ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM
OUT 16 OCTOBER VIA ARTIST THEORY
SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘STANDING ON A PANE OF GLASS’
Photo of Nieve Ella by Yana Van Nuffel
“The indie star becoming a defining voice of Gen Z” – Rolling Stone UK
“A leader in the next generation of indie” – NME
“Cut from different indie-spirited cloth” – The Observer
Nobody tells you that growing up isn’t a finish line. It happens in loops. In false starts. In moments where you think you’ve finally figured yourself out, only to realise you’re beginning again.
It’s a feeling that sits at the heart of Nieve Ella’s anticipated debut album, ‘How Long Will It Take?’, announced today alongside its new single, ‘Standing On A Pane Of Glass’. Accompanying the single is a striking video by Millie Jamieson-Pond, placing Nieve at the centre of a visceral visual world that blurs the line between inner turmoil and reality.
Across eleven songs, Nieve explores the messy reality of becoming, navigating identity, relationships and self-worth while feeling like everyone else has somehow got there first. Rather than offering easy resolutions, ‘How Long Will It Take?’ finds hope in simply continuing forward, embracing the mess and choosing progress over perfection.
LISTEN TO ‘STANDING ON A PANE OF GLASS’ | WATCH ‘STANDING ON A PANE OF GLASS’
Throughout the writing process with producer and co-writer Jamie Rendle, alongside fellow band member and co-writer Finn Marlow an image kept returning to Nieve: an endless staircase. It became both the visual language of the album and an emotional core, a metaphor for chasing adulthood, confidence and success while never quite feeling like you’ve arrived. Every milestone simply reveals another flight ahead. Rather than asking listeners to race towards certainty, ‘How Long Will It Take?’ celebrates the climb itself, finding comfort in the idea that none of us have quite figured it out.
That journey reaches one of its emotional deepest points on new single ‘Standing On A Pane Of Glass’. Composed during a period of intense self-reflection, the song captures the exhausting cycle of anxiety and overwhelm that so many experience but rarely articulate: the quiet calm, the sudden crash, and the guilt of struggling when life appears fine from the outside. Beginning in fuzzy intimacy before erupting into cathartic stabs of guitars, the song mirrors the emotional whiplash at its heart.
“Standing On A Pane Of Glass is my lowest low; it’s the sound of hitting rock bottom,” explains Nieve. “My way of processing my emotions is getting in a room with Jamie and Finn and putting everything down on paper and sounding it out. This song is truly a fearless piece of art I feel very held up by. I hope it can make a difference.”
If ‘Drive’ introduced a newfound confidence and ‘Bite Back’ sharpened its teeth, ‘Standing On A Pane Of Glass’ mixed by Rob Kinelski, reveals what lies beneath them both. It’s the moment the armour slips, exposing the emotional heartbeat of a debut record that refuses to separate vulnerability from strength.
Speaking about the album Ella says, “This record is crafted out of the pieces from the bottom of my heart. It’s about coming to terms with the fact that growing up isn’t a single action, it’s a long-term journey. It’s a roller coaster of loops, false starts and sharp turns – when you finally think you’ve figured it out, you realise you’re back at the start and waiting to go again. I’m so ready for it to be heard now, it’s the final part of my healing process.”
Photo of Nieve Ella by Yana Van Nuffel
Since emerging, Nieve has become one of Britain’s most compelling young alternative voices, building a fiercely engaged audience through emotionally candid songwriting, sold-out headline tours across the UK and Europe, and more than 20 million global streams. Multiple BBC Radio 1 playlist additions and praise from Rolling Stone UK, NME, The Observer, The Independent, DORK, DIY, Wonderland, Hunger, The Forty-Five, Puss Puss and many more have cemented her reputation as one of the country’s most exciting rising frontwomen. while standout performances at Reading & Leeds, TRNSMT, BST Hyde Park and Lollapalooza Berlin have seen her continue to move up festival bills as her audience rapidly grows.
‘How Long Will It Take?’ doesn’t promise clarity. It doesn’t pretend growing up suddenly gets easier. Instead, it offers something rarer: a companion for anyone still finding their footing. It’s the sound of an artist embracing uncertainty rather than outrunning it and in doing so, delivering the most confident work of her career. Stay tuned for more from Nieve Ella coming soon.
Artwork for ‘How Long Will It Take?’ by Yana Van Nuffel
‘How Long Will It Take?’ Track listing
1. 101
2. Drive
3. Standing On A Pane Of Glass
4. Romance Is A Desert
5. Bite Back
6. At Any Cost
7. Angie
8. Love:Hate
9. I’M NOT DEAD
10. Back To Basics
11. How Long Will It Take?
FURTHER PRAISE FOR NIEVE ELLA
“She’s ready to make the jump from cult hero to proper stardom.” – NME
“Adolescence can only be easier to overcome, and live through, in her company.” – CLASH
“Vulnerability with a little bit of grunge” – DIY
“Brimming with soaring cadence, ear-worm hooks and zesty lyricism.” – Wonderland
“One to blast at full volume.” – Hunger
“Reaches down into your gut with sheer emotional rawness” – DORK
“A whip-sharp one to watch.” – The Forty-Fiv
