Track Of The Day: Kiran Leonard – ‘Paralysed Force’

Following last year’s innovative Derevaun Seraun and its absolutely spellbinding predecessor Grapefruit, Manchester’s Kiran Leonard is back with news of an upcoming new album, Western Culture. 

Taken from the album, ‘Paralysed Force’ is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful creation. Perhaps more melodic in the conventional sense than some previous offerings, Leonard hasn’t lost any of the raw, soaring emotion and rich, intricate musicality I’ve come to know and love. I don’t like to focus on an artist’s age, but I feel like I’ve be a fan of Kiran Leonard forever, and yet he’s still just 22; from the frenzied intensity of ‘Pink Fruit’, to the sweeping, cinematic splendour of ‘Living With Your Ailments’, and now the impassioned majesty of ‘Paralysed Force’, he never fails to draw me in and create something truly epic. From first being blown away by him at Green Man Festival back in 2015, and then again at The Victoria and The 100 Club the following year, he continues to captivate with his  impressive sonic soundscapes.

Of this latest track, Leonard explains:

“‘Paralysed Force’ is about how insecurities you should settle within yourself often get transplanted onto other people you know. Projecting the question towards another allows you to shirk responsibility for your own wellbeing, but all this does is suspend the issue at hand, and prolong an inevitable falling back.”

The first album of Kiran Leonard’s to have been made in a professional studio, Western Culture is due for release 19th October via Moshi Moshi. Catch Kiran Leonard live at the following dates:

26th August – Leeds, This Must Be The Place
29th August – London, The Victoria
30th August – End of the Road Festival
8th September – Manchester, Partisan

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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LIVE: Shamir @ Camden Assembly, 27.06.18

On what’s now becoming a ‘normal’ sweltering London day last week, I battled my way across the sweat-filled city to Camden Assembly.

And I’m mighty glad I did, not least because I discovered a new favourite band in the night’s openers, Handsome Eric. Starting off with a few solo numbers before being joined by the rest of his band, Stephen O’Dowd immediately captivates with his raw, honest emotion and scuzzy no-frills charm. As whirring hooks and a driving energy bring to mind Manchester artist, and personal favourite, Kiran Leonard, it’s love at first listen. I’ve fallen head over heels with their lush, impassioned, lo-fi fuzz.

I first became a fan of Shamir upon hearing the frenzied joy of 2014’s ‘On The Regular’, and my love continued to grow when I saw him live at Visions Festival the next year, and he gave me the sweetest of hugs when I told him I was a fan. However, since then, Shamir has grown up, matured and created a sound that is entirely his own, honing it perfectly to suit the person that he is today.

As a sparkling Shamir takes to the stage, he informs us that set opener ‘I Can’t Breathe’ is about police brutality – a sombre, but necessary, start. Immediately exuding a heart-rending raw emotion, the moving beauty of Shamir’s vocals and the delicate simplicity of the melody ooze an endearing vulnerability as the track builds to a poignant climax.

Whilst a step away from the uptempo set that I caught at Visions Festival three years ago, it’s no less wonderful, In fact, more so; to see Shamir come into his own, and present his true self to us on stage, is a breath of fresh air on this humid evening.

Continuing with an angst-driven energy, Shamir introduces ‘You Have A Song’ with an honest wit – “I only write songs about people I hate…”, before expressing his disdain for ‘Straight Boy’s. Touching on the affecting theme of mental health on ‘Room’ (“a song about depression… it’s a happy song though.”) and ‘Glass’ (“about not letting shitty people break you..”), he lays his soul bare with a shimmering, empowered passion.

Upping the tempo for ‘90s Kids’ and (“an unexpected cover”) Ariana Grande’s ‘No Tears Left To Cry’, Shamir’s colourful energy continues to uplift and inspire as the set draws to a close. Returning to the stage solo, for a brief encore of the only offering from 2014’s Ratchet we’ll hear – he lets the audience choose ‘In For The Kill’ as the final song of the night, and instantly all my troubles float away as his distinctive sweeping vocals and vibrant emotion fill the air.

More like witnessing a stirring work of art than simply your average ‘gig’, Shamir’s set exudes a poignant relevance with all that’s going in the world, revealing a gritty edge that I hadn’t before witnessed. A welcome edge, proving Shamir to be one of the most necessary and unique (and indeed loveable) artists around today; and one whose voice we need now more than ever.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Get In Her Ears w/ Nova Twins, 05.07.18

The Get In Her Ears girls were back in the studio this week with another load of top new tracks from Sara Wolff, Handsome Eric, Saint Sister, Tayne & Gaffa Tape Sandy. They also picked tunes from their Pride Playlist, ahead of the London Pride celebrations this weekend.

Georgia & Amy – aka Nova Twins – came into the studio to talk about their new single ‘Lose Your Head’ and their festival plans for the summer.

Listen back to the show here:

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Premiere: Lucy Mason – ‘Flashback Romance’

Following her critically acclaimed 2017 EP, and acclaim from the likes of The Independent and Wonderland, dream-pop soloist Lucy Mason has returned with her beautiful brand new single, ‘Flashback Romance’.

Taken from Mason’s upcoming debut album, due out in two parts over the course of the year, ‘Flashback Romance’ oozes smooth, luscious vocals and twinkling, emotion-strewn melodies. A spellbinding slice of shimmering romanticism, it’ll leave you longing for more of her heartfelt creations.

Of the recording process, Mason explains:

“I spent a lot of last year thinking about when I was growing up and I found myself as what I can only describe as falling in love with old memories & stories that I’d forgotten all about. When so much had changed, I couldn’t help remember what everything was like ‘before’ and when I started looking back, I couldn’t stop. I really hope these songs take you back in time, whether it’s back to old memories with best friends or back to your first heartbreak or cigarette. All these kinds of stories are tangled up in us somewhere no matter who we are or where we’ve come from & somehow in making these songs, they satisfied my feelings of nostalgia and made me happy but still somehow, remarkably sad. I called it Flashback Romance, as that’s exactly what writing this album was for me.”

 

‘Flashback Romance’ is due for release tomorrow, 6th July.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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