Black Aces

Black Aces are back the The Espy and are celebrating the release of their latest single ‘Too Much Rain’. The second release off their upcoming EP ‘Never Change’ and following hot on the heels of first single ‘Feverdreams’, ’Too Much Rain’ is a rollocking, foot stomping tribute to the drudgery of working class life. Black Aces’ ‘Too Much Rain’ tour is currently sweeping across Melbourne’s suburbs and regional surrounds.

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Even if you've followed the meteoric rise of musician and producer Leikeli47 thus far, you're not prepared for where she's going to take you next. Her second album Acrylic is brash, bold, and as gleefully tough as the material the album takes its name from. "We have this saying that when you smell acrylic, you know just where you are," she explains while discussing what the album title means to her. "Acrylic is a hard substance and I feel this is one of my harder records to date. It speaks to how hard times don’t break you, they make you.”

The road to Acrylic has been eventful for Leikeli47, who's only seen her profile further elevate over the past year. She's notched several appearances on the soundtrack for HBO's Insecure, most recently with Acrylic's snappy, infectious single "Girl Blunt"; the release of her debut album, last year's Wash & Set, spread the word about her considerable talents and led to the type of opportunities—performing for Natalie Portman, appearing with Lion Babe at Coachella, and having her innagural ArfroPunk performance—that up-and-coming artists only dream of. There's been so many new opportunities," she reminisces. "It's been a really cool time, and I'm still taking it in. I've been in the studio discovering new sounds. Creatively, it's been a fun ride."

The second album in a planned trilogy kicked off by Wash & Set, Acrylic was recorded over the last year in Los Angeles — a casual creative process meant to let ideas flourish naturally. "As an artist, you want to go in and add new conversations and ideas,” Leikeli47 explains. “Most of these ideas started in my apartment, or just from walking down the street. Great things happen when you live in the moment."

Indeed, Acrylic is brimming with a variety of melodic moods, from the brittle bounce of the title track to the brassy swing of "Hoyt and Schermerhorn." The vibe is big in every sense, a deliberate choice to expand Leikeli47's world of sound and showcase her true ambition. "I remember starting off as a producer, really jumping in and taking a chance with my sound—it was minimal, but it still had the boom to it," she states while discussing the progression that Acrylic represents. "There's been so much growth, sonically and lyrically, since. The sounds are bigger, the lyrics are more brash. It’s been a really ill creative learning process.”