New single from 23 Fields

Based on the south coast of the UK, 23 Fields craft an alternative folk sound that’s at once timeless and modern. Storytelling, emotion and delicate melodies ripple throughout their compositions, all captured in acoustic textures to offer listeners a space where warmth and reflection converge. Fronted by singer and guitarist Step Adams, alongside violinist Louise Driver and percussionist Jason M. Smith, the trio offer music that honours folk traditions while taking the style forward in their own direction.

Ultimately, 23 Fields presents a return to the truest version of himself for Step; raised in Hastings during the 90s, his earliest musical influences were a tangle of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica and The Levellers, a generation’s worth of sonic expression and heart poured into his creative vision. But he found himself drawn toward the intimacy of acoustic music, the stripped back aesthetic of a voice, a guitar and a story told plainly. For over two decades, those songs existed in the background of a very different life, as Step built a career in emergency nursing, working in the intensity of A&E and volunteering with the RNLI.

It was only three years ago, encouraged by his partner, that he made the leap back into music, a path that eventually blossomed into 23 Fields. Across their first two albums, 23 Fields confirmed themselves as a band able to deftly balance meaningful context with engaging songwriting. Their songs move through love, loss, politics and personal reflection, each one stitched with pure sincerity.

Now, with their third album on the horizon, 23 Fields offer a taste of what’s to come with their latest single titled “You’re Alright.” The track is a beautifully understated piece of alternative folk, carrying the quiet assurance that everything, somehow, will be okay. Driven by a shuffling rhythmic pulse and Step’s warm, unguarded vocals, Louise’s violin lines shimmer like sunlight through an open window, while Jason’s percussion gives the track its heartbeat, steady and reassuring.

Thematically “You’re Alright” is a hymn to small victories, to surviving the day, to letting kindness in when self-doubt takes hold, resulting in an antidote to noise and chaos, a reminder that reassurance can be powerful in its simplicity. Jumping straight into a subtly bouncy groove of rustling drums, pulsing bass and flickering violin lines, Step’s rich voice rolls into deliver hushed lines carrying picture painting lyrics as the arrangement builds with elegant piano notes.

Brimming with memorable melodic writing and thoughtful lyrics, it’s a stunning display of the band’s songwriting flair and musicianship talent. Once again offering a superb single, 23 Fields continue to deliver incredible musical moments that are equally heartfelt and enjoyable. With their forthcoming third album on the way, we can’t wait to see what the next chapter has in store for this exciting alternative folk outfit on the rise.

Commenting on the single, they share, “This song is about being there for someone when they can’t quite be there for themselves. It’s the reminder we all need at some point — that even when things feel overwhelming, you’re still standing.”

Listen to You’re Alright below

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