South-London singer-songwriter Skylu is poised to announce a brand new release with the arrival of ‘Ladders’, lifted from the forthcoming collaborative EP due this Spring. ‘Ladders’ created with Brighton based producer Lyonheart, follows on from her recent BBC Introducing single ‘Foreign Concept’, fuses bewitching piano led melodies over bittersweet, nuanced lyricism.
Skylu explains: “This track takes me back to my teenage years, pushing limits under dark skies, neon lights, first love, false confidence and oceanic feelings. I used to run away to the river with my discman to hide from the world. I never really said a proper goodbye to my first love, it was tumultuous to say the least. Ladders captures the playfulness, freedom, raw emotion and insecurity underpinning that time. It feels brave and raw and magnetic. It was written in one afternoon in Brighton.”
Vocalist and lyricist Skylu has been finding solace in storytelling since she was tiny and hopping along pavements to avoid the lines. Humming melodies and scrawling lyrics came naturally from a young age, immersed in her dreamworld. These days it’s voice recordings on train platforms and bedroom jams.
A born collaborator, Skylu honed her craft over the last few years riding trains out of town for no signal recording sessions, thriving at improvisation and vocal harmonies amongst deep bass-lines and textured soundscapes.
Skylu needs to hear and feel the heart in the vocal. Inspired by the raw and soulful Nina, Etta, Joni and Amy and contemporary voices of Cleo Sol, Lianne La Havas and Arlo Parks.
‘Ladders’ 18th February 2022