Emerging Leeds outfit Present Nature continue to honour the craft of timeless, observational songwriting with the release of their poignant new single Bluebird – OUT NOW. Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones at his West Kirby YAWN studio, the track, written in a doom-scrolling fever, serves as an intimate and emotionally resonant preview of the band’s self-titled debut album, now confirmed for release on Fri 20 March 2026.
A beautiful, gently drawn song full of humanity, pathos and close-to-the-bone storytelling, Bluebird once again showcases a songwriter and skilled band unafraid to let space, melody and honesty do the talking. It is songwriting that feels deeply affecting and quietly vivid – compassionate, complete and warmly melodic. Debut single Man Knows emerged last summer with its credentials boosted by support from BBC 6 Music, followed by the hazy euphoria of Columba and the strutting soul of Spun On A Miracle.
The group invite listeners to imagine “Shelagh Delaney scored by Burt Bacharach”, as singer-songwriter Jonny Woolnough draws on the rich lineage of songcraft, from the literate pop of Aztec Camera and Prefab Sprout to the emotive warmth of Crowded House, all while carving out a voice that is unmistakably his own. Literary influences ranging from Virginia Woolf to Max Porter and Roberto Bolaño to Alan Sillitoe colour Woolnough’s writing, lending each song a sense of determined purpose and perfect place.
Bluebird exemplifies that commitment to blending a cultural high watermark with everyman accessibility, exercising equal parts widescreen ambition and delicate restraint akin to Doves, The National or BC Camplight.
Woolnough says of the track: “’Bluebird’ was the last song we recorded. I felt the album needed a melodic ballad to hinge off and complete it. I wrote the melody late one spring evening at the end of the recording sessions and immediately took it into Bill, who told me to go away and come back when the lyrics were finished. I got really ill that week and wrote them in a fever pitch in bed, doom scrolling. I came across this guy talking about homelessness in Leeds and it hit me for six. Agency for the dispossessed is the concept.”
Formed from a circle of highly regarded, in-demand musicians who also perform with the likes of K.O.G, Jasmine Myra and Matthew Halsall, Present Nature’s line-up features Owen Burns (bass), Ben Haskins (lead guitar), Jasper Green (keys) and George Hall (drums). After debuting live with an intimate performance at Harrogate’s RedHouse Galleries last year, the meticulously rehearsed and sonically adventurous five-piece have announced the following live dates in support of the album’s release:
- Thu 19 March 2026 – Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club
- Fri 20 March 2026 – Newcastle, Cobalt