Hester Ullyart Releases Debut Album ‘The All Clear’
Multidisciplinary artist Hester Ullyart releases her debut album The All Clear today, November 13th. A searching collection of ten spoken and sung narratives, the album brings together Ullyart’s intimate and eloquent lyricism with an exceptional ensemble of Ōtautahi musicians: Reuben Derrick, Hannah Everingham, Joseph McCallum and Nicole Reddington.
Part spoken word, part experimental song cycle, The All Clear is a living, breathing sound-work that wrestles with the slow work of leaving one-self behind, in order to grow into another. When do we lay down the past? How do we forgive ourselves, others, celebrate the experiences that shaped us, and find the courage to begin again?
“I still love you somewhere, and I guess that’s ok
and it doesn’t mean the world is playing some measly trick
just that I loved you, once, for good reason
and that that, hasn’t gone away”
Written and developed over four years, the original compositions have been revisited and carefully shaped over time, eventually culminating in a performance captured live in a living room in Lyttelton during the winter of 2025. Recorded by Ryan Fisherman and mixed by Will McGillivray of Goodwill, the album preserves the immediacy and intimacy of a live performance while allowing its intricate musical arrangements to unfold.
There is a particular poignancy to the timing of The All Clear‘s arrival. After four years since putting pen to paper, Ullyart has brought the album together for release just weeks before welcoming her first child in January. With one significant chapter drawing to a close and another about to begin, the album’s preoccupation with change, transition, forgiveness and the courage to move forward takes on an added resonance. A body of work all the stronger for biding its time, The All Clear arrives at a moment of profound personal transformation.
Chameleonic arrangements lilt, bend and weave around Ullyart’s vivid narratives, moving effortlessly between spoken and sung reflections. Unusual choral textures, atmospheric soundscapes and moments of playful musicality create a rich sonic world, with the ensemble responding sensitively to every shift in mood and meaning. From supermarket aisles to celestial objects, Ullyart’s observations move through the everyday and the extraordinary with a poet’s eye, wit and hard-earned humanity.
The album’s focus track, Snake Swallows Boy, is an unflinching spoken-word piece that explores the experience of mental health crisis, survival and the enduring power of love. Driven by galloping percussion and evocative saxophone from Reuben Derrick, the track builds with the tick of a countdown, reminding us that time is of the essence.
“A song for anyone who is in a hole, or supporting someone going through a mental health crisis. It’s a message of hope, of this too shall pass. It’s a warning, an acknowledgement of how tricky those dark clouds can be, it’s also an expression of love to those loved ones who may not have made it out unscathed. It should feel like a battle cry, a reminder to fight with every last bit for survival. A broken, beautiful house, is still a beautiful house.”
Across The All Clear, moments of vulnerability sit alongside sharp humour, pop sentimentality, dramatic monologue and moments of expansive musical beauty. These are songs written in hope, from personal experience: reflections on connection, transition, self-government and the difficult, gradual process of letting go.
The All Clear is out today, November 13th, on all streaming platforms, CD and vinyl, and available to purchase via Bandcamp.
To celebrate the release, Ullyart will perform the album live with her full band at Lyttelton Arts Factory tonight, November 13th, with special guests Instant Fantasy.
HESTER ULLYART ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
November 13th 2026 @ Lyttelton Arts Factory, Christchurch
with support from Instant Fantasy
Tickets at Humanitix.co.nz
