Ellie Walker

Four songs that speak to family life, mental health, forgiveness and heartache

Cambridgeshire’s indie-folk songstress Ellie Walker is set to release her new EP ‘Balance’ on 5^th December 2025, four songs that together form her most confident work to date.

Known for her pure, unaffected vocals and rich acoustic arrangements, Ellie has carved out a sound that merges indie-pop playfulness with acoustic-folk depth. Drawing inspiration from Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones, Ellie’s music favours warmth over polish and emotional vulnerability over performance. The EP follows her acclaimed 2023 debut album ‘Sink or Swim’ (“a terrific debut” – Fatea) and 2024’s festive single ‘This Christmas Morning’ (“every bit as joyfully festive as it sounds” – Loud Women), building on growing radio support from BBC Introducing, Radio X, BBC Scotland, Amazing Radio and more. Ellie has recently supported Dominie Hooper and House of Love, and will celebrate the EP’s release with a show on 12^th December at The Plough, Cambridge.

The Songs

Balance

The EP’s title track sets the tone with a jangly, upbeat tapestry of recorders, trumpets, jaunty piano riffs and stacked harmonies. ‘Balance’ captures the joy and chaos of modern family life without sentimentality, rooted in Ellie’s sharp lyrical detail (“battles picked in the early morning never seem to matter at dinnertime”). It marks Ellie’s growing self-confidence as a songwriter and her embracing a playful, buoyant sound. Joined by her band (Mike (guitars), Max (bass), Mark (drums/percussion) and Carly (backing vocals), Ellie weaves her clear unfiltered vocals through a charming backdrop of jangli-ness, to create a tune sure to become an earworm on first listen.

The Old Oak

Shifting into a darker space, ‘The Old Oak’ is a haunting exploration of mental health and resilience. Written during a period of personal upheaval, the track draws on Ellie’s own experiences with mental health, balancing fragility and strength through its soaring chorus: “just hold on”. The beautiful piano motif returns throughout, anchoring the listener, whilst delicate textures and Ellie’s unmistakable vocal clarity give the song a subtle emotional weight which is brimming with hope.

Let Me Go

Short, urgent and direct, ‘Let Me Go’ was born from a songwriting challenge to begin with the chorus, whilst responding to the final scene of the BBC’s highly acclaimed TV series, Happy Valley, which features a highly charged reckoning between the two main characters, Catharine and Tommy. The result is a driving track that moves with pace whilst not losing any of its impact. The song explores forgiveness in the most complex of situations, and the finality of difficult goodbyes. Ellie surprised herself with the empathy she felt towards Tommy, which shines through in the sweetness of the song.

One Day

The EP closes with its most vulnerable moment. Written from the perspective of Emma Morley from David Nicholls’ One Day, the song doubles as a reflection on Ellie’s own past relationships. Built around a persistent piano line, swelling harmonies and heartbreaking lyrics, it journeys through the pain of loving someone who cannot fully love you back. After the song’s climax of multi-layered vocals and crashing percussion, the final calm piano chords land like an out-breath after an exhausting emotional ordeal. Ellie shares: “Writing ‘One Day’ gave me the chance to speak through Emma’s voice, but also to acknowledge parts of my own past. It’s about the moment you realise love isn’t enough, and the bravery it takes to decide to stop being someone’s secret.”