Billy Lemos is plugged in. The young artist, who grew up in Iowa, impressed me last year with his debut EP Self, a collection of concise songs which took a creative, DIY approach to pop music. The EP introduced me to Lemos' young creative peers Omar Apollo, Maxwell Young, and Juto, while 2018 single "Burb" shone a light on recent favorite Victor. With an exceptional ear for the right collaborator and an ever-expanding sonic palette, Billy Lemos is going from strength to strength, and today he's releasing more music.
"Rain" features Chicago artist Kopano, and Lemos explains, "I tried to make something that sounded both catchy and earthy. Kopano and I have had this song done for a while and we both knew this was undoubtedly something that needed to be released in the summertime. There’s some subtle stuff going on with the production, however, Kopano’s vocals are definitely the highlight of the track to me."
Of working with Kopano, he adds, "I wanted to work with her because I stumbled across her first project, Just In Time For Love, on Soundcloud and was blown away by how polished and consistent her writing and production choices were. I’ve also been trying to work with more female artists from the indie community, as they do not get enough shine."
Enjoy "Rain" below, and look out for more from Billy Lemos in 2018.
