Liverpool-born dark dream-pop artist brings a deeply personal new chapter to stages across the UK this October
Liverpool-born singer-songwriter Emilie Culshaw is preparing to take the next major step in her rapidly developing career with the release of her debut EP, I Guess You Changed, arriving October 1, 2026, followed by her first-ever UK headline tour.
Spanning eight dates across England, the I Guess You Changed Tour will see Culshaw bring her distinctive blend of dark dream-pop, soul, R&B, rock and blues to audiences in Wigan, Chester, Chorley, Birmingham, Manchester, London, Leeds and Liverpool.
For Culshaw, the tour represents far more than a run of live dates. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for an artist who has spent the past several years transforming personal experiences, emotional uncertainty, relationships, resilience and self-discovery into an increasingly distinctive body of work.
With cinematic production, haunting vocals and emotionally direct songwriting at the centre of her sound, Culshaw has established herself as an artist unafraid to explore the darker and more complicated sides of human experience.
Now, with her debut EP ready to arrive and her biggest headline run to date on the horizon, she is bringing that story directly to audiences around the UK.
“This tour is something I've wanted to do for a long time,” says Culshaw. “Being able to take these songs, which are so personal to me, and perform them in different cities around the UK is incredibly exciting. I want people to come to the shows, connect with the music, have fun and hopefully leave with something that stays with them.”
A DEBUT EP BUILT FROM REAL LIFE
I Guess You Changed is the culmination of a period of artistic growth for Culshaw, bringing together songs that explore anxiety, attraction, toxic relationships, emotional conflict, personal growth and ultimately resilience.
Rather than treating songwriting as simply a creative exercise, Culshaw has consistently used music as a way of processing her own experiences and making sense of the emotions surrounding them.
That approach gives the EP an unusually personal centre.
The songs do not attempt to present life as neat or uncomplicated. Instead, they explore the contradictions that can exist within relationships and within ourselves — the attraction and uncertainty, the hurt and the healing, the moments of vulnerability and the eventual decision to move forward.
The project includes a number of Culshaw's key releases from the past two years, including “Trapdoor,” “Cherry Haze,” “Fake Friend” and “Cradle to the Grave.”
Together, the songs form an emotional journey.
“Trapdoor” explores anxiety, intrusive thoughts and the mental barriers that can prevent people from moving forward.
“Cherry Haze” shifts into the intensity of attraction and falling for someone, capturing the intoxicating uncertainty that can accompany new feelings.
“Fake Friend” turns toward the darker side of relationships, examining toxicity, manipulation and the realisation that not every friendship is what it appears to be.
Then comes “Cradle to the Grave,” a song centred on resilience, growth and the determination to continue moving forward.
Rather than four disconnected songs, the releases can be heard as chapters in a larger story — one that moves from internal struggle through relationships and ultimately toward self-belief.
That sense of progression is central to I Guess You Changed.
FROM LIVERPOOL TO THE UK STAGE
Culshaw's roots in Liverpool remain an important part of her identity as an artist.
The city has provided both the environment and community in which she has developed her live career, from intimate launch shows to larger independent-venue performances.
Her live journey has included a sold-out launch show for “Trapdoor” at Kazimier Stockroom, followed by a UK support run, before returning to Liverpool for the launch of “Cherry Haze” at The Shipping Forecast.
In February 2026, Culshaw also headlined an Independent Venue Week show at Kazimier Stockroom, further underlining her commitment to the grassroots venues that have helped shape her career.
Her performances have also taken her beyond the conventional club circuit, including an appearance at the Merseyside Women of the Year Awards, as well as a performance connected with VIP Boxing.
Now the next step is a headline tour carrying that experience into venues around the country.
