Just what we need right now: some positive, empowering pop! With a message of “be you, have fun, and to hell with what others may think”, Wolverhampton’s Bryony Williams releases today ‘I Can Be’ on London indie label Beth Shalom Records, and it’ll be the lead single of her upcoming 3rd EP, State I’m In. We had lil chat with Bryony.

The song has a refreshingly upbeat message. Was this written before the lockdown? And, if so, do you think the message applies even more so to the world we now find ourselves in?

This song was written before lockdown. In fact it was recorded in January just before I hopped on my one-way flight to Bangkok, where I intended backpacking for a few months round SE Asia and then heading to Melbourne to set up camp and try my music luck in the Aussie scene. So this track was intended to be self-released just to keep the clock ticking so to speak. And the song was intentionally to remind myself while travelling that, what I’m doing, and not having any responsibilities or plans to commit to a career or housing or anything like that is a-okay. Whatever I choose to do is valid even if it isn’t the conventional expectations that are put upon you, and to own it! Be bold. Get that confidence. Satisfy your life, not others. So I think the message definitely still applies and hopefully to more people now during the world we’re in because it’s forced people to reassess their stability and to reflect on where they’re at, what they’re doing, do they want to continue down this route or is this the unexpected get-away card to change direction? So many questions yet zero answers, which again is why this song is important. It recognises that really, as long as you’re having fun and you’re being your best self, that’s all there is to it.

Tell us about the recording!

Since my 2018 EP, Conscious, I have used Matt Pinfield from Grandflat Recordings as my producer. We were first introduced years ago through my first musical venture, Field Harmonics, where he played live drums for us sometimes. Though once disbanded, I then put my solo music as top priority and throughout this time we have developed such a healthy work/friend relationship. His home studio is here in Wolverhampton where we both live. It’s just so nice to be able to pop over for a ‘cup of tea consultation’ where we can bounce off ideas to each other and get so encouraged and energised, that before you know it we are mic’ing up the drum kit and spending the next 2 days bashing out a song and dancing around the cramped, but cute and camp studio.

It’s hard to plan anything at the moment, but all being well, what are your musical plans from here?

Despite it being a very uncertain time regarding the live gig economy and if press are still operating due to furlough etc. I think I’ve struck gold almost. Like I said, this single was just going to be flounced around a bit, where there was going to be very little push behind it and I didn’t necessarily care because I was living my best life backpacking. But I did return home to the UK after a couple months because of Covid-19 and that’s when my friend, Joe Booley, reached out and boom! After one Zoom meeting, he was sending a contract over and not just for a single, but we had excitedly (like little kids) expanded our horizons and committed to releasing my 3rd EP via his label, Beth Shalom Records. This is super exciting for me because this is my first time ever working with a label, where previously I have self-released and found it hard to give up creative control. But I have definitely moved away from that and I am very happy to give away some responsibility. 

So the lead single, I Can Be, comes out July 1st, followed by another single and then the EP itself, which is set to be out on September 25th on my first ever vinyl too! 

Though because of Covid-19, me and Matt Pinfield are currently remote recording the record so I’m very curious as to how this is going to turn itself out (but so far, so good).

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Find Bryony Williams on Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp