A NEW single from local artist Luke Middleton is sending a strong message on body confidence.

‘Silhouette’ has been written in honour of some of the women in Luke’s life – and for all those out there who have ever felt ashamed of how they look.

But while the lyrics carry a powerful theme, the song itself, in Luke’s words, is “a bit of a foot tapper” – an upbeat and cheerful pop song that doesn’t get weighed down by its serious side.

It’s the first release off Luke’s forthcoming second album, a record that the Liskeard-based singer songwriter has been working on this year.

“I got to know another musician through contact on social media – we appreciated each other’s work and started messaging each other.

“He runs the Air Raid Studios in London and he offered for me to come and record there,” Luke explained.

“My first album H2O had to be done in a bit of a rush, as I was in and out of hospital during that time. It’s been nice to have lots of time just to spend on this one track and I have really enjoyed the creative aspect of doing Silhouette.

“I purposefully left the bass line until recording day for interpretation and it just worked brilliantly – I remember going back to the hotel singing it and it feels like a foot tapper!”

While Luke was in the studio he also recorded a track called Roses to take home as a surprise for his little boy Eliot, six, as the two of them had written the song together.

After a severe spinal injury in January 2022, Luke’s life and that of his family was turned upside down – he had to stop work and his recovery is still ongoing. But there are now more good days than bad, he says.

“Now that I’m in a better place physically, and also better at knowing what I can and can’t do, I am performing a lot more. I’ve been doing gigs over in Plymouth and trying to get my name out there a bit.”

The new album from Luke is based on a bluesy chord progression and the whole premise behind it is body positivity.

“It comes from all the women in my life having been berated by others and feeling they have to look a certain way, so it’s my response to that, I guess” he said.

“The words ‘beautiful shapes from behind the panes’ describe walking down the street and seeing a beautiful girl through a shop window – but it also means the pain that comes from social media, making women feel that they have to be a certain thing.”

‘Silhouette’ will be out on Friday March 15 on all major streaming platforms.