THE I GUESS YOU CHANGED UK TOUR
The eight-date tour currently comprises:
October 1 — Wigan — Side Door, above Barneys
October 2 — Chester — G21 / The Saddle Inn
October 3 — Chorley — Nelipots
October 4 — Birmingham — The Rainbow
October 8 — Manchester — Fuel Café
October 9 — London — Hope & Anchor
October 10 — Leeds — Santiago Bar
October 11 — Liverpool — The Hold / Shipping Forecast
Each night will feature a changing selection of emerging artists, giving the tour a deliberately varied identity from city to city.
For Culshaw, supporting independent artists is an important part of the tour's ethos.
Rather than treating a headline tour as a solo platform, the shows will create opportunities for other developing musicians to reach new audiences and become part of the wider story.
The result is intended to make each night its own experience while maintaining the central identity of the I Guess You Changed era.
AN ARTIST WHO HAS BUILT HER CAREER FROM THE GROUND UP
Culshaw's journey with independent music has been closely connected with Big Condo Records, where she developed from working within the label environment into becoming one of its artists.
Her relationship with the label began following an artist-development course and an internship, eventually leading to her joining the roster.
That progression reflects an important element of Culshaw's career: she has not emerged fully formed.
Her development has happened through writing, recording, performing, learning and continually refining her artistic identity.
Her music now sits within a sound that is difficult to place neatly into one genre.
Dark dream-pop provides the atmospheric foundation, while elements of soul, R&B, rock and blues give the songs additional depth.
The result is music that can feel simultaneously intimate and cinematic.
Vocally, Culshaw often leans into vulnerability rather than hiding it, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to remain central to the production.
FROM “STRONG” TO I GUESS YOU CHANGED
Before beginning her solo release journey, Culshaw collaborated with dance producer Mark Moncrieff on “Strong,” released in 2024.
The track became an important early milestone.
“Strong” was subsequently recognised by TuneFountain as its Single of the Year for 2024, while Culshaw was named its Artist of the Year.
Those accolades helped establish the foundation for what would become her solo career.
Since then, her catalogue has continued to grow, with each release revealing another side of her songwriting.
The progression is particularly evident when listening across the I Guess You Changed era.
The music has become more personal, more confident and increasingly assured in its sonic identity.
Rather than chasing a single formula, Culshaw has allowed the songs to determine the production, resulting in a body of work that can move between atmospheric pop, soulful textures and darker alternative influences.
“TRAPDOOR”: TURNING ANXIETY INTO SONG
Released in 2025, “Trapdoor” became one of the defining songs of Culshaw's emerging catalogue.
The track confronts anxiety and intrusive thoughts, addressing the feeling of being caught behind invisible mental barriers.
For Culshaw, the song became an opportunity to take something internal and make it tangible.
That ability to turn difficult emotions into something listeners can connect with has become one of the recurring characteristics of her songwriting.
The track also helped expand Culshaw's audience internationally, receiving radio attention outside the UK and reportedly reaching No. 1 on Brazilian radio.
Its success demonstrated that the emotional themes within her songwriting were not confined to one city or one audience.
“CHERRY HAZE”: THE OTHER SIDE OF VULNERABILITY
If “Trapdoor” looks inward, “Cherry Haze” explores the emotional rush of looking outward toward another person.
Released in late 2025, the song examines attraction and the intensity of falling for someone.
Its dreamier atmosphere allowed Culshaw to explore a different emotional palette while retaining the cinematic qualities that had begun to define her sound.
The song subsequently received international recognition, including a place as a finalist in the Europop category at the 2026 InterContinental Music Awards, representing the UK.
“Cherry Haze” also received its own Liverpool launch show at The Shipping Forecast, continuing Culshaw's practice of turning individual releases into live events.
“FAKE FRIEND”: WHEN A RELATIONSHIP TURNS TOXIC
Released in 2026, “Fake Friend” takes a considerably darker emotional turn.
The song explores toxic friendship and manipulation, addressing the difficult process of recognising when a relationship that once felt genuine has become damaging.
It is another example of Culshaw's willingness to write from experience rather than from a safe distance.
The song asks uncomfortable questions about trust, loyalty and self-worth while maintaining the atmospheric pop production that has become associated with her work.
