Folk Bitch Trio’s debut album weaves together a set of deeply personal and interconnected themes. “The songs are us experiencing things that we mostly experienced together, or with real-life narration—like, ‘This is what’s happening in my life,’” explains guitarist and vocalist Jeanie Pilkington in an interview with Apple Music. Each track feels like it was born from a shared emotional and creative core, reflecting the group’s collective perspective as well as their individual experiences. “They’re songs that come from our shared brain and heart, and individual brains and hearts,” she adds, underscoring the intimate and collaborative nature of their songwriting.

Much of the album was shaped while the Melbourne-based trio adjusted to the rhythm and dislocation of touring—both in Australia and overseas. That transition, from familiar surroundings to the strange surreality of life on the road, finds its way into songs like “Mary’s Playing the Harp.” “A few of them were written in that in-between phase—where touring was just starting to become a part of our lives,” says Pilkington. Fellow guitarist/vocalist Heide Peverelle echoes this, saying, “I write a lot on the road, and a lot of the songs reference those feelings of being in motion.” During their 2024 support tour with English artist Ben Howard, they took a detour to Auckland’s Roundhead Studios and recorded “God’s a Different Sword” with producer Tom Healy, who would ultimately oversee the full album. Drawn to the studio’s analogue tape machine, the band opted to track the album live to tape—capturing their lush, organic harmonies and earthy folk textures in all their warmth and vulnerability. “It’s us on a plate,” says Peverelle. “It feels like our hearts are very open.”