Lydia Cole returns with first song in 7 years

“I’m writing a song. I can’t believe I haven’t done this in so long. PTSD has had its hold on me.”

Those are the lyrics from ‘I Need Space’, the first new song from Lydia Cole in 7 years. New Zealand has been home to many fantastic acoustic-based singer-songwriters and Lydia Cole is up there with the best of them. Her approach to sensitive, understated music that punches your emotional core without a sudden movement has long captivated me. The song drapes a Wurlitzer, piano, and light percussion around Lydia’s signature soft, open acoustic guitar chug so that each instrument gets the space it needs, too. Vocally, Cole errs on gently-does-it, but there’s an aura of tentativeness about everything. The track feels like a declaration of a deeply-rooted need, but it comes with worry about the consequences of asking. That tremble aches in each rising motif and every vocal line.

It’s great to have Lydia back in the music world, and she has hinted at more music arriving in 2027. For more quietly devastating Aotearoa rock, visit Lydia Cole’s website.

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