Singer-Songwriter Leo Kalyan Uses Summery Pop To Lay His Soul Bare

Peek under the lush layers of the Londoner’s new single, and you’ll find an unflinching voice.

June 11, 2015

In most situations, a person repeatedly asking you are you listening? Are you listening to me? would seem pretty aggressive. In the hands of London-based singer-songwriter Leo Kalyan, though, the question becomes a summertime refrain, buried in an R&B beat and a wash of watercolor synths and vocals. His new single "Fingertips," taken from the upcoming debut EP Silver Linings, tells a story of desperation, longing, and maybe regret, but dresses it up in all the lush ingredients of a laid-back summer jam.

"'Fingertips' is a song about attempting to escape a memory, but never fully being able to shake it off," Kalyan explained to The FADER over email. "It’s lyrically one of my most honest songs, and was a challenging one to write because there was nothing to hide behind. Someone once told me that it takes courage to be vulnerable—those words are what I was thinking of when I wrote it." Stream it below, and if you're in London catch Kalyan's headline show at The Waiting Rooms on July 29th.

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Singer-Songwriter Leo Kalyan Uses Summery Pop To Lay His Soul Bare