SONGS INSPRIED BY A LITTLE LIFE Concept Album Released

Liver & Lung, a British-Malaysian theatre company, has set out to answer the question: what if A Little Life was a musical? Inspired by Hanya Yanagihara's masterful bestseller, they have released a brand new concept album, Songs Inspired by A Little Life, that imagines the protagonist's story as a musical. The album is now available to stream on Spotify and all other music stores.

Hanya Yanagihara's critically acclaimed novel, A Little Life, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Women's Prize in 2015, and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. It tells the story of brilliant and enigmatic Jude, a successful lawyer who must learn to confront his past before it defines his life forever.

Produced by a diverse international team of storytellers and composers, Songs Inspired by A Little Life features seven songs that blend contemporary musical theatre melodies with folk influences, sonically capturing Jude's personal struggles, his relentless drive to be better, and the pleasure and pain that comes from knowing oneself too well, or not well enough at all.

The studio experimentation fuses Broadway-inspired string and piano arrangements with indie-pop-folk vocal stylings, mirroring the beauty of chosen friendships and the complexity of relationships in the modern world. The songs feature driving rhythmic patterns, reflecting the pulsing heart of New York City and the anxiety that characterises twenty first century living.

"We fell in love with Jude's story the minute we read it," said Hannah Shields, co-founder of Liver & Lung. "Hanya Yanagihara is a genius and we knew immediately that her words had an evocative and expressive musicality."

The album was composed and written by Liver & Lung co-founders Shafeeq Shajahan and Hannah Shields, in collaboration with Malaysian songwriter, Badrish. It features vocals from Malaysian star, Joshua Anthony Gui, and Badrish. "We wanted to make sure we tackled the complexity of the source material sensitively and accurately," added Hannah. "It was crucial that the whole team connected with the story."

In August 2020, Liver & Lung workshopped Malaysia's first post-lockdown musical, unofficially adapting Yanagihara's heartbreaking story into a musical format. "When the pandemic hit, it was important for us to keep storytelling," said Shafeeq Shajahan. "In times of uncertainty, audiences turn to stories that investigate the realms of humanity," he added. "We believe that stories like Jude's have the power to heal and soothe."

With a mission to break the mould of traditional musical theatre and spotlight queer, BIPOC and female creators, Liver & Lung hopes that this album marks a new chapter for a more experimental and cross-cultural musical theatre.

"A Little Life plays a fundamental role in the modern LGBTQI+ literary canon and we hope the album is recognised internationally and loved by fans of the book. We want to provide current and upcoming queer songwriters of colour and women identifying artists with further platforms to grow," added Shafeeq. The company hopes to gain enough support for a London concert scheduled for Spring 2022.

Liver & Lung is an award-winning, international production company founded by best friends, Shafeeq Shajahan and Hannah Shields. After winning three awards at the Malaysian BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2020 and launching Asia's first integrated digital arts festival, KloudFest, in 2021, this album release marks their first project for 2022.
Listeners can stream the album on Spotify and watch the 'Songs Inspired by A Little Life' trailer here. Viewers can also subscribe to Liver & Lung's YouTube channel for more content.

Single Information:

Release: 7th January 2022
Pre-Save Link: linktr.ee/liverandlung
Spotify: Link
Music: Shafeeq Shajahan, Hannah Shields, Badrish
Vocalists: Badrish, Joshua Anthony Gui