In 2022, we got acquainted with Winchester-based Carley Varley. Since then, she’s turned tumult into art with her latest work.

By Graeme Smith

Varley went through a divorce in 2024 and, like many artists, has turned to her music to help work through it. The result is her Anatomy of Loss EP from which her latest single, Butterflies, is taken.

The five tracks of the EP work through the stages of grief with Butterflies representing despair. In the track, Varley and her band (bassist Jordan Shepherd, guitarist Alex Tompkins, and drummer Fred Sedgeley) lay it all out through anthemic, cathartic emo rock. Written about true experience, the track has a strong sense of authenticity in its imageful lyrics.

Varley has made the jump from solo act to full band and it’s taken well. Butterflies is a powerful rock number which packs plenty of emotional punch. She and her band are a force to be reckoned with, and Varley herself is a model of resilience.

You can keep up to date with Carley Varley via their website, and by following them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, and YouTube.

Three more tracks from Anatomy of Loss are due out in 2026 and 2027. Butterflies is out now, and you can listen to it below.