Homecoming, headline tours, and what lies ahead: Siobhán Winifred reflects on her whirlwind year and looks forward to a future filled with new music and deeper connections with her growing fanbase. Read our latest Hype cover feature.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Siobhán Winifred is hunched over a stack of merch, CDs and cassettes, her hand cramping as she signs what probably feels like the squillionth copy of her debut EP. It’s a far cry from the glitz and glamour one might expect from an artist on the cusp of breaking through, but for Winifred, it’s a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.
“I’m so, so happy with how they’ve turned out,” she beams, her enthusiasm palpable. Unbridled excitement increasingly feels to surround everything Siobhán touches, and her rise to the cusp of minor indie stardom is starting to really gather pace.
Winifred’s journey began in the rolling hills of Dorset, a place she’s recently returned to after a stint in London like a true frugal icon to save up some much-needed cash for her headline tour. “I appreciate the beach and countryside so much more now than I did as a kid,” she muses, a hint of nostalgia creeping in. This sense of homecoming permeates her debut EP, ‘Don’t Do Well Alone’, a collection of songs that feel as intimate as a late-night conversation and as expansive as the Dorset coastline.
But there’s more to Siobhán Winifred than just her music. “I have always felt things very deeply; sang [Avril Lavigne’s] ‘Sk8r Boi’ in my primary school talent show; an aries; Gilmore Girls obsessed; I have a big family, and they’re my favourite people in the world,” she rattles off, painting a picture of a young woman who knows how to relate to her audience.
Her musicality is rooted in a childhood steeped in melody. “My family are all musical or creative in some way, so I grew up around really good music,” Siobhán explains. “I was very lucky to grow up with a guitar and piano in the house, and hundreds of CDs and vinyls – and always Rufus Wainwright on long car journeys.” It’s a musical education that’s left an indelible mark on her songwriting, evident in the rich tapestry of influences that colour her work.
In fact, it’s her Dad that Siobhán credits with her ambition to make it as a musician. “I think a pivotal moment was watching my Dad and his band play at my auntie’s wedding when I was 8,” she recalls. “I sat on the floor, directly under my Dad’s microphone, in awe for their entire set. I think that’s when I knew it was what I wanted to do. “
The EP’s title-track, ‘Don’t Do Well Alone’, serves as both a mission statement and a confession. “It feels natural for me to talk quite explicitly about my experiences,” Winifred explains, her candour a refreshing change in an industry often shrouded in artifice. “Fundamentally, I’m a very open person,” she confirms. “I think taboos hold everybody back, and they’ve always made me uncomfortable.”
“It feels natural for me to talk quite explicitly about my experiences. I think taboos hold everybody back, and they’ve always made me uncomfortable.”
Still, it doesn’t mean it always comes easy to her. “My friends know there’s nothing they can say to me that would make me cringe,” she explains. “Weirdly though, I found it hard to talk about the topic of ‘Don’t Do Well Alone’. I think writing the song was my way of telling people I was actually struggling more than they might realise. Releasing it felt like a weight off my shoulders.”
This openness is evident in every track on the EP, from the raw vulnerability of ‘Lungs’ to the introspective musings of ‘Keep Sweet’. It’s a level of honesty that Winifred not only embraces in her own work but seeks out in others. “I remember finding Sam Fender and it being the first music I’d heard in a long time that I felt was really honest and authentic. The lyrics are the first thing that draws me into a song,” she explains. “I was struggling with PTSD around that time, and his first album honestly got me through it.”
“Artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Alex Turner – although they write completely differently – write with such vulnerability,” she contemplates. Indeed, her appreciation for lyrical depth impacts her on a deep level. “A friend recently told me what ‘It’s Hard To Get Around The Wind’ is actually about, and I nearly cried on the bus,” she confesses, referring to the Arctic Monkeys’ frontman’s 2011 solo track. It’s this emotional connection to music that fuels her own songwriting, resulting in moments that really hit home on a deeply personal level.
