South London-born songwriter, vocalist and “future soul” pioneer Jodie Abacus today releases brand new single, ‘Keep Your Head Down’ for release on Household Records this February 10th.
Premiered as the latest Inbox Fresh on BBC 1xtra, ‘Keep Your Head Down’ is a soul-laden slice of funk eccentricity recalling Gnarls Barkley and vintage Parliament Funkadelic. With production handled by indie darling SOHN, the singles’ lyrics centre around the refugee crisis, hiding a much darker tone underneath the innately catchy, head-bobbing rhythm section.
Speaking on the track, Jodie says “I started writing this song after I woke up one morning in my hotel room in LA and started watching a segment on refugees. That same day I had a studio session with Nick Ruth and SOHN so I went in the studio with this idea in my head. I wanted to sympathise and put myself in their shoes to express what it could be like to flee your country with your family in the midst of war and destruction in the hopes of finding safety in a Western country, only to not be accepted there. That absolute feeling of total unease and desperation…We’re safe here, but we can only imagine”.
Raised on a diet of hip-hop, jazz and funk, Lewisham’s newest legend output is an eclectic mixture of influence that has seen the vocalist share stages with the likes of Corinne Bailey Rae, Jamie Woon & Laura Mvula, win applause across Radio 1, 1xtra, Kiss and Capital Xtra and have the honour of being the only British artist to be invited to play this year’s Roots Picnic in Philadelphia (where he shared the same line-up as Future, Usher and Anderson.Paak). After much-heralded performances everywhere from Glastonbury to Secret Garden Party, not to mention the success of his recent sold-out headline show at The Jazz Café in London, Jodie is currently gearing up for the release of his debut album early next year. With confirmed collaborations including the likes of Tobias Jesso Jr, Grades (NAO/Bonzai), Boston Bun & SOHN, Jodie’s upcoming LP is looking set to be one of the UK’s most eclectic and exciting releases.
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