Acclaimed north-east artist Amelia Coburn shares her new single ‘Metamorphosis’, the latest track to be taken from her second album ‘Myself and Other Monsters’, arriving 5th March 2027.
Renowned for her vivid, gothic-tinged storytelling, folk-horror songstress Amelia Coburn has always had a knack for making the unusual sound timeless and that’s more apparent than ever on her latest single ‘Metamorphosis’. Taking its initial inspiration from Kafka’s novella of the same name, Coburn uses Gregor Samsa’s transformation into an insect as a jumping-off point to explore illness, identity and bodily horror.
“Beyond the insect imagery, I was more interested in writing about my own experiences of waking up after major surgery and being trapped inside a body that suddenly felt unfamiliar”, explains Amelia.
“I started thinking about the operation as a kind of theatrical freak show, singing a slow-plodding Tom Waits inspired tune to: “Ladies and gents, behold my metamorphosis.”, like how audiences paid to watch cadavers being dissected in 16th century hospitals. My stage was the operating theatre, my body was the spectacle, and I was the unwilling starlet, lying completely vulnerable (‘belly up’) while strangers examined, cut and reconstructed me. Despite the absurd nature of the song, I hope it can resonate with those who have felt alienated from their own body.”
Accompanied by a surreal video inspired by Coburn’s love of the grotesque and featuring a truly terrifying handmade insect costume, the single is the second taste of what’s to come from Amelia’s upcoming sophomore album.
‘Myself and Other Monsters’ is a cabinet of curiosities, where the supernatural hides within the domestic and beauty exists alongside the grotesque. Musically, it reaches for dreamlike arrangements and cinematic crescendos, with production from Bill Ryder-Jones, it shifts from theatrical brass to melancholic strings and haunting harmonies.
Drawing on the worlds of H. P. Lovecraft, Angela Carter, Roald Dahl and Guillermo del Toro, there is a darkness at the heart of many of Coburn’s songs, populated by vivid characters and nocturnal creatures. On ‘Myself and Other Monsters’, Amelia turns that darkness inward:
“Although the album began with something intensely personal, it is not a straightforwardly autobiographical record. Once I began looking at my own darker impulses, I wanted to examine the “monsters” that exist beyond myself: spectral creatures, morally ambiguous characters, unreliable narrators and the strange ways in which people can become monstrous, or be made to feel monstrous.”
At its heart, ‘Myself and Other Monsters’ is an attempt to look unflinchingly at the contradictions within ourselves and the world around us, and to ask the listener where the person ends and the monster begins.
Amelia’s relentless work ethic has seen her play live hundreds of times since the release of her debut album, with highlights including a sold-out show in the Elgar Room at Royal Albert Hall and standout sets at some of the UK’s best-loved boutique festivals, as well as major international showcases including Reeperbahn Festival and SXSW.
This December sees Coburn play her biggest full-band headline shows to date, followed by an extensive solo tour before returning to the Royal Albert Hall for a special album release show. Tickets available HERE and further dates to follow…
Confirmed headline tour dates:
03.12 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
04.12 Manchester Yes Pink Room
05.12 Gateshead The Glasshouse
28.01 Glasgow Oran Mor (Celtic Connections)
30.01 Cockermouth Kirkgate Centre
04.02 Lytham St Annes Lowther Pavilion
05.02 Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room
06.02 Beverley St. Nicholas’ Church
07.02 Hutton Rudby Village Hall
11.02 Nottingham Metronome
12.02 Cambridge The Portland Arms
13.02 Brighton Komedia Studio
18.02 Aldershot West End Centre
19.02 Portsmouth Square Tower
20.02 Exeter Phoenix
21.02 Cardiff Acapela
24.02 St. Albans The Horn
25.02 Poole The Lighthouse
26.02 Pontardawe Arts Centre
27.02 Dorchester-on-Thames Bishop’s Court Farm
05.03 London Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room)
06.03 London Rough Trade Denmark Street (in-store)
09.03 Leominster Ad Astra Records(in-store)
09.03 Nantwich Applestump Records (in-store)
10.03 Liverpool Rough Trade (in-store)
07.05 Stockton-on-Tees The Georgian Theatre
