MUMBAI: Fresh from the success of ‘Lost With You’, Joel Stewart returns with more ‘music that feels like a hug’, this time with the bittersweet urgency of ‘Bare Knuckles’. A testament to Stewart’s songwriting evolution over the past two years, the second single from forthcoming EP 'The Fountain' is energetic and driving, tough and tender. Pulsating synths loop alongside The 1975-esque electric guitar fills, creating a perfect blend of beauty and chaos, while fans of Sam Fender will find a home in Joel’s bruised but beautiful lyricism that  explores the gamut of  modern love and life.

Joel Stewart says:

“‘Bare Knuckles’ is the 2nd single from my upcoming 2024 EP The Fountain. I can be pretty erratic and I wrote this song in a time when I was feeling incredibly stressed about the path ahead. It was a very cathartic process, and being the first song I wrote for this project, became the start of that next chapter I was looking for. I owe a lot to this song. It helped get me out of a bit of a hole. I recorded it down at Spiritual Studios in Camden, with my good pal Jack Trouble. I hope there is a perfect blend of beauty and chaos, to reflect the lyrics about love, life, and relationships.”

Following the success of his early singles and collaborations, earning the Hertfordshire-born artist over 25 million streams, Joel Stewart has been on an impressive trajectory since his first release in 2019. While no stranger to large audiences - he performed his ‘Mike Dean Song’ to 10,000 at Wembley Arena for Crouch Fest 2 - his music glows with a vibrant intimacy that has him all over watch-lists for 2024 and beyond.