There really isn’t anyone else quite like STEVEN BATTELLE. A man obsessed with music, its creation and its history – he has spent the last year travelling around the world writing, recording and finding inspiration in all that is around him.
The result is ‘Exit Brain Left’ – the debut solo album from the ex-LostAlone frontman – which is set for release on December 2nd through his own label, Suffer For My Art. Produced by Dan Weller (Young Guns, Enter Shikari, Sikth) and STEVEN BATTELLE himself, the album is self-funded, self-created and absolutely and totally independent. The record fuses together grand, ambitious song-writing and production with a beautiful, direct and heart-felt approach to storytelling. Inspired by the likes of Nile Rogers, Queen, Mew, Prince, David Bowie, Abba, Christmas as well as 80’s high end pop like Toto, Bruce Hornby and Quincy Jones, ‘Exit Brain Left’ is less of a homage to a certain time or sound, but a living, breathing extension of it, as seen (and thought up) by the eyes and ears of one truly unique musician.
Songs like ‘The Powers Of Denial’ (which Steven describes as “a mournful celebratory triumphant song of confusion and confidence in equal measure. I’m a time traveller visiting and picking up the best and worst in my previous selfs.”) and ‘The Jump’ (“It features an orchestra inspired by The Snowman’s motorbike ride, a 48-strong school choir and a recording of a Catalan siesta. This was the first song I wrote for the record and lyrically found myself making sense of my new aloneness while musically I was discovering new ways of interpreting the music in my head.”) are filled with more ideas and sonic architecture than some bands manage in a whole career.
Other songs draw inspiration from all manner of sources, like stories of US army World War 2 missions (‘Last Night On Earth’), the animated film ‘Song For The Sea’ (‘The Ocean Chorus’), an imaginary encounter with reindeers (‘A Christmas Cartel’), the passing of David Bowie (‘Absent Magic part II’), and an 80’s dystopian future police force (‘Police And Thank You’) – which also includes the sound of Home Alone burglar Marv over a wailing guitar solo!
The album concludes with the huge track
‘I’m Still Finding Out Who I’m Going To Be’, which is a reaction to everything on the album that comes before it – all the searching and contemplation – and also a jump off point for a next record.
‘Exit Brain Left’ is an album to dive into and lose yourself in its wonder and magic.
See STEVEN BATTELLE live for the first time as a solo act on November 24th at the St Pancras Church in Kings Cross, London.
Pre-order ‘Exit Brain Left’ – HERE
‘Exit Brain Left’ full track listings:
1. Powers Of Denial / 2. The Jump
3. Steven Battelle / 4. A Christmas Cartel
5. Last Night On Earth / 6. The Ocean Chorus
7. Police And Thank You / 8. Nine Miles Of Light
9. Silent Movie Scream / 10. Absent Magic (Part ll)
11. Violent Voices / 12. I’m Still Finding Out Who I’m Going To Be
