Leif Erikson have premiered new single “Concrete & Steel”, taken from their self-titled, debut album which will be released August 25 via Arts & Crafts. The band have additionally announced details of their upcoming UK tour dates.

Leif Erikson are a London-based five-piece who craft quietly emotive, effortlessly explorative transatlantic pop: five unique life journeys brought together under the namesake of a little-known Icelandic explorer, believed by many to have been the first Westerner to reach the shores of America. And at a time when an increasing number of new bands see depth and substance as a potential commercial risk, lead singer and guitarist Sam Johnston’s socially conscious lyrics project a disarming honesty. Here are songs which offer the kind of thoughtful interiority that, while grounded in intimate observation, feel instantly relatable to anybody struggling to find meaning and comfort amidst the hectic concerns of inner city living.

Informing much Leif Erikson’s forthcoming mini-album is this meditative introspection of trying to be an artist in the capital while juggling the anxieties of quotidian living. On new single “Concrete and Steel”, for instance, Sam candidly references a working life spent grafting in London’s kitchens: “The streets of London paved with gold / My fortune’s there I’ve been told / Pass my freedom to the hands of power / Washing dishes till eleven for seven pounds an hour.” It’s the expression of an individual in a society where individualism often takes a backseat to the business of survival. These are, nevertheless, songs of steely resistance, which seek freedom wherever you can find it (whether in nature or through making music itself).

Ultimately, Leif Erikson seek to take the disaffection of modern life and turn it into a form of ascension through the power of music. They’re still only at the foot of their career but like their explorer namesake, Leif Erikson are what happens when you find yourself – however you get there – right where you are supposed to be.

LEIF ERIKSON TRACKLISTING
01 Green Leaves
02 Concrete And Steel
03 Jungle Television
04 Get Free
05 Real Stuff
06 Looking For Signs
07 Flying High
08 Never Get You Out Of My Mind

TOUR DATES
Sep 7 – Oslo, London (Headline)
Nov 2 – Deaf Institute, Manchester (w/Island)
Nov 3 – Think Tank, Newcastle (w/Island)
Nov 4 – La Belle Angele, Edinburgh (w/Island)
Nov 6 – Brudenell Games Room, Leeds (w/Island)
Nov 7 – Bodega, Nottingham (w/Island)
Nov 8 – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham (w/Island)
Nov 9 – The Cookie, Leicester (w/Island)
Nov 10 – Louisiana, Bristol (w/Island)
Nov 11 – The Hope & Run, Brighton (w/Island)