Track of the Day: The Ingrid – Lullaby (2026)
The Ingrid is a trio formed in Chichester, where they developed a mellow brand of folk-pop cut from the underbellies of The Smiths and The Sundays. Since November 2025, The Ingrid has released three singles, the most recent of which, ‘Lullaby’, dropped at the end of April.
Starting with ‘Limerence’ last year and continuing with ‘Mother’ in January, The Ingrid has been quietly building a dependable sound based on rhythm acoustic guitar, melodic electric lead guitar, mild-mannered keyboards, restrained drums, and plaintive, though certainly not overwrought, melodies all delivered by Jess Charleslyn (vocals), Josh Platt (drums), and Will Hornsblow (guitar).
With ‘Lullaby’, their sound becomes cinematic with keyboards and electric guitar in more expansive roles and a harmonic/melodic change that recalls (for this reviewer, anyway) ‘The Houses of Healing’ from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Ok, that may be a stretch, but compare the Liv Tyler section of the song and see if it doesn’t rate at least a couple of ringing bells. The different keyboard parts, Hornsblow’s tremelo guitar, and Platt’s shimmering cymbals and reverb-laden toms speak of the stately drama under Charleslyn’s vocal harmonies.
The drama seems to come from the distance between the desire for sleep and the reality of it, which has Charleslyn singing on the song’s outro, “Sing me to sleep/ Oh, my dear, pretend that you are deep.” The chime-like effect of the piano at the end might, in other lullabies, actually signal sleep. But here, the minor setting is more like the moment in a movie when the heroine realises she’s been betrayed, or that she’s betrayed – both work.
The Ingrid is only three singles deep, so it’s not possible to say whether this kind of storytelling is in or out of character with the band. However, by way of observation, their other two singles feel like they lean a little more into the tempered side of the Sundays/Smiths continuum. Beautiful, melancholic, but let’s-not-get-worked-up-about-this kind of music.
If ‘Lullaby’ does anything, it proves that The Ingrid can move into emotive terrain (relatively speaking) without losing sight of their fundamental tone. The next challenge for the band will be to hold listeners’ interest across an album.
Find out more about The Ingrid on their official website, Instagram, TikTok, Soundcloud and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
