Hailing from Gloucester, singer-songwriter Katy J Pearson stunned us with her 2022 album Sound of The Morning, a collection of gutsy tracks pulled from the singer’s own raw life experiences. Now, Pearson returns with ‘Fire Leap,’ a song from The Wicker Man soundtrack of 1973.

The single release arrives with news of an EP, Katy J Pearson & Friends Present Songs From The Wicker Man. The collaborative EP will include other musical guests from H. Hawkline, The Broadside Hacks, Orbury Common, Bert Ussher, and more. Out October 31 via Heavenly Recordings, Pearson’s 8-track EP will feature covers of tracks from cult movie soundtrack, originally by Paul Giovanni and Magnet, which is out today as part of the 5-disc The Wicker Man 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, released via Studiocanal.

Her new single, ‘Fire Leap,’ is a frightening folksy tune, featuring Wet Leg, Drug Store Romeos and Sarah Meth. The song opens with an eerie recorder, played by Sarah Downie, before a female choir of Pearson and friends’ voices chime in. A spine-tingling ticking keeps the song at a quick, heart-racing beat. The vocals dip into hushed whispers, adding to the overall horror-movie soundtrack quality at the track’s centre. It’s a modern, equally terrifying track, simultaneously stunning and sublimely tantalising.

The idea for the forthcoming EP came about after Pearson previously included a cover of ‘Willow’s Song,’ Giovanni’s track from the original film soundtrack, on her album Sound of The Morning last year. Pearson was asked to re-imagine the entire soundtrack in honour of the Brit-horror film’s 50th anniversary this year.

The Wicker Man was released fifty years ago, and is now being celebrated with a new anniversary edition box set, of which Pearson’s EP will be part. Earlier this year, Pearson released a new version of her ‘Willow’s Song,’ re-recorded for the EP and featuring London folk collective Broadside Hacks.

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The track was released in time for The Wicker Man: The Final Cut, shown for one night only at select UK cinemas during the Glastonbury Festival and Summer Solstice, on June 21. Pearson also played a secret set at Glastonbury’s Crowd’s Nest, ahead of the festival screening, before a packed crowd.

Candy Vincent-Smith of Studiocanal said of the re-released collector’s edition soundtrack and Pearson’s EP, “Introducing a younger audience to the classic films in our library is so important to us, and so we jumped at the chance to work with Katy J Pearson and Heavenly, to breathe new life into The Wicker Man’s iconic soundtrack. This very special EP aims to bring a whole new generation of film and music fans to worship at the feet of this brilliantly scary cult film, in celebration of its 50th Anniversary.”

Listen to the new single from Katy J Pearson, ‘Fire Leap,’ featuring Wet Leg, Drug Store Romeos and Sarah Meth. The EP Katy J Pearson & Friends Present Songs From The Wicker Man is out October 31, and the special edition of The Wicker Man soundtrack is available to order now.

Katy J Pearson & Friends Present Songs From The Wicker Man Track List:
1. Katy J Pearson ft. Drug Store Romeos, Wet Leg and Sarah Meth - Fire Leap
2. Katy J Pearson & Broadside Hacks - Willow’s Song
3. Katy J Pearson & H. Hawkline - Gently Johnny
4. Katy J Pearson & Orbury Common, Bert Ussher - Maypole
5. Katy J Pearson & Broadside Hacks - Lullaby
6. Katy J Pearson & H. Hawkline - Gently Johnny (Stone Club Remix)
7. Katy J Pearson - Willow’s Song (Richard Norris Ritual Mix)
8. Katy J Pearson - Willow’s Song album version