King of acoustic emo Brightr releases ‘Never Home, Never Mind’ via Sugar-Free Records - the second single from sophomore album Year Two
Gloomy emo pop troubadour Brightr unveils his second single, “Never Home, Never Mind”, from the highly anticipated sophomore album Year Two. Produced by Matt O’Grady (You Me At Six, Don Broco), the track follows the upbeat lead single “Charles Petrescu” and offers a more delicate, vulnerable side of Brightr’s sonic palette.
With intricate Midwest emo-inspired guitar work and a warm, emotionally resonant vocal performance, “Never Home, Never Mind” is a shimmering gem of introspective pop. It’s a slow-burning, heartfelt anthem that captures Brightr’s signature blend of melancholy and melody.
“The title comes from a line in the chorus,” Brightr explains. “Not something I often do, but it resonated, so I did it. It’s a song about mistakes—about inflicting sadness on someone you love above everyone else, about messing up, but about trying every day to do better and make things feel better for that person.”
The accompanying music video, tender and endearing, is set to tug at heartstrings and further cement Brightr’s place as one of the UK’s most emotionally honest songwriters.
🎶 About Year Two
Year Two is the long-awaited follow-up to Brightr’s 2016 debut Year One. Once again teaming up with producer Matt O’Grady, the album is a stripped-back, emotionally raw collection of nine tracks that serve as a cathartic purge for the artist.
“I’ve been writing Year Two pretty much since I completed Year One,” says Brightr. “But it’s been a lengthy work in progress—an EP, a pandemic, and multiple split records later. Some songs took time to finish because I’d buried the feelings so deep, or twisted the memories to protect myself. But Year Two is finally here. It’s painful, it’s poppy, deeply honest and brutally vulnerable. It’s joyfully crushing—but it’s me.”
🎤 Brightr Live in 2025
Catch Brightr’s emotionally charged live shows—part performance, part group therapy—at the following dates:
25 July TBC, Brighton
26 July Herofest, Gravesend
14 August Belfast
15 August Dublin
16 August Galway
📅 Release Timeline
17 April Charles Petrescu single & video
29 May Never Home, Never Mind single
26 JuneCoffee single
4 JulyYear Two album
