“Let’s live life right now, no matter what that looks like. Be in the moment. We owe it to ourselves to live fully, no matter what life throws at us.” – Dorothy Bird
Following acclaim for her debut album Belonging, art-pop songwriter Dorothy Bird returns with her most personal work to date. ‘Whispering Paper’ will be released on May 3rd 2025 via Liverpool’s Crosstown Records, with a limited edition 12” black vinyl and also available digitally.
With ringing endorsements from BBC Introducing, Tom Robinson’s Fresh On The Net, and a host of tastemaking magazines in both England and her native Germany, Dorothy’s sound is startlingly original and unmistakably her own. Recent live performances include a celebrated concert at Liverpool’s prestigious Yoko Ono Lennon Tung Auditorium, further establishing her reputation as a compelling live performer.
“I like my melodies to be surprising and haunting, as light as feathers and moving from place to place,” she says. “With Whispering Paper, I’m searching for an evocative and powerful connection. It continues the style of music from my debut album while opening up more deeply and directly.” – Dorothy Bird
Written and recorded in the wake of deep personal loss, Whispering Paper is an album forged in a time of grief, yet but it radiates quiet resilience, emotional clarity, and a deep love for life. “When my sister passed away in 2023, it was like the shell of everyday life cracked open,” says Dorothy. “All emotions became louder and more defined. There was a new sensitivity—for the world around me, and within.”
Each of the ten tracks on Whispering Paper holds its own universe—from the cathartic beauty of “You Were”, written for her sister, to “Yes Maybe”, a song exploring indecision sparked by a real-life misunderstanding from her youth. The album reflects on intergenerational connection and memory in “Around the Corner”, present-moment awareness in “All My Time”, inner transformation and resilient strength in “Ride the Storm” and “Soaring”, and dreaming of remembering what connects us in “Dream With Me”.
The title itself is drawn from a lyric in “Meteorites”: ‘Telling whispering paper things that I love’— a line that encapsulates the intimate act
of letting the inner self speak. Meteorites explores how things we believe to be
important now might fade, while unexpected memories strike us from nowhere.
In addition to her haunting vocals and atmospheric layers of piano, synths, beats, guitar, and strings, the album introduces new sonic textures to Bird’s sound. Brass and vocal ensemble appear for the first time, alongside subtle additions like Rhodes piano and playful synths.
Dorothy returned to working with long-time collaborator Jon Lawton at Crosstown Studios, co-producing the album and co-writing three of the album’s songs. Lawton also provided guitars and extra instrumentation.
The album also features Amy Chalmers on violin, joined by a host of talented local musicians: Ryan Mallows (drums), Matt Lawton (bass), Vicky Reid (cello), Miceál Sammon (trombone/euphonium), and vocalists Kathy Halter and Rachel Waite.
It was recorded and mixed by Jon Lawton and mastered by Pete Maher (Mastering e.g. for Goldfrapp, U2, Lana Del Rey, Jack White).
“Through making this album, I felt like I could take part in life again,” Dorothy shares. “We recorded and programmed all instruments first. I didn’t sing the songs until the very end of the process. Recording the vocals was an experience of full joy—and it also took everything I had.”
While Belonging said ‘you are not alone’ , Whispering Paper speaks softly but powerfully: ‘Live now’. It’s an album of presence, of letting go, of truth-telling through song.
Dorothy Bird’s sophomore album radiates quiet resilience, emotional clarity, and a deep love for life. The result? A magical and mysterious tapestry.
Whispering Paper was released on May 3rd, 2025, physically and digitally.
It is available as a 12” colour vinyl (black), standard weight (135g), including a full-colour insert. Limited edition of 100 copies.
Buy the Album:
https://www.crosstownstudios.co.uk/store/p/dorothy-bird-whispering-paper
Digital:
https://ditto.fm/whispering-paper
Bandcamp:
https://dorothybird.bandcamp.com/album/whispering-paper
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Dorothy Bird
Atmospheric, deep, and full of emotion, Dorothy Bird is a Berlin and Liverpool-based musician and singer-songwriter whose art-pop sound blends ethereal synths, acoustic intimacy, and captivating beats. Her songs express complex emotions and ideas, soothing the soul and offering moments of calm, connection, and reflection amidst the chaos of the world.
Born in East Berlin and shaped by time in Bulgaria, she absorbed rich choral
traditions before studying music in Bremen. After losing her voice following her mother’s passing, songwriting became a vital path to healing and rediscovery. Her debut album Belonging (2022) and three EPs garnered widespread praise – called “masterful” (fifty3), “uplifting and haunting” (Joyzine) – and earned support from BBC Introducing, BBC Merseyside, Tom Robinson’s BBC6music Mixtape, and Mersey Radio.
Already compared to Portishead, Kate Bush, and Thom Yorke, Dorothy’s sound has been described as “characteristically individual” (Neil March, Fresh On The Net). Her upcoming album Whispering Paper continues her journey into emotional landscapes – tender, profound, and resonant. Recent highlights include a performance at Liverpool’s Yoko Ono Lennon Tung Auditorium and growing acclaim across the UK and Germany.
UPCOMING LISTINGS:
20 September // UK, Liverpool, LEAF on Bold Street – Whispering Paper UK launch – TICKETS
23 October // Germany, Berlin, Zimmer 16 – Whispering Paper DE launch
25 October // Germany, tba
26 October // Germany, Strauchkonzerte, Marburg
07 November // Germany, Feuerwehrhaustheater, Bernau
Label info: Crosstown Records / CR0006
For further information, images and interviews: hello@dorothybird.de