“CRADLE TO THE GRAVE”: CHOOSING TO MOVE FORWARD
Released in July 2026, “Cradle to the Grave” represents another important moment in the story.
Where earlier songs explore anxiety, attraction and toxicity, “Cradle to the Grave” turns toward resilience.
The track reflects the idea that personal growth does not necessarily mean forgetting what happened.
Instead, it can mean accepting what has happened, learning from it and continuing forward.
For Culshaw, the song acts as the conclusion to an important chapter of her creative journey — making its arrival shortly before the EP and headline tour particularly significant.
INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION
Although Liverpool remains central to Culshaw's identity, her music has increasingly travelled beyond the UK.
Her catalogue has attracted international radio and media attention, including coverage and interviews across the UK, United States and international independent-music press.
Her reported Brazilian radio success with “Trapdoor” demonstrated the potential for her music to connect with audiences far outside her home market.
That international interest has arrived alongside a growing collection of UK performances, awards recognition, media appearances and independent music milestones.
The result is an artist who remains firmly connected to the grassroots scene while beginning to establish a genuinely international audience.
RECOGNITION AND MILESTONES
Culshaw's development has been accompanied by a growing list of achievements.
Among the milestones associated with her career are:
· TuneFountain Artist of the Year 2024
· TuneFountain Single of the Year 2024 for “Strong”
· Recognition at the UK Top Influencer Awards
· 2026 InterContinental Music Awards finalist recognition for “Cherry Haze”
· More than 100,000 streams, recognised through TuneCore
· Multiple YouTube-view milestone plaques associated with her releases
· A sold-out “Trapdoor” launch show
· UK support touring
· Independent Venue Week headline performance
· International radio support
· Performance at the Merseyside Women of the Year Awards
· Television/performance exposure through VIP Boxing
For an artist still at the early stages of her career, the breadth of these milestones illustrates the momentum that has developed around her music.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
The release of I Guess You Changed and the accompanying tour arrive at a pivotal point.
Culshaw has spent the past few years building the foundations: developing her sound, releasing singles, establishing a live identity, earning recognition and connecting with audiences.
Now she is moving into the next stage.
The headline tour gives her the opportunity to perform the songs as a complete body of work rather than as individual releases.
It also allows audiences to experience the emotional progression of the project in a live environment.
The intimate nature of many of the venues is particularly important.
While Culshaw's audience continues to grow, the tour retains the closeness and immediacy of the independent music scene from which she emerged.
That balance — ambition without losing intimacy — may ultimately prove to be one of the defining characteristics of this stage of her career.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR A RISING LIVERPOOL VOICE
There is a temptation to describe every emerging artist as “one to watch.”
Culshaw's story suggests something more interesting.
She is an artist who has already spent years doing the work: writing, performing, developing, releasing, learning and building an audience one show and one song at a time.
I Guess You Changed represents the point at which those experiences come together.
It is a project about change, but not necessarily the kind of change that happens overnight.
It is about the slower process of recognising yourself, understanding your experiences and deciding what comes next.
That makes the timing of the tour significant.
On October 1, the EP arrives.
That same day, Culshaw steps onto the road for the first headline tour of her career.
Eight cities later, the journey comes back to Liverpool — the city where so much of the story began.
For Culshaw, it is not an ending.
It is the beginning of whatever comes next.
Support Artist Interview with ARCHIE, as he talks music and tour.
1. For readers discovering you for the first time, who is ARCHIE, and how would you describe your sound and identity as an artist?
For the first timers I think the best way to describe myself would be as a young Manchester indie/ indie rock artist but with a uniqueness to the music that could only really be described through listening to the music itself. I try to blend my lyrical story telling with your classic indie guitar work to create a sound that almost anyone can enjoy.
2. You’re a young alternative pop-rock artist — what first inspired you to make music, and what was it about alternative pop and rock that made you feel that this was where you belonged?
