Evelyn Cornell - Dear Mr. Matthew

Evelyn Cornell is the rising young British country artist. Coming from Canterbury in Kent, she blends fresh teen storytelling with the warmth of classic and modern country. At only 13 years old, she is making big impressions not just in the UK, but also in the USA. In 2025, she released her debut single Seventeen, becoming the youngest producing country artist in the UK and earning praise for her natural tone, nostalgic imagery, and confident songwriting. Evelyn’s sound sits at the crossroads of UK youth culture and Nashville-influenced country-pop – pedal-steel shimmer, acoustic hooks, and a distinctive British voice that resonates with her generation. A member of the UK Country Music Association, she continues to grow a dedicated following across Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify through busking clips, acoustic sessions, and studio updates. Dear Mr Matthew - Evelyn shifts from the dreamy, summer-light tone of her debut into a more reflective, letter-style track - a direct address full of narrative tension, where she writes to “Mr Matthew” about lost trust, blurred boundaries, and the quiet resolve to step away.

 Inspired by Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles, the song reframes those themes for a modern Gen-Z audience, where almost every young girl knows a “Mr Matthew”: the adult who lingers too long, says a little too much, or crosses a line that’s hard to define. Evelyn never explicitly names what Mr Matthew has done; instead, the song leans into unsettling ambiguities, inviting listeners to recognise those moments - experienced or witnessed - in their own lives. What emerges is a track with sharp social relevance - empathetic, cautionary, and quietly empowering, capturing the instant a young woman trusts her instincts and chooses herself. Musically, its guitar twang and steady drum pulse root it in contemporary country, while layered folk-pop harmonies give the song a resonant, haunting lift. The song is accompanied by a music video, showing Mr Matthew as that teacher, who never knows how to draw the line