Premiere: Lulu James & Mao - Stuck
Lulu James comes from South Shields in Newcastle. This alone was enough to pique my interest in her – when Brooklyn, LA and London seem to be the only place bands come from any more, you often forget that there’s a whole world out there, one that includes South Shields.
My interest was piqued further after seeing the enigmatic album artwork for Be Safe, Lulu James’ first official single. In a world of identikit band logos, album art and press shots, this had a simple allure to it. The third thing was that Stuck, the second song from the aforementioned double A-side single, is actually really good. A 2-step beat shuffles, Rustie-styled synths twinkle and some satisfyingly subby bass rumbles underneath.
The main thing, though, is that James’ own vocal is a real joy, and seriously powerful – not surprising for someone who claims to have grown up on “Whitney, India Irie and Aretha”. Stream the single exclusively here.
Black Butter will release ‘Stuck’ on November 19th.
