If you’re not already familiar with Lydia the Bard, let us introduce you. Lydia is a singer-songwriter from London who first gained recognition on YouTube, where she reimagined popular characters’ stories with a dark, villainous twist. Her covers quickly went viral, building a dedicated fanbase drawn to her theatrical, emotionally charged performances. More recently, Lydia has been crafting original music alongside producer and co-writer Ben Tomalin. Together, they have developed a distinct dark folk sound, blending evocative storytelling with cinematic production to create music that is both deeply personal and hauntingly powerful. In this On The Record interview, we discuss Lydia the Bard’s latest single ‘Are You Listening?’, the inspiration behind her songwriting, and what’s next for her in 2025.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those you aren’t already familiar with Lydia the Bard, can you introduce yourselves?
Of course! So my name is Lydia, and I am a singer/songwriter from London. I developed a platform on YouTube primarily singing covers and retelling popular characters’ stories with a villainous twist and was lucky enough to go viral a few times.
More recently I have been writing my own original songs with the incredible Ben Tomalin! Together we’ve been developing a dark folk sound to tell more real, personal and evocative stories.
‘Are You Listening?’ is a powerful and deeply personal track. What inspired you to write this song, and what message do you hope listeners take away from it?
I was inspired by my own personal experiences and by the political climate around me. The growing support for the far-right worried me, especially among young men and it felt more and more like women’s voices were being drowned out by ignorant misogynists. This song was born of a deep frustration to be heard in a world that doesn’t want to listen to you. I hope listeners can feel comforted that this is an experience that is universal and find some catharsis when listening.
Your music blends traditional folk storytelling with modern, cinematic production. How do you strike a balance between these influences?
This sounds like a question for my brilliant co writer Ben, here’s what he said! I think that blend is part of what will hopefully separate our sound from what’s already out there. Originally I wanted to be a film composer, which I think is another area of music that uses that blend. I usually start these projects on either a nylon string guitar or cello, which helps with the folk sound.
You’ve been praised for your dramatic, theatrical songwriting. Do you draw inspiration from literature, mythology or specific storytellers?
Oh definitely! I think I speak for both myself and Ben when I say we’re a sucker for a good story! Whether that’s a book, a bit of Greek mythology or a musical. When crafting our songs one of the things at the forefront of our minds is what story we’re telling and whether the specific lyric/verse/cello line is adding to it or taking away from the intention behind it. When I am first developing the concept for a song I often have the characters almost acting it out in my head, I often won’t start writing until the song has a clear narrative and I have a full understanding of the journey it will be taking. It doesn’t have to be a complex journey, but It needs to be clear.
‘Are You Listening?’ speaks to the frustration of not being heard, especially as a woman. Have personal experiences shaped the lyrics and how does this theme resonate with you?
This song was inspired by several different life experiences, being a teenager and growing up fiercely independent, desperately clawing to be treated as an equal. And then experiencing life as an adult and finding that the fight to be heard and listened to never really stops, especially as a Women in a patriarchal society.
There’s an intensity and defiance in the song, so how did you channel that emotion into your vocal performance?
I have a background in musical theatre so channeling emotion into a song is something I have a lot of experience doing! I find if I can put myself mentally in that situation/emotion it helps to communicate the particular emotion I want channeled into the song.
Did you use any unconventional instruments or production techniques?
Another question for Ben! He said the following: A cello through a distortion plugin is one of my favourite cheats for that folk/rock sound. I’m not the most knowledgeable on production techniques but varispeed on logic is a saving grace for giving a cello or guitar a deep bassy tone. Liam Gunning has worked wonders on mixing the recent tracks and given some stunning production incite. The Decemberists and Spring Awakening are two of my biggest musical influences, both of which use an instrument called a harmonium, so you’ll find that somewhere in almost all of our songs.
Your journey started with viral YouTube covers, and now you’ve carved out your own unique space in folk music. How has that transition felt?
Honestly, it felt very natural! I will always have a love for recording covers and am unlikely to ever stop them but they created the space for me to explore songwriting. Whilst putting these early covers out I was able to play around with what my style of songwriting would be and with Ben on as my co-writer it was a really exciting and fulfilling experience that came about very naturally!
2025 looks like a big year for you! Can fans expect more new music, a full-length album, or perhaps a tour?
For sure lots and lots of new music! We have some really exciting songs coming out over the next few months! I can’t tell you too much but Autumn will be a very busy month for us!
You can also find ‘Are You Listening?‘ in our Folk This Way playlist.
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