London-based singer-songwriter CATLEA (they/them), originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, returns with their most emotionally honest release to date, sharing new single ‘Someone’s Got To’ alongside the announcement of forthcoming EP Aftermath. The single and EP announcement also comes with a fresh list of UK tour dates (see below)
Written during a period of profound personal transformation, the track marks a deeply personal new chapter for CATLEA, documenting their journey to sobriety and recovery from alcohol addiction. Built around acoustic guitar, live drums and spacious production, ‘Someone’s Got To’ strips back the artist’s sound to reveal an intimate acoustic-pop approach, while retaining the emotional intensity that has shaped their work.
Throughout their career, CATLEA has continually explored and evolved their sound, moving between alternative rock, indie, Americana and pop influences, alongside collaborations with electronic producers. Aftermath sees them embrace a more reflective and vulnerable songwriting style, exploring themes of identity, self-acceptance and personal growth.
The foundation of ‘Someone’s Got To’ came from a moment of reckoning. After a prolonged period of destructive patterns and addiction, CATLEA began confronting old habits, relationships and the search for external validation. One late night, they picked up their guitar and wrote the line: “If you won’t love me, then I will.” The lyric became the emotional centre of a song about learning to choose yourself when everything else falls away.
Speaking about the track, CATLEA says: “When I originally wrote the song, it wasn’t written with the intention of getting better, it was more of a hopeful thing; an acknowledgment that I needed to love myself more and take better care of myself, because I wasn’t doing that at the time.
The song’s own journey reflects that transformation. Originally left unfinished after a difficult Barcelona studio session, ‘Someone’s Got To’ only found its final form after CATLEA had quit drinking for good – a moment they describe as feeling like the song “wasn’t allowed to exist until it was true.”
The result is a powerful and hopeful track about recovery, resilience and the ongoing process of rebuilding. Rather than focusing solely on struggle, ‘Someone’s Got To’ finds strength in vulnerability, offering a reminder that self-love can be the first step towards change.
Following two national tours as main support for Betty Boo’s Boomania 35th anniversary celebrations, CATLEA has continued building their live reputation, most recently headlining their own 2026 Lost Souls Tour: Music for the Unseen. You can catch her live over the coming months at all of the shows listed below:
31 August – Box Rocks Festival, Box / Bath
9 September – Blue Moon, Cambridge
12 September – Bromsgrove Arts, Bromsgrove (Birmingham)
18 September – Bread & Roses, Clapham, London
19 September – Folklore Rooms, Brighton
26 September – Chapel Arts, Bath
21 November – Queens Head, Box, Bath