London-based singer-songwriter CATLEA (they/them), originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, returns with the new single ‘Someone’s Got To’, their most emotionally honest and compelling release to date. Released alongside the announcement of the upcoming EP Aftermath, the single offers a first taste of the upcoming project.
Written during a period of profound personal transformation, the track follows CATLEA’s path to sobriety, offering a strikingly frank and impactful account of their recovery from alcohol addiction.
As an artist, CATLEA has continually experimented with and refined their sound, drawing from a range of genres and showcasing a creative versatility across their releases. CATLEA’s catalogue spans tracks which highlight their alternative-rock tendencies, while others lean into more indie, Americana and pop-leaning soundscapes, as well as collaborations with a number of electronic producers.
The new single, ‘Someone’s Got To’, reveals a more intimate acoustic-pop side to their songwriting. Built around acoustic guitar, live drums, and spacious production, the track carries a driving sense of momentum beneath CATLEA’s melodic lead vocals.
After a prolonged period of self-destructive patterns and addiction, CATLEA reached a turning point that would reshape both their life and their music. Questioning old habits, relationships, and the need for external validation, they began the difficult but transformative journey toward sobriety and self-acceptance. One late night, in the midst of that personal reckoning, they picked up their guitar and a single lyric emerged almost like a quiet revelation: “If you won’t love me, then I will.” Equal parts plea and promise, the line became the foundation for a song that channels the courage required to choose yourself when recovery demands it most.
‘Someone’s Got To’ captures the slow and often uncomfortable process of untangling dependency, confronting unhealthy coping mechanisms, and making the small but meaningful choices that lead to lasting healing. Rather than focusing solely on loss or struggle, the track embraces the power of self-love as an act of survival and transformation.
Throughout the song, CATLEA explores the tension between heartache and hope. The refrain initially feels like a desperate appeal, but by the final chorus it evolves into a declaration of strength, a commitment to healing, growth, and personal responsibility. That emotional shift mirrors the reality of recovery itself, learning to hold pain and possibility in the same space while choosing, day by day, to move forward.
Talking about the single, CATLEA explains: “When I originally wrote the song, it wasn’t written with the intention of getting better, it was more of a hopeful thing; an acknowledgment that I needed to love myself more and take better care of myself, because I wasn’t doing that at the time.”
‘Someone’s Got To,’ offers an anthem for anyone navigating sobriety, recovery, or a period of profound personal change. The song serves as a reminder that while validation from others may fade, the decision to love and care for yourself can become the foundation for a new beginning.
Continuing to talk about the track further; “The song sat unfinished after an emotional breakdown during a Barcelona studio session. We tried to record it, and it just wasn’t working, I messed up the session because I was drunk when I should have been working. I remember collapsing on the floor and crying. That collapse became a turning point to change.
Months later, after quitting drinking for good, I returned to the song and was finally able to record the choruses. Cosmically, it felt like ‘Someone’s Got To’ wasn’t allowed to exist until it was true. Finishing the track required myself to live the vow the lyric had set, to find the strength to love myself.”
CATLEA’s momentum continues to grow, with more than 15 million streams across digital streaming platforms, 1.2 million YouTube views, and over 23,000 radio plays on more than 450 stations worldwide. Their sold-out Language Barrier album release show in Camden, hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenter Maia Beth, marked a significant milestone in a career that has seen them perform more than 60 shows across the UK in the past 15 months.
CATLEA also completed two national tours as main support for Betty Boo’s Boomania 35 anniversary celebrations, performing 25 dates, before headlining their own 2026 Lost Souls Tour: Music for the Unseen. Beyond their live credentials, CATLEA co-wrote and released ‘Summer’s Done’ with hip-hop artist Tom Penny, founded Warning Shot Studio to provide songwriting services for emerging artists, and has been featured in more than 200 articles and reviews.
CATLEA live band:
CATLEA – songwriter, singer, guitar, keyboards
Max Shirley – guitar
Henry Dominic – drums
Ethan Bates – bass guitar
Upcoming Live Dates:
17th July – Hope & Anchor – Islington, London
31st August – Box Rocks Festival – Box / Bath
9th September- Blue Moon – Cambridge
12th September – Bromsgrove Arts – Bromsgrove (Birmingham)
18th September – Bread & Roses – Clapham, London
19th September – Folklore Rooms – Brighton
26th September – Chapel Arts – Bath
21st November – Queens Head – Box, Bath
‘Someone’s Got To’ is released 17th July