Leicester duo Town Called Us introduce Better Half, a debut single built on real love, warmth, and lived-in country-pop storytelling.
Real-life partners Lauren Baxter and James Plimmer bring Nashville influence into a British frame, grounding the project in honest emotional detail.
Released via Now Listen, Better Half centres on imperfect love, steady loyalty, and the messy bits that make it real. Lauren’s warmth and James’ soulful edge turn the track into a conversation, not just a duet.
Across this FM PRO 10Q, Town Called Us discuss Better Half, writing as partners, the UK country scene, and building a country-pop sound that feels fully their own.
That real love isn’t polished. It’s messy, funny, frustrating, supportive and sometimes chaotic, but if the foundation is strong, you keep choosing each other.
Q1. What first madeBetter Halffeel like the right song to introduce Town Called Us?
As real-life partners,Better Half felt like the most honest place to start. It captures the heart of who we are, both personally and creatively. The song isn’t about some perfect fairytale version of love, it’s about the reality of building a life with someone, the ups, the downs, the real times and the loyalty that keeps you grounded. For us, that felt like the most authentic introduction toTown Called Us.
Q2. As real-life partners, how do you keep the songwriting honest without making it feel too exposed?
Not every song we write is about us as a couple and we think that’s important. Between the two of us, we’ve got such a versatile bag of emotions, experiences, observations, heartbreak, nostalgia, ambition, self-doubt and even humour that there’s always something honest to pull from. Sometimes a song might come from something personal, other times it’s inspired by people around us or stories we connect with. The key is writing from a real emotional place but making it universal enough that other people can see themselves in it too.
Q3.UKcountryis growing fast, but still has to fight for space.Where do you feel Town Called Us sit inside that scene?
We definitely feel connected to the UK country scene; however, a lot of the music we’re writing for future releases pulls influence from pop, rock, folk, and singer-songwriter music too. What keeps it all tied together, though, is the storytelling. For us, country music and great singer-songwriters have always had this ability to say something real, relatable and human in a way that really lands. That’s probably the thread that runs through everything we do. So, whilst the production or sonics may evolve, the heart ofTown Called Us will always be rooted in honest storytelling.
Q4. The track leans into love that is imperfect but still solid. What did you want listeners to recognise in that story?
That real love isn’t polished. It’s messy, funny, frustrating, supportive and sometimes chaotic, but if the foundation is strong, you keep choosing each other. We wanted listeners to hearBetter Halfand recognise pieces of their own relationships in it, not some idealised version.
Q5. How doLauren’svocal warmth andJames’soulful edge shape the emotional balance of the duo?
That contrast has naturally become a huge part of who we are as a duo. Lauren brings this warmth, vulnerability and softness to a song, whereas James tends to bring a little more power, soul and emotional drive. When those two energies come together, it creates more of a conversation within the music rather than just two people singing the same lines. That balance feels very natural to us, both as singers and as people.
Q6. What does country-pop give you as writers that another genre might not?
Freedom to tell the truth. Country-pop gives you permission to say something real lyrically but still wrap it in pop melodies and catchy hooks that people can live with. You can be emotional without being heavy and vulnerable without losing commercial appeal. That balance really suits us as writers.
Q7. FM PRO TECH Q: When buildingBetter Half, how did you approach the vocal arrangement between lead lines, harmonies, and emotional lift?
We wanted it to feel conversational first, almost like two people living inside the lyric rather than performing at each other. We spent a lot of time deciding who should carry certain lines based on emotion rather than range. Harmonies were then used almost as emotional punctuation, lifting key moments and reinforcing certain phrases rather than stacking vocals for the sake of polish.
Q8. FM PRO TECH Q: What production choices helped keep the track heartfelt and uplifting without over-polishing the honesty behind it?
A big part of that comes from using live instrumentation, because that naturally keeps a rawness and human edge in what we do. Real guitars, live performances and those little imperfections often carry more emotion than anything overly programmed. That said, we also love melody and modern songwriting, so all of our tracks are still tied together with a pop polish. For us, it’s about finding that balance between organic musicianship and contemporary production, keeping the heart of the song intact whilst still making it feel fresh, uplifting, and accessible.
Q9. You are bringing Nashville influence into a British songwriting frame. How conscious are you of building a sound that feels rooted here rather than imported?
Very conscious. We’re not trying to be American, put on a drawl or pretend to be something we’re not. For us, authenticity has to come first. It’s never been about imitation, it’s about capturing the emotion, storytelling, instrumentation and overall feeling that US country and country-pop artists do so brilliantly. We massively respect that craft, but we want to bring it through our own voices, our own experiences, and our own identity as British artists. That’s what makesTown Called Usfeel real.
Q10. AfterBetter Half, what kind of world do you want Town Called Us to open up next?
AfterBetter Half, we really wantTown Called Usto open up into something much bigger than one sound or one lane. We’re hugely inspired by artists like The 1975 in the sense that they’ve never been afraid to bring all of their influences into their world and develop over time, whether that’s pop, rock, folk, country or something more left of centre and that’s very much how we see this project evolving too.
At the heart of it all will always be honest storytelling and real emotion, but sonically we want the freedom to explore. Some songs may lean more country-pop, others may push further into pop, rock or singer-songwriter territory if that’s what the song demands.
And live, we want it to feel like an experience. Not just two people with an acoustic guitar, but a show that takes people on an emotional rollercoaster, with big production, big moments, intimacy, energy and genuine connection. Ultimately, the world we’re building is for people who want truth in the lyrics, emotion in the performance and music that isn’t afraid to hit hard and evolve.
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