London-based alternative artist Bea Elmy Martin has started the year off strong.

Having just dropped her second track of 2026, “Anouk” marks a significant moment for the Brit, as she delves into a more intimate and organic sound. Written about a close friend, the song tells a relatable tale of trying to juggle everything that life throws at you, whilst maintaining friendships, relationships and everything in between.

Anouk - Bea Elmy Martin — Anouk – Bea Elmy Martin

“Anouk” is off of her upcoming EP, Under The Yew (Vol. 2), which has been described by the artist as a personal excavation. With a deep, emotional undercurrent, the song gives us a better look into who Martin is, offering a glimpse of the bond with her friend. For many people, friendships are sacred and can be a safe space where we can completely let loose and be our most authentic selves, so for the songwriter to share this with her listeners feels like an especially personal and vulnerable moment. The song includes a snippet of a voice note from her friend, which further emphasizes this intimacy.

Sonically, “Anouk” shimmers with soft guitar melodies, sunny, soaring synths and spine-tingling harmonies. The relaxed, slow-paced track is simultaneously melancholic and hopeful, filled with warmth and longing.

Atwood Magazine spoke to Martin about the importance of matching the song’s sound to its emotion, writing about real relationships, and her upcoming EP.

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:: stream/purchase Anouk here ::

:: connect with Bea Elmy Martin here ::

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Stream: “Anouk” – Bea Elmy Martin

Bea Elmy Martin "Anouk" © Harry Hibbert — Bea Elmy Martin “Anouk” © Harry Hibbert

A CONVERSATION WITH BEA ELMY MARTIN

Atwood Magazine: Congratulations on the release of “Anouk.” Friendship isn’t often the focus in songwriting. What inspired you to bring that relationship into the spotlight with “Anouk”?

Bea Elmy Martin: Thank you! I just write when something has been playing on my mind, whether it’s good or bad. I think bringing yourself out of your head and into your physical self is the best way to work through it.

Also, our friendship has stretched across seasons, postcodes, and voice notes sent while walking down opposite ends of London. It already felt like a story and tracks like that tend to write themselves lyrically. I grew up on artists like Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin, they definitely made feeling the main force behind the music. So I thought why not write about the person who’s been the constant?

When a song reflects real relationships, how do you decide when it’s ready to share?

Bea Elmy Martin: I find it takes a lot longer to finish. When it’s about something so real I definitely feel more pressure to get it right. “Anouk” was like a plant that I kept replanting. I’d go back in, change a melody, shift a texture, sit with it again.

For me, it’s ready when it transports you to another place. Songwriting is such a journey, and releasing it feels more like a shared space or my offering. When the feelings are less raw that’s normally when I feel ready to release it because you don’t feel so exposed putting out an older version of yourself.

“Anouk” has a gentle, intimate feel. What was your approach to building a sound that matched the emotion?

Bea Elmy Martin: Our friend and incredible guitarist Daniel Vildosóla really brought it together with the plucky, acoustic guitar that straight away brought a new level of intimacy to the track. This alongside the brass section gave it the emotion that I was looking for, I wanted to almost feel like a breath of fresh air when the chorus hit.

You included a voice note from your friend in the track. What did weaving that real-life element add to the emotional atmosphere?

Bea Elmy Martin: That voice note was one that I played over and over and it just made me grin. It’s where the track stemmed from, I knew I wanted to use it in a song.

It was also just so reflective of our friendship, we always seemed to be thinking of each other at the same time, eating the same meal or listening to the same song – I think that voice note just perfectly corrals us. I love music that feels like you’ve stumbled into someone’s memory like some of Adrianne Lenker’s work, where you feel the room. The voice note gives “Anouk” that room.

If the first volume of Under The Yew was about finding light after loss, what inner territory does Volume 2 invite you into?

Bea Elmy Martin: Vol I felt like grief turning its face toward the sun. Vol II is what happens after that which I’m still figuring out but from writing Vol II I have found a lot of light inside of myself and that is definitely present in the tracks.

It’s less about surviving loss and more about transformation and being accepting of the fact that grief can completely change you as a person. I think “Unscarred” really embodies that. It’s not pretending the bad times didn’t happen; it’s about carrying them differently.

Vol I feels like winter thawing, Vol II is early spring – slightly muddy, slightly hopeful and relieved that you’re through the darkest days.

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><a href="https://beaelmymartin.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-yew-vol-1">Under The Yew (Vol 1) by Bea Elmy Martin</a>

Do you have a personal favourite track on Under The Yew (Vol. 2), and if so, what makes it stand out to you?

Bea Elmy Martin: It changes daily to be honest. But “Anouk” is very close to me because it genuinely evolved alongside our friendship and so it already feels so nostalgic.

There’s also an unreleased one that I can’t tell you the name of yet but it might be my favourite song to date!

Can you give us a little hint of what listeners can expect from Under The Yew (Vol. 2)?

Bea Elmy Martin: It’s intimate, orchestral in places. I hope it’s a record that you can put on at a dinner party with your best mates and you can sing along to then also just sit back and sink into your seat.

Even though there’s some tracks with sadder themes it doesn’t mean they can’t uplift you. There are moments that feel almost Air-like in stillness, and others that lean into that slightly shadowy, electronic undercurrent and some very euphoric moments too.

Beyond this release, what else does 2026 have in store for you? Anything exciting on the horizon?

Bea Elmy Martin: I love the idea of bringing these very intimate songs into a room and letting them breathe.

And beyond that – lots more writing. I’m not in a rush. I still want the work to unfold at its own pace. I have a good feeling about 2026 and I’m very ready for more live movement and maybe some unexpected collaborations.

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