April Shares new single ‘54321’ + announces new mixtape
Announces new mixtape STARLANE
Out this September via Atlantic Records
“April immediately draws you in with her irresistible hooks and glittering alt-pop melodies.” Notion
“It sounds like someone’s deep thoughts riding a pearlescent-painted red bicycle as the whole thing ascends into the clouds” i-D
“An emphatic alt-pop talent, the Irish newcomer is bold in her ambition, and exquisite in her execution.” Clash
LISTEN HERE
Irish artist April releases ‘54321’ today, and announces her forthcoming mixtape STARLANE, out this September via Atlantic Records UK. Inspired by her move to London from her small town in County Kildare, STARLANE is a moodboard of April’s exploratory new era, distilling an intense period of transience and independence into high-octane pop. ‘54321’ sees April weaving in the threads of UK Garage and drum’n’bass that pulsed through the countless nights spent exploring her new city, inspired too by the eclectic, genre-hopping pop of artists like PinkPantheress and Shygirl. The forthcoming release follows April’s previous EP When it Comes To You, which arrived in early 2022 with standout single ‘Hotel‘.
‘54321’ was co-written with Matt Maltese and produced by Danny Casio (Joy Crookes, Griff). April explains “‘54321′ is more about me knowing what I want from someone rather than being hopeless and helpless in love. Matt Maltese sent me a recording of the piano chords over a rough drum beat made by Danny Casio. I wrote the melody and lyrics, recorded vocals on my phone because my interface wasn’t working, and sent them back to Danny to produce it up. He emailed it to us a few days later and I was like ‘woah, time to shake some ass I guess!’ It embodies the more playful, electronic sound I’m mixing in with my songwriting, and is my take on the drum & bass trend that’s returning to music right now, inspired of course by artists like PinkPantheress.”
At the beginning of this year, everything changed for April. As well as moving London, she was recently single, and navigating her early 20s in a new place; “I was going out a lot and partying – kind of escaping reality, doing dumb stuff and looking for that thrill of life.” Those first few months in London proved a pivotal, perspective-shaping chapter for April, who “learned to love being by myself again”, and set the foundations of STARLANE in motion. The mixtape was produced primarily with rising producer RISC (Cat Burns, dexter, Sophia Alexa) with further contributions from Josh Scarbrow (Arlo Parks, Rachel Chinouriri), Tobie Tripp (Tom Misch), Jimi Somewhere and long-time collaborators Frank Collucci and Fred MacPherson of Spector. Named for the local DLR station near where much of it was recorded, STARLANE has a newfound self-assuredness at its heart, blending the alternative strands of April’s earlier releases with pop punch.“The music feels like stars; a lane is a kind of road. It’s about going in a new direction” says April, “‘STARLANE’ is definitely marking a new start; I want to cleanse the palate and start from scratch.”
April first made her mark in 2020 with the release of her first two EPs – New Conditions and Luna – both crafted in large part via a series of zoom calls with Fred Macpherson. Reflecting her situation – locked down in her hometown – those releases were characterised by glittering, often slow burning alt-pop. Her intimate vocals and clever pop hooks earned her widespread support – with accolades including a 4-star EP review from NME, support on BBC Radio1 from Jack Saunders, Clara Amfo and Annie Mac, and a feature on Alfie Templeman’s song ‘One More Day’. With April’s signing to Atlantic Records UK, and fresh from a showcase at The Great Escape and a tour with Claud through Europe and the UK, STARLANE isn’t only the beginning of a personal chapter – it marks a moment of newfound clarity, and an artist just getting started.
