Billy Nomates Announces Third Studio Album 'Metalhorse' With First Single The Test
Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Jack Dallas-Chapman
Billy Nomates has announced her third studio album.
The follow-up to 2023's 'Cacti' is titled 'Metalhorse' and will arrive on May 16 via Invada Records. Expanding on the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Tor Maries' stark punk sound with a broader range of influences from blues, folk and piano-driven arrangements, the project marks the first Billy Nomates album to be recorded in a studio with a full band.
Produced by James Trevascus, with contributions from bass player Mandy Clarke and drummer Liam Chapman, the concept record centres around a decaying funfair, representing the ups and downs of life. It was recorded at Paco Loco in Seville, Spain, just three months after the passing of Maries' dad to Parkinson's. She said:
"We were so close and our bond was music. That was my safety and protection in the world. Even in the care home, as things were getting worse, I’d visit him and he’d ask me what I was doing. I'd show him the new demos, or I'd have been on the radio. It sort of saved everything from being shit, because we had this positive thing to talk about."
On the album, she continued: "To me, 'Metalhorse' is this crumbling fairground where some rides are nice to get on and some rides aren't. That's how life felt for a minute, and it still feels like that a bit now."
Alongside the announcement, Maries has shared the record's propulsive first single, The Test, which offers Americana influences alongside powerful vocals that deliver a sense of vulnerability and resilience. It was written during the singer's turbulent last 18 months, which included an MS diagnosis, and comes with a video directed by Tom Skipp.
"It’s working at something against the odds and feeling like someone’s helping you from the other side, and if they see you that’s the test," the Bristol-based multi-hyphenate explained. "I really feel that when we're playing it live. Like, with everything that's going on, I can't believe this is surviving."
Billy Nomates will accompany the LP's release with in-store shows, following live dates in March and April that include a headline appearance at Ritual Union festival in Bristol, and a slot at Cro Cro Land in Croydon, London. Head here for details.
'Metalhorse' tracklist:
1. Metalhorse
2. Nothing Worth Winning
3. The Test
4. Override
5. Dark Horse Friend feat. Hugh Cornwell
6. Life’s Unfair
7. Plans
8. Gas
9. Comedic Timing
10. Strange Gift
11. Moon Explodes
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