Music

Theo Bleak Excavates Grief and “Finest Work” on Her New ‘Bargaining’ Mixtape

Dec 22, 2025

Scottish indie artist Theo Bleak shares her most vulnerable work to date with the release of the fourteen-song mixtape ‘Bargaining’. This collection serves as a chronological documentation of a transformative year where the songwriter navigated intense grief and a deep desire for connection. Katie Lynch found a unique creative spark by annotating the vintage journals of her late great uncle John to find a thin veil between the living and the dead. The tracks feature raw recordings where the audible creak of a studio chair adds to the brutal honesty of her reflections on choices and mistakes.

The new project includes the standout single “Megan in New York” which explores damaging dynamics and the self-implosion of a life during a trip to the city. This follows the success of her ‘Bad Luck Is Two Yellow Flowers’ ep and the atmospheric “Peach Sky” which gained massive international support on BBC Radio 1. The mixtape functions as a cathartic exploration of pain and hope while blending haunting melodies with her signature goth waltz guitar sounds. Every song represents a painful step forward through the bargaining stage of grief while maintaining a beautiful focus on poetic lyricism.

Fans can catch the rising star live as she brings these new songs to the stage for a series of intimate performances across the United Kingdom. After making a splash at The Great Escape Festival and supporting artists like Eleni Drake, the Dundee based musician prepares for a special winter appearance in Edinburgh. The ‘Bargaining’ tracks like “Finest Work” and “NJ Transit” look to build on the momentum of her previous radio hits and editorial playlist success. This journey through the countryside of the heart offers listeners a refreshingly unique look at the human experience.

‘Bargaining’ Tracklist: