NEW ALBUM
comes ashore
The debut album by Hat or Belt has finally come ashore, the culmination of years of writing and recording. Entitled When The Song Comes In, it contains 12 songs, including the four singles, reflecting on themes like change, hope, loss, love and separation, set to catchy tunes and riffs. The songs were recorded and produced at Lightship 95, a former lightship (floating lighthouse) marking the Kent coast, now London’s floating studio (a big red boat!) in the Docklands. A big thank you to Giles Barrett for his pristine and patient production and mixing, Mike Collins for his excellent engineering (and occasional guitar playing) and Dave Holmes for his masterly mastering. It was an uplifting voyage, taking in synth pop and indie pop/rock, mixing electronic and acoustic drums, synths and piano, 5-string bass, electric and electro-acoustic guitar, and even some mandolin! Hats off to the gifted guest musicians who came aboard (literally in some cases), including long-time friend and supporter John Applegarth playing drums on six tracks (John’s drummed for Sally Strawberry, Brave Lucy/the Reactors and DMZ, among others). Backing vocalists Lisa Marini and Anna Laura Lombardi complemented Hat or Belt's conversational vocals on some songs, with Lisa's brilliant backing vocal arrangements a real highlight. Young virtuoso jazz saxophonist Allexa Nava brought some soulful sax to two tracks (adding some improvised magic) and, last but not least, cellist Rachel Shakespeare and trumpeter Sam Warner elevated a couple of songs with their tasteful contributions. There are full credit details listed in the INFO section next to each track on the Listen page, where you can stream and/or download/purchase the album. Thank you also to Carlotta B for the striking artwork.
FOUR SINGLES
Up, Christie, You Never Know, Everything's Changing
Ahead of the album release, there were four singles to establish Hat or Belt, all recorded and produced at Lightship 95. A huge thank you to producer and mixer Giles Barrett, engineer Mike Collins and masterer Dave Holmes. Mike also played electric guitar on a few tracks.
"Up" was the fourth and most recent single - a song originally intended for a female singer before Keith reworked it and made it his own. It's certainly been given the thumbs up by listeners and radio stations.
The third single, “Christie”, which reached the semi-finals in the UK Songwriting Contest, was conceived during lockdown in 2020 when the world was locked down and loved ones couldn’t meet. As the song says “we're locked in … when will we see those days again … touching skin and holding hands”.
The video portrays those emotional experiences with its lockdown scenes and images of isolation and separation (some of the photos were taken by Keith himself during that time).
Hat or Belt’s second single was “You Never Know”, all about life’s unexpected twists and turns - it's a slice of indie pop, washed down with synth chords, a lilting guitar riff and even some mandolin strums. Hardly a day goes by without hearing the phrase “you never know”. Mike Collins kindly (and brilliantly) played the recurring guitar riff.
The video journey, with the help of AI-generated road-trip scenes, is thanks to editors Luigi and The Blackstars Team.
The Hat or Belt journey kicked off with “Everything’s Changing”, the very first recording at Lightship 95, which was greeted enthusiastically with its catchy piano chords, melodies and riffs, while also touching on topical themes. The retro-style video also resonated.
All four singles picked up plenty of airplay - well over 1,000 in total. Thank you to Ewan McKenzie at The Music Elevator for very successful radio promotion campaigns.
FEATURED ARTIST
The Independent Music Show
Hat or Belt was the week's Featured Artist on The Independent Music Show from 14 to 20 August 2026 - more info here. It was great to start the show with "Christie" and finish with "Up", alongside an eclectic range of talented artists. Thank you Tom Lambert! You can listen here. Also featured in the August 2026 edition of The Independent Music Show Magazine.