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Moving through potent indie-pop while incorporating jazz-influenced instrumentation, and fusing altogether under an umbrella of bedroom electronica, 22-year-old Stockholmer AUGUSTINE makes his debut with ‘Luzon’ working alongside producers Rahmani (LÉON, Skott) and Björnson.
The Swedish songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist grew up surrounded by the traditional Dutch-style canals and leafy boulevards of Gothenburg and moved later in life to Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, refining his songwriting, production and instrumental talents, further adapting his nuanced sound. Augustine’s influences exist as an amalgam of the old and new, grasping the power-pop of Maggie Rogers and early Phoenix, while delivering it with the poignancy of some of his early poetical and musical influences; Bob Dylan and Foster The People, respectively.
These influences are prevalent throughout his debut single ‘Luzon’; setting off with pulsating synthesised brass parts that are perfectly complemented by the underlying wet-sand-squelchiness of the bass synth, while Augustine’s lustrous falsetto tones fill the chorus, as he trills ‘Poppers in my head babe, yeah, you might just kill me off’, enriching the range of the track even further.
The accompanying stripped video was filmed in Skeppsholmen, Stockholm and features an iconic Steinway & Sons piano – the perfect companion for Augustine’s captivating vocal delivery. Directed by David Sahlberg, Augustine and Rassmus Björnson, the stunning live version was a chance for Augustine to show another side to his musicality:“Last year was sometimes amazing, but also quite hectic with a lot of ups and downs! For me, ‘Luzon’ represents that kind of split and the ambivalent thoughts and feelings that I was experiencing at the time. It therefore feels right to show off a more intimate side of the song to contrast the studio version and official video. It felt important for me to give everyone a version of ‘Luzon’ that’s a little closer to how it sounded in the very early stages.”
Augustine expands on some of the underlying themes of ‘Luzon’; “I attach myself to artists, films and stories where the darker side is exposed and feels unpolished, just as life is. My music is based on the love and feelings I have carried on, mainly through my own weaknesses such as anxiety, inadequacy and social phobia and I’ve always been quite introverted, so it’s special to be able to share it.
“‘Luzon’ was written while sitting by my window in Stockholm on a sunny day, playing the instrumental and singing melodies straight into my MacBook’s microphone. That chorus is actually the same vocal version on the final track. It’s is about letting go and daring to be light-hearted and in love for a second. It’s a nostalgic, weird little love song.”
The ‘Luzon’ (Stripped) video is out from 14th March 2019.
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