I feel I’ve always felt connected to music from a young age but my first real interaction with it is from when Sam Fender released his first single and from that I feel like I’ve always known what I wanted my sound to be and where place would be in the industry.
3. Your music is very much about having your own identity. When you’re writing a song, where do your ideas usually come from — personal experiences, emotions, relationships, or simply something that inspires you in the moment?
When I’m writing songs I often try to create a world in which the same song can mean something totally different from one person to the next allowing everyone to feel their own personal connection to the music.
4. What does it mean to you as a young artist to be part of Emilie Culshaw’s I Guess You Changed UK tour, and how excited are you to be performing alongside her?
It’s a honour to be joining an artist of such size on there uk tour and it’ll be a great experience to have the opportunity to join her in Manchester my home town and use it as a chance to build bridges and create even more opportunities in my own career.
5. Emilie has built her career through the independent music scene and is now taking her first headline tour around the UK. What are you most looking forward to about being part of the tour and experiencing that journey with her?
The most exciting part for me is defiently the fact that I’m going to be able to share my music with an entirely new audience who may have never heard of me before and through that hopefully they enjoy it enough to follow my journey and join the ARCHIE fanbase as well as Emilies.
6. You’re also getting the opportunity to work with Big Condo Records. How excited are you about that, and what does being involved with a label like Big Condo Records mean for you and your musical journey?
My recent involvement with Big Condo Records has been a real honour they’ve given me with many exciting opportunities over the last few months and hopefully this tour date can help to build an even stronger relationship and allow us to work together on many more projects through the future as I try to build my career as an independent artist.
7. Being around other independent artists can be an incredible learning experience. Is there anything in particular you’re hoping to learn from Emilie, Big Condo Records, or the other artists you’ll meet during the tour?
Absolutely it will be amazing to meet all the other great artists I’ll be working with tonight as I believe no matter who you are there’s always something you can learn from another musician and there really are some amazing artists to learn from and I also hope to build strong connections with them to hopefully work with them all again in the future.
8. When you step onto a stage, what do you want people in the audience to feel? What can someone expect from an Archie live performance that they might not get from simply listening to your recordings?
When I go on stage my main goal is to unite the audience and no matter what walk of life you come from or who you are or what you believe I want my music and performance to give them all a reason to all come together, care and judgment free and through that build a community where anyone can be anyone and yet still be together and feel like they belong.
9. You’re at an exciting point in your career where opportunities like this tour can open new doors. Where do you see yourself going next, and what are some of the goals you’re determined to achieve as an artist?
I think the next few years could very well be life changing and I’m working very hard to make that happen with this tour being a very exciting opportunity for me to take on. I think the main goal for the future is to make the ARCHIE name known and prove myself in the industry and potentially even partake in a tour of my own. In terms of short term goals my debut single ‘Better Off’ is coming out in coming weeks so I hope to have a good release there, an official release date is coming very soon so if your interested keep your eyes peeled!
10. Finally, if you could give the people coming to see you on the I Guess You Changed tour one reason why they should arrive early and catch your set, what would you say to them?
For the fans of small artists coming, no matter what style or genre your into I believe my music truely is for everyone and there’s guaranteed to be something you’ll enjoy so get down catch the set because you might regret it if you don’t!!
I Guess You Changed is released October 1, 2026, with the accompanying UK headline tour running October 1–11.*
For more information, music, tour information and press enquiries, visit Big Condo Records and Emilie Culshaw's official artist channels.
TOUR DATES
01.10.26 — Wigan — Side Door, above Barneys
02.10.26 — Chester — G21 / The Saddle Inn
03.10.26 — Chorley — Nelipots
04.10.26 — Birmingham — The Rainbow
08.10.26 — Manchester — Fuel Café
09.10.26 — London — Hope & Anchor
10.10.26 — Leeds — Santiago Bar
11.10.26 — Liverpool — The Hold / Shipping Forecast
Tickets available on skiddle.
For press and media contact @bigcondorecords
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