LOUIS BAKER SHARES MESSAGE OF HOPE ON NEW SINGLE 'ALL WE NEED'
Soulful Wellington singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Louis Baker shares new single 'All We Need', a warm and uplifting slice of contemporary soul offering a message of hope, connection and collective resilience.
Following the success of his acclaimed EP ‘Medicine’, which debuted at #4 on the Official New Zealand Albums Chart, and recent house remixes of his track 'Keep On' released with Berlin-based label Best Works, Baker continues to expand his sonic palette while staying rooted in the soulful songwriting that has earned him more than 70 million streams independently.
Written, produced and performed by Baker, 'All We Need' was inspired by the challenge of making sense of an increasingly uncertain world. The opening line, "Tell me this is all a dream", captures a feeling of disbelief that many people experience when confronted by conflict, division and hardship. Rather than dwelling in those realities, however, the song centres on a simple belief: that we are stronger when we support one another.
"Sometimes it's hard to wrap your head around what's happening in the world," says Baker.
"There's a sense of disbelief and disillusionment and it can be difficult to understand why people do the things they do.”
"An old saying that a rising tide lifts all boats became a guiding idea while I was writing this song. We all rise and fall together. At its heart, 'All We Need' is about the belief that all we really need is each other. There's also a line about having hope in the seeds we sow. It's about the small things we do every day that help make things a little bit better. Change starts with us."
Built around a groove-first approach, Baker began with a drum pattern before gradually layering guitars, bass and keyboards to build the song's foundation. Influenced by the textures and colours of artists such as Jungle, and drawing on a lifelong love of soul music, the finished recording also reflects the influence of artists including Michael Kiwanuka, Aaron Frazer, Gil Scott-Heron and the classic Motown sound.
Recorded with some of Wellington's most respected musicians, 'All We Need' features contributions from longtime collaborators Cory Champion (drums, tambourine and congas), Johnny Lawrence (bass), James Illingworth (Wurlitzer), Leo Coghini (organ), Louisa Williamson (flute) and Iris Little (backing vocals).
'All We Need' has already attracted early support from international radio and tastemakers across Europe, the UK and the United States, while signalling the start of a new creative chapter for Baker, with further releases to follow in the months ahead.