Leeds band Present Nature release their self-titled debut album on Friday 20 March, 2026. Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones at his West Kirby YAWN studio, the record finds singer-songwriter Jonny Woolnough taking inspiration from songwriters including Neil Finn and Roddy Frame and storytellers like Max Porter and Virgina Woolf.

‘Picaresque’ opens the album in subtle, understated Nick Drake-esque style, Jonny talking about ‘pavement blue skies’ and nostalgia: ‘Yes, I feel such a young boy’. ‘Man Knows’ follows with bursts of Jeff Buckley-esque guitar and an almost rhythmic, tribal chant about feeling watched: ‘Man knows just who I am, man knows my name, man knows just where I live, man knows my pain’. ‘Spun on a Miracle’ has a more traditional alt-rock sound, but with a quirky edge: ‘Wipe your seat when you leave’.

‘Columba’ instantly brings to mind Richard Hawley with its baroque stylings and heartfelt words: ‘I said I’d love you forever, my heart is a feather’ and ‘I was born where I live and I’ll live where I die’. ‘Bluebird’ sits somewhere between the album’s producer’s work and the soul-stirring indie-pop of James, while ‘There’ll Come a Time’ has a more breezy and lighter approach in its sound – albeit as Jonny ponders what happiness actually means.

‘A Mother to a Girl’ opens in acoustic fashion before becoming drenched in emotive atmospherics – ‘I know it must be hard for you out there without you cracking the whip’ – while the closing ‘These Are the Ways I Pray’ blends ’60s psych with elements of Talk Talk-style art pop.

‘Bluebird’ is a record that takes flight in the most spectacular of ways.