"Castles" is a song by English singer-songwriter
Freya Ridings. It was released as a single on 30 May 2019, through record labels
Good Soldier Songs and
Capitol Records, as the fifth single from her debut studio album, Freya Ridings. The song was written by Ridings and
Dan Nigro, the latter of whom also produced the song along with Yves Rothman, additional production was done by
Mark Crew, and Dan Priddy.
Background and composition
Produced by
Dan Nigro,
Mark Crew, Dan Priddy, Yves Rothman, the song was written by Ridings and Nigro. The song additionally features background vocals by American singer-songwriter
Zella Day as well as Brendan Reilly, Emily Holligan, Kate Brady, and Simone Daly Richards.
The song was written after Ridings went through "one of the most brutal breakups of her life", stating that she wanted to use the incredible amount of pain to create something that is "better than she thinks she can be and what that person thought she could be".[1]
"Castles" is composed in the key of
E major and at a
tempo of 117 beats per minute (BPM). Ridings'
vocal range spans from B3 to B4.[2][3][4]
Music video and lyric video
Music Video
A music video to accompany the release of "Castles" was first released onto YouTube on 10 July 2019 at a total length of three minutes and twenty-eight seconds.[5] The music video was filmed in
Shoreditch, London. The iconic rooftop scenes were shot at 81 Brick Lane, London.
Lyric video
The lyric video for "Castles" was released on 30 May 2019.[6]
Live performances
Ridings performed the song on the Australian breakfast television program Sunrise on 9 March 2020, in her first visit to the country.[7]