British folk singer/songwriter Kathryn Williams rose from relative obscurity in 2000 when her self-released album Little Black Numbers was nominated for a Mercury Prize. A thoughtful and poetic songwriter with a delicate voice, Williams' newfound stature earned her a major-label stint in the front half of the decade, after which she reclaimed her independence. In addition to her solo albums, she recorded frequent collaborations including 2008's Two with Neill MacColl and a 2010 children's album with punk musician Anna Spencer under the name the Crayonettes. She continued to enjoy critical acclaim and more widespread success in the 2010s, signing with One Little Indian and releasing albums like 2013's Crown Electric and 2015's ambitious Hypoxia, which was based on Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. In 2022, Williams released Night Drives, an Ed Harcourt-produced collection of songs that focused on expansive arrangements and cinematic string sections.