April 27, 2026 |
Bel Cobain is one to watch. Releasing her latest EP Kizzy via Brownswood Recordings on April 24, the Hackney-born singer-songwriter has been quietly making waves with her funk-spiced, neo-soul tunes since her debut EP Radical Forgiveness dropped in 2023. Now, she returns with a body of work charting a personal and artistic revolution. The music swells and falls with a grand grace, and offers a sincere and honest insight into Cobain’s experiences over the past two years.
Kizzy is born out of an unrelenting 18 months for Cobain, in which the passing of loved ones and the ending of relationships coincided with a period of homelessness for the artist. Across a series of studio sessions, she leaned into these experiences, resulting in six tracks anchored by soft melodies layered with searingly honest, intimate lyrics. Cobain’s silky voice glides over paired back instrumentals, exploring the trials and tribulations of love and life. Whether it’s through the emotive odyssey of Change, the plucky acoustic melody on Kills Me or the feverish jazz inflections of Fucking City, Kizzy is a powerful exploration of breaking down and breaking through.
Here, we chat with Cobain about music as therapy, where she finds beauty in the world and what she’s most proud of in her career so far.
1. Can you tell us a bit more about the EP’s title, Kizzy?
The project marks an important pillar in my journey. My baby girl and beloved dog Kizzy passed on to the next dimension as I was finishing the EP, so I thought it was fitting to name it after her. She was an anchor point to all the madness. Still is. Always.
2. How did music help you cope during this time?
Music is therapy. I saw sessions as an opportunity to feel something outside of the numbing essence of chaos in my life. I couldn’t feel anything. I was just so overwhelmed. When I came to places dedicated to music and art, my pain was able to flow and write itself out of me. I’m forever grateful for the studios and homes that held me in those times. The single Fucking City captures the dangers and loneliness of life as a woman in the city.
3. Where do you most feel at home; safe and loved?
Anywhere as long as I’m with my real ones, the people who see me. There’s only a few – friends who are able to see my soul, my true essence and my light.
4. Who are the strongest women in your life and what have they taught you?
My mama. She’s always been an inspiration. A true explorer. An untamed wise woman. I’ve learnt the beauty of being alone through her, and that the silence of self is where all wisdom can be found.
5. Did you learn anything surprising about yourself and your artistry during the production of Kizzy?
No. But I unlearned a lot. I now hold things a lot more softly. I dance closely with the ones I love. Never catch. Never cling. Nothing and no one is anyone’s property. And everything is a temporary gift.
6. Despite all of your troubles while writing the EP, you still made sure to look for the beauty in life. What have you been finding beautiful recently?
Meditation, but with softness. Sometimes it’s even more potent to just visit the very bottom of your ocean. No intention. Just kinda sitting in the darkness, where nothing moves or changes.
7. What are the biggest sonic differences between this EP and 2023’s Radical Forgiveness?
There’s a lot more musicianship on this project. I’ve worked with some really beautiful musicians and producers on Kizzy that really brought my pain and passion to life.
8. You’ve already appeared on renowned stages such as Glastonbury and Love Saves The Day. Where is your dream location to perform?
I wanna do something to the forest. Music and art is so regenerative and spiritual so I would love to give back to the Mutha.
9. What’s been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Anytime someone’s moved by my art I feel like I’ve done my job. It makes me feel complete that I’ve transmuted energy and reaffirmed someone’s reality.
10. What’s next for you?
Pure magic and alignment. More love. More music. More kindness.
Photography courtesy of Bel Cobain.
