Lack of Afro

Lack of Afro returns firing on all cylinders with his eighth studio album, Square One. Set for release on 8th September via his own label Bastion Music Group, the album is preceded by the latest single Loving Arms featuring the vocal talents of Greg Blackman.

“I kind of see this as 'Touch My Soul' (Part 2) - it's very much in that vein, it wouldn't have sounded out of place on Press On. It's just pure joy, pure emotion. So much so that it moved me to tears several times in the writing process. I wanted it to sound like a celebration - of life, of love and of companionship. Greg Blackman has such a gorgeous voice and he nails the vocal here.”

Finding inspiration in his recent trip to the US to produce at the legendary FAME Studios at Muscle Shoals, Square One is an album full of hope, optimism and good times. “Square One refers to a fresh start - a clean slate. My life had become incredibly chaotic around the release of 'I'm Here Now'. I was battling addiction and a marriage breakdown. It was just after the first lockdown and things quickly went downhill from there - they started to spiral badly and I found myself in rehab, twice. Recovery didn't happen for me straight away - it's been a long road but thankfully I'm now over a year sober, my life is back on track and I'm so proud of Square One. I think of it as my comeback album because in the depths of the dark times and when I was desperately struggling to stay afloat, to even stay alive, I genuinely thought that I would never make music again. I'm so grateful for this.”

The Lack of Afro story began in 2006. Unbeknownst to Adam, his song Wait A Minute had been uploaded to the Ninja Tune Forum by a friend, where it caught the attention of Jon Sheppard (A&R at Freestyle Records at the time). The resulting single went onto be one of the label’s fastest selling singles and set the blueprint for his debut album, 2007’s Press On. Having recently re-issued the album to celebrate its 15-year anniversary, memories of that early recording process came back him during the making of Square One.

“It was just me in the studio, playing around with ideas, laying down parts if I could, then getting other musicians in to play them if I couldn't. Honestly, I was just happy to be making music. There's a joy in this record I think, it's tangible in certain tracks and you can feel its positivity. It's a celebration of being alive, being able to feel again.” The first cut to emerge from these sessions was Wide Open, and saw Lack of Afro lay a marker down, announcing his return with pounding drums, stabbing horns and spoken word samples underneath a killer wah-wah guitar melody. Wide Open was swiftly followed by the out and out party anthem Let It All Out featuring long term collaborators Wax & Herbal T.

With a career spanning over 17 years now, one that seen his music appear on films and TV shows around the world and rack up millions of streams online, Adam, like so many, had to go back to Sqaure One, overcoming numerous challenges and setbacks. With a renewed sense of inspiration and energy in his craft, and he is determined to keep the funk alive and kicking.