Freya Ridings – with her hit single, Lost Without You – is becoming one of the UK music industry’s stories of the year.
The fast-emerging singer/songwriter’s popularity continues to rise, and raise eyebrows.
Interestingly, this is happening amid (and despite) a few murmurs at UK labels over the lack of new artists currently emerging in the market who can also sell big in the United States. Ridings’ team certainly doesn’t think that will be an issue for the 23-year-old singer/songwriter.
Nearly a full year after Lost Without You was originally released, the track has this week entered the Top 10 of the UK’s latest Official Singles Chart at No.9, moving up eleven places.
That means the song, released via Good Soldier Records, is the UK’s highest charting independently-released single since Stormzy’s Blinded By Your Grace (Pt.2) which hit No.7 in November last year. (That track was issued on Stormzy’s own #Merky label, but distributed by Warner‘s ADA. Stormzy has since signed a global deal with Atlantic.)
Ridings is also the first British female singer/songwriter to 100% write a Top 10 UK hit in over six years: the last time it happened, Kate Bush went to No.6 on the Official Chart with a re-release of Running Up That Hill in August 2012.
GS has a distribution partnership on records with Kobalt/AWAL, and an admin deal with Kobalt on publishing.
The success of Lost Without You sends a strong message in an era of scarce chart success for independent companies on the Official UK Singles Chart, says Tattersfield.
“Freya entering the Top 10 is a great look for all independent labels,” Tattersfield told MBW. “The UK music industry has always been a combination of great indies and majors and hopefully this alleviates some of the anxieties about the new streaming ecosystem harming that balance.”
“I think Freya could be the first UK act to crack America since Sam Smith.”
Christian Tattersfield, Good Soldier
He added: “Freya is setting up to be the major UK star for 2019. She hasn’t released an album yet and this month she’s announcing a 14,000 ticket UK tour for March including the Roundhouse in London.
“I think she could be the first UK act to crack America since Sam Smith.”
In addition to Ridings, Good Soldier is also home to The 1975 (publishing) and Irish singer/songwriter Gavin James.
Christian Tattersfield has previously enjoyed worldwide success with the likes of David Gray, Damien Rice, Biffy Clyro, Birdy and the Wombats.
