Ellie Dixon fights her anxiety demon in the new video for her powerful single, ‘Guts’. The multidisciplinary artist and producer’s new release is her quickest streaming track to date, currently sitting at 200k across all platforms. Ellie says: “I hope it helps people feel proud of what they get through and, to quote the song, brave for just being here”.
Self-produced and written, and mastered at Abbey Road Studios, ‘Guts’ is the second chapter in Dixon’s invigorating new era, after the greatly-received first instalment ‘Renaissance’ in winter 2024. The impactful visual is set at a medieval party, with drinking, card games and tarot, and sees Ellie come face to face with her anxiety demon, repeatedly having a sword fight with them, as an effective visual representation for coming up against immense inner turmoil in a social setting.
“The music video for ‘Guts’ is my favourite video I’ve ever made. It’s a fantastical visual metaphor for having a panic attack at a party – on the outside everything seems normal while inside you feel like the lights are flashing red and you’re in a full swing sword fight. The character portraying anxiety appears and disappears at random, leaving you wondering if any of it was real or not. Anxiety can feel very surreal and when you’re in your head you have this warped sense of reality which I really wanted to portray with this storyline. The high octane action pays respect to the intensity of our internal worlds and for the people who fight these unseen battles. I hope it helps people feel proud of what they get through and, to quote the song, brave for just being here.”
Invigorating and experimental, Dixon’s new chapter is pulsing with vigour and intention. ‘Guts’ is the heaviest sound we’ve heard from the young artist yet, with a guitar riff that jolts the listener into submission. Self-described as “a samba-rock-dnb-pop fusion painting the frustrations of the anxious mind”, ‘Guts’ formed from Dixon’s realisation that her nervous disposition meant she’d had much less reckless fun as a teen than her adolescent counterparts.
After unleashing ‘Renaissance’ into the world last year, Dixon ushered in a powerful new era, and one born from a deep, dark place, after unexpectedly parting ways with her label Decca Records, and masterfully moulding and syphoning into a new aesthetic, sound and lease of life. Always refreshingly open about her experiences with anxiety and depression, especially on tracks like ‘Green Grass’, ‘Big Lizard Energy’ and ‘Dopamine’, this is the same beloved Dixon, but with a mediaeval twist and a wealth of life experiences. “Renaissance is a musical phoenix from the ashes”, Dixon says. Mixed by Manon Grandjean (FLO, Cat Burns, Stormzy) and soaring with Dixon’s brilliant brain and newfound self-confidence.
Having built a dedicated fan base of millions from her bedroom, Dixon now has 1.2 million TikTok followers, over 1.3 million YouTube views, 300K Instagram followers, 18 million+ music streams, and her intricately deconstructed harmonies consistently going viral. Dixon’s accolades are vast and include a nomination as TikTok Songwriter of the Year at iHeartRadio Awards, her beloved single ‘Swing’ featuring as an official demo in Apple Logic Pro 2024 update, 2 Amazon Music billboards across London, MTV Push Spotlight Artist, BBC Radio 1 premieres – Hottest Record and Tune of the Week – and tips from iNews, CLASH, DORK and many more.
A pioneer of unique production styles and DIY sampling, Dixon has been purposefully and passionately pushing the envelope of what can be done in a bedroom studio. Working on the huge ‘Level Up Your Game’ campaign with VISA for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which brought together Gen Z content creators and athletes, Dixon worked alongside 3-time gold medalist Adam Peaty OBE and creative technologist Tigris Li, to make music using the swimmer’s body. Watch Dixon’s docuseries episode here.
Dixon’s explosive new sound showcases her production prowess and is a fierce declaration of what’s to come; enter Dixon’s realm and be knighted.
WATCH ‘Guts’
LISTEN to ‘Guts’
WATCH ‘Renaissance’
LISTEN to ‘Renaissance’
