Single Review: ivies – ‘do you believe in ghosts?’

Newcastle-based indie-folk trio, ivies, continue to explore a more intimate, introspective sound with their latest single, do you believe in ghosts?. Coming from their forthcoming EP, does anyone know where we go from here?, it explores the challenges of mental health, the turbulence of recovery, and the fear of slipping back into darker places.

Gentle acoustic guitar strumming and Alice Bird’s intimate vocals open the track with a stripped-back, almost shoegaze quality. There are echoes of Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish, even Girl in Red at their most understated, with the instrumentation providing an emotional backdrop rather than competing for attention.

As strings and ghostly vocal layers emerge, the melody conjures images of wandering through the chambers and tunnels of the mind, where unwanted thoughts linger and resurface. There’s a fascinating tension within the lyrics, questioning whose voice is speaking and why we continue engaging with thoughts we desperately want to escape, Alice’s voice pleading “don’t wanna disappear” capturing that vulnerability, while “So this goes on forever but I won’t be the one that quits” offers a quiet determination to keep fighting.

The arrangement builds slowly and thoughtfully, with sparse, guitar-led verses giving way to choruses layered with strings, added to by a deep, heartbeat-like bass drum and occasional electric guitar creating further weight without overwhelming the intimacy. The closing return to the opening verse reflects the exhausting circularity of that internal struggle, before Alice delivers the final words alone, followed by silence. It’s a quietly devastating ending, leaving the listener with plenty to consider.

‘do you believe in ghosts?’ is out now, offering another glimpse of ivies’ increasingly mature sound ahead of their forthcoming EP, does anyone know where we go from here?.