The singer also included some artwork for the single and a short snippet of the song which features him singing the title of the song in the line ‘look at what you’ve gone and done, baby baby now i’m numb.’ Pre-saving the track, the singer announced, will also give fans early access to tickets for an exclusive, virtual live performance which will feature tracks from his upcoming album. With 2018’s ‘Jubilee Road,’ the last studio album released by Odell, fans have been waiting two long years for a follow up and finally now it has been confirmed that his fourth is coming very soon.

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Tom Odell, who’s debut album ‘Long Way Down,’ reached number 1 on the UK official album charts is known for his simple yet effective combination of piano and vocals to deliver his potent songwriting. However, the clip which he has provided us to preview new song ‘numb,’ features rich production with thumping kick drums and synth sounds added to the simple keyboard and vocal lines which are reminiscent and familiar of the sound he is known for. This suggests a much greater time being spent in the studio experimenting with different sounds, perhaps inspired by the additional time he was able to spend in there throughout lockdown, and gives fans hope for an album which is both original and breaking new ground but also nostalgic and familiar for fans who fell in love with ‘Long Way Down.’

With the UK sill in a full national lockdown and live music in person still of the cards for the foreseeable future, it is only right that British artists like Tom Odell continue to make use of the possibilities of live streaming to create interactions with fans and also to generate an income for themselves in these difficult times. While vaccine passports may bring some hope for the return of live music sooner than expected, with the UK government’s focus entirely being on vaccinating the population and generally refusing to answer any questions regarding when things might be reopening, it may be wise of all of us to settle in to another long few months of live streamed entertainment.

Commenting on her upcoming tour, Grace says: “I’m so so so excited. I’ve only ever done one other tour of my own and I had the time of my life. It blows my mind every time I see my fans singing all of my lyrics back at me. They’re the best!”

Having previously toured with Haim, Dua Lipa, Jorja Smith, Mabel, Dermot Kennedy + Rag N Bone Man, she is no stranger to the stage and first began performing her own material in public at the age of fourteen. “I’ve had the best time supporting so many amazing artists they’ve all been so good to me,” Grace adds.

“I’m probably closest with Dua. Since touring with her she’s supported me with everything I’ve done. It’s so amazing to have someone a few years ahead of you to look up to. She’s fab.”

Grace has also recently released a video for her latest single ‘Heal Me’. The visual sees Grace reminisce on her younger years, featuring snippets of her as a child.

This video comes off the back of coming third in BBC’s Sound of 2019 as well as being tipped by the likes of MTV, YouTube Music, Amazon and Ticketmaster in their coveted one-to-watch lists. The song’s premise is about feeling the pain of rejection and abandonment, but not letting it hold you back.

This is something says she felt as a child, being raised solely by her mother, as her relationship with absent father grew more distant. This track follows on from previous release ‘Why Her Not Me’, which tackled the notion of jealousy and abandonment Grace felt for her father, whose lack of presence in her early life inspires a lot of her music.

She says: “All of my songs are about my life and the things I’ve experienced. I grew up with a single mum and had a lot of unanswered questions growing up so music has always been a tool for me to process my situation and feelings. The video is basically my journey so far compacted into a three-minute video.”

The singer explained that music is instrumental in keeping her sane and feels blessed to have such a strong support network. “It’s important for everyone to have an outlet. If I didn’t speak about my feelings in my music I think I would’ve lost the plot by now,” Grace adds.

“I’ve always been encouraged to talk. I’ve been blessed with an amazing friendship group and family who I have always been very open with.”

See below for Grace Carter upcoming tour dates:

Tue 26 March – Gorilla, Manchester, UK

Wed 27 March – O2 Institute Birmingham, UK

Thurs March 28 –  Electric Brixton, London, UK

Fri March 29  – Concorde 2, Brighton, UK

Mon April 1 – Luxor, Cologne, Germany

Tue April 2 – Stage Club, Hamburg, Germany

Wed April 3 – Lido, Berlin, Germany

Fri April 5 – Exil, Zurich, Switzerland

Sat April 6 – Dude Club, Milan, Italy

Mon April 8 – La Boule Noire, Paris, France

Tue April 9 – Bitterzoet, Amsterdam, Netherlands

With the vinyl revival currently in full swing, this year’s Record Store Day is et to give music fans a whole host of new delights to test their ears with. The day that celebrates one of the finest forms of musical releases hits again this weekend and there are plenty of exclusive releases to be picked up at approximately 200 different independent record shops on Saturday.

You can expect to find treasures by bands such as Pixies, Quantic Soul Orchestra and even One Direction at this year’s event – the boy band will be releasing just 5,000 copies of a Midnight Memories picture disk.

This is undoubtedly the biggest day of the year for many, if not all, of the independent retailers taking part in the event and it will hopefully help to increase their appeal for the next year. While there will surely be a short-term spike in the popularity of these shops, a long-term future is still unclear due to the popularity of downloads. However, in recent years the ‘vinyl revival’ has helped peak interest in the once unrivalled medium and many artists have taken to releasing their work on vinyl. Perhaps the record still has a significant role to play in the development of the music industry.

Check out some of the exclusive releases from around the world on the official Record Store Day website.