Article by: Jessica Duncan
Last May, Denver-based melodic bass producer LEUTHERO dropped his first single, “Our Crimes” which we covered. Just under a year later, he is releasing his first EP, Escape, on the storied dubstep label Circus Records’ imprint Circus Electric.
While this is LEUTHERO’s first EP, he is no stranger to the game. Prior to LEUTHERO, he released music as Matt Ryan. In 2021, he decided it was time for a change and chose the name LEUTHERO, which he says is “an offshoot from the word Eleutheromania, [meaning] ‘The intense desire for freedom,’ And that is something we can all relate to.”
Electric is a four-track EP with a run time of just under 14 minutes, which is plenty of time for LEUTHERO to put you in your feels. Fans of artists like Illenium, Dabin, or other “Sad Boi” music will definitely enjoy this EP. On all four tracks, he proves less is more, with each featuring straightforward guitar riffs and drum patterns. The highlight of each track really comes down to the lyrics and vocal delivery.
The first track on the EP is “Walk Away” featuring Saysha, a vocalist from Utah. The catchy hook conveys the emotion of having to walk away from a relationship that is no longer working. The second track, “Erase Me” features fellow producer and songwriter Josh Rubin, on vocals. This track was released in March as a single and features distorted drums, a gentle piano melody, and Josh’s raw vocals.
“See Me Now,” a collaboration with fellow melodic dubstep producer, Patfromlastyear, also featuring Canadian Singer/songwriter SayWeCanFly, is the third track on the EP. The vocals have more of a 2008 emo song feel to them about a love that has been lost. The EP wraps up with “We Were Wrong” featuring Nina Sung, who lent her vocals to Illenium’s song “Only One.” Subtle strings echo in the background before the chorus kicks in.
All four tracks seem to tell the story of someone who walked away from a relationship and grew to understand that despite walking away being a hard thing to do, the person they left wasn’t the right person for them. On what he was trying to convey with Escape, LEUTHERO said “These four songs have captured so much of my life over the past three years and have brought me even closer to why I love making music so much. I always try to tell a story through every song I make and really tried to do so with this EP.”
If you want to catch LEUTHERO live, he has a show at The Bluebird Theater in Denver with Crystal Ski, N3wport, and Man Cub, who you can also read about in our Who Are Ya article about him, on June 23rd. You can grab tickets to that show here. Listen to Escape and keep up with what LEUTHERO has going on by using the links below. Check out the other songs that dropped this week by following Moon Lvnding’s New Music Heat Friday playlist on Spotify.
CONNECT with Leuthero:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
LISTEN to Leuthero:
Spotify | Apple Music | Beatport | SoundCloud | YouTube
