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James Leonard Hewitson navigates the melancholic way of English life and love on “Dance Track"

12 October 2019, 02:29 | Written by Nad Khan

Hartlepool indie rocker James Leonard Hewitson is back with “Dance Track”, another belting anthem for the disenfranchised from his upcoming debut album, and it’s a cowbell-driven masterclass in alienation rock.

From Pulp to Pavement, James Leonard Hewitson has always referenced the fringes of guitar pop in his music. The narrator of his songs is an everyday outsider, someone who's either very sure of what they want or just can’t decide at all. On the peppy “Dance Track” we're treated to a tale of the latter, and Hewitson's attempt to discover if he really needs a life partner or if he is content just being a loner (JLH is all of us really). Cowbells propel the verse with surging bass as the underpin, while a tide of washed-out guitars engulf the chorus which chops and changes as quick as its singer’s mood. It's a wonderfully zippy piece of outsider indie pop.

“It is about the fleeting thoughts of balancing work life and love life and shows how different priorities take the fore in our minds,” explains Hewitson. “Sometimes we need nobody, but sometimes we need somebody. Sometimes we're in love, but until we are, we aren't, as we navigate through a melancholic English way of life, with no dance to signify our times, despite always going clubbing. The song poses a question in the break - 'do we really need anyone?' - as more people are choosing to live single than ever before.”

"Dance Track" is out now. Find James Leonard Hewitson on Facebook.
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