Niall Summerton finds solace in introspection on 'I Found It'
Niall Summerton
Shares new track ‘I Found It’
Taken from the debut album ‘What Am I Made Of’
Out 14th April 2023 on Tiny Library
Leeds based singer-songwriter Niall Summerton balances existential ponderings with a blissful indie-folk sound on debut album ‘What Am I Made Of’, juxtaposing themes of mortality, grief and anxiety with exquisitely crafted earworms.
Following the release of ‘Wish You Could Speak’, which found fans in NME, The Independent, Wax Music, The Rodeo & more, Niall shares new cut ‘I Found It’. Channelling the lacerated-pop of Sparklehorse, the track is about finding solace in isolation & was recorded on a one-track cassette recorder found on ebay for the 9 quid.
“I Found It was written about how challenging and draining social situations can be at times. I find i’m most content on my own. I’d been listening to a lot of sparklehorse and wanted to make the song sound as beat up as possible. I recorded guitar tracks to a single-track cassette recorder I got on eBay for about 9 quid. Sounds stupid and great at the same time but works well in this setting.”
Listen to I Found It here
So, the question stands: what exactly is Niall Summerton made of? For his debut album, the Leeds-based singer-songwriter provides us with more than a few answers. Written over the space of two years, but forged across a lifetime lived in North Yorkshire’s undulating landscapes, Summerton unflinchingly bears us his soul across the 10 tracks found herein.
With the poetry of a guitar strum, or the provocation of an all-too-honest lyric, he traverses his entire world-experience, and takes us along with him. In other words, it’s the product of that universal human experience: stumbling blindly into adulthood, picking up the pieces as they chaotically fall.
While principally a work of Summerton’s own heart, it’s also a product of Leeds’ close-knit music scene. “What Am I Made of?” is the first curated release on Joel Johnston’s (AKA Far Caspian) label Tiny Library, with whom Niall regularly collaborates, as part of a shared circle of musicians in the city.
‘What Am I Made Of?’ is not afraid to burden itself with the gravest of themes, yet tempering these bruising self-examinations, are the most delightful, airiest of earworms. That’s the paradox, the chief marvel, tinkering at the heart of Summerton’s work: its ability to evoke such tranquil, soothing soundscapes from such dark wells of inspiration.
