Steve Wells' debut album SONGS FOR SUMMER RAIN has arrived, and it’s a cinematic wonder!
With elements of electronic, rock and pop, each of the eleven tracks has been perfectly placed to stir the senses - taking listeners on a cinematic journey. This is definitely an album you can get lost in. The Paris-based, Aotearoa artist has teased the album with two previous releases - ‘Makeshift Heart’ and love song ‘Steal The Sun’.
SONGS FOR SUMMER RAIN has sweeping, lush production and sonic soundscapes, inspired by the dramatic landscapes of Steve’s African childhood (having grown up in Zambia). “I recall the 8 months or so of hot and dry. Then the wind would change and we could smell the rain in the air. Looking out over the plains, we would see the thunderheads coming our way. It was so exciting. When the storm hit, us kids would run wild in the rain.”
The album starts of with ‘Heat Dreams’, channelling the feeling of being ‘heat drunk’ on a scorching summer afternoon; this is followed by the spacial-electro ‘Makeshift Heart’; adding a dramatic, pushing forward, poignant-feeling moment to the album is ‘Waste My Time’, co-written with and featuring vocals by Lucy Day (Lumoy) who brings an other-worldy, Kate Bush feel to the track; ‘Under The Waves’ gives a sense of peace and deep calm; ‘See Softer’ is a “musical wink” at Steve’s previous release POOLSIDE by pulling the electro vibe into a more cinematic space; ‘W1S’ signifies the storm has arrived - and feels like it would be at home on a Mad Max soundtrack; ‘Not What You Want’ is a blunt statement on being oneself in a relationship (romantic or otherwise); ‘Winter Light’ brings us onto the other side when the summer storms roll in and the light grows soft; ‘Dreams Of An Angel’ features a piano recorded in a 16th Century Manor in Normandy, France - Steve muses on it being a place full of history, creative endeavours and possibly even angels; ‘Look Out The Window’ is a direct nod to days, weeks, months of sitting inside during lockdowns; then final track and his second single ‘Steal The Sun’ is a personal love song to his wife that strikes many universal chords.
This childhood inspiration, mixed with months of covid lockdowns, helped Steve write and self produce the album - which has been likened to Air (but darker), Brian Eno, Röyksopp, Bark Psychosis, Mody, Labradford, Lamb and Trentemøller.
“SONGS FOR SUMMER RAIN has a dark, cinematic, brooding feel to it,” says Steve, “all the while showing a glimmer of hope - in general I’m a very positive person. It’s an album I’m really proud of.”
Former guitarist in platinum-selling band Fur Patrol, in 2007 Steve Wells took a break from music to pursue life as a photographer - famously taking a portrait of Former Libertines and Baby Shambles lead singer Pete Doherty eating syringes for his personal series ‘A Table’. In 2017 he returned to music as a composer-collaborator for film scores and electro tracks in duo Super8Sonic. Like so many creatives, 2020 inspired Steve to write, produce and release his debut EP, the electro-dance POOLSIDE - and sparked a continuation of solo creativity, resulting in his debut album SONGS FOR SUMMER RAIN.