Holly Humberstone first emerged with 2020’s “Falling Asleep At The Wheel”, a debut EP that introduced her as a songwriter of unusual precision. Those early songs; fragile, detailed, and quietly devastating, were rooted in the textures of her upbringing in Grantham, Lincolnshire in a “haunted” family home, with three sisters, and a tendency to locate the extraordinary within the mundane.
Tracks such as “Deep End” and “Overkill” marked her out not just as another confessional voice, but as one capable of rendering inner life with cinematic clarity. That sense of scale has only grown. A BRITS’ “Rising Star” win in 2022, an Ivor Novello nomination, and a run of high-profile support slots, most notably opening for Taylor Swift at her run of Wembley Stadium gigs in 2024 have carried Holly from those early bedroom recordings to some of the largest stages in the world.
Her 2023 debut album “Paint My Bedroom Black”, written partly in hotel rooms while on the road, captured that dislocation: a record preoccupied with movement, loneliness, and the strange unreality of sudden success. It was restless, searching, and at times deliberately unsteady. Now recognised as one of the UK’s most compelling young voices, the 26-year-old transforms deeply personal emotion into atmospheric, widely resonant music.
And so, last night at Brighton’s Chalk, half way point of a 10-show stripped down trek around the UK with just a solitary keyboardist/guitar player for company, Ms. Humberstone stepped fully into the world she has been carefully building. The 825-capacity venue was packed and proved an apt setting for an artist whose music thrives on intimacy, even as her profile has expanded to arenas and festival main stages. What began years ago as intimate, bedroom-born storytelling has evolved into something far more expansive.
New material from her upcoming 12-track second album “Cruel World”, due for release via Polydor on 10th April, formed the emotional core of the faultless 15-song set at this so-called “Outstore” show promoted by local record retailer Resident Music. There is a confidence in this newer work; a willingness to lean into darker textures while holding onto the vulnerability that defines her song writing.
Holly opened with the new track “To Love Somebody”, built around clean guitar lines and a steady mid-tempo beat. The production is polished with crisp percussion and subtle bass movement.
There are shades of Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” era in its emotional clarity, though Holly remains less narrative-driven, more impressionistic. The restraint pays off as the song’s emotional weight lies as much in what is left unsaid as in what is expressed.
“I feel so lucky to be able to do this tour after so long. I’ve been dreaming of being back on stage,” she said, before launching into debut album title song “Paint My Bedroom Black”, followed by mellow yet powerful renditions of “The Walls Are Way Too Thin” and “Into Your Room.”
She spoke candidly between songs, reflecting on the shifts she has experienced in recent years. From the moment she took to the stage, it was clear this was more than an album launch show. There was a sense of occasion in the room; a feeling that she is entering a new chapter. Her songs, once rooted in the quiet corners of her Grantham upbringing, now feel larger without losing their emotional precision. That balance, between scale and intimacy, continues to set her apart.
Next came “Die Happy”, from the new Gothic-inspired album; a dark, fairy tale-like love song exploring the thrill and danger of all-consuming romance, reflecting the idea that love can be both beautiful and destructive. Minor-key piano motifs underpin the track, while distorted guitar swells and low-end synths create a sense of unease. The production feels almost claustrophobic, tight and enclosed, as if the song itself is closing in. Holly’s approach is less stylised, more emotionally direct, and the tension is never fully released, allowing the track to linger long after it ends.
“I’m obsessed with this song,” she said. “We’ve recently been moving out of my childhood home, where I’ve lived since I was three. I hate change, and I hate the fact that I’m growing up, but during the process of emptying the house, I found so many fairy tale-like things I’d forgotten about. Writing this album alongside finding all of that, really bled into the music and the visuals, which I created with my sister who is here tonight.”
After revisiting “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” and “Kissing in Swimming Pools”, Holly introduced new song “Beauty Pageant” as, “a song about my experience of being a woman in this industry, and in the world, and the unrealistic expectations we hold ourselves to.”
One of the album’s most sonically interesting tracks, “Beauty Pageant” pairs its critique of image and identity with a fractured production style. Glitchy percussion, warped backing vocals, and off-kilter rhythms create a persistent sense of unease. The contrast between polished melody and unsettled production mirrors the song’s themes with precision.
Holly’s vocals are as good here in the flesh as she is on record, if not better. Her live performance is mesmerizing. Next was the new album’s title track, “Cruel World. “When I wrote this, everything just slotted into place.” The song creates a sense of space through swelling synth pads and reverberant piano chords, while the percussion remains distant, almost ghost-like, giving the track a dark, gothic edge. The structure avoids a traditional pop payoff; instead, it builds atmosphere, layering textures until the song feels immersive rather than climactic.
Following “Cruel World”, two more new songs offered a softer, more reflective turn. The beautifully written “Lucy” came first. “I wrote this for someone really close to me,” she explained, “but it’s for anyone who needs to hear it, ‘you’ve got this.’ Maybe life is just chaos, and you have to accept that.”
To Love Somebody
Paint My Bedroom Black
The Walls Are Way Too Thin
Into Your Room
Die Happy
Falling Asleep at the Wheel
Kissing in Swimming Pools
Beauty Pageant
Scarlett
Cruel World
Lucy
White Noise
Friendly Fire
Deep End
Dive
Next came “White Noise”, the final song written for the album. “I needed a change of scenery, so I ended up in Nashville,” she said. “I went to a barn dance, ate pickles, and had a hilarious time. I set out to write the poppiest song I could, and we did. But tonight I’m playing you the sad version. It’s about crying in the corner and wanting the DJ to play sad songs. We’ve all been there.”
Where “Paint My Bedroom Black” grappled with turbulence and dislocation, “Cruel World” feels more centred, even as it continues to explore emotional extremes. The idea that joy and pain coexist runs throughout, with songs capturing both the euphoria and ache of connection – particularly in moments of distance and longing. These contradictions: pleasure and pain, devotion and danger, sit at the core of the record.
She spoke of the disorienting pull of long-distance love, and how absence can distort not just feeling but perception itself. It is familiar thematic territory, but approached here with greater clarity. Where her earlier work documented emotional overwhelm, these songs attempt to map it.
The aesthetic, rooted in gothic imagery, childhood nostalgia, and a slightly off-kilter fairy tale world, adds another layer to the music. It feels like a natural progression of her artistry, expanding beyond sound into a fully realised creative identity.
Despite the growing scale of her career, the connection she builds with her audience remains strikingly personal. Even in a packed room like Chalk, her delivery feels intimate, as though each lyric is being confided rather than performed.
“Cruel World” marks a significant step forward. Holly Humberstone is no longer just an emerging voice; she is an artist with a defined vision, one that continues to deepen with each release. If this show is any indication, this next chapter will not only meet expectations, but surpass them.
- Shows left on this tour: 26th March – Kingston, Circuit , 29th March – Glasgow, Old Fruitmarket, 30th March – Manchester, New Century Hall, 1st April – Bristol, Electric, 2nd April – London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. Holly plays Coachella in April and then shows across the US and Canada before European dates.
Words & Photos by Manja Williams
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