Ladybyrd has made her mark on the pop scene with her haunting cinematic style, gathering praise from the likes of The Sunday Times and BBC Introducing. The one-to-watch artist gave her detailed insight on new single ‘Open Cage’, upcoming music for a TV show and visual influences…
- You’ve had a busy couple of years releasing singles, working on new music and performing live. What have you been up to recently?
I started writing my album in ‘23, it reflects the journey I’ve been on and the struggles I have been through over the last two years. In the Summer I travelled, met some amazing people and was able to co-wrote some new songs. Back in London we’ve been working on the release plan for those singles through the year. I want to give each song an opportunity to be heard, so people can hear the journey, before we release the album at the beginning of ‘25.
- Your new single ‘Open Cage’ is out with a video to match – what was the inspiration behind it?
“Open Cage” is a heartfelt song that explores the emotional struggle within a troubled relationship. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of feeling trapped, as if confined within a cage, wanting more, yet simultaneously knowing they have the freedom to walk away. It captures the inner battle and the longing to keep the relationship alive, fueled by the deep love and passion that still remains, despite its imperfections.
- The video is filmed in black & white – how does this symbolize the meaning of the song?
On set we used spotlights as a metaphor for a cage. I move in and out of the light as if wanting to leave but being drawn back to the light or the relationship. The contrast of the black and white could be interpreted as the light and dark in a relationship. It was quite emotive to film in that setting, and to move around the space singing my lyrics. I hope people enjoy watching it and the emotion I felt comes across.
- You’ve recently worked on music for an upcoming TV show. Do you find visuals to be a significant aspect of your music?
Yes hugely, I’ve always been inspired by films, TV and books as they spark my imagination and from that I write lyrics. Each song narrates a distinct story or captures a fragment of a broader one, all with a cinematic pop soundscape that I hope will engage listeners on a very personal level. I write lyrics in my notebooks, or make voice notes when inspiration strikes and some songs are very personal from my own story and I just sit down at my piano and the melody and lyrics just come to me.
- Are there any artists you’re inspired by visually?
I love the golden era of Hollywood and I feel Lana Del Ray captures that aesthetic, she’s glamorous, feminine, classic but in a modern way. I really love vintage designer, like vintage Chanel or Versace and I’d admire Lennon Stella, I love her music and style.
- You’re classically trained at piano – do you use this as a base for your songwriting?
My classical training helps me in all areas of my composition, from piano parts to orchestration, it’s certainly been useful to have. My creative process can vary, but with some songs I just sit down at the piano and write on the go.
- Are there any other genres you’d love to explore?
I feel like I’ve just found my sound and I’ve so much more to explore within a cinematic pop soundscape. My sound might evolve and drift into a more folk genre or I might explore and make it more pop. It depends what inspires me, who I’m in the studio with or who I’m producing with. From a young age though film scores have been hugely inspirational and I would love to have my songs in films.
- You’ve performed live, recently supporting Tom Speight at The Islington Assembly Hall. Can we expect any upcoming live dates and are there any dream venues you’d love to play?
I loved performing as a support artist for Tom Speight, it is so fun to connect with fans and play live. I’m organising some more support gigs and planning more live performances that I will be announcing soon. My dream though is to perform at venues like the Royal Albert Hall.
Listen to ‘Open Cage’ out now:
