There’s something deeply moving about ‘The Boatman’, the latest single from UK singer-songwriter Lucy Kitchen. Marking a return to her more traditional folk roots after recent explorations into alt-country territory, the track unfolds with patient grace – beginning in hushed, intimate verses before swelling into a powerful full-band crescendo. The arrangement is beautifully textured, with birdsong woven throughout and the warm, vintage glow of a Hammond organ lifting the whole piece skyward.
Kitchen describes it as “a grief song but also slightly defiant in the face of death,” and that duality runs through every note. While she originally released an acoustic version on her ‘Stabal Sessions’ EP, this full-band recording allows the song to breathe and build with cinematic intent. There’s an old-soul quality to ‘The Boatman’ – it feels like it could have been passed down through generations, yet it’s unmistakably hers.
The single arrives as Kitchen prepares to release her third album, ‘In The Low Light’, on 27th February 2026 via Bohemia Rose Records/Make My Day Records. Written following the death of her husband in October 2022, the record is an unflinching yet tender exploration of loss, grief, memory, and transformation. But amid the sorrow, Kitchen has found space for joy, gratitude, and rediscovery. Blending hypnotic folk with subtle Americana influences and echoes from the 70s, the album represents both an ending and a beginning.
“Making this album re-built me more than anything else,” Kitchen reflects. “I hope people find their own stories within these songs and connect with the idea that we can make beautiful things out of these events, and still move forward with our dreams.”
With a string of UK tour dates confirmed – including a full-band album launch at Heartbreakers, Southampton on 1st March – Lucy Kitchen continues to prove herself as one of British folk’s most evocative voices.
Stream ‘The Boatman’ everywhere here.
Pre-save ‘In The Low Light’ here.
Catch Lucy live at her upcoming UK tour dates:
7th November – Paper Dress Vintage, London
21th November – Overdraft, Southampton
26th Feb – Medina Books, Cowes
1st March – Heartbreakers, Southampton (full band album launch show)
12th March – Cafe #9, Sheffield
14th March – Music Room, London (full band show)
3rd April – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
