WATCH: Katie Gregson-MacLeod releases new single ‘Good Guess’
Katie Gregson-MacLeod shares ‘Good Guess’, the latest taste of her highly-anticipated debut album Albatross, set for release on November 6th via Matt Maltese‘s Last Recordings on Earth. The track arrives alongside a stunning video directed by Katie.
Speaking on the track, Katie shares:
“I would never personally want to hook up with anyone who is in a happy, monogamous relationship. But this is the song I’d write if I did. The recorded version of this was a run-through; the first time we played it with the full band in the room. Jeremy had heard the song for the first time that day when Will and I roughly ran through it, and Nick hadn’t been there when the song was finished. A mess, a bloodbath that gave us what might be my favourite capture of the record.”
On the video, she adds:
“I knew I wanted to make a video in this vein for ‘Good Guess’. A lot of this album feels quite reflective and earnest, but this song is so playful and flirty, it felt rude not to build a moment around that. I went alone on this one, conceptualising and storyboarding the idea myself and aided in bringing it to life by my cousin Jamie Armour, who shot and graded the video. The video stars the sublime Ross Carswell and Sam Liu, who became good friends whilst studying at RADA and thus didn’t struggle as much as some may have with this particular script. The openness, creativity and adaptability of the three boys allowed us to execute it with minimal budget and nonetheless have it come out the other end almost identical to what had been in my depraved little head.”
‘Good Guess’ follows ‘Nothing Really Changes’, which arrived alongside the announcement of Albatross last month, and lead single ‘I Don’t Think Of Kissing You’, released June 16th.
Albatross marks the next chapter for Katie following a period of significant transformation – leaving her major label deal behind, returning to the Scottish Highlands, and rebuilding her relationship to music and songwriting from the ground up. The album takes its title from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, in which the albatross transforms from a symbol of good fortune into a burden carried around the neck – a fitting emblem for a record that turns its gaze toward wanting, and the strange weight of getting exactly what you asked for. Recorded live over two weeks with a close-knit band of collaborators, more details on Albatross will follow in the coming weeks.
The album follows Katie’s 2025 EP Love Me Too Well, I’ll Retire Early, released last summer. A five-track collection of love songs written amidst the chaos of her early career, the EP was recorded at Edwyn Collins’ studio in Helmsdale and produced alongside Katie’s friend Josh Scarbrow, marking a deliberate return to the root of her music. It was supported by an extensive UK and EU headline tour last autumn, taking in sold-out nights across Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, London and more.
Katie will return to the road this August and September for a run of intimate UK shows, with support from Bonnie Kemplay. Full dates below, tickets available HERE.
Growing up in the Scottish Highlands, Katie Gregson-MacLeod was immersed in music from an early age, singing alongside her pianist mother and losing herself in musicals with her parents. Inspired by classic singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Elliott Smith, Katie’s journey began busking in Inverness before a viral 2022 breakout on TikTok with single ‘complex’ led to international recognition, a major label deal, and an Ivor Novello nomination. Since striking out independently, Katie has continued to build a devoted following through her distinctive blend of deeply personal lyricism and folk-influenced sound, with Albatross standing as her most fully-realised work to date. More details on the album to follow.
Live Dates
13 September – York – The Crescent*
14 September – Nottingham – Rough Trade*
15 September – Oxford – Little Bully*
16 September – Margate – ARK*
*w/ support from Bonnie Kemplay