Bess Atwell has announced her new album Light Sleeper, will arrive on May 24th, 2024 via Real Kind Records. Ahead of the LP’s arrival, the UK artist has shared the single “Release Myself”. Produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Sharon Van Etten) and recorded at his remote studio in Long Pond, NY.

Light Sleeper Features additional instrumentation throughout from Dessner himself alongside Big Thief’s James Krivchenia, Beirut’s Ben Lanz, and frequent Sufjan Stevens-collaborator James McAlister, the record is comprised of 10 songs that glow with a warm effervescence and brazenly look inward – the type of stare-into-the-mirror self-reflection that’s as freeing as it is daunting. From overcoming the choreography of social dynamics to the struggle of ditching pills in an effort to break down your shield and feel more in life, ‘Light Sleeper’ is an album of hard personal transformations and personal triumphs.

“Light Sleeper is about the willingness to feel,” says Bess about the album. “While writing the album, I was realising that somewhere along the line I had become very afraid of feeling. The record is about facing this realisation and finding the bravery to challenge it. It’s still hard for me to believe that I got to make this record with one of my heroes, but somehow, I got that lucky. Aaron Dessner posted about one of my songs on Instagram at the beginning of 2022. We got chatting on there and before I knew it, we’d made plans to meet up at All Points East and were discussing making a record together. He told me that Light Sleeper is the first album he’s worked on in several years that he didn’t write, which is a huge honour. My approach on Light Sleeper was to give up concern with what’s cool and to reconnect with why I make the things I make. I was afraid to really sing on my previous record, having come to believe it wasn’t cool or would draw attention to the fact that I am indeed an emotional woman and therefore not to be taken as seriously. This time, I wanted to really sing, I wanted to discuss my fears and feelings, I wanted to connect, and I wanted to perform like I meant it, because I do. After all, how can I write an album about the willingness to feel and be too afraid to sing like I mean it?”

Bess Atwell
Light Sleeper
tracklist

Everyone Who’s Not In Love With You Is Wrong
Release Myself
Sylvester
Fan Favourite
The Weeping
Something Now
Spinning Sun
I Am Awake
Crowds
Light Sleeper

Bess Atwell 2024 Tour Dates

June 6 | Manchester, UK | Band On The Wall
June 7 | London, UK | Union Chapel SOLD OUT
June 8 | Bristol, UK | Thekla
June 25 | Vienna, AT | Stadthalle w/ The National
June 27 | Bonn, DE | Kunstirasen w/ The National
July 11 | Edinburgh, UK | Edinburgh Castles w/ The National
October 2 | Norwich, UK | Arts Centre
October 3 | Cambridge, UK | Junction 2
October 4 | Nottingham, UK | Rescue Rooms
October 5 | Leeds, UK | Belgrave Music Hall
October 6 | Newcastle, UK | The Cluny
October 8 | Glasgow, UK | St. Luke’s
October 9 | Liverpool, UK | Leaf
October 11 | Belfast, UK | The Black Box
October 12 | Dublin, IRE | The Grand Social
October 15 | Cardiff, UK | Clwb Ifor Bach
October 16 | Birmingham, UK | Hare & Hounds
October 17 | Oxford, UK | The Bullingdon
October 18 | Brighton, UK | Concorde 2
February 22, 2025 | London, UK | KOKO

Pre-order Light Sleeper by Bess Atwell HERE