One of the most hotly-tipped songwriters in the U.K., Yorkshire’s Louise Distras finally makes her long-awaited return in 2023 with her first single “Girl In The Mirror” from her second album Beauty After Bruises out 28 April via Ministry Of Love Records.
“Girl in the Mirror” was recorded at 25th Street Studios in Oakland, California with producer Ross Peterson (Bruce Springsteen, Elle King) and mixed by Stephen Street (The Cranberries, Blur, The Smiths) at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 in West London. Guest musicians include Mick Talbot (The Style Council/Dexy’s Midnight Runners) on keys and Puscifer drummer Gunnar Olsen on drums.
Though often referred to as a punk artist or a protest singer, Louise says she’s much more than that:
“I’ve just always tried to write good songs that come straight from the heart and songs that I want to hear,” she explains. “I was brought up on groups like the Bee Gees, Queen, ABBA, and ELO. The thing I love the most about pop music is that there’s no stage big enough for it. So it doesn’t matter where I sing these songs, or even who hears me, as long as the people are welcome. From the start, that’s always been my philosophy.”
Having made a name for herself with her Dreams From The Factory Floor debut, Louise’s mix of spiky energy, addictive melody, and unvarnished lyrics quickly won her praise. Her brilliant live shows, meanwhile, include touring with The Interrupters, Dropkick Murphys, and The Subways, as well as punk heroes The Buzzcocks, The Damned, and Mick Jones (The Clash). She was also invited to perform at Glastonbury by none other than Billy Bragg.
Louise adds:
“I don’t want to make music that’s a space for the best, glossy version of myself, so ‘Girl in the Mirror’ is about the ugly truth. This song is messy just like me, and it’s about honoring the parts of myself that I looked away from. Instead of pointing the finger and screaming, ‘Here’s what’s wrong with me; it’s the world’s fault, and it’s the world that’s doing it to me,’ I’m looking inwards and realizing the way I see the world is because of the way I see myself. And I learned that if I carried the bricks from my past any longer, I would’ve ended up building the same house. So, ‘Girl in the Mirror’ is pretty much just me getting out of my own way.”
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Photo courtesy of Louise Distras
