Introducing 24-year-old singer, songwriter and rapper Collard, who today releases “Warrior Cry”, the evocative first song shared from his debut album for release in April 2019 via Lost Ones/ Virgin EMI. Reminiscent of the calm after a summer storm, “Warrior Cry” is an intricately produced and stirring missive about the power of allowing yourself to be saved, delivered by one of 2019’s most exciting musical prospects.
Born just outside of South London and raised as a strict Mormon, although he no longer practices, Collard’s music is a refreshing departure from the algorithmic trend-chasing that has come to dominate today’s music scene. With his unique and emotive falsetto, Collard reveals rare truths about the human experience and his music exudes an almost tangible sense of vulnerability, sensuality and pathos.
At age 17, Collard dipped his toe into musical waters by joining a collective called Last Night in Paris, who were heralded as the UK’s answer to Odd Future and were booked to play Glastonbury. However, Collard’s musical vision was somewhere else. Travelling to LA with his friend and producer Zach Nahome, the pair worked together on music until they hit upon their sound. This work resulted in a self-released debut single “Sofa”, a song about a partner who overdosed and the Prince-esque “Ode”, which blew up after a sensual COLORS sessionand have since amassed over a million streams each.
Indeed, the songs that make up Collard’s debut album don’t subscribe to trends – when traditional song structures are holding back his creativity, Collard rejects them in favour of innovation. His music defies all expectations, exposing a liberated and thrilling sense of artistry and self.
Nowhere is this more apparent than on “Warrior Cry”,released today alongside its music video. The track opens with glass-like electric pianos before Collard’s tender and raw falsetto introduces itself among tambourines and warm R&B beats. As “Warrior Cry” Collard melds the atmospheric and wavy production with his talent for spoken word, delivering a powerful and poetic second verse.
“Warrior cry is a very personal piece to me,” explains Collard. “It’s about feeling saved by a heroine and allowing myself to be completely vulnerable which as a man and how I was raised I often stop myself from being. The song is a metaphoric journey my heroine has taken to save me from myself, and I welcome her whole-heartedly, white flags and all.”The accompanying music video directed by long term creative collaborators Joseph Shaw and Eseosa Ohen depicts exactly that. Watch here
With musical heroes like D’Angelo, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Prince and The Rolling Stones, it’s no wonder that Collard’s music is bold, adventurous and incomparable – who needs rules? “Making music is too much of an experience for me to be considering things like that. Sure, it’s okay to desire recognition but I’m not about that. It’s not at the forefront. I want to make your soul feel,” Collard says. “I know that’s where it comes from.”
