Hat or Belt's current single, "Christie", which reached the semi-finals in the UK Songwriting Contest, was recorded and produced at Lightship 95. Previously a lightship marking the Kent coast, Lightship 95 became a floating recording studio in London's Docklands, swapping sea waves for sound waves. Big thanks to Giles Barrett for engineering, producing and mixing the track, and to Dave Holmes for the final mastering touch.

"Christie" is a 'lockdown' song, conceived in 2020 when the world was locked down and loved ones couldn't meet. As the song says "we're locked in … when will we see those days again … touching skin and holding hands…".

The accompanying video (courtesy of Luigi and The Blackstars Team) portrays these emotional experiences with its lockdown scenes and images of isolation and separation (some of the photos were taken by Keith himself during that time).

In typical Hat or Belt style, the reflective, wistful lyrics are wrapped up in catchy riffs and memorable melodies.

The single has picked up a good amount of airplay (more than 520 airplays) - go to the radio page for more details. The song has received positive comments: "Really catchy chorus / synth riff … animation in the video is beautiful … song is really catchy, it's been in my head since yesterday and I love the key change towards the end … I can hear a lot of those classic Hat or Belt production tricks that really give it your style [backing vocals/arrangement … stop to key change]… love the animation … editor did well building AI shots to match your lyrics which makes for a great feel and completeness to the video … I really like the melody … lovely video and song … reminded a bit of Velvet Underground - vocals are, as ever, conversational, and they really suit this song … magnificent track from Hat or Belt … we loved that from start to finish - it just grew and grew and grew; we had Sleuth, Prefab Sprout, Offal Club … it’s a bit different from what we’ve played - I thought it was great … it's a belter … great indie pop … loved it … Lightning Seeds meets Pet Shop Boys … very fun and poppy … really hot production … that was a great track by Hat or Belt."

Hat or Belt's second single, called "You Never Know", all about life's unexpected twists and turns, is a slice of indie pop, washed down with synth chords, a lilting guitar riff and even some mandolin strums. Not a day goes by without hearing the phrase "you never know".

It was recorded and produced at Lightship 95, London's floating recording studio in the Docklands. It was truly an uplifting experience. Engineer Mike Collins kindly (and brilliantly) played the recurring guitar riff. Hats off to Giles Barrett for a super pop production, not to mention Dave Holmes' masterly mastering! Check it out here.

The visual experience, with the help of AI-generated road-trip scenes, is thanks to editors Luigi and The Blackstars Team: go on the journey here. The single received lots of airplay as well, clocking up more than 315 airplays, which is a great result! Thank you to Ewan at The Music Elevator!

The single received some interesting comments: “Much enjoying the new single and video, very impressive!  The video has some excellent scenes; song has some lovely chord changes … Really like this, great sound! Cool video too … Really catchy … Brilliant song with so much attention to detail and great tune. The video is very imaginative and fits the mood perfectly … Love the video … Great riff and lovely harmonies in the chorus … Very Two Door Cinema Club vibe. It’s a good mix of a few genres … another fresh-sounding track … superb track … cool song … nice throwback Hollies meets The Association – love it! … even a bit of the Moody Blues, the whimsical stuff … I heard some Cockney Rebel … brilliant music, fantastic vocals, awesome song … fabulous track … it kinda grows on you when you've heard it a few times … bit of a Howard Jones thing going on … very cool video … quite cool … goes under the rather unusual name of Hat or Belt … love the name of the artist as well as the track.”

The first single, "Everything's Changing", also recorded and produced at Lightship 95, received positive feedback from many quarters and was played on about 30 radio stations (on everything from daytime mainstream shows to rock and alternative programmes) - click here for more details. The single was likened to Madness, Squeeze, Ray Davies, Pet Shop Boys, New Musik, Ben Folds Five, Pink Floyd, even Chas & Dave and Tim Vine! It was also recorded aboard Lightship 95. 

The retro-style video is here.

"You Never Know" was nominated for the annual Museboat Musies Award 2025 and reached the list of 100 Most Popular Songs on Museboat Live channel in 2025. In addition, Hat or Belt is one of the SPOTLIGHTED ARTISTS of 2026 on the Museboat Live channel at http://museboat.com. 

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Hat or Belt song "Christie", released as the new single, reached the semi-finals in the UK Songwriting Contest. Three other songs - the first single "Everything's Changing", "Broken World" and "Thinking About You" - were awarded Five Stars/Commended Entry. All these songs will be on the new album, due for release later in 2026.