Test Card Girl is a solo project by independent synth-folk Manchester singer-songwriter Catherine Burgis who started writing songs in 2019 to escape a life of perpetual admin. Having spent a year as a musical comedian, travelling the country with a miniature Yamaha keyboard, Catherine won North West Comedian of the Year before re-purposing the tiny keyboard to write her first single ‘Holds Me Down’. The song featured on BBC 6 Music and Radio X, and she was named amongst Steve Lamacq’s ‘Ones to Watch’ in 2021. Catherine received an Arts Council grant to record three more singles in 2021 and released her debut EP ‘Fly’ in September 2022. The EP was recorded at Airtight Studios in Manchester with producer Seadna McPhail and ranges from stripped-back indie-folk songs to large-scale synth-pop singles. It features guest performances from drummer Andy Hargreaves (I Am Kloot), bass player Nathan Sudders (Miles Kane, Guy Garvey, Nadine Shah) and co-production from Peter Jobson (I Am Kloot). In January 2022 she was announced as one of ten Manchester International Festival Sounds Artists and longlisted for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, and was also Greater Manchester Mayor’s Artist of the Month. She has supported artists and bands including Lambert, Slow Readers Club and Darren Hayman. After taking a little time out to have two children in quick succession, she is back in 2026 with new music. On 6 June 2026 she released the double A-side ‘My Summer Song / I Wanted to Call You Today’ — a tribute to her best friend, who very sadly lost a battle with cancer in 2026. In August 2026 she released the first single from upcoming album ‘Songs for Films That Don’t Exist’. ‘I Feel the Love on You’ is out now on all platforms.
