Davis’ coming-of-age debut unfolds like a Townes Van Zandt tale set in a deserted diner off a re-routed interchange—intimate, cinematic, and quietly fearless. Haylie Davis channels the spirit of the early ’70s, when Carole King and Joni Mitchell redefined songwriting

'The Portcullis' draws on dungeon-synth textures, medieval ambience, and the imaginative pull of folklore. Rather than recreating the past, it opens a threshold into a world slightly outside time. At its centre is a simple question - what lies behind the portcullis? – taking the listener on a focused journey through shifting eras, symbols, and atmospheres. It plays like a lost fantasy soundtrack, inviting the listener into an adventure that feels both ancient and newly invented.