Coming Up: Bayou

Filmed and edited by: Mollie Mills
Text: Aimee Cliff

Until very recently, all we knew about Bayou was that he was a human being who made a song called Cherry Cola towards the end of 2012, which he then set to some Japanese film footage and uploaded to Youtube, and which we enjoyed so much that we made it our Song of the Week and generally went on about it to anyone who would listen.

It’s rare that someone can strike such a chord with you on the basis of one song, but the blissfully melancholic tones and soft, shrouded vocals of Cherry Cola, along with the instantly memorable and relatable lyrics (“all that you do is waste my precious time…”), just did. As Selim Bulut originally wrote for Dummy back in November, Cherry Cola “is so tightly crafted and feels so human that one suspects that Bayou can’t stay in the shadows for too long – a song like this should have a face behind the keyboard.”

Here, in the second of our ‘Coming Up’ series of films featuring artists we’re watching this year, is that face. Hari, the mind behind Bayou, is a Londoner who writes, sings and produces soulful jams when he can’t sleep at 5AM. For this film, he took us to Kyoto Gardens, a little slice of Japan inside London, to chat about the escapism of his music and his hopes for 2013. Word is that there’s something new coming next month – you can be sure it’ll be worth looking out for.

Watch our chat with Hari above, and stream the infectious Cherry Cola below.