Daring To Procreate

I'm a huge fan of The Anchoress aka Catherine Anne Davies and the prospect of a new album, As We Once Were, in the summer makes 2026 a brighter prospect.

In advance of the album release, a new single has just emerged. I Had A Baby Not A Lobotomy is brilliantly titled, even as the lyrics list some of the crass comments that were made to Catherine after the birth of her own child.

Featuring Gwenno on backing vocals, it's The Anchoress at her best (although in my opinion, there is no "average" or "worst" in her entire catalogue). 

A lyric video has been posted on YT, which also demonstrates that Catherine possesses more character and storytelling in her facial expressions that some higher profile artists can muster with their entire body.

The EP (available on Bandcamp) includes a radio edit and an instrumental, the latter highlighting the wonderfully complex layers of synthesised sound that underpin the song.

In Catherine's regular mailings, she also writes frankly about having to "play the game" in the music industry to some extent, whilst retaining dignity, identity and everything that makes an artist unique in the first place. 

It's been a few weeks since a stark FB post by Thea Gilmore, sharing that she had been told she wasn't worth much "as a proposition" as her social media numbers weren't high enough (which ironically if predictably went viral).

Apart from BlueSky, which I use largely to promote these posts and the music I love, I have very little social media activity so I'm not part of the solution in that respect. I don't subscribe or use Spotify, so I won't be contributing to the pittance that artists receive from streams.

However, I buy a lot of music every month, digitally or physically and The Anchoress' new EP is the latest purchase.

As We Once Were is available to pre-order now in multiple formats from Last Night From Glasgow. I will receive a copy of the double vinyl as a LNFG member, but I have also ordered the deluxe 2CD edition, not just because I value Catherine's music but because I want to do what I can (and can afford) to ensure that she can continue to keep making music.

You know, just like a music lover and record collector. As we once were.