Better Songs is a Leeds based audio collective formed by artists, Rosie Parsons and Verity Watts. Working together to tell stories in new ways, they fall between the cracks of sound art, music, journalism and turntablism. Their mission is to “showcase the artistic power of sound, music and words, combining them in a way that connects an audience even more deeply to the content.”
Take a look back at all previous work produced by Better Songs, here.
Our highlights include:
How to Build a Spaceship – Commissioned in March 2023, the team blended spoken word, electronic sounds, tape machines, turntables and music to journey backwards in time, discovering Leeds’ past as a pioneer of science fiction.
Memento Mori– A podcast series creating sonic stories from the work of photographer Peter Mitchell, who captured the demolition of Quarry Hill flats in the late 1970s.
Verity Watts
Lead creator, Verity, began her musical journey, after graduating with a post graduate in ‘Broadcast Journalism’ (University of Central Lancashire). She landed her a full time role as BBC Leeds’ Breakfast show reporter and then District Producer, beginning her work in radio. Since then she has produced for BBC 6 Music, Radio Aire and Rock Radio Manchester.
As well as her sound art work, Verity performs DJ sets, leaping from a brand new jazz artist discovery on Bandcamp to Kim Wilde’s Kids in America via Francoise Hardy. Verity is an alumni of our hothouse programme and we are excited to welcome her back to mjf.
Rosie Parsons
Rosie is an audio producer and artist based in Leeds. Her work has featured on both local and national radio. Her radio journey began with making work for experimental radio arts’ festival Radiophrenia, and she now brings her creative approach to producing podcasts, audio documentaries and radio shows.
She’s interested in unearthing hidden histories and exploring what makes a place unique, with recent projects taking the listener on journeys via narrowboats and market stalls, through lost botanical gardens, and long demolished buildings. She has curated audio commissions for many arts organisations including; Leeds Literature Festival, Chapel FM, The Conservation Volunteers and now, The Manchester Jazz Festival.