PREMIERE: Emerging indie-pop artist Bastie shares 'Lullaby Highs'

Rising singer-songwriter Bastie (Ingram) has premiered his brand new single on Hot Press, titled 'Lullaby Highs'.

Produced by the renowned Nick Brine - whose attention landed on Bastie after he saw his songwriting potential - the pair worked together on Bastie's new material at the renowned Rockfield Studios early in September last year. 'Lullaby Highs' is the first of several new songs to be released following exciting the collaboration. Brine himself has previously worked with the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Oasis.

Bastie is a former ‘BBC Introducing Artist of the Week’ who has already received extensive airplay from BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio. Influenced by artists along the lines of Oasis, Lily Allen, Bowie and Jamie Berry; taken together a synthesis of their work can be discerned in Bastie’s sound.

His raw tracks offer a vivid perspective on modern life, paired with infectiously catchy rhythmic melodies and booming background indie-pop guitar sound.

"I heard that if you look in the mirror, will there be a face of another controlling me?/ We're like birds in the sky caught in lullaby highs/ and it sends me to sleep," the 'Lullaby Highs' chorus booms.

Although lockdown was initially tough to adapt to (as it was for many), Bastie used lockdown to hone in on his songwriting. 'Lullaby Highs' follows the restlessness and yearning for independence that lockdown has elicited in every generation, but especially amongst young creatives.

"The song emerged from the control and restrictions imposed during the COVID crisis which made me think, at that particular moment in time, how I was finding everything kind of frustrating. I guess I vented this out in the lyrics of the song," Bastie tells Hot Press.

"I’d also just left university to pursue my music, then everything just shut down and I was also missing mates - as everyone was - the lyrics refer to this suffocating existence while dreaming in a ‘lullaby high’ of the good times - hopefully - soon ahead."

Bastie wrote the song over the course of a month and played the first demo to Nick after the duo first met in September 2020.

"We were recording another song at the time, but, came back to it later on at Rockfield and then at his studio in Ebbw Vale," Bastie adds.

"It was such a cool experience recording it as we took our time over the song in the studio. Nick and I work really well together and he gets my voice so we try to nail the vocals as I wanted the song to be raw, not auto-tuned. I’ve always been keen to get some brass in a chorus and with this song it completely worked which I was very happy about."

The only way is up for the English talent. Hot Press are certainly excited to see what indie-pop anthems he emerges with next.

Check out 'Lullaby Highs' exclusively below: