Rosie Frater-Taylor returns with fiery new album 'Featherweight'

Fast-emerging British singer-songwriter and guitarist Rosie Frater-Taylor will release her new album, Featherweight, on Cooking Vinyl in February 2024. The follow-up to 2021’s Bloom, which garnered over 3 million streams, Featherweight marks a stylistic shift for Frater-Taylor as she draws inspiration from a broad spectrum of musical sources, from songwriters PJ Harvey to Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, to contemporary musicians John Mayer, Meshell Ndegeocello, St Vincent, and Madison Cunningham. All these coalesce into a unique style that showcases the 24-year-old’s ability to weave together punchy lyrical ideas, effortless jazz-informed guitar playing – which she can double-up with her voice to create strong melodic sections – with unpredictable textures and grooves.

Commenting on the new sound she explores on the album, Frater-taylor said: “The new record is grittier, rockier and more intentional for me. We went into the studio shortly after a year of touring my last album and some songs from Featherweight – I felt it was very important to capture my live band’s energy and chemistry to do the tracks justice. I feel this is where my desire to make the album ‘punch’ stems from; the sheer strength and excitement I’ve come to feel when performing this music in front of a live audience with just my guitar and the best musicians I know.” On the album these include leading UK bassist Rob Mullarkey her talented regular drummer Tom Potter.

Introspective and experimental, Featherweight also sees Frater-Taylor grappling with refreshingly honest themes framed around navigating life as a young woman. The album is also “an ode to the contradictions, oxymorons and internal battles that arise whilst tackling the complex issues of gender, identity, love and relationships”.

As she explains further: "I’ve long believed myself to be an ‘HSP’ (highly sensitive person!) feeling more deeply affected by various experiences than others seem to and often finding myself overwhelmed by the emotions resulting from said experiences. Over the course of writing and finishing this record, navigating life, love and various relationships, I’ve come to take pride in and feel powerful as a result of these aspects of my personality. ‘Featherweight’ is my realisation that (ironically) there’s much strength in expressing vulnerability."  

The lead single ‘Hold The Weight’ is released today and available to stream here - and for more info visit rosiefratertaylor.com