Soul-filled stateside digital synthpop
Who They?
Los Angeles-based duo of New York-born Egyptian singer-songwriter Diane Badi’é, and Irish synth wizard Mike Slott. Their musical union was borne out of collaborative writing sessions in Brooklyn a couple of years back. Since relocating to LA , they’ve developed a soulful, cosmopolitan brand of head-turning synthpop.
Why Lesser Pieces?
Listen to their last two singles, ‘Texas’ and ‘Never Think Of You’, and you’ll hear sophisticated, crystal-sharp 21st century tuneage. There’s nothing retro or nostalgic about their multi-faceted sound, which carries dreampop’s fragility along with grandiose sci-fi soundscapes, augmented beautifully by Badi’é’s celestially deluxe-yet-vulnerable vocals. Think a more soul-inclined Chromatics meets Beach House with a bit of London Grammar and you’re somewhere close.
Tell Us More…
There’s a poppy accessibility about their clever, subtle mix of influences, as well as a rare, rooted humanity, that hasn’t gone unnoticed by one or two big guns. Their first track as Lesser Pieces, ‘Nightingale’ caught the ear of award-winning Adele, FKA Twigs, Futureheads and Rapture (among others) producer Paul Epworth, who in turn introduced them to Tanlines’ Patrick Ford, who’s worked on their most recent output. They do “euphoric” pretty well too by the way. Last year’s single ‘You and I (No Emergency)’ is a blast of driving hands-in-the-air piano keys and energetic, blind optimism. So a lot of promise then? Well yes – they’ve recorded a handful of further tracks recently ready for an album release later this year.
‘Never Think Of You’ is out on OCSNL
