Change can be volatile, overwhelming, wonderful and heartbreaking– but above all else, it can open a portal into a new season of life. The past few months for Nieve Ella have felt similar, as though everything turned on its head and time started to move faster by the day. Out of all this comes the 21-year-old’s transformational new EP Watch It Ache and Bleed, a collection of invigorating indie-rock anthems brimming with raw feeling; it's the sound of a young, determined woman ready to go out into the world with a whole new perspective on what ambition and desire mean to her.
Change can be volatile, overwhelming, wonderful and heartbreaking– but above all else, it can open a portal into a new season of life. The past few months for Nieve Ella have felt similar, as though everything turned on its head and time started to move faster by the day. Out of all this comes the 21-year-old’s transformational new EP Watch It Ache and Bleed, a collection of invigorating indie-rock anthems brimming with raw feeling; it's the sound of a young, determined woman ready to go out into the world with a whole new perspective on what ambition and desire mean to her. In just two short years, the West Midlands singer-songwriter has galvanised a legion of devout fans thanks to her wit and electrifying stage presence. An accomplished self-taught guitarist with a finely-tuned ear for a soaring hook, Ella’s lyrics recall the candid songwriting of Sam Fender. By writing astutely about growing pains, unfiltered impulses and those first real, unexpected breakups with sincerity and flair, she extends a helping hand to listeners going through similar journeys of growth.
Melding Nineties influences such as Liz Phair and Veruca Salt with an innate ear for pop melodies, Watch It Ache and Bleed details the rocky road of heartbreak in eviscerating detail. Yet the EP also celebrates courage, and the bravery required to realise you're not quite getting what you deserve. “The person I was with... it was quite lovely and wholesome,” she says. “But when I was realising that I shouldn’t be in this relationship anymore, I was like: ‘Oh, I want to do all of the fun stuff’. The things a 21-year-old should be doing.” Many of Watch It Ache and Bleed’s boldest moments are “power moves” that bask in the joy of taking charge of your destiny. What ties it all together is a newfound confidence from Ella; a sense of contentment and belief in exactly who she is. “It's a celebration of this idea that she can f**king get what she needs! And if she has to go out and find it, then she will.” An empowering journey into a self-assured new era, this eight-track release builds on last year’s pair of EPs– 2023’s Lifetime of Wanting and Young & Naive– to unearth Ella’s bravest, most uplifting songwriting to date. Following a sold-out headline tour, an impressive festival season including a celebrated set at TRNSMT, and opening slots for the likes of Dylan and Inhaler, Ella is now gearing up for the release alongside her biggest gigs yet: opening for Girl in Red on her upcoming September arena tour.
