“Exotic Monsters”
is out now!

  • "Charming AF."

    Juliana Hatfield
  • "An ambitious opus making waves even before its release..."

    SPIN
  • ""Seashaken" floors me every time."

    Tanya Donelly
  • "Essential."

    Music Week
  • "Wonderfully off-piste pop..."

    Clash Music
  • "Sinister film noir energy...a cyber lullaby to the passing debris before the sun comes crashing down on the last of humanity. I am going to put this firmly in the running for album of the year and put Penfriend in the category of one of the most important artists in the UK (and way beyond) right now."

    Listen With Monger
  • "“I’ll Start A Fire” breaks through its own tension to provide a sense of emotional escape."

    Songwriting Magazine

Both a reflection and a result of a major personal journey; a mental and physical shedding of the past, “Exotic Monsters” is an exercise in deep self-reflection, a search for hope and and a much-needed reminder of our personal power.

With clear eyes to the casino-style attention engineering tactics of big tech companies, proven to increase depression and anxiety, the album is strewn with references to one of society’s major struggles of the day – how to use this technology for good, while protecting ourselves from the damaging downsides of constant connectivity.

“Exotic Monsters” is available on limited edition Deluxe Earth Green (signed), Space Blue and Sunshine Yellow vinyl; CDs; and cassette tapes (all with immediate download options).

Limited edition hardback books (signed), t-shirts, postcard sets and badges are also available.

Unashamedly acknowledging the negative emotional onslaught of politics, social media, family, friends and lovers is at the core of this record, but the listener is never left without the promise of hope. The album mirrors our dystopian world, posing tough questions but always offering comfort and a friendly, empathetic shoulder to lean on.

Drawing more from her wide-ranging reading list than her favourite bands, Laura deals with the gruelling emotional matters of 21st-century life with honesty, grace and warmth, referencing Ursula Le Guin, Barbara Kingsolver, Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood and Mark Westmoquette along the way.