venbee returns with “stars (john’s local)” single and readies back to the drawing board EP

Lyrically, the song runs through a series of escalating snapshots: John’s mum slow-dancing with a man who is probably not John’s dad, venbee standing in someone’s sick, and the only logical response being more drinks. It’s a stream-of-consciousness spiral that doesn’t explain itself, and the video, directed by Dante Richardson, mirrors that shambolic energy. “The idea was a mate’s local pub turning out to be the world’s biggest rave, and I got to paint the whole made-up night as it unfolded,” venbee explains. “Me and Evan had the best time writing it.” The forthcoming EP grounds itself in more everyday scenes like these rather than emotional grand gestures. By stepping out of the spotlight in her own songs, venbee opens up a broader range of characters and situations. The EP also includes “encore, encore” and the recent single “not my day”, a track about the universal indignity of a card being declined. Lewis Capaldi, namechecked in the lyrics, responded with a viral clip of his own, giving the song an extra jolt of attention.venbee’s rise over the past few years has been steady: multiple UK Top 100 singles, appearances at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds and Radio 1’s Big Weekend,...