Sydney trio I Know Leopard are back with “Lover Automatic”, their first new music since their acclaimed 2019 album Love Is A Landmine. They’ve also announced June live dates to launch the single in Sydney and Melbourne.
“Lover Automatic” sees the band shifting to a sugar-coated, hyper-coloured take on alt-pop that flirts with an almost lo-fi hip-hop aesthetic but their knack for timeless infectious pop hooks is as strong as ever. They may have moved from their previous ‘70s soft rock inspired sound but the band’s other trademark elements remain present: Jenny McCullagh’s violin provides gilding to the melody and brilliant decorative flourishes while Rosie Fitzgerald’s fluid bass playing adds extra rhythmic bounce (which helps explain why she is fast becoming one of Australia’s busiest session bass players). Luke O’Loughlin’s falsetto vocal sings of being defenceless in the face of new love regardless of how acquainted we are with its perils.
“Can’t you tell
That I’m ready for a new kind of hell
if you are as well”
The song was co-produced and mixed by Konstantin Kersting, who has found success with his work with Tones & I, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat, The Rubens, Tia Gostelow and WAAX. The animated video by Sydney designer Luke Saunders sees Luke, Rosie and Jenny reborn as vampires travelling through a sweetly psychedelic landscape that’s something like a 1980s Japanese remake of Yellow Submarine (but with vampires).
The band are also excited to have entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Believe. “We are thrilled to be working with I Know Leopard, and are looking forward to sharing ‘Lover Automatic’ with the world” commented Mick Tarbuk, head of Believe for Australia & New Zealand.
To launch “Lover Automatic” the band return to the stage for their first shows in 18 months, hitting Melbourne and Sydney with special guests Georgia June. These performances will be the first chance to hear some of the new music they’ve been working on during lockdown and that they plan to release later in 2021. Luke O’Loughlin has also been keeping busy co-writing with other artists, notably US act The Knocks, on the 2020 track “All About You”, which also featured Mark Foster of Foster The People on vocals.
I KNOW LEOPARD
‘Lover Automatic’
OUT NOW
performing on
Friday, 18th June
The Night Cat, Melbourne
Saturday, 26th June
Oxford Art Factory
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