Katy Hurt’s ‘Sounds Good in a Bar’ is a “Deliciously Descriptive” Earworm

‘Sounds Good in a Bar’ is already a fan favourite. But we at Belles & Gals think it might just win over a few more converts to the music of Katy Hurt. This, her new single, and the first to be released from her upcoming debut album, ticks all the right boxes. It offers the best of Katy: her emotive vocals, deliciously descriptive lyrics, and an earworm of a chorus. It combines the poignancy of ‘Unfinished Business’ with the ascendant rock of ‘Ride Home’. It also reflects her humble approach to artistry.

She manages to encapsulate in its narrative the life of the struggling musician – working odd jobs “waiting tables, counting small change” to make ends meet whilst daydreaming and “writing tall tales on a napkin” – with the deftness that only comes from bitter experience. Her honesty about “taking failures” and “falling down” but “making the best of any mess” is sure to be inspiring to anyone, not just fellow musicians. She reinterprets the musician’s dream of selling out stadiums by appreciating the power of good music to entertain people in the small places. As such, ‘Sounds Good in a Bar’ is an ode to the pubs and clubs of the small towns and back alleys where the few matter more than the thousands. The irony is, while Katy admits that “It may not get me very far”, slowly but surely, she is garnering both popular and critical attention. It is leading her to bigger crowds and greater opportunities, the latest being signed to Canadian-based Johnson Talent Management. It won’t change her though.

‘Sounds Good in a Bar’ ends with the tinkling of glasses and muffled conversations that have shaped her and her music. This song signals her undying gratitude to those environments and the pleasure she gets from performing in them despite the acclaim. It is another quality song from this high-class country artist.