Meanjin/Brisbane-based singer/songwriter, Lottie McLeod returns with a brand new single in ‘Important To you’ - a song that dives into the complexity of “setting boundaries for your own preservation”, especially when both parties are struggling.  Lottie is an artist who has quickly built a reputation for atmospheres and lyrics that connect and resonate deeply, tapping into art’s ability to comfort and even quietly heal wounds.

Released following the recent announcement of her signing to ABC Music, joining labelmates Emily Wurramara, Playlunch, Flynn Gurry and more, 'Important To You' and its bayside black-and-white visualiser is the first new music from Lottie since her critically beloved debut EP Bug (2025) and live performance for triple j's 50th birthday. With the single marking a maturation in sound and perspective for the young artist, 'Important To You' is out now via ABC Music.

On 'Important To You', Lottie McLeod's initially soft but assured vocals carry grief, regret and determination across low-slung guitar and a bed of plaintive, stare-out-over-the-sea indie/alt-folk instrumentation that builds with fuzzed-out guitar, McLeod's increasingly resolute voice and splashy drums to a spontaneous scream of release in the track's dense, noisy outro.

The track was penned on McLeod's bedroom floor in the midst of a pivotal realisation that a relationship wasn't right for either person, with the artist feeling wary about the level of support it demanded while still processing the grief of losing her father (a relationship she explored on the Bug EP), all while learning to set healthy boundaries. Ultimately making the weighty decision to end things, McLeod felt validated by a message from another woman who'd shared her experiences, with screenshots showing toxic behaviour and manipulation and abuse that were escalations of the red flags the artist had glimpsed.

As gorgeous as it is devastating, ‘Important To You’ unfolds like a storm rolling in over open water — beginning in hushed restraint before surging into a turbulent, emotionally charged release. Cinematic without tipping into melodrama, the track lives and breathes through Lottie McLeod’s vocal, which moves from fragile to quietly defiant with striking control. A perfectly emotionally-stirring track from an artist who just keeps getting better.

Coming to life acoustically in live settings before fleshing out its sound with her band, 'Important To You' was recorded with and produced by Caleb Wright (Samia, Charly Bliss, Hippo Campus) who reached out to Lottie as a big fan of her single 'The Line' (2025), culminating in the two working together - at North Carolina's Stadium Heights Sound on the land of the Catawba, Cheraw, Eno, Occaneechi, Shakori, Tuscarora and Lumbee peoples - an instantly fruitful and free-flowing collaboration with Wright also co-writing and providing acoustic, electric and bass guitar, backing vocals and drums.

Lottie McLeod says of the song: "I was seeing someone that seemed so right for me. But as we got to know each other better, the things he was sharing painted a picture of someone that needed a lot more support than I had the skills or capacity to support him through. I ended up connecting with someone who was a mentor to both of us, who I felt would be able ensure he was safe and supported and made a decision not to explore the relationship further. I think there was an element of guilt for me at the time, but knew that navigating grief, I wasn’t the right person for him at that time. 'Important To You' is about caring about someone but being the one most important ‘go to’ for them isn’t always healthy, and the pressure that comes with that person telling you that without you, they wouldn’t have anything to live for. My favourite lyric is the second half of the second chorus, “You’ll end up threatening your life. I've seen the photo proof...” This lyric came from getting the infamous “Hey girly” message from his ex-girlfriend, with screenshots of similar text messages that I was receiving but at a more escalated level. When you're young, someone telling you how life has no purpose without you can be taken as romantic, when actually it can be an extremely toxic way of taking control, I think this is an unfortunately really relatable experience. I had come up with the melody and the lyrics but had a clear direction of how I heard the song. Caleb [Wright] just got it. It was such a smooth and straightforward day in the studio. We were completely on the same page.”

Lottie McLeod is a lover of getting off the bus/train three stops too early just because she can, stained glass, soft blankets, lamps and crosswords. Immersed in the arts since childhood - a creative foundation that shines through more strongly with every release and development in her sound, thoughtful music "for deep feelers" inspired by the transportive, raw and occasionally uncomfortable emotional universes of Lizzy McAlpine, Phoebe Bridgers and Ethel Cain - Lottie McLeod's ability to capture common human experiences in heart-achingly personal ways that still feel sonically unique to her has won her multiple awards and accolades.

Her journey as a songwriter began after the loss of her father to brain cancer in 2021 - already a pianist, Lottie's dad had taught her to play guitar the year before his passing (with her mother also in the arts as a photographer), and music became a powerful way to stay connected to his memory and process the grief experience. Spot-lit as triple j Unearthed Feature Artist last year, in 2025 McLeod was named Emerging Artist of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards - where she was also a finalist for the Folk Award and recipient of their Billy Thorpe Scholarship in 2024 - the same year she was named a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and Happy Magazine's Needle In The Hay. McLeod's sharp yet warm pen has already made her in-demand songwriter for other artists like Mathilde Ann, Dizzy Dayz and beyond.

Tapped to perform at triple j's 50th birthday show on the so-called Gold Coast/Yugambeh Country alongside Mallrat, Jem Cassar-Daley, Darcie Haven and more, since her debut in 2023 McLeod has developed an already-formidable live resume that includes a co-headline national tour with Lovelovelove, festivals and events like BIGSOUND, Spring Rain and supports like Telenova, Chris Lanzon, Mia Wray, Annie Hamilton, Peach Fuzz, Asha Jeffries, Matthew Ifield and many more. With additional strong media support for the artist from Rolling Stone, Tone Deaf, Sound Doctrine, triple j, triple j Unearthed, community radio nationally and adds across key DSP playlists including Open Skies, Turn Up Aus, EQUAL AU & NZ, *hits different *, Fresh Finds, New Music Friday AU & NZ, Tapestry, Fresh Finds Folk, Indie Arrivals, Next-Gen Songwriters and more, 2026 brings the promise of more from Lottie McLeod as she continues to generously share the lessons she's learning in life to her music with a stamp of vulnerability that can only come with her own combination of hindsight and mindfulness.

‘Important To You’ is out now on all streaming platforms.