UK indie pop duo KARAMELIEN present 'Lionhearts', a song of determination and resilience

''One of the best singles so far in 2022, this is a true work of beauty and professionalism, taking you to your very own ascension heights" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"Upbeat, a joyous folk-rock affair... bedecked in kaleidoscopic sixties sparkle, a slight splash of psychedelia and a whole tsunami of charm and grace" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"A hug of soulful indie pop with groove as infectious as its melodic breath and lyrical smile is poetic... seductive captivation" ~ Ringermaster Review

UK-based indie pop duo Karamelien present their second single, called 'Lionhearts'. A sumptuous, uplifting track about love and unity in difficult times, this was produced by RIDE frontman Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound near Oxford. The accompanying video was created by Eveshka Ghost.

Karamelien makes soaring perfect pop. Based in East Grinstead, this duo is singer-songwriter Léanie Kaleido and guitarist Mark Foster - two long-time friends. The breezy heartened video, created by Eveshka Ghost, perfectly captures the elevated spirit of this song and its creators.

'Lionhearts was inspired by the past couple of years, during which we've all been getting so despondent, confronted by negativity in the news and social media. Covid and other diseases, war, climate change and so on. When actually, there is so much love in the world, good things being achieved, communities coming together, positive things happening," says Léanie Kaleido.

"A friend of mine suggested I write something to convey that and the song happened pretty quickly for me! The idea of the heart of a lion is something that has cropped up in my songs before and comes from my Buddhist practice, which uses that expression a lot and feels so empowering."

This project brings Léanie Kaleido's music into new exciting territory, following up her critically acclaimed 2021 album 'How To Weigh A Whale Without A Scale', also produced by Mark Gardener.

Earlier, Karamelien debuted with the grooved-out 'Ascension Heights' single, featuring a sample from the track of the same name by Top Topham', who is not only Kaleido's father but also The Yardbirds' original guitarist before Eric Claptonassumed his place. Only 15 at the time, he was pressured to leave the band to pursue Art studies. Eventually signed to Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon label as a solo artist, Topham again re-joined The Yardbirds a few years ago during their 50th anniversary tour.

A really moving Father / Daughter work of beauty, this song also features former Earth, Wind & Fire bassist Mo Pleasure, whose CV includes collaborations with Ray Charles, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. With guidance from Paul Statham (Dido, Simple Minds, Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Natalie Imbruglia) in sampling her father's track, Kaleido performed the pre-production work from her home studio.

'Lionhearts' and 'Ascension Heights' are out now and are available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.


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KARAMELIEN debuts single 'Ascension Heights' feat. YARDBIRDS legend TOP TOPHAM

'One of the best singles so far in 2022, this is a true work of beauty and professionalism, taking you to your very own ascension heights" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

UK-based soulful indie pop duo Karamelien present their debut single 'Ascension Heights', a laid-back and groovy summer tune inspired by and featuring Top Topham's track of the same name. While technically a new project, this soaring perfect pop offering actually has a rich and touching backstory.

Based in East Grinstead, Karamelien is made up of singer-songwriter Léanie Kaleido and guitarist Mark Foster - two long-time friends. The breezy heartened video, created by Eveshka Ghost, perfectly captures the elevated spirit of this song and its creators.

'Ascension Heights' samples the track of the same name by Léanie's father Top Topham, the original founding guitarist of The Yardbirds before Eric Claptonassumed his place. After all, while he may have been ahead of his years musically, he was actually just 15 and his parents wanted him to finish his Art studies. Topham would eventually sign to Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon record label as a solo artist. Much later, he also re-joined The Yardbirds for part of their 50th anniversary tour, which took place several years ago.

Produced by RIDE frontman Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound near Oxford, this song features an appearance by a special guest bassist - Mo Pleasure, formerly of Earth, Wind & Fire, whose CV also includes performances with Ray Charles, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, among others.

"I met Mark Foster in my twenties through a mutual friend, when he started to play my songs live with me. My first album's title 'Karamelien' was made up as an anagram of both of our names’. I also like it as an artist name, so decided to go with it as Mark and I are now back playing together again," says Léanie Kaleido.

"We took my quirky but melodic songwriting style and introduced a more bass and beats-driven sound á la Morcheeba, Portishead, Massive Attack, etc. I'm just focusing on having fun with my songs now and drawing on my influences from both indie and hip hop, but always influenced by classic songwriters. such as Elton John and Joan Armatrading."

Indeed, this project brings Léanie Kaleido's music into new exciting territory. More firmly in singer-songwriter territory was her 2021 critically acclaimed album 'How To Weigh A Whale Without A Scale', also produced by Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound.

"Ascension Heights' is a really moving Father / Daughter work of beauty. A total pleasure and honour to work on... A hot tune for the hot summer for sure," says Mark Gardener.

With guidance from Paul Statham (Dido, Simple Minds, Kylie Minogue, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Rachel Stevens, Natalie Imbruglia) in sampling her father's track, Kaleido performed the pre-production work on this song from home, saying this "was a great feeling and allowed me more room to experiment with hip-hop beats".

'Ascension Heights' is out now, available everywhere online, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written by Léanie Kaleido
Léanie Kaleido - vocals, piano, keys, programming, arrangements
Guitar and intro sample (with permission from Blue Horizon Records) from Top Topham's 'Ascension Heights'
Mark Foster - guitars
Mo Pleasure - bass
Recorded and produced by Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound
Additional production by Joolz Dunkley
Mastered by Turan Audio
Top Topham sample permitted by Blue Horizon Records.
Video and artist photography by Eveshka Ghost


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