In the last couple of years, London-based French songwriter Léa Sen has released a handful of attention grabbing singles and stolen the show on Joy Orbison’s “better” (from still slipping vol. 1). Now she’s been signed up by Partisan, home to the likes of Laura Marling, IDLES and Fontaines D.C., and today she releases her first single through the label, “Hyasynth”.
Sen explains: “‘Hyasynth’ is about my journey from my home in Cergy in the outskirts of Paris to London. I had to accept all the past mistakes I’ve made back home that I couldn’t go back to. I had to accept and move on. In a way, I ran away from certain things. In another way I also made the first step into growing into the person I really wanted to be. Sometimes I feel like my past mistakes haunt me, that’s what I felt making this song. It’s about wanting to grow and handle life with more wisdom.”
Despite the weight behind the words, “Hyasynth” is a golden strummer that seems to float above Sen’s head, filled with her thoughts about past, present and future. The underlying beat is straightforward, but the way she weaves her silken vocals around it shows the natural soulfulness she has in her voice – and it makes the feeling that much deeper and more affecting. While “Hyasynth” may carry the burden of past mistakes, it also seems to revel in future possibilities, ensuring that the feelings received in listening are a potent mixture of regret and hope.
Listen to “Hyasynth” below or on your preferred streaming platform.
“Hyasynth” is out on Partisan. With more to come soon, make sure to follow Léa Sen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
She’ll be supporting Nilüfer Yanya on these dates:
Mar 10 | St Luke’s, Glasgow UK*
Mar 14 | Band On The Wall, Manchester UK*
Mar 15 | Trinity, Bristol UK*
Mar 16 | Electric Brixton, London UK*
Mar 20 | Trabendo, Paris FR*
Mar 22 | Bogen F, Zurich CH*
Mar 23 | Ampere, Munich DE*
Mar 24 | Grelle Forelle, Vienna AT*
Mar 26 | Säälchen, Berlin DE*
Mar 27 | Nochtspeicher, Hamburg DE*
Mar 28 | Paradiso Noord, Amsterdam NL*
Mar 30 | Botanique Orangerie, Brussels BE*
*supporting Nilüfer Yanya
