Laura Fell is a London-based songwriter who has just announced her debut album Safe From Me for release on November 20 through Balloon Machine. Although, just calling Fell a songwriter is selling her short; she in fact held down three jobs in order to be able to afford to record her songs in the way she dreamed, and her main day job is that of a psychotherapist.
You might imagine that therapists manage to always maintain a calm perspective and an equanimous demeanour, but Fell’s new song “Bone of Contention” comes from a place of discontent, as she explains:
“Bone of Contention is an exercise in anger, really. I’ve always struggled to feel anger without also feeling out of control, and, therefore, disempowered. This song is about allowing myself to sit with my anger, and ending up finding clarity and power within it.”
You wouldn’t necessarily detect the anger in “Bone of Contention” immediately, as Fell has recorded a gorgeous and stately folk-rock song that glides on sunbeam guitars and a lightly bobbing rhythm. Following Fell’s honeyed vocals is like being lured deeper into her private thoughts where dreams and concerns collide; her singing is warm and welcoming, while the words themselves relay a more agitated state of mind: “And I’ll ask you to spare me / your bullshit about being betrayed.” As we drift deeper into the song, more shimmering layers of instrumentation are added, only bringing regality to her proclamation that “I have an axe to grind, a grudge to bear, a bone to pick with you.” As she rounds out this delicious trip through her inner monologue with the addition of strings, she comes to the conclusion “the bone of contention is you,” and you can detect the hint of a smile in the admission, as if by bringing it out into the light it has lifted a weight off her mind.
You can listen to “Bone of Contention” below or on your preferred streaming platform.
Laura Fell’s debut album Safe From Me comes out through the newly-formed label Balloon Machine on November 20, and you can pre-order it from the label’s Bandcamp. You can find the songwriter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
