In Katie Bradley's new single, "Gonna Change" her voice wobbles just slightly at a moment to let the words land. It is not theatre, it's reality. The British singer-songwriter based in Troyes, France, has released an achingly sincere track that embraces openness rather than runs from it, sharing a narrative of facing faults and shedding shame to shed light on personal metamorphosis.
Written and recorded in Manchester's prestigious Astar Studios with the highly acclaimed Andy Ross producing, "Gonna Change" is one of those tracks that gets under your skin. The track is a stylish blend of pop, rock, and jazz courtesy of emotive instrumentation from Steve Power behind the keys, underscored with Olly Collins on bass and Simon Moore on timekeeping duties. All of this combines to give each note a purpose and helps guide Katie's powerful vocal work to rise and fall like the tide of the emotions she is bearing.
It's a deeply human performance. Bradley doesn't package change in a tidy, striking variety, she delivers it to you like the messy, necessary purge for freedom that it is. The result is a track that is both intimate and anthemic, addressing moments of self-reflection as well as triumph.
"Gonna Change" is our first taste of Bradley's forthcoming LP, "Unmasked," a record filled with candid confessions and musical fearlessness. Characterised by this innate sense of hometown memories, Katie's progression from a young flautist and saxophonist in a small Yorkshire town to an international vocal sensation is etched all across the album. Music is seen to evolve, not just with us, but we also grow the courage to bare our souls.
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