THE SOUTH LONDON SINGER-SONGWRITER FINDS THE FUN IN A YEAR MISSPENT.
Words by Laura Pegler | Photo by Nicole Olivetti
Looking back on the highlight reel of the past 12 months, it’s hard to know whether to cry, scream, stamp, shout or revert back to infancy. Is there anyone on God’s green earth who has been able to develop an effective coping strategy? Giving it a good old try one crappy-go-lucky tune at a time, is South London’s humble singer-songwriter Rainn Byrns.
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Same Shit Different Year is a look on the bright side reaction to the endless lockdowns and an unyielding global pandemic. Laidback and eager to please, the track’s easy breezy melody is enough to give The Beach Boys a run for their money. Both ‘c’est la vie’ and ‘f**k this’ in equal measure, blink and you’ll miss the bleak undertones to Byrns’ playful lyrics. Entirely relatable and quietly comforting, you’ll soon find yourself whistling in unison and all cheered up.
On writing the track Byrns admits: “I wrote ‘Same Shit Different Year’ on New Year’s Day with a hangover. The vibe is definitely gritting your teeth through Zoom cocktails and trying to learn French but only getting as far as ‘voulez-vous coucher avec moi’ – who doesn’t know that line? Though I actually didn’t know what it meant until somebody told me after hearing the song!”
Having been resigned to doing his own thing within the confines of the four walls of his bedroom – with only a four-track tape recorder for company – the London local is a steadfast expression of bedroom pop at its finest. If you were in search of a theme tune to while away the housebound hours, then this record has got you covered. Find Rainn Byrns on Spotify here.
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