Loyle Carner has today (April 9) returned with two emotive new songs, ‘‘all i need / in my mind’ – check them out below.
The musician, who is set to headline The Other Stage at Glastonbury in June, surprise released the two “paired” songs, with a press release saying the songs mark out a new musical era and change of direction for Carner.
The songs see him pairing hip-hop with more alternative styles of music inspired by the likes of Big Thief, Idles and Fontaines DC. A statement says the move has taken “his entire career to find the confidence to explore” this side of his music alongside hip-hop.
The A-side release, ‘all i need’ is described as oscillating between “images of rage and hope” while the B-side pairing of ‘in my mind’ is described as “hypnotic” and a “hazy, sun-warmed classic of languid sounds, lyrical soul-searching” in a press release. This single also features Carner’s singing voice more prominently.
A statement added: “After inadvertently forming a band around his ‘Hugo’ tour – a dream of Carner’s throughout his life – the introspective jam of ‘in my mind’ sees Loyle step outside of his comfort zone, whilst also centering on what matters. The track was recorded with Loyle’s son sat on his shoulders, holding lyric sheets that in themselves connect generations of men – what you pass on, and what you’re able to let go of.”
Check out the new songs here:
Recently, it was announced that Carner will make his acting debut in Mint, a new BBC drama from BAFTA-nominated Scrapper director Charlotte Regan.
The eight-part television series is described by the BBC as “a darkly comic and unconventional drama about a crime family’s inner life, told through Regan’s unique and distinctive voice. It explores the question of what love might feel like when everyone outside of your family is terrified of you.”
A synopsis places Carner’s character front and centre and states: “At the centre of Mint is Shannon (Emma Laird), the naïve and fiercely romantic daughter of the area’s dominant crime family. Shannon is desperately searching for love in the shadow of her gangster father, Dylan (Sam Riley), devoted mum Cat (Laura Fraser), older brother Luke (Lewis Gribben) and the indomitable family matriarch, grandma Ollie (Lindsay Duncan).
“Having grown up protected within the surreal, yet violent confines of the ‘family business’, things are set to change once Arran – played by acting newcomer Ben Coyle-Larner (better known as musician, Loyle Carner) – arrives on the scene.”
It goes on to describe it as “a story about soaring romance and crushing heartbreak, love, infatuation, darkness and tragedy, Shannon is trying to find herself whilst dealing with the plain weirdness of living alongside the lawless world of the criminal elite, and pursuing her own version of power.”
Last year, Carner received an honorary degree from the University Of The Arts London (UAL). The South London artist earned the Honorary Doctor title at an awards ceremony in the capital last July.
Sharing a series of images from the event on social media at the time, Carner wrote: “10 years ago, in heavy times I dropped out of uni after my first year and promised my mum if I hadn’t made us any money after 6 months I’d try and go back. But I never did.
“10 years later, I’m proud to say I’ve been awarded an honorary doctorate from @unioftheartslondon, and my kids were in the room to watch it happen. So, if you know me. feel free to change my name in your phone…
Meanwhile previously speaking to NME, Carner opened up about the importance of using his live gigs to speak out against toxic masculinity, and recalled how he had grown since his debut album.
“It’s magic, man,” he began, explaining what it felt like to generate such a positive response from his sets. “I feel like the conversations I had after the show, those little bits mean the most. Like when kids go, ‘Thank you’.”
You can revisit NME‘s video interview with Carner above.
