Kitty O’Neal drops debut studio album

London-based singer-songwriter Kitty O’Neal views songwriting as an exercise in finding the extraordinary within the everyday, turning personal experiences into intimate indie folk songs that open themselves up into something much bigger. Over the last few years, she’s developed a unique sound built around piano-led arrangements, layered guitars and spacious rhythms, with floating vocals and engaging lyrics providing the emotional centre. Taking cues from Lucy Rose, Bess Atwell and the storytelling traditions of 70s folk, her music forms in a space between delicate reflection, alternative pop and understated indie rock, balancing the closeness of personal songwriting with the atmosphere of a more cinematic production.

That ability to connect with an audience has also become a defining part of Kitty’s musical output and having performed at more than 75 venues across the UK and Ireland, including Glastonbury Festival, she’s built a following through emotive and magnetic live shows. Along the way, she’s played alongside Rae Morris, Rozi Plain and Band of Skulls, while spending much of 2024 touring the UK. Her performances have provided an opportunity to bring the more intimate qualities of her songwriting into a live setting, where the emotional context of the music can sit alongside its wider melodic appeal.

In 2024, she took another exciting step by self-producing the EP Cross St Demos, released through Frictionless Music. The project was launched with sold out shows and attracted radio support from BBC 5 Live, Times Radio, BBC Ulster, BBC Introducing and Soho Radio while clocking over a hundred thousand spins. She also curated and co-headlined a UK triple-bill tour with illustrator Chris Riddell, whose live illustrations brought an additional creative dimension to each performance.

Her journey has included recognition through shortlisting for Purbeck Rising and Glastonbury Emerging, with appearances at both festivals and across the south coast circuit. Last year, she toured with Jack Francis and Hannah Grace, continuing the live momentum forged through the previous year’s headline dates. Support from Help Musicians also provided funding to record her debut album and now, she brings those experiences together on Here I Go Again Feeling It All, her most ambitious release to date.

The twelve-track record was penned around the end of a relationship and the unknown area of beginning again, exploring intimacy, trust, anxiety and self-identity. The album’s musical arrangements provide room for those feelings to play out; piano-led writing and layered guitars remain central but warm, spacious production gives the songs a greater sense of scale. Recorded over ten days at The Boathouse studio in Suffolk and produced by Kitty alongside Adam Bowers, the record expands the atmosphere of her earlier work while maintaining the intimacy that’s always been part of its fabric.

Opened by title track “Here I Go Again Feeling It All,” the gentle strums of acoustic guitar usher in Kitty’s fluttering vocals as the shuffle of drums and pulse of bass flows around her alluring voice. “Can I Let This One Go?” follows with the steady march of kick and intricate blend of acoustic guitar chords, piano plinks and bright vocals, building with pattering percussion and lead guitar flickers to cast a memorable slice of pop-focused indie folk music.

“Headspace” drifts into focus with the march of drums and woozy instrumentation as hushed vocals hover above the mellow arrangement to craft a dreamy soundscape that’s catchy and moving in equal measure. Other highlights on the record include songs like “Not At The Same Speed” which forms with jaunty piano notes wrapped in hazy aesthetic before shifting with elegant vocals spinning heartfelt lyrics via dazzling melodies to capture Kitty’s songwriting in a stripped back setting.

“You And I” presents a timeless folk pop sound where breezy vocal layers float above a gentle instrumental backdrop while “You Cried At The End” forms with soft acoustic guitar notes and delightful vocals to deliver a delicate outing that glides with lilting rhythmic sway. Closing the album with “When It Feels Right,” Kitty’s tender vocals and airy guitar is met by a warm, full band sound to deliver a stunning finale to her incredible debut full-length record.

Commenting on the release, she shares, “I wrote this album while my life was quietly falling apart and coming back together. It’s about feeling it all anyway, finding your place, and navigating the dizzying swirl of relationships – songs written somewhere inside the mess.”

Listen to Here I Go Again Feeling It All below