‘…a beautifully vulnerable, deeply human performance from start to finish that refuses to let you go…’
Born in Kirriemuir and based in Dundee, Katie Nicoll is a Scottish singer-songwriter who has been working towards a life in music since learning guitar at the age of ten. Prolific in her performances, Nicoll has found herself supporting artists as big as Rianne Downie and Callum Beattie, and has recently been crowned BBC Introducing’s Scottish Young Live Act of the Year for 2026.
Her evidently impressive live talents thankfully translate across to her studio craft, and her most recent work could be the next in a long line of impressive successes for the artist. An indie-pop ballad with a folk influence ‘i liked you better’ is a heartbreaking exploration of finding your partner’s flaws unnavigable and incompatible, as Nicoll lays out diaristic lyricism atop of shimmering acoustic guitars and steadfast percussion. Her voice is warm and composed throughout, spilling forth captivating melodies with ease, whilst her creative direction is wonderfully clever; the short musical pause upon the lyric ‘I hold my breath’ is a small touch of genius.
The track’s climax is an indie-rock fireworks display that takes on surprising shades of emo, as deftly performed guitar licks cascade down around crashing drums and heavy acoustic strumming. Nicoll unveils impressive vocal power, belting out passages with shiver-inducing cathartic weight as she admits to the often silent truth of loving the idea of a person more than the person themselves. It is a beautifully vulnerable, deeply human performance from start to finish that refuses to let you go.
This is a remarkably constructed single from the Scottish songstress, and offers an intensity that has been so desperately missing from the wider pop culture scene; nonchalance is out, and yearning at the top of your lungs for something that never truly existed is in. An impressive performance through and through that is certain to leave you utterly spellbound.
For Fans Of: Kate Nash, Julia Wolf, Iona Summer, Holding Absence, Remi Wolf
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