New album from Helen Mac

Helen Mac’s musical path has been paved by determination, development and heart. A Mancunian singer-songwriter shaped by the spirit of the city’s iconic music scene, she began writing and recording songs at just 13, right in the thick of Manchester’s creative explosion in the early 1990s. By 19, she was touring in support of major acts and by 22, she’d secured both a publishing and record deal, an impressive rise that hinted at her staying power.

Over the years, she’s built a catalogue that speaks to her range and talent; nine albums, three EPs, and songwriting credits on around 50 released tracks, some clocking over a million streams on Spotify. Her music has always reflected her diverse influences, from the art pop landscapes of Kate Bush and Nick Kershaw to the emotive lyricism of Elbow, Helen blends intelligence and instinct, fusing exciting sonic ideas with profoundly personal storytelling.

The influence of Tina Dico and Sia’s work with Zero 7 can be heard in her ability to balance intimacy with production flair, while her Gen X background brings an echo of 90s energy, nodding to the punch of house, dance and acts like The Prodigy. Across a decorated career that’s taken her to the stages of major UK theatres and into collaborations with artists ranging from Jocelyn Brown to members of The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Helen has always made an impact with her creative output.

Now, she turns another page with her latest album titled Precipice, presenting a project that’s been years in the making. The eleven-track outing lands as a statement piece that captures a decade of writing, growth and reflection, tracing early sketches recorded during lockdown to full studio sessions at Oscillate Recordings, it chronicles not just an artist building on her sound but someone exploring the edges of their own experience.

Helen describes her writing process as something that moves between the conscious and the mysterious, “some songs come from the sky,” she says, pieces that arrive fully formed, detached from her own story yet full of life. But the tracks on Precipice are different; these are the songs that came from somewhere highly personal, songs born out of real emotion, healing and observation. They form a cohesive whole that balances vulnerability with strength, echoing the album’s title, the sense of standing on the edge, looking out at everything that’s been and everything still to come.

The title track, “Precipice,” epitomises this approach, penned first in her head and later worked out on piano, the song was built layer by layer from her home studio before it ever reached the mixing desk. With no formal training on production software, Helen literally sang in sounds and textures, creating string-like plucks and reverb effects with her own voice, an inventive move that gives the track its ethereal, Kate Bush-esque quality.

“Teenage Princesses” captures a sharp moment of cultural commentary, composed before the pandemic, it observes the rise of Snapchat filters and the strange new obsession with digital perfection. Women in their 30s and 40s posting photos that made them look like teenagers, men retreating into the glow of video games, Helen saw a generation losing itself to illusion.

Songs like “Waves” lean into serenity and healing, co-written with Paul David Gillman, it tells the story of meeting her husband Dave after years of emotional turbulence.The song ripples with gratitude and peace, a moment of stillness after years of motion. Through Precipice, Helen Mac proves why she’s remained such a consistent and compelling voice across decades of change. Her music has the shine of experience but the context of someone still discovering. It’s thoughtful, heartfelt and disarmingly human, offering a reminder that standing on the edge isn’t about fear, it’s about having the courage to keep creating, even when the ground shifts beneath you.

Listen to Precipice below