexham Central* 25 - Carlisle Brickyard* 27 - Aberdeen Lemon Tree* 28 - Glasgow Oran Mor* 29 - Belfast Empire* 30 - The Button Factory, Dublin* *supporting Lucy Rose