After just one single, Henry Moodie has the world at his feet.  

Released in July 2022, the heartfelt bedroom-pop of ‘you were there for me’ instantly earmarked the Guildford-born artist as a transcendent talent, capable of connecting with listeners all over the globe via unabashedly emotive songwriting. Mere months later, that song boasts more than 40 million streams on Spotify. Meanwhile, its 18-year-old author has recently opened for The Vamps on their UK arena tour and been named amongst Amazon Music’s Artists To Watch in 2023 – following in the footsteps of Billie Eilish and Griff.  

Any worries that ‘you were there for me’ could prove an impossible act to follow are soon set to be dispelled by ‘drunk text’. Written in the summer of 2022 with Josh McClelland (SEVENTEEN, Cheat Codes), Henry’s sweeping second single sets feelings of longing to a waltzing melody so timeless it’s surely destined to resonate even more widely than its predecessor. As Henry explains, “I felt like that about someone for so many years, I knew I needed to write a song about it.” 

For Henry, a level of emotional vulnerability has always been inextricable from his art. Indeed, he first took up guitar at the advice of his psychotherapist mother, who encouraged her three children to find an outlet through which to channel their feelings. By the age of 12 he was spending every breaktime in the school music room teaching himself piano or penning diaristic song sketches. Meanwhile, at home he was steadily building a following on YouTube and Instagram, covering songs – and subsequently getting approval from – his musical heroes, including Taylor Swift, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran. 

It was via his powerful rendition of Shawn Mendes’ ‘In My Blood’ that Henry’s talent was first discovered, aged just 13. Mentored by a prospective manager, Henry was soon spending weekends at songwriting sessions in London, meeting with labels and getting a taste for life as a musician. “By the time I was 15 I knew this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” he recalls. “I just loved songwriting and knew there was nothing else I pictured myself doing.” 

Shortly afterwards he was approached to join a new three-piece band developed by the team behind Busted, McFly and The Vamps. Sensing his chance to break into the industry, Henry dropped out of school after completing his GCSEs to focus on music full-time.  

Looking back on his two years in the band, Henry is grateful for the experience, despite the unprecedented challenges the period ultimately presented. “We were living together when COVID restrictions came in so we got on top of each other a bit,” he recalls. “But I learned so much in that time: I really picked up guitar and I properly learned to produce.” When one of his bandmates left in late 2021, he took the opportunity to return to education, studying Songwriting at Fulham’s prestigious musical school BIMM. 

Henry credits the course with helping him find his voice as a solo artist. Inspired by both the emotional authenticity and undeniable melodic nous of artists like Taylor Swift, he poured his heart into his songwriting and found the songs simply flowed out of him. Showcasing an organic pop sound akin to Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran, ‘you were there for me’ was one such track, written for his best friend in tribute to the solace she provided in his darker moments. As he puts it, “For me, a best friend isn’t someone who makes grand gestures: it's someone who's there for you 24/7.”  

Written in his childhood bedroom and largely self-produced, the soaring ballad proved an instant hit with Henry’s 5.2 million TikTok followers, with a teaser going viral on the platform ahead of its official arrival on streaming platforms. Shortly after its release, it topped airplay charts across Europe.  

The fact Henry’s songwriting resonates so strongly with audiences is no accident. For him, fostering a symbiotic relationship with listeners is a non-negotiable facet of his art. “I’d love to be doing big shows but I don’t consider that success,” he explains. “Success to me is writing music that genuinely connects with people; that helps listeners through a difficult situation, just as the music I love has helped me.” 

‘drunk text’ is set to follow suit, pairing a deeply relatable tale of unrequited love with the sort of epic chorus that is quickly becoming Henry’s calling card. And with songwriting sessions well underway for his forthcoming debut EP, ‘drunk text’ is just the tip of the iceberg in 2023, which will also see him acting as main support for Mimi Webb and embarking on his very first headline tour.  

After the whirlwind of the past few months, Henry is focused and ready to capitalise on his early success. After all, the world is his for the taking. 

09.05.2023