Elles Bailey Claims Her Truth on the Soul-Stirring Can’t Take My Story Away

From the first note, Elles Bailey makes it clear that Can’t Take My Story Away isn’t just a new album—it’s a reclamation. Out now via Cooking Vinyl and Outlaw Music, the record feels like the culmination of years of lived experience, creative risk, and hard-won self-knowledge, all poured into eleven songs that burn with honesty and quiet defiance.

There’s a sense of arrival here. Produced by Luke Potashnick and recorded with a fresh lineup of musicians, Can’t Take My Story Away marks a subtle but confident shift in Bailey’s sound. While still rooted in blues, Americana, and soul, the album leans into emotional clarity rather than raw grit for grit’s sake. Tracks unfold patiently, letting space, restraint, and nuance do the heavy lifting. It’s vulnerable without ever feeling fragile. These are songs written over nearly a decade, shaped across three years of recording, and you can hear that time in the way every lyric lands with intention.

Current single Growing Pains, now sitting comfortably on BBC Radio 2’s A-List, captures the heart of the album: growth isn’t glamorous, but it’s necessary. Bailey’s voice—long praised for its emotional gravity and grit—sounds richer than ever here, less concerned with proving power and more focused on telling the truth. She doesn’t oversing these songs; she inhabits them.

What’s most striking is how cohesive the record feels. Each track adds another facet to the story, forming a kaleidoscopic portrait of an artist who knows exactly who she is. This is Elles Bailey placing her life carefully on the table, not for spectacle, but for connection. It’s a bold move—and a deeply rewarding one.

That confidence will translate seamlessly to the stage. While the album was recorded with new collaborators, Bailey reunites with her long-standing live band for an extensive UK and EU run, including a major London date at Islington Assembly Hall on March 19. Ahead of that, she’s celebrating the release with stripped-back instore shows across the UK—an ideal setting for songs this personal.

With Can’t Take My Story Away, Elles Bailey doesn’t just cement her status as one of the UK’s most compelling voices—she deepens it. Already decorated with major accolades, including Live Act of the Year at the UK Americana Awards and multiple wins at the UK Blues Awards, this album feels like the opening of a new chapter rather than a victory lap. The story is hers now—and no one’s taking it away.