Cumbria-born, Leeds-based singer/songwriter and musician Amber Strawbridge is the creative mastermind behind the rising British indie rock project Bored at My Grandma’s House. Strawbridge began recording music back in 2017 using the GarageBand app on her phone; she then updated her bedroom setup after saving the money to buy a laptop and Logic Pro. After a couple of years of self-taught production and recording, the rising British artist worked with Clue Records, who released her critically applauded debut EP Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too, an effort that sold out two pressings before Strawbridge ever played a single gig.
Strawbridge’s Bored at My Grandma’s House full-length debut, the Alex Greaves-produced Show & Tell is slated for a June 7, 2024 release through Clue Records/EMI North. She wrote and recorded all the demos for the album in her bedroom, before heading to The Nave Studio, where she worked with Alex Greaves, who gave the material a proper studio polish.
Show & Tell sees Strawbridge exploring a broad range of heavy topics including anxiety, friendship, introspection, love, greed, mental health, loss, empathy and the lack of it thereof in the world. “The main overall theme of this album is connection. Connection with myself, connection with the world and connection to the people around me who I love,” the rising British artist explains. “This album is for me first and foremost and was a way for me to internally process.
“The origin of these tracks all stem from me wanting to understand these connections and process my emotions surrounding them. The album covers topics such as the power of queer love, humanity and its ‘delusions of grandeur’, reflection and purpose.
It would be unwise to say that I haven’t developed and changed a lot since my EP,” Strawbridge continues. “I’ve experienced more, questioned more, felt more and allowed myself to be vulnerable more – which I hope translates throughout the Album.”
Sonically, her full-length debut reportedly sees her establishing a sound that’s reminiscent of the likes of Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail and Alvvays, while displaying the ability to alchemize the wistful and hopeful into expansive, anthemic tunes rooted in a pop sensibility.
The album’s latest single “I Like What You Bring Out In Me” is anchored around a lush and ethereal sound and production in which glistening and reverb soaked 90s alt rock-like guitars, a steady yet propulsive rhythm section are paired with Strawbridge’s yearning, heart proudly worn on sleeve delivery and her unerring knack for rousingly anthemic hooks. At its core, is a song written from lived-in, personal experience and captures the woozy, goofiness of love with a sense of optimism and a contented sigh.
“This song is about all the gross cringey things that come along with being in love. It’s about the realisation of someone bringing out the best in you and making you feel confident in yourself at all times, something that I hadn’t really ever experienced prior to being with my girlfriend,” Strawbridge says.
