Olly Williams unveils the dramatic new single Candles Turned to Ash

Olly Williams, a rock singer and songwriter, comes through with a brand new song titled Candles Turned to Ash, a rock ’n’ roll ballad that fully embraces emotion, scale, and songwriting craft. This song comes out as an intense and emotional piece that explores themes of love and loss, combining a classically inspired melody with the power and force of electric guitars to create a thunderous sound.

Ultimately, Candles Turned to Ash is a song that explores themes of emotional destruction as a result of a love triangle. The repeated line of “Now our candles have turned to ash for a better man to ignite” acts as a refrain that fully embraces regret as it grows and develops throughout the song. This song is also structurally ambitious, as it contains a number of different sections that evolve throughout the song, including a bridge that connects verses and choruses, a striking middle eight, a hard-hitting guitar solo, and a dynamic outro that continues to build momentum throughout.

The song comes after the release of Williams’ debut album, Dubious Accord, a bold blend of rockabilly and dark wave sounds, with influences from Nick Cave, Roy Orbison, and Elliott Smith. Williams has been a performer since his teens, and his music career began as an Elvis impersonator, performing on the streets of Bath. Williams has since transitioned to writing his own music, with his debut single Complicated Ladyreleased in 2019. 

Williams has also been a teacher, specializing in teaching history. He has continued to find ways of incorporating this passion into his music, with stories drawn from real-life historical occurrences. Williams is currently based in Brighton, and his music is part of the thriving music scene. He is preparing to release a new single, with a music video, on 1st March 2026. Candles Turned to Ash is an intriguing part of Williams’ journey as a songwriter, as he continues to stretch his horizons as an artist.