Leo Walrus

“something a little bit special” - Gary Crowley, BBC Radio London

“envelops the listener like a duckdown duvet…undoubtedly a rising star worth watching.” - Hard of Hearing

“Warm and Magnetic” - The Most Radicalist
“Hot Hit” - Selout London

Accompanying news of a debut album I May Need Some Silence - due this month via Evil Tree No.3 records, singer/songwriter Leo Walrus shares second and final teaser, neo-soul delight, ‘Can You Swim?’

Offering yet further indication of a songwriter mature far beyond his years, ‘Can You Swim?’ basks under these early summer suns with a jazzy ivory-tinkling flair a la Chet Baker;  Walrus’ charismatic vocal, as ever, shines at the forefront - gravelly and timeless like that of a classic 70s chanteur. Channelling the soulful inflections of a Steve Lacy or King Krule, Walrus heartily indulges the listener like a bubble bath or lazy Sunday morning lie-in.

Discussing the meaning behind the track, Leo explains: “I feel questions can sometimes be more telling than answers. ‘Can You Swim?’ Is a cerebral song pointing to self exploration and watching where you learnt your feelings.”

Hailing from Southend, Essex, but currently based in south west London, 22 year old Leo Walrus pens songs of honesty, kindness and stirring introspections. His debut album, ‘I May Need Some Silence’ arrives hot on the heels of singles  ‘Up Somewhere’ and ‘Angel Angel’ which  have garnered support from indie grassroots champions Hard of Hearing, Wax music, The Most Radicalist and Vocal Girls Weekly, in addition to plays on BBC Radio London and  Amazing Radio.

Full Biography:

At just 22 years of age, Southend-born singer/songwriter Leo Walrus already has his artistic objectives set. “I value honesty and exploration”, he says.  “I want to make people smile. I don't try to be that downtrodden. I want to be quite upbeat. But it's not exactly party music. It’s for introspection...”

Party music, it certainly isn’t, but debut album I May Need Some Silence serves its own brand of cathartic release. True to its title, this 11-song digest of dream-folk and neo-soul is here to savour life’s quieter, more ponderous moments; a soothing celebration of those inward-looking ruminations and reflections that help us flourish and grow. 

. Take one look at Leo striding up to a microphone and there'll be some presumptions immediately formulating. There’s unavoidably something of a throwback to the way he carries himself  - the shoulder-length Nick Drake locks, the cravats, that timeless, gravelly vocal like a crooning relic of a bygone age. It’s that classic musical ideal laid out right there right? -  The guitar-in-arm troubadour, living off his wits as he bares a tender soul with balmy turns of abstract and poetic phrase. 

And it's true. Partly. With one foot dipped in the stylisms of the 60s folk boom, certainly tangible is the Leo Walrus who wanted to be Bob Dylan aged 13 when he first heard Bringing it All Back Home; wanting to be the theatrical Lou Reed of Berlin, plus other icons besides: “I have a lot of memories of my Dad picking me up from school and playing Cat Stevens, and I only recently remembered those times. I think it played a huge part without me knowing.” 

But that isn’t the whole story: “I don't want to be locked in the past.”, Leo admits, “I want to have influences from all genres and all eras. I've never wanted to be ‘the vintage guy’. I'm cool embodying that in certain ways, but I don't want to seem like I'm trying to be a throwback.” 

Spend time with Leo and he’ll tell you all about Detroit rappers like Boldy James and Freddie Gibbs, how his biggest idol is King Krule and how the sonic riches of Marvin Gaye is what he craves above all else. Take a listen to tunes like ‘Angel Angel’ or ‘Can You Swim?’ and hear the resonances of the Steve Lacy he adores.

Even for a first record, Leo’s drive towards eclecticism and innovation is undoubtedly present. To name just two examples, refer to the askew time signatures of single ‘Angel Angel’, and the spicy South American chord structures of ‘Move Me’. Seeking to inject spontaneity and freshness into the songwriting process, Leo tends to write his music largely in one sitting, mapping out guitar, melody and lyrics in one session, coming back to a song after time spent away before assessing the results. Take the aforementioned ‘Move Me’. Written immediately after watching a documentary on Buena Vista Social Club, the song becomes “basically like an ignorant perspective on what  Cuban jazz should sound”, Leo confesses.

Working closely with producer George Hawk, this desire to capture the immediate moment defined the recording process from the outset . “We were all about space and letting the song breathe. We just wanted to pick up honest representations of me and my work,” Leo explains, “I remember sometimes we'll be in the studio doing the vocal and he'd want to catch some of  my little breaths, my little lip smacks. Just feel like , ‘This is me, untouched.’ That's what we were going for.”

Currently living in south west London, Leo is already well into work on album two. I May Need Some Silence barely marks the beginning of all the twists and turns Leo expects his music to take in the immediate future. “I've never lived with songs this long and still enjoyed them.”, he concludes of the record” I still feel like this is the one. This is my first album. And all the other stuff will come after that. It still feels like what should be my first expression.