Winifred’s path to this point hasn’t been without its challenges. Her debut single, ‘Black Hole’, released in 2022, was the product of late-night writing sessions and DIY production. “God, that feels like a lifetime ago now,” she exclaims. Written in 2021, after her first break-up, it came in an avalanche of non-stop creativity. Posting the song on TikTok, producer Jack Shutle – who also worked on most of the new EP – dropped her a line to suggest a session, and the rest was history.
“We mixed the song ourselves and self-released it,” she recalls. “It was a lot of hard work figuring everything out ourselves, but waking up to find it had landed on New Music Friday and Our Generation was a feeling I’ll never forget.”
“I’ve never been so excited for anything. I keep zoning out on the bus and picturing it and welling up.”
Since then, Siobhán’s trajectory has been nothing short of stratospheric. “It feels like so much has happened since then, so forgive me if I ramble or forget things!” she says, before bashing through an impressive list of achievements that extends far beyond the music she’s released. She’s supported the likes of Stevie Nicks (in Hyde Park!), Rachel Chinouriri, and hat-wearer extraordinaire James Bay, played at the hallowed Maida Vale Studios for BBC Introducing, and now stands on the precipice of her first headline tour. “I’ve been a featured artist, Track of The Week, played in Maida Vale and even headlined one of their gigs!” she exclaims, her gratitude evident. “I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
“I’ve never been so excited for anything,” she gushes about that bill-topping run, her words tumbling out in a rush of anticipation. “I keep zoning out on the bus and picturing it and welling up.” The tour, which kicks off soon, promises to be a showcase of Winifred’s growth as an artist. “‘I’m also very nervous,” she admits, “but it’s the kind of nerves I imagine you get before jumping out of a plane. Making a set my fans are gonna love has been at the centre of everything. I want them to have the best night, so I’ve put a lot of thought into it.”
“We’re covering Fontaines D.C., which I know they’ll love,” she teases, “and I can’t wait to play a new song to them that I’ve been dying to gig for ages.”
But with great excitement comes great responsibility, and Winifred is acutely aware of the work that goes into making a tour successful. “The to-do list never ends!” she laughs, revealing she’s still constantly adding ideas to her itinerary. “I’ve been working at a restaurant non-stop to save for petrol and the like, which has meant tour has come around so, so quickly.”
“I’m indebted to them and will never forget that they’ve got me here.”
The practicalities of hitting the road are never far from her mind. “I need to message my lovely friends around the country to see if anyone will let me and the band crash for a night here and there,” she reminds herself. “They’ve helped us out before, and I’m so grateful to them. I really hope I can return the favour soon!”
As for the future, Winifred is characteristically enthusiastic. “I’ve been writing a lot, so I’m super excited to get my new music together,” she says. “I’ve been listening to my new demos nearly every day. I love how they’re sounding and can’t wait to get them finished.” Her excitement is palpable as she adds, “I’m not sure if I can say much yet, but I have some really cool gigs coming in the run-up to Christmas! It’s my favourite thing to do, so I’m very happy.”
But for now, her focus is firmly on the present, on the EP that represents the culmination of years of hard work and self-discovery. ‘Don’t Do Well Alone’ is the first big flag in the ground from an artist unafraid to wear her heart on her sleeve – and she knows exactly who she has to thank for that. “I’m indebted to them and will never forget that they’ve got me here,” she says of her fans. “I want them to know how much their support is appreciated. They blow me away every day with their utter devotion. It’s the stuff of dreams, really.” It’s a touching reminder that for all the industry machinations and marketing strategies, at the heart of every great artist is a person, just trying to connect.
In Siobhán Winifred’s case, that connection is as strong as ever. As she prepares to embark on her headline tour, one thing is clear: she may not do well alone, but as her tribe grows thanks to her music, she’s doing just fine. ■
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