Bess Atwell shares new single 'Release Myself' ahead of upcoming album Light Sleeper

Bess Atwell follows up her critically-acclaimed 2021 LP Always with the announcement of her forthcoming album Light Sleeper, out 24 May 2024 via Real Kind Records.

Produced by The National's Aaron Dessner — who's worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Ben Howard and Big Red Machine, among others — the record seeks to continue the warm and effervescent aesthetic Bess Atwell has cultivated for herself in recent years. Featuring previously released tracks 'Sylvester' and 'The Weeping,' Atwell's newest offering sees her grow as a songwriter and artist.

Speaking about the album, the singer said: "Light Sleeper is about the willingness to feel. While writing the album, I was realising that somewhere along the line I had become very afraid of feeling. The record is about facing this realisation and finding the bravery to challenge it. It's still hard for me to believe that I got to make this record with one of my heroes, but somehow, I got that lucky. Aaron Dessner posted about one of my songs on Instagram at the beginning of 2022."

Light Sleeper is showcased by the dazzling new single 'Release Myself' and a beguiling video accompaniment shot with Dylan Friese Greene. "There are always a couple of songs on a record that just sort of fall out of you and this was one of them," Atwell says of 'Release Myself.' "This was the first time I've managed to write about my panic disorder without slipping too far into sorry-for-myself or cheesy, faux-empowering territory. It's a song that says 'hey I’m struggling but I'm not a victim.'"

Fresh on the heels of a gig supporting Ed Sheeran at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Atwell will play a series of intimate live shows this summer and autumn, including performances at The Black Box in Belfast on 11 October and Dublin's Grand Social on 12 October.

Tickets for her shows in Dublin and Belfast are available on Ticketmaster.

Light Sleeper is available to pre-order. In the meantime, check out her latest single 'Release Myself' below.