herbal tea's debut album Hear as the Mirror Echoes drifts in and out like a half-remembered dream, shaped slowly by songwriter/producer Helena Walker from late-night demos that bloomed into expansive arrangements. Co-produced with longtime collaborator and childhood friend Henry C Sharpe, the record was mixed and mastered entirely DIY in makeshift setups in living rooms and bedrooms across Bristol. An ambient pop record that blends lo-fi folk confession with ethereal slowcore and shoegaze, it swells with dreamlike, layered vocals and hazy warmth, building into cinematic intensity before collapsing into moments of stillness. Often recorded at the time of writing, Helena's ghostly and intimate vocals lift lyrics from dreams, old diaries, and moments of stream-of-consciousness. Admired for its emotional weight and rare sense of atmosphere, her music continues to spread quietly through word-of-mouth. “I've always felt like a bit of an outsider, and making music is my escape,” Helena says. “I hope this album can be that escape for someone else.”
released August 29, 2025 on Orindal Records (US) & Gold Day (UK)
All songs written by Helena Walker
Performed, recorded, produced & mixed, in living rooms and bedrooms by Helena Walker & Henry C Sharpe
Additional engineering (2, 4) and mixing (6) by Jonny Allan at the Louisiana Recording Studio, Bristol
Mastered by Henry C Sharpe
Cover photography by Sarah Rose Currie