Never Fade

Released in May 2011, Never Fade is the second EP from Gabrielle Aplin, serving as a critical bridge between her YouTube-cover origins and her eventual major-label debut, English Rain. While her first EP was even more skeletal, Never Fade introduces subtle chamber-folk elements, including understated piano and cello, which would become hallmarks of her early sound. The EP is anchored by 'Panic Cord,' a track that would later be re-recorded for her debut album and become one of her signature songs. Sonically, the record sits comfortably alongside the early 2010s British folk revival led by artists like Laura Marling and Johnny Flynn, though Aplin's delivery is notably more pop-literate and accessible. Critically, it was praised for its maturity and the 'crystalline' quality of her vocals, establishing her as a formidable songwriter rather than just a digital-era performer.