Michael Waters has had a busy 2026. The Gravesend songwriter has already placed four releases this year, including “A Baby Of My Own,” performed by Kacey Greene, which spent ten weeks on the World Indie Music Chart and peaked at number 12, and “The Boy Who Really Loved You,” performed by Below The Parapet, which climbed to number four on the same chart. This time around, on the upcoming “We’re Much Better People Now,” due September 18th, Waters steps up to sing it himself, a reflective ballad about regret giving way to growth.
That decision to take the vocal himself pays off. This is the kind of song that makes you want to sit down and actually listen, next-level songwriting where the narrative depth in the lyrics is matched all the way through by the arrangement behind it. Nothing here feels rushed or half-formed; it’s nuanced and mature in a way that a lot of songs reaching for the same regret-to-redemption arc aren’t. What stands out most, though, are the vocals themselves, smooth and controlled in a way that makes the song genuinely satisfying to sit with rather than just pleasant background listening.
Waters records with musicians in both the UK and New York, a process that’s clearly paying off across his catalogue this year, and “We’re Much Better People Now” looks set to continue that streak.
He’s said his priority has always been the song itself over his own visibility; “songs come first” is literally his motto, and on this one, that focus on craft over profile shows in every part of the arrangement. Given the run he’s on, this looks like another strong addition to a catalogue that keeps delivering.
