South Shields singer releases heartfelt new track in tribute to mum who lost cancer battle

A South Shields singer-songwriter has released a new track inspired by her mother who tragically lost her battle with cancer.

By Sophie Brownson

Published 28th May 2021, 14:32 BST

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Jen Stevens, 34, has penned new a pop single, ‘She Sleeps,’ which is written as a conversation between her and her late mum Anne Stevens.

The heartfelt song features poetry by Jen’s mother who sadly died in 2012 following a battle with stomach cancer aged 57.

Jen said: “This is such a special release for me - the lyrics feature some of my late mum’s poetry, and the song is written as a conversation between her and I.

Jen Stevens has released a new track called 'She Sleeps' which features poetry written by her mother who sadly died in 2012 following a battle with cancer.

Jen Stevens has released a new track called 'She Sleeps' which features poetry written by her mother who sadly died in 2012 following a battle with cancer.

"I really hope that the song does well, that I’ve done my mum’s words justice, and that she gets the audience she deserves.”

Jen released her debut solo album, ‘Little One,’ to critical acclaim in 2017, following four successful releases with her band The Hiccups.

Over the years Jen has supported the likes of Maximo Park, The Futureheads, Paul Weller and Jools Holland, as well as Pixie Lott and Scouting for Girls.

In March this year, the musician reached number one in the iTunes songwriter chart with her single, ‘We Do It Right,’ and the following month she released her three-track EP called ‘Lost Dialects, a collection of modern folk songs,’ which was commissioned by the National Centre for the Written Word in South Shields

South Shields artist Jen Stevens has released a new single called 'She Sleeps.'

South Shields artist Jen Stevens has released a new single called 'She Sleeps.'

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Now Jen hopes her latest song, ‘She Sleeps,’ will be able to resonate with those who have lost someone they love.

She plans to work with charities, The Good Grief Trust and Cruse Bereavement Care, to raise awareness of using music and writing as a means to cope with bereavement.

"I’ve been playing piano and singing for as long as I can remember and I started writing songs as a means to tell stories and communicate my feelings,” Jen said.

"I don’t like to sing about things I can’t relate to so it makes sense to sing about people, experiences and things that mean something to me.

"If I can reach out to just one person, and touch one heart at a gig or through a recording, then I’ve accomplished something.

"Songwriting, for me, is massively cathartic and a definite form of therapy.”

‘She Sleeps’ by Jen Stevens is released on Friday, May 28 on all platforms including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon.

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