One song on college radio changed everything.

WICB Ithaca College was playing “Labour” when we first heard Paris Paloma. The guitar caught us, but her voice made us turn up the volume. Here was something different – a 25-year-old from Derbyshire who writes like she’s lived several lifetimes.

The song builds carefully—acoustic guitar, layered vocals, then that bridge that hits you like a revelation. By the time it was over, we knew we’d just discovered our next favorite artist.

The Art Student Who Became a Folk Star

Paris Paloma didn’t take the typical musician route. Born in November 1999 in Ashbourne, she studied Fine Art and History of Art at Goldsmiths, graduating with her BFA in 2022. You can hear that artistic training in her songs – she doesn’t just write lyrics, she paints with words.

Take “Narcissus,” inspired directly by classical mythology, or “Ocean Baby,” which feels like a Pre-Raphaelite painting set to music. Not showing off – it’s a natural extension of how she sees the world. Her early influences include Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca” and Madeline Miller’s “Circe,” books that shaped her understanding of female experience and storytelling.

She started writing at 14, thinking she’d be a novelist someday. Music wasn’t the plan. But Ed Sheeran’s first album inspired her to learn the guitar. Then she found Florence + The Machine and Hozier. Suddenly, folk music made sense – it could whisper and roar simultaneously.

When “Labour” Took Off

Nobody expected “Labour” to blow up like it did. Paloma wrote about being tired in relationships – all the emotional stuff that women handle, which nobody talks about. She got to record it properly after Nettwerk Records signed her based on “The Fruits.” She recorded it in a proper studio for the first time, having signed with Nettwerk Records after her earlier track “The Fruits” caught their attention.

Fans on TikTok started sharing their own relationship stories. Within a day, the song hit a million Spotify plays. However, this wasn’t a marketing stunt – people were genuinely connecting with it. They weren’t just posting the song; they were telling their stories.

It climbed to the UK Top 30 and hit Billboard in America. But the chart positions weren’t the real story. “Labour” gave people words for feelings they’d had but never heard described. That’s rare.

Her First Album

“Cacophony” came out in August 2024 on Nettwerk. The title comes from all the noise in her head. She borrowed ideas from Stephen Fry’s mythology book and structured it in the form of a hero’s journey. Sounds academic, but it’s really just her working through personal stuff – anxiety, trauma, growing up.

The album has 15 tracks that move from tender to fierce and back again. Critics liked it – they praised her songwriting and the way she handles heavy topics without losing the melodies. What stands out is how she can write about mythology and make it feel relevant to modern relationships.

The title track opens with her repeating “What did I do wrong?” before the music explodes into controlled chaos. Other standouts include “Boys, Bugs and Men,” which traces how toxic behavior gets normalized from childhood, and “Last Woman on Earth,” perhaps her darkest song yet.

Live and On Screen

Paloma has adapted well to bigger stages. She’s played Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, and joined Stevie Nicks at BST Hyde Park. The RAK Session version of “Labour” shows how strong her songs are when stripped down to just voice and guitar.

She’s been on Colbert and Kelly Clarkson’s shows, introducing herself to American TV audiences. Her UK debut on Jools Holland was another big moment. These shows don’t book just anyone – they recognize staying power.

What Makes Her Different

Paloma’s music works on several levels without feeling calculated. She can reference Greek myths and make them feel urgent. Her folk arrangements can suddenly evolve into orchestral pieces. She calls it indie-folk-alternative-singer-songwriter, though some people have labeled it “witch-pop.”

The literary influences are real but never overwhelming. Paris reads Mona Chollet’s “In Defense of Witches,” and you can hear it in her work, but she’s not trying to impress anyone with her reading list. She’s using these ideas to gain a deeper understanding of her own experience.

Looking Ahead

Her 2025 tour includes her biggest London show yet at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, plus dates in Manchester and Dublin. She’s also working on music for “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” soundtrack, which suggests her appeal is expanding beyond folk circles.

The success hasn’t changed her approach. Having better resources has let her realize her ideas more fully. “Cacophony” sounds exactly like what she wanted to make – no compromises for radio play or streaming algorithms.

Why We’re Still Listening

Paris Paloma arrived at the right moment. In an era of manufactured outrage and performative politics, she offers something rare: genuine emotion backed by real skill. “Labour” resonated because it named something people felt but hadn’t heard expressed so clearly.

Her art school background shows in how she constructs songs – each element serves the whole. Her literary interests give weight to the words. Her folk training keeps everything grounded in melody and emotion.

From that first radio play on WICB to her current status as one of indie music’s most promising voices, Paloma has stayed true to her original vision. She writes about her own experience with enough honesty that others see themselves in her songs.

That’s become increasingly rare. In a music world often driven by data and focus groups, Paris Paloma reminds us why authentic songwriting still matters. She’s building something real, one song at a time.