Blackpool singer-songwriter Steph Fraser releases powerful debut single following Royal Albert Hall gigs

Blackpool singer-songwriter Steph Fraser has released a powerful new single exploring the quiet realities of emotional abuse ahead of her forthcoming debut album.

Cold Hard Facts was recorded live at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, a studio long associated with the band Elbow and captures the energy and immediacy of a live band performance, the track features vocals that were later overdubbed in the motorhome where Fraser lives and tours with long-time collaborator Jonny Wright.

Much of the pair's forthcoming debut album has also been written there, with the release following a successful year for Fraser, who earlier performed to critical acclaim at the Royal Albert Hall and collaborated with Jack Savoretti on the single Only Gonna Cry For You.

‘Women are made scapegoats’

“Cold Hard Facts deals with control, manipulation and abusive behaviour,” said Steph. “It’s about a perpetrator’s insecurity and aggression, and the idea that emotional torment is somehow the best that love can be - something that simply has to be endured.

“While there are personal experiences woven into the song, what has really struck me is the response from people who have heard it live and recognised their own experiences in it. It made me realise just how many people have lived through similar situations.

“It feels like an important conversation to be having at a time when the ‘manosphere’ is becoming increasingly influential and women are often made scapegoats for wider social and economic problems. That said, it was important to us that these darker themes sat within a more uplifting musical landscape.

Drawing comparisons to artists including The Smiths, Sharon Van Etten and Father John Misty, Fraser's song-writing combines a timeless sound with a contemporary edge.

“The chorus is catchy and memorable, but then you hear me singing ‘he gave me the cold hard facts of love’ and hopefully it encourages the listener to look a little deeper,” said Steph. “That’s our favourite kind of song-writing - music that draws you in before revealing something more complicated underneath. As we like to say, the music is jaunty and the lyrics are haunty!

“The song came about after countless conversations between Jonny and me. We didn’t set out to write about coercive control or abusive relationships; we were getting to know each other better and sharing stories from our lives.

“The song emerged naturally from those discussions, and the reaction we’ve had when playing it live has shown us just how many people connect with its themes.”

The release of Cold Hard Facts comes ahead of a series of UK live dates, including performances at Brighton's Folklore Rooms and Manchester's Carlton Club, as anticipation builds for Fraser's debut album.