May 30, 2025 |
English musician Shura is making her achingly bare and beautifully vulnerable return to music with her new album I Got Too Sad For My Friends, out today. Following a six-year hiatus spent mastering the world of video game Baldur’s Gate 3 and in pursuit of becoming a Love Lies Bleeding-influenced “muscle mummy”, the critically acclaimed artist is ready to turn the page on a new chapter – one that lays it all bare in her most candid record yet.
Produced by Luke Smith – who’s earned his reputation from working with the likes of Foals, Depeche Mode and Shygirl – I Got Too Sad For My Friends honours the tender lessons Shura learned over those six, long years of uncertainty. Influenced by her time living in New York and being emotionally and physically removed from her loved ones, the bones of the album are utterly wrapped up in those depressed and lonely feelings. But it’s far from a cry for help. Instead, the album surrenders to these emotions and rides with them, allowing listeners to join in on Shura’s pastoral journey to self-discovery.
Featuring collaborations with Cassandra Jenkins, Becca Mancari and Helado Negro, the tracks divert from Shura’s synth-pop origins to welcome in the soothing spirit of ’60s soft psych as well as more folksy elements. Meanwhile track three, Recognise, functions as the through line between this new era and Shura’s previous work, building upon her usual lucid, lyrical sound with an added layer of earthliness.
On the album’s cover, we see Shura sitting alone on a mountainside sporting ripped jeans and Converse with a Walkman by her side and various pieces of steel armour falling over her body. Failing to cover the soft spots where her vital organs would be vulnerable to an attack, she creates a visual metaphor for the album to come – a rocky voyage through sadness and isolation.
Here, we sat down with Shura to chat about why now is the right time to make her return, entering the gates of Shutopia and being the World’s Worst Girlfriend.
1. This is your first album in six years. Why was now the right time for a comeback and how has your music evolved since 2019?
I mean I would have loved for it to be sooner! Ha. It’s just how long it took. I had just started touring the second album when lockdowns began so it took a while for me to really get back into a headspace where I was able to write anything I was interested in. I think with every album I like to explore unfamiliar territory and go on an adventure. With this record I got to explore a much more live approach, recording everyone together and I think that’s probably the biggest evolution in terms of sound and feel. It feels natural and tactile to me, perhaps less laboured over, in some senses but it was still a lot of hard work.
2. Why did you choose to name your new album I Got Too Sad For My Friends?
It’s the name I gave to the SoundCloud playlist of the first collection of demos that became this album. It sort of summed up how I was feeling at the time and it also amused me and I remember thinking that would be a great name for an album if ever I finish one again.
3. This album has an ethereal earthiness to it. Why is this something you chose to express in your music?
It was something I was really drawn to in the music I was listening to when I was down. I was listening to a lot of American records from the ’60s and America was such a big character and presence on the record because I had moved to Brooklyn right before the pandemic. During lockdowns I was going on a lot of walks and observing as much of the natural world as much as I could in a city like New York, even if it was just in parks. So I think I was just drawn to exploring those textures in my own music. It also feels a little but like a return to my roots, in that I was always right songs on an acoustic guitar.
4. What’s your favourite lyric from the entire album?
I love the version of the album title on Richardson. “I got to down around my friends, it was slow but they stopped answering so I stopped talking“. I like how it encapsulates how everything fell apart slowly, it wasn’t a catastrophic moment, it just felt like whoever I was drifted away from the rest of the world and I felt very isolated,
5. Who is the song World’s Worst Girlfriend about?
Ha. When I was down my instinct was to hide away from the world, which meant even though I wanted to go on fun dates with my partner I just felt like all I could do was stay inside in my pyjamas and play video games and it made me feel like it must have sucked to be my partner. Luckily for me, they didn’t also think this.
6. The album cover artwork is strikingly expressive, as well as the visualiser for your song Recognise. What influenced it?
It was heavily influenced by playing 300 hours of Baldur’s Gate 3, that one scene in Romeo and Juliet and reading The Little Prince. I loved the idea of wearing armour that isn’t protecting your vital organs in a completely empty landscape as a metaphor for the things we do to protect ourselves that probably actually don’t help very much or in fact make things worse.
7. How does one enter the gates of Shutopia? (AKA the discord server for Shura fans).
Honestly it’s become so much more than just a server for my fans. In fact maybe the fact that I’m there is the least interesting thing about it. It’s a beautiful community of predominantly queer folks and real life friendships have been made all of the world. After my albums it’s maybe the thing I’m proudest of being a part of. Anyone is welcome in the realm and you can join here.
8. What kind of music did you listen to growing that shaped your taste now?
A lot of Madonna. Particularly the immaculate collection. Specifically on VHS so with all the music videos. Both my twin and I worshipped her. I think her commitment to exploring new territories musically definitely inspired my own approach. But my taste is very broad. I love all kinds of genres. It’s very situational for me. I love pop music in the gym for instance, because it’s very good at making you feel good. I love that about great pop music.
9. As a self described “muscle mommy”, what’s your favourite way to bulk up?
Aspiring muscle mommy because putting on muscle is HARD. I thought it would take six months but I think it will take six years. Right now I’m really enjoying Brazilian jiu jitsu, which I started in January. It’s been fun to take all the strength training I’ve been doing and actually doing something functional.
10. What’s next for you?
Taking this album on the road I hope. But maybe a tiny little holiday in France after the album is out I can eat lots of cheese and kayak down a river as a treat.
From top: photography by Sophie Williams; photography by Charlotte Croft.
