Rising alt-folk singer-songwriter Kelli Blanchett is back with her most personal work yet. The Corby-born, London-based artist known for her long-running collaboration with pop star Self Esteem has channeled a year of chronic illness and upheaval into Casual Dining, a raw, five-track EP that serves as a break-up letter to her former self.

"I had to start living life in a completely different way, and this record is a break-up with the old version of me," Blanchett shares. Thematically rich and sonically intimate, the EP grapples with isolation, feeling stuck both physically and mentally, and the bittersweet process of letting go. "I became really ill, and my life changed dramatically. I felt embarrassed about not doing the same things as everyone else, about possibly being left behind," she reflects.

Sonically, Blanchett drew from the warm, organic world of 70s singer-songwriters. "I love Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, and Gram Parsons, and I knew that's the world I wanted these songs to live in." The result is a minimalist-yet-lush blend of plucky guitars, spine-tingling string arrangements, Wurlitzers, and flute organs alt-folk and Americana filtered through genuine emotional honesty.

The EP's focus track, "Hiding in Plain Sight", was born out of a sudden, unexplained falling out with a close friend. "It was a time when I was really ill myself, and this song was born out of this complex bundle of feelings: sad that I didn't know what that friend was going through, frustrated because I was going through my own stuff… and overall just stuck with not knowing." Americana slide guitar and stacked harmonies give the song a burst of warmth that belies its themes of loneliness and disconnection.

Despite the heavy subject matter, Blanchett's journey is picking up serious momentum. She sold out her EP listening party in just 48 hours, has performed at Royal Festival Hall, supported Self Esteem at the Eventim Apollo, and has been named BBC Introducing's Artist of the Week twice. She's also been featured on Channel 4's Big Mood.

"If my music can inspire anyone feeling lost to say, 'It's okay to be where I am,' then that's enough," Kelli says.

Casual Dining is out now. Give it a listen.

Instagram: @kelliblanchett