Six years on from performing alone in Palomo, Sicily, London singer-songwriter Manny is gearing up for a flurry of new Bad With Phones material.
His recent singles make for a personality-packed introduction to Manny’s multifaceted musical world – arrestingly minimal at its core but boasting a brilliantly genre-agnostic approach.
“My intention was just to come with vibes,” he said. “It was about creating something fun and light-hearted and bringing a lot of youthful energy to the table. And I wanted every track to feel like it could be in the charts. There needed to be no filler.”
The fun, youthful energy he’s on a mission to pull off exhibits the maxim by which he’s conducted his affairs since day one. He conjures a female alter-ego in ‘Refrigerator’, which he explains as “another part of me”, by pitch-shifting his vocals upwards and letting his imagination run free.
This surreal streak runs parallel to Manny’s interest in psychedelics, a fascination that bleeds into the subject matter of several of the songs. It’s a mellow set powered by irresistible grooves and often overlaid with lo-fi acoustic guitar loops with his vocals further adding to the effect.
“Going with the flow is boring,” he adds. “I like to poke holes.”
Check out ‘Refrigerator’ below.
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Words: Shannon Garner
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