Kitty O’Neal Feels It All
Artwork by Step Emery
London-based singer-songwriter Kitty O’Neal has spent the past year exploring vulnerability, change, and the messy realities of human connection through her forthcoming debut album Here I Go Again Feeling It All. Following the release of “Headspace,” she returns with “The Anger,” a cathartic indie-folk anthem about finally letting go. We caught up with Kitty to talk about the emotional journey behind the album, finding freedom in honesty, and turning difficult moments into songs.
“Headspace” and “The Anger” feel like they're coming from two very different emotional places. Were they written around the same time?
I find it hard to remember exactly when I wrote songs, but according to the voice notes on my iPhone, I started “Headspace” back in 2024 (which surprises me because I thought it was much more recent. It kind of emphasises just how emotionally turbulent the last few years have been, and how much time became an almighty blur). They were both finished around the same time though, in late 2025, when I suddenly had an album's worth of songs in my head. “Headspace” is more about being stuck in a feeling - this fight-or-flight, hyper-alert mode I was in for most of my previous relationship. “The Anger” is about release: allowing those feelings of anger to rise to the surface after suppressing them for such a long time.
You’ve said that “The Anger” is the most joyful song you've written about a negative emotion. At what point did you realize the song was really about letting go?
I think the chorus sounds like letting go. I remember the words coming to me - this idea of 'missing out' and all the what-could-have-beens, and then accepting that I'll never know. More importantly, I realised I was happier not knowing and letting go of it all than being stuck in something where I was constantly left guessing. I hope that whoever listens to it can apply that idea of letting go of control to whatever situation they're in. It doesn't necessarily have to be about a romantic relationship. It could be a friendship, a family relationship, work, or just a general feeling of being stuck somewhere.
While you were writing songs for Here I Go Again Feeling It All, was there ever a moment where you wondered if you were revealing too much?
Yes!! All the time. But then Lily Allen released West End Girl and I stopped giving a damn. Writing about relationships is very exposing, but it's also literally how some songwriters cope with life. I always joke that I don't need a therapist because I write songs, but I think that's low-key true.
“The Anger” has already become a crowd favourite. Has this changed the way you initially felt about the song?
Seeing people sing along and film this one at gigs has been really interesting. You can never predict which song is going to connect most with people, and I honestly thought “Headspace” would be the one that people remembered. But after every gig I've played recently, someone has come up to me and told me how much they loved “The Anger.” It has made me even more excited to play it live I guess.
Between “Headspace” and “The Anger,” we've heard two very different sides of the album. Without giving too much away, where does the rest of Here I Go Again Feeling It All sit emotionally?
There are definitely some even more vulnerable moments, as well as some more hopeful songs. I'm really excited about the next single, which is kind of a chaotic waltz about anxious attachment with a slightly unhinged ending. The songs really just fell out of me. I didn't put much conscious thought into the overall concept or theme, but because they were all written and finished around the same time - and then recorded together in quick succession - they really captured a moment in time for me.
Your songs spend a lot of time exploring difficult emotions. When you're not making music, what helps you reconnect with yourself?
Listening to other people's songs! I'm obsessed with lyrics and moving melodies, and I'm so often inspired or brought back to myself by hearing another song that someone else has written. Off the top of my head, some songs that have really moved me recently are “Ripples” by Eleni Drake, “Low” by a band called Hut, and “The Great Resolution” by Ken Yates. They're all artists I've been lucky enough to see live this year, too!!
