She’s a rising star who has captivated some seasoned observers with her lush melodies and haunting lyrics.
Now Freya Beer is making her first visit to East Lancashire as part of a 22-date UK tour.
On Monday she will be at the Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre, an intimate venue far removed from the London Palladium where she recently supported Dr John Cooper-Clarke.
With descriptions like “the newest leader of the dark goth pack” it comes as a pleasant surprise to find that, in person, Freya is open, chatty and prone to a self-deprecating laugh or two along the way.
“The whole Goth thing is interesting,” she said. “What does it actually mean? Is it about a world in which you can be more free and express yourself? If that’s the case, I’m happy with that.
“But I think to someone who maybe doesn’t have that much of a wide knowledge of music they would think of your stereotypical Goth. But it’s not the visuals that matter; it’s the elements in the music.”
It is almost five years since Freya released her first single Dear Sweet Rosie and much has happened in a relatively short space of time.
Her debut album, Beast came out in 2020 and since then she has released a series of singles and EPs including her most recent Tatiana, a ridiculously catchy song that, if you are going to attach a label, is more pop than anything else.
“I think I have just learned not to overthink it when I write,” she said. “I’ve tried to write in a certain way and I’m so bad at it, I can’t come up with anything.
“I started writing songs probably when I was only nine or 10 and had zero life experience. I just put pen to paper and wrote. My family would joke that something was channelling through me. It’s so weird what you come up with when you just don’t think about it.”
Freya’s debut album has the unusual claim to fame that it was included in the British Sound Archive at the British Library.
business is you don’t know what is around the corner,” said Freya. “Things just come out of the blue. I was messaged on Bandcamp by someone who worked at the British Library who said we’d love to have your music in the Sound Archive so, I guess, people can study it. My first reaction was why? It was really random in a good way.
“I’ve noticed that the nature of this“And as far as I know no-one has done a PhD on me yet. But it is amazing to think that my album is in there. It’s not like I’m part of the mainstream and back then I was really only just staring to climb the ladder.”
Although Beast is in the British Library, Freya has no immediate plans for a second album.
“I think the way the industry is and also how people’s attention spans don’t seem to suit albums I’ll concentrate on more singles and EPs and of course a lot more live work.”
Freya admits that the live shows took her out of her comfort zone.
“When I first started out I didn’t like it,” she confesses. “I’m not a shy person, I’m just quiet so I had to get used to playing live. But the more I have done it the more I have grown to love it and it’s now one of the things I enjoy to do most.”
Freya Beer is at the Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre on Monday. Details from www.barnoldswickandartscentre.com
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