Songs You Should Know: Lottie McLeod

"Important to You" is a song I'm genuinely excited to finally get out. I wrote it around 18 months ago. The song has themes around boundary setting in relationships. It was written following a time when I was seeing someone who was really struggling emotionally and sending messages that I didn't feel I was equipped to effectively

support him through. I made a decision to reach out to someone I knew he respected, who I knew would have the capacity to help him get the support he needed. The situation made me reflect on a feeling of caring about someone but not wanting to be their only lifeline. I was 18 at the time, and it was hard to have to acknowledge that while I really liked this person, I couldn't be what he needed me to be. That, it was okay to recognise that you can care for someone and know that your idea of what a relationship should look in early stages, can be different, and maybe not right for you. I think it's a song that is applicable in friendships also. When I play it live, I have such beautiful reactions from people who identify with having this experience. So I hope it' s a song that people hear and give themselves permission to recognise when something is not right for them. That there are ways you can support someone while setting healthy boundaries for yourself

I recorded this song in North Carolina with producer Caleb Wright. Caleb reached out after hearing my song 'The Line'. I've been a fan of Caleb's work for a few years, from when I started listening to Samia in 2021, who he has worked with on various projects. So it was huge to me that he had reached out, and that he liked something I'd written. When I started planning my US holiday a few months later, I connected with him and asked if he'd be keen to connect in person. I took "Important to You" to him and he just got it. It was effortless working with Caleb, and the song is exactly how I heard it when I was writing it. I wanted the lyrics to really hit and connect with the listener, but I really wanted the build to reflect the intensity of the themes of the song. And I think we truly achieved that.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the song is received.

Phoebe Bridgers - Moon Song

I remember one day in 2022, I listened to this song about 20 times. Not necessarily because I was sad and related to the song, but because I was just in awe of her lyricism. I couldn’t get enough then, and I still can’t now. Phoebe will always be a number one influence for me.

Charlie Hickey - Feel Nothing

Everything Charlie writes, I’m jealous I didn’t think of it first. The country twang on this song is addictive; honestly, this whole album is perfect to me.

Julia Jacklin - When The Family Flies In -

I knew a Julia Jacklin song had to be on this list, and picking one was extremely difficult. “When the Family Flies In” is so heartbreaking, and as someone who’s experienced a major loss in my life, it hits very close to home in the best way possible.

Proof - Samia

I think Samia is a genius, and I think this is the greatest song ever written. Genuinely. This is

one of those songs that feels really personal to the artist but can be interpreted by the

listener to fit their experiences. “You don’t know me, bitch” is a line that never fails to make

me crumble. It has a touch of humour, but it’s also devastating.

True Love - Hovvdy

I love this song so much that I named my cat after it. The chorus is “you comfort me, Rosy,”so yes, my cat is called Rosy. This song sounds like what being in love feels like.

She Belongs to Me - Bob Dylan

This, to me, is the perfect folk song. I have this album on vinyl after digging in a random

market. I love Bob Dylan.

Pink Light - MUNA

Some of my favourite kinds of songs are the ones where you don’t know how truly

gut-wrenching they are until you really listen to the words. Most of MUNA’s music matches

that description, but this one is my favourite. It’s pop and poetry perfection.

Keep You Down - Christian Lee Hutson

This song is just acoustic guitar, Christian’s voice, and another female voice in the chorus.

But that’s all it needs. It’s about the selfish feeling of not wanting that person you were with

but not wanting anyone else to have them either. I love songs that talk about these more

uncomfortable topics; it’s hard to admit when you’re feeling like this, but it’s still universal.

I Don’t Really - Andy Shauf

This song was my introduction to Andy Shauf. I’ve been obsessed ever since. I would love to spend a day in Andy’s head. More people need to get around how incredible he is.

What Did You Do? - Gabrielle Aplin

This is from Gabrielle’s album “Light Up The Dark” and it’s the first album I really fell in love

with as a kid. What Did You Do is the song from this album that I come back to the most and

I will never grow out of it.