Pirate Lover: Lettie Channels Memory, Loss and Love on New Album

Acclaimed composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lettie is set to release Pirate Lover on 25 March 2026. Her sixth album, it brings together nine songs recorded largely in her home, using windows of time between work and everyday life. The result is presented as a dreamy, nostalgic record rooted in unusual instrumentation and a clear rejection of copy-and-paste recording methods.

The making of the album was shaped in part by a moment of frustration and clarity. Lettie discovered that her dentist had amassed thousands of Spotify streams with tracks made entirely using AI, despite not playing an instrument or ever having performed live. That discovery became a turning point, pushing her further toward a human, song-first approach built around acoustic guitar, intimate recording and real musicianship.

From there, Lettie drew on the influence of Molly Drake and old Blues artists, starting simply at the kitchen table. She invited musicians including Dave Barbarossa to contribute, while Cameron Craig handled the mixing. The album’s themes move through damaged landscapes and family struggle, but also through affection and survival, including the experience of seeing her childhood surroundings altered by the construction of a huge new power station and finding love amid the upheaval.

Lettie brings substantial experience to this new chapter. In 2008, she began a creative relationship with producer David Baron after meeting him on Myspace, recording at Edison Recording Studios in the Edison Hotel off Times Square. Those sessions led to multiple albums and wider recognition from the BBC, as well as appearances at Maida Vale and Glastonbury. Her later work has included touring Europe with Peter Murphy, contributing vocals to “Johnny Remember Me” on Dr John Cooper Clarke and Hugh Cornwell’s This Time It’s Personal, and collaborations with Anthony Phillips for Cherry Red and UPM.