Kings

Find A Way

London-based songwriter Byron emerges with a stunning and inventive new release ‘So Naïve.’ 

A gorgeous melody and a curiously warm, vulnerable vocal sit upon on flighty, glitchy electronic instrumentals with flecks of East African guitar; a nod to Byron’s return to his native Uganda where he took traditional music lessons from Albert Ssempeke, one of the last royal Ugandan musicians playing traditional Baganda Music before the rise of Idi Amin, who would outlaw it. 

This important background helps to understand what emerges with ‘So Naïve’ - a production and instrumental that compellingly mixes this legacy with the experimental time signatures and soul music – a new iteration of the soul genre that Byron terms Noir Wave. 

Incorporating phrasing and rhythms adapted from his time learning music in East Africa, Byron conjures a metropolitan cynicism with a gloriously freeform electronic base. 

Speaking on the track, Byron states: "I wanted to work with guitarist Greg Sanders (Royal Academy) for a while, so when I started the album process with producer George Bird, we dragged him in to lay down parts on songs we were developing. He's the only guitarist I know who's rearranged Nirvana tunes into soul, but is also a traditional and contemporary African music virtuoso. ‘So Naïve” is about innocence, frailty, trepidation and daydreaming. It kinda sums me up.” 

Byron’s influences and music live in a resurgent lane of western musicians exploring global music: Tune Yards, Petite Noir, Vampire Weekend. With this soaringly inventive and beautiful first offering, Byron cements his new sound and status as a searing new talent.

Byron Biroli

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