Her new single, “Don’t Touch Me You’re My Hero”, tackles some of those messier dynamics head on. In particular, Sarah Meth turns her attention to the blurred boundaries and power imbalances women can encounter in creative industries, approaching a serious subject with a sharp sense of humour and a little theatrical absurdity. There is something increasingly exasperated about the song too, as patience and admiration gradually curdle into frustration, discomfort and the feeling that someone else is simply wasting your time. The song also comes with a video, which stars Charlie Steen and Charlie Forbes of Shame alongside Sorry’s Louis O’Bryen and Lincoln Barrett.

As Meth explains: “It’s a bleak time for women in creative industries whether you’re an artist or working behind the scenes. It’s a relationship-based business and with that comes a blurring of boundaries, which can lead to a lack of understanding of what’s appropriate behaviour. Sometimes it feels like the culture around music doesn’t seem to be improving, and young female musicians aren’t protected enough. This song speaks to my frustration at that situation, and having to question people’s intentions. Turning uncomfortable feelings and situations into something I can be playful with gives me a sense of agency in a world where that can quickly be taken away. Women are constantly told not to make a song and dance of these things….I guess this is me saying why not !”

“Don’t Touch Me You’re My Hero” is the first single of Sarah Meth’s debut album, Something Shameful, which arrives October 30 via her own Wishbone imprint. The record circles around shame, desire, yearning and the difficult art of letting go, with many of its characters tracing back to a spontaneous solo trip to New York in 2024, taken after her UK tour supporting King Krule. “A guy had invited me to go to New York but then he bailed, so I thought ‘fine, I’ll do it by myself.’ I ended up meeting so many people that week who became, at different points over the years, main characters in my life. It was special being somewhere new, meeting that version of myself outside of London.” That sense of freedom also shaped the way the album was made, with sessions spread between 4AD’s London studio, recordings with Sorry’s Louis O’Bryen and Meth’s own South London bedroom. She produced and mixed most of it herself, making Something Shameful feel very much like the product of both her DIY instincts and the creative community she has built around her.