For more than five decades, Joan Armatrading has been one of music’s most quietly groundbreaking forces — the type of songwriter whose emotional clarity cuts straight through trends. Now on her 21st album, Not Too Far Away, she’s still pushing herself into new territory, even as she returns to her favorite subject: love, in all its complicated forms.
When we connect to talk about the new record, Armatrading is warm, thoughtful, and — true to reputation — laser-focused on craft. I mention that love songs are one of her calling cards and ask whether it’s still a challenge to find new ways to write them. “No,” she answers immediately, then laughs. “Well… maybe I should say sometimes.”
But the truth is, she says, people never stop giving her new angles. “Everybody comes to things at different times,” she explains. She recalls being on a train once, eavesdropping on a group of teenage girls, one of whom had just discovered olives. “She was fascinated. I’d gotten excited about olives years ago, but for her it was brand new. That’s what it’s like with emotions — we all experience the same things, but in our own unique way.”
That’s why her songs land the same way whether she’s performing in Japan, Australia, Germany, or the U.S. “If I sing a certain song, the reaction is exactly the same,” she says. “People recognize themselves in it.”
Not Too Far Away marks a return to non-thematic writing after her trilogy of genre-focused albums — blues, rock, and jazz — which required intense discipline. This time, the process flipped: she wrote all the words first, something she’d never done across an entire album. “I wanted people to really listen to the words,” she says. “If I got the words right, the music would fall into place.”
And fall into place it did — with Armatrading handling every sound on the album herself. She produced it, engineered it, played every instrument, and even programmed the drums. “I didn’t want to lose the plot,” she says. “I wanted these songs written well.” The result is a record that feels intimate but strong, simple in its clarity and rich in emotional weight.
One early standout is “No More Pain,” a title that telegraphs its message before the first note. But she’s quick to point out that the pain she’s writing about isn’t limited to heartbreak. “It’s everything — loss, arguments, business troubles, anything that cuts deep,” she says. The song is ultimately about reclaiming agency: “At some point, you decide what you’ll accept.”
Another highlight, “Invisible,” brings a kinetic acoustic groove that shows she’s still having fun. “I love that track,” she says. “It’s acoustic, but it still rocks. I love the quirky rhythms.”
One striking detail about Armatrading’s writing — noted often by fans — is her avoidance of gendered pronouns. It’s intentional. “As soon as you specify gender, you exclude someone,” she says. “I want people to identify with the song.” She cites her classic “The Weakness in Me,” which men and women have claimed equally as their story. “That’s the point,” she says.
At 21 albums in, Armatrading remains as curious and committed as ever — still refining, still exploring. As she looks ahead to the release of Not Too Far Away, she’s excited, hopeful, and humble. “I can’t wait to see how people respond to these songs,” she says. “I really wanted them to mean something.”
And they do.
Listen to the interview above and then check out "I Like It When We're Together" below.
