Laura Mary Carter – returns with her striking new single and video for “Four Letter Words”

Acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Laura-Mary Carter, best known as one half of the UK alternative duo Blood Red Shoes, returns this September with her striking new single and accompanying video “Four Letter Words”, out 17th September 2025. Shot in a farm shop in West Wales, Four Letter Words video shows Laura-Mary waiting for someone who never shows and turning the empty shop into her own private stage.

The track comes ahead of her debut solo album Bye Bye Jackie, due Sept 26th 2025, and an extensive run of headline shows across the UK and Europe this winter.

“Four Letter Words” is a sharp and playful cut, pairing Carter’s dry wit with her signature lyrical bite. With driving rhythms and a restless melodic energy, it captures the contradictions at the heart of love, its beauty, absurdity, and volatility.

“‘Don’t be late’ sets the stage, though in truth I am rarely on time myself,” Carter explains. “What follows is a sharp-eyed tale of affection’s push and pull, where the four-letter word could be anything, you decide what it is, with a knowing eye-roll at the chaos of caring for someone who drives you round the bend. It’s irony wrapped in melody, humour folded into heartbreak, all carried by a beat that refuses to stand still.”

The single follows on from “June Gloom”, Carter’s atmospheric first offering from Bye Bye Jackie, which featured a stormy guitar contribution from Lee Kiernan (IDLES) and earned praise for its raw honesty and emotional immediacy. Together, the two tracks set the tone for an album that balances heartbreak with humour, intimacy with intensity.

EUROPEAN TOUR DATES – THE BYE BYE JACKIE TOUR

(† = UK shows with special guest SMASHER)

23 SEP – Bristol, UK – Strange Brew (Supporting Natalie Bergman)
24 SEP – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room) (Supporting Natalie Bergman)
25 SEP – London, UK – Union Chapel (Supporting Natalie Bergman)
25 NOV – Yellow Arch, Sheffield, UK †
26 NOV – McChuills, Glasgow, UK †
27 NOV – Deaf Institute, Manchester, UK †
28 NOV – St Matthias Church, London, UK †
29 NOV – Lantern Hall, Bristol, UK †
13 FEB – Grand Social Ballroom, Dublin, Ireland
16 FEB – Pop Up du Label, Paris, France
17 FEB – Paradiso (Cinetol), Amsterdam, Netherlands
19 FEB – Amor, Antwerp, Belgium
20 FEB – Lark, Berlin, Germany

Tickets are available now via www.lauramarycarter.com.