Brand new single from Messy Eater

York-based producer and songwriter Pete Bott has spent much of his career exploring the avenues of reinvention. Through previous projects including Deuce & Charger, Heads We Dance and Arkley, he marked himself as an adventurous creative with a highly unique approach to songwriting and production, earning recognition from publications including NME and The Guardian. His latest project, Messy Eater, takes that energy somewhere altogether more unpredictable, bringing together a diverse collection of influences in a colourful alternative pop sound where experimentation and spontaneity are part of the appeal.

Since arriving in October 2024 with debut single “Feels Good,” Messy Eater has developed into a project built around the freedom to follow his own creative compass. Funk, soul, blues, hip hop and indie all find their way into his compositions, often colliding in unexpected combinations. His music is stacked with contrasting elements, moving between different textures and styles while retaining a recognisable aesthetic and by not treating genre as a set of boundaries, he views it as a collection of ingredients, mixing familiar elements into something playful, energetic and difficult to predict.

That creative ethos runs through the influences behind the project, with the cut-and-paste style of The Avalanches, the theatrical energy of Beck and the groove-driven approach of Gorillaz all feeding into his sound, with Messy Eater embracing the possibilities of putting those different ideas together. His debut EP, Starters, introduced this vision through a journey from lo-fi funk to glam-inspired pop, confirming Messy Eater as an inventive voice within the UK’s alternative pop landscape.

The momentum continued the following year, with a debut live session for BBC Introducing and support from Apple Music, Amazing Radio and a range of UK press. His second EP, Southern Fried, expanded the project’s musical output further, showing how naturally Pete could move between genres while keeping the sense of character that makes his work compelling.

Now, however, Messy Eater is taking a more reflective turn and his brand new single “The Lost Art of Making Friends” marks the first release from the forthcoming Blue Sundae EP, signalling a shift towards jazz-influenced arrangements and more contemplative songwriting. Inspired by Picasso’s blue period, Joni Mitchell’s confessional album Blue and the jazz-sampling traditions of 90s hip hop, the forthcoming release explores loneliness, sadness and loss through a combination of musical warmth, candid lyricism and gentle humour.

“The Lost Art of Making Friends” allows more space for reflection, forming with Fender Rhodes chords that map out a dreamy and subdued atmosphere before Pete’s trademark vocals begin tracing the desire for human connection in a world increasingly occupied by technological distraction, the proliferation of AI and the demands of working life. The gentle rustle of pulsing percussion keeps the track in a beat-driven setting while bright flutters of twinkling instrumentation and warm sax leads glide alongside smooth vocal leads, resulting in a soulful jam that glides through a delicately shifting arrangement to deliver a stunning jam that’s mesmeric and invigorating in equal measure.

Its chorus opens into an uplifting vocal hook, supported by a hip hop-influenced bass and drum groove that brings movement to the arrangement as a vocoder provides additional colour, creating a layered sound that balances melancholy with a sense of optimism. With Blue Sundae on the horizon, Messy Eater appears ready to explore what happens when the unpredictability of his musical approach meets a more motive subject matter. “The Lost Art of Making Friends” offers an inviting introduction to that next chapter, combining thoughtful observations with an infectious groove, unveiling an exciting new phase in the incredible story that Pete Bott continues to write as Messy Eater.

Listen to The lost art of making friends below

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