By Colin 
Katie Nicholas makes a triumphant return with the Chemistry EP, a four-track release that revisits and reimagines the earliest songs of her career. Released on 11th July, the collection blends nostalgic charm with contemporary polish. These are not just songs from her teenage years. They are the foundations of a career that once paused, but never truly stopped.
Written between the ages of 16 and 19, each track on Chemistry reflects a different chapter in Katie’s formative songwriting years. These are fan favourites, long held dear, and now finally given the attention and production they always deserved. The EP features a full studio revamp of title track ‘Chemistry’, which originally went viral on YouTube in 2013 thanks to a DIY Valentine’s Day music video.
Now, over a decade later, Katie has brought the song back with new life and new players. This version features an ensemble of award-winning Americana instrumentalists and, crucially, Katie herself at the production helm. It is creative, emotional, and professional.
A personal project with public history
In the years since her breakout, Katie’s journey has taken her through the highs of chart recognition and the lows of industry misdirection. Much of her early catalogue was removed from streaming platforms under the advice of a mentor who believed she needed a clean slate. Now, with the Chemistry EP, she puts that past behind her. She brings these songs back, not as they were, but as she always imagined they could be.
That act of reclamation is what gives the project so much weight. Katie has built a reputation for meticulous, heartfelt songwriting, earning comparisons to Kacey Musgraves and Dolly Parton. Performances at C2C, Bush Hall with The Shires and Ward Thomas, and appearances at festivals like Buckle & Boots have solidified her place on the British country scene. Yet this EP feels like more than a career move. It is a love letter to the version of herself who first dared to put her feelings into songs.
Review
Chemistry is a polished and heartfelt time capsule. Every track carries the lyrical honesty and melodic ease that made Katie Nicholas a standout from the start. Now, with improved production and a stronger sense of self, these songs shimmer with new warmth. They still hold traces of the wide-eyed teenager who wrote them, but they are elevated by the clarity of hindsight.
The EP’s strength lies in how it balances nostalgia with maturity. There are no forced updates or genre pivots. Instead, there is a clear respect for where the music came from, and a confidence in how it is being presented now. It is a brave and beautiful move. With Chemistry, Katie Nicholas reminds both herself and her listeners that old songs never lose their meaning. Sometimes they just need to wait for the right voice to come back and finish telling the story.
You can follow Katie over on Instagram.