Louis Cole Announces New Album and Shares New Track/Video

Time is Los Angeles-based singer songwriter, producer and multi instrumentalist Louis Cole's third album - a casual but addictive blend of quickfire, hook-laden electrofunk bullets and wistful, soft-focus balladry - and it's compelling. "A lot of it is little thoughts, that I made into big songs... blasts of inspiration that I was lucky enough to receive," Cole explains. "But it all comes back to my mission to create deep feelings through music," he says of his debut Brainfeeder outing, set for release August 10th, 2018.

Celebrated as one of the world's most future-sonic-funk drummers, Cole has proudly been DIY to date, amassing millions of views with his viral videos "Weird Part of The Night", "Bank Account", "Blimp" and as a front-man to his alt pop/electro funk band KNOWER who zig zag across the globe on tour. However in 2009 he met Dennis Hamm - keys maestro in Thundercat's live band - who introduced Cole to Thundercat and Flying Lotus. "Dennis bridged the gap... he was the link. In fact, Flying Lotus asked Dennis if I would want to release something on Brainfeeder before he even asked me."

Watch/Share Video For New Single "When You're Ugly" (feat. Genevieve Artadi)
https://youtu.be/vS4NxiURhEw

Louis Cole's new album Time features his friend Thundercat (with whom he worked on Drunk, co-writing "Bus In The Streets" and "Jameel's Space Ride") who returns the favor, contributing lead vocals on "Tunnels In The Air". Genevieve Artadi and acclaimed jazz pianist and experimental composer Brad Mehldau also pop up on "When You're Ugly" and "Real Life" respectively. Furthermore, "Last Time You Went Away" features a 23-piece string orchestra - the Rochester Stringz from Eastman School of Music.

Time is released on August 10th, 2018 via Brainfeeder. The LP format follows on August 24. Check the tour dates below to catch Louis Cole on tour performing solo and with his 18-piece brass band at Newport Jazz Festival on August 4, 2018. Album art, tracklist, tour dates, and more information below. http://bit.ly/louis-cole-tour

Confused? Don't be; the Los Angeles based singer songwriter, producer and multi instrumentalist co-founded the alt pop/electro funk band KNOWER in 2009 and the band bagged a spot at a special "Quincy Jones presents" series of gigs for up and coming bands in LA. "I guess he thought our music was cool so he had us come over and we played some arrangements of 'PYT' and 'Bad' in his living room," recalls Louis Cole. "I guess it was kinda like an audition. I was there with my midi keyboard and he was eating guacamole and rocking out... there were literally three people in the room, it was totally surreal."

The Chili Peppers expressed their admiration on their recent world tour where Cole found himself playing support slots in Mexico City and across Europe. "I had no idea why I'd been asked to do a Red Hot Chili Peppers tour and I was backstage in Rome at the gig still none the wiser as to why I was there," laughs Cole. "And then Anthony Kiedis comes up to me, looks right at me and says 'Yeh I love that 'Bank Account' song. It's super funky.'"

He is right of course - "Bank Account" is super funky and it was a game changer for Cole. He uploaded a split screen video of him performing the song (sporting a customised McDonalds uniform shirt no less) to his YouTube channel in April 2017 and, propelled by the candid and relatable lyrics - "I don't want to check my bank account / I'm too scared to check my bank account" - it went viral.

"I honestly thought nobody was going to care about that song. I just put it up because I wanted to show people that I had been practicing keyboard," he laughs. "I came up with that four chord progression and all I wanted to do in that moment was be good at that four chord progression... I didn't care about anything else. Then I was driving to a gig and I just came up with those lyrics because they were absolutely true at that time."

The runaway success of "Bank Account" was in part accidental, but Louis Cole has a history of DIY film-making and uploading humorous performance videos to YouTube - it's integral to his creative being - so it was really only a matter of time before he hit the jackpot. He says he was inspired by his friend Jack Conte (Pomplamoose) a singer-songwriter and entrepreneur who released the majority of his music as home studio split-screen performance videos (or as Jack refers to them - "Videosongs") posted to YouTube. "Jack gave me this big pep talk in about 2009, basically saying: 'You HAVE to pursue your music as a career!' So I owe him a lot," smiles Cole.

As for the movie theatre janitors? Well they became fans via Cole's contribution to The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017) - the third installment in the LEGO Movie franchise. Louis Cole and regular musical sparring partner Genevieve Artadi wrote a perfectly pitched silly song for the soundtrack titled "Dance Of Doom" that plays at the very end of the final credits when the only folks left in the theatre are the janitors. The YouTube comments explain the rest: "I was cleaning the theatre this movie was playing in... I've never laughed so hard during my shift in my life"; "I'm working in a small cinema and every time I have to clean up the hall after this movie I can hardly concentrate because the bassline is so awesome ^^?"; and "This is the most absurd, screwball song I've heard in a long time. And I got to listen to it over a dozen times, while I cleaned the theatre."

Louis Cole, whose main instrument is the drums ("But having said that my whole purpose is writing music and that is definitely more keyboard based so maybe that's my primary instrument?") has a background in jazz although the music he writes bears little resemblance to jazz in any pure or classical sense. His connection to the movement is more abstract: "One thing that I still feel connected to, that I guess is the root of jazz is pure freedom... no limits... just what you're thinking right at that moment... a pure blast of limitlessness". Growing up he obsessed over drummers Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Nate Wood and Keith Carlock, but says he also draws inspiration from movies such as 2001 A Space Odyssey and Tron. His studio set-up is modest (computer, mic, midi keyboard) and he writes and records at home - there are drums in the garage and a piano in the living room. "So far I really suck at being in a real studio," he says. "There are too many possibilities and it freaks me out."

US / CA Tour Dates: http://bit.ly/louis-cole-tour
Aug 04 - Newport, RI @ Newport Jazz Festival (Louis Cole Big Band Blowout)
Aug 10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room (Louis Cole Album Launch Party)
Oct 17 - St Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Oct 18 - Chicago, IL @ Chop Shop
Oct 19 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
Oct 20 - Toronto, ON @ Drake Hotel
Oct 25 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Oct 26 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Nov 28 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Nov 29 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

+ More TBA

Louis Cole - Time
(August 10, 2018 via Brainfeeder)

Tracklist:
1. Weird Part Of The Night
2. When You're Ugly (feat. Genevieve Artadi)
3. Everytime
4. Phone
5. Real Life (feat. Brad Mehldau)
6. More Love Less Hate
7. Tunnels In The Air (feat. Thundercat)
8. Last Time You Went Away
9. Freaky Times
10. After The Load Is Blown
11. A Little Bit More Time
12. Trying Not To Die (feat. Dennis Hamm)
13. Things
14. Night

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