Continuing with the mystical themes and 80s vibes we heard in previous release, ‘Corpus Christi‘, Le Concorde returns with ‘Saint James’.
Los Angeles based songwriter, Stephen Becker, taps into the mystical with his sound, which he refers to as “sophisti-pop”. Filled with strolling guitars, powerful drums, and stylish synth rhythms, Le Concorde’s vocals verge on the angelic with ‘Saint James’.
Le Concorde draws from the vast catalogue of indie-pop artists with his music, not only in his influences, but also the artists themselves, with the likes of keyboard player Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish), bassist Lewis Gordon (Deacon Blue), drummer Ross McFarlane (Texas, The Proclaimers), and backing vocalists Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies), accompanying him on the track, giving it an authentically 80s feel.
‘Saint James’ is the second single to come from Le Concorde’s upcoming album, ‘Second Mansions’. It came about after Becker took a trip to Spain in 2019, during a period of personal and artistic searching, and takes its name from the streets of Santiago de Compostela, the end point of the Way of St James Pilgrimage, which has seen seekers on its cobbled streets for at least a thousand years. Becker had a spiritual awakening in the town:
“I was so inspired just walking down the ancient streets and beholding the great cathedral of the apostle, Saint James the Greater, says Becker. “In the most extraordinary way, I feit that James himself was there with me. I opened my mouth and began singing in a street near the great cathedral, and I had the first melodic line and lyric of what would lead to the whole Second Mansions album.”
The bright and colourful pop rock sounds of ‘Saint James’ are reflected in the music video for the track, which sees energetic clips of Becker performing in the studio interspersed with scenes of him in Santiago de Compostela, hazy statues of St James, and old family photos. All the while Becker keeps us enthralled with his catchy sound and lyrics telling of his spiritual journey.
Watch the music video for ‘Saint James’ below, and find out more about Le Concorde and his music online onInstagram, and his officialwebsite.
