Elles Bailey is a Bristol-born, award-winning independent singer-songwriter whose smoky voice and roots-influenced songwriting have made her a leading figure on the UK blues and Americana scene. A multiple UK Blues Award winner and inductee of the UK Blues Hall of Fame, she reached a new milestone with her 2024 album Beneath The Neon Glow, which charted at No. 12 on the UK Official Albums Chart and topped the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.
In 2025, she toured with the UK supporting Brit Award winner Rag'n'Bone Man before releasing her fifth studio album, Can’t Take My Story Away, on 16 January 2026. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart and the Record Store Chart, No. 2 on the Official Independent Chart, and No. 14 on the Official Albums Chart. Produced by Luke Potashnick and recorded with a stellar lineup of musicians, including renowned producer Ethan Johns, the 11 tracks of Can’t Take My Story Away tie together to form the album Elles was destined to make. Created over a three-year period, using songs whose origins date back almost 10 years, it offers an honest and vulnerable glimpse into Bailey’s story.
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The album has already received widespread acclaim, including 4★ reviews from MOJO and The Sun, with MOJO praising Bailey: “Blessed with a voice that’s equal parts Etta James’s emotional gravity and Janis Joplin’s gritty power, Elles Bailey is a musical marvel.”
The release included a sold-out tour of record stores around the country, while the single Growing Roots hit BBC Radio 2’s A-List and was the most-played track on the station for the first three weeks of 2026.
Following a hugely successful UK and European headline tour with her long-standing band- playing to full rooms every night. Bailey will take the album further afield with US festival appearances alongside Jason Isbell and Tedeschi Trucks Band, as well as additional US dates later this year with the legendary Judy Collins.
She is also set to play many festivals across the UK this summer, including State Fayre in Chelmsford alongside Alanis Morissette and Kings of Leon, and headlining Beardy Folk Fest, The British Country Music Festival and then continuing her headline touring in autumn 2026.
In addition to her recording and touring work, Elles Bailey is a regular presenter on Planet Rock radio, sharing her passion for blues, rock, and roots music with a national audience. Through her weekly show, she highlights both classic tracks and emerging artists, giving listeners insight into the songs and stories that have shaped her own musical journey.
