Song of the Day – May I Have This Dance

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watch-francis-and-the-lights-chance-the-rapper-and-bon-iver-perform-at-eaux-claires-1471219848.jpgEven though guitarleaves celebrates up and coming music, every so often a record crops up by an established artist with such a fresh feel that it would be unforgivable to avoid covering it. “May I Have This Dance” by Francis and the Lights featuring Chance the Rapper is this very anomaly. Resonating the raw energy present in many debut tracks – the indication that such a musical birth holds a heritage of deliberation and meticulous crafting – I was taken aback to discover who was behind it. Either way it is certainly worth a listen, perhaps accompanied by a sunset hike along a sandy beach.

Song of the Day – Old Soul

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I came across Xamvolo fairly recently, four and a half hours into a painfully long nighttime drive. “Old Soul” started to play in the background, ever so slightly hidden by the patter of soft rain and coffee-resistant tiredness. I remember being compelled to turn it up. As an emerging artist Xamvolo has a remarkable sense of self-identity, staying true to the “dark jazz grooves” he produces, of which “Old Soul”so beautifully represents.

Song of the Day – Alaska

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“Alaska” comes from American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, who may well be known to you from the longlist of “BBC’s Sound of 2017”. “Alaska” was penned in fifteen minutes (yup, a quarter of an hour) for a music masterclass in the presence of Pharrell Williams. He was visibly impressed and a viral video of the moment made its way around, increasing her fanbase and paving the way for her imminent takeoff. With a particularly organic sound, the track takes its inspiration from a hiking trip – have a listen below:

Song of the Day – Fifteen

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There is nothing more exciting than when something fresh and intriguing comes from your hometown, and that is exactly what has happened with King Orange. The trio – comprising of Leo Joslin, Oli Witty and Tom Green-Morgan – met whilst students in Hull, and started jamming together informally and at student showcases. From there they decided to branch out to make their own music, on their own terms. The payoff has been respectable, landing them gigs all across the city at its most well-known venues. I suspect that bright things are in store for this band; with the same indie feel as Circa Waves and Royal Blood it won’t be long before their latest single “Fifteen” will be the anthem of UK Summer.

Song of the Day – Finders Keepers

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Let me introduce to you Mabel – a talented 19-year-old performer from Stockholm, Spain and London. It is evident from her music that her childhood was based around rhythm, with both of her parents heavily involved in music production and her childhood home being a recording studio. Music has influenced her so much that she initially enrolled to study music theory and production in Stockholm, before deciding to pursue her own musical career. “Finders Keepers” is her explosive new single ft. Dojo Funds, and it is easy to see how she won a prestigious place in the ‘BBC Sound of 2016’.

Song of the Day – deep the water

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I remember when Lewis Watson came to Hull (yes, someone actually did come!) and did a wonderfully low-key gig in Fruit, the warehouse music venue. Supported by firm guitarleaves favourites Kimberly Anne and Saint Raymond he gave an exceptional performance. There is a subtle consistency throughout all of his tracks, which I really admire in a songwriter. He knows his style and he knows his audience, and so any interaction between the two is always harmonious. His latest track “deep the water” similarly conforms with this, showcasing his guitar skills and the vulnerability he manages to capture in his penmanship.

Song of the Day – Plage Isolée

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The track “Plage Isolée” is brought to us from French duo Polo and Pan – who formed after their own careers as Polocorp and Peter Pan. With such a diverse range of influences it is near impossible to comprehensively or universally describe their music as a particular category, although each song in their eclectic mix is bound by an upbeat and versatile sense of surrealism – which would be as well suited to a pop-up bar as it would to a gallery opening.

Song of the Day – Girlfriend

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When Nao began studying vocal jazz at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, I don’t imagine her ten year plan included reaching the levels of success she has done so quickly. Having spent some time familiarising herself with the art of performance by singing back-up (most notably for Kwabs), she decided to take the plunge and go solo in 2014. The leap of faith paid off; landing her MOBO and Brit nominations amongst a wealth of festival appearances. Her single “Girlfriend” excellently showcases the “wonky funk” she and her exquisite synths are known for.

Song of the Day – Rising Water

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I will always remember watching James Vincent McMorrow at a gig in Barcelona last year. English was sparse amongst the audience but he had an astonishing ability to communicate with his Spanish anyway, using his performance to move some people to tears. Whilst he is probably best known for his track “Higher Love”, it is fair to say the rest of his repertoire is secretive to all but his biggest admirers, but nevertheless they were as emotive and calming as you would expect. I first heard his latest single “Rising Water” on vinyl, and accidentally played it at 33RPM rather than the 45RPM it needed, and even though it was much lower and slower, it was still fantastic. Now is that not the definition of versatility?

Song of the Day – Future Visions

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With over 2 million views it wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve already heard of Leeds-based producer Favela from his record “Gong”, despite his anonymity whilst completing his dissertation. But today we heard some exciting news – June 29th will bring his debut EP. Entitled “Future Visions” and spanning just three songs it seems to have a robotic etherealness to it. If the lead single is anything to go by you can expect disjointed melodies and abstract synths that combine to form a tone rich in futuristic emotion – and if that’s not clever we don’t know what is.