Shelter Boy to release new album April 26th
A German artist with a surprisingly British sound, Shelter Boy’s debut album ‘Failure Familiar’ sparked upbeat comparisons to King Krule and Mac DeMarco as well as earning support from Radio 1, Clout and DIY. Now Shelter Boy extends that inventive indie-pop spirit to a more personal and introspective collection of songs with his second album, ‘MERCYLAND’ which will be released on April 26th via Scruff of the Neck.
‘MERCYLAND’ finds Shelter Boy documenting his journey from adolescence and into young adulthood. It’s a time of self-discovery, first-time adventures and, above all, grappling with identity. He admits that in contrast to the overconfident machismo that surrounded him, he grew up as an outcast more likely to be found spinning Beatles records and writing songs than messing about with cars. Reflecting on that time is central to the emotive storytelling within the record as he questions and deconstructs masculinity, explores struggles with mental health, and shares his disdain for the fascist views and us-against-them mentality of the village he grew up in.
Shelter Boy, real name Simon Graupner, says, “‘MERCYLAND’ is the most honest reflection of me I think I’ve ever written. It wasn’t always easy, but it’s the work I’m most proud of in my career I think. It’s an album about reflecting back but also one that looks forward too. I feel excited for the future now, and I can’t wait for what comes next.”
The album’s opening song and new focus track ‘PARADE’ sets the standard for the album that follows. A lo-fi acoustic opening introduces the song before it bursts into boisterous melodies, bright, cascading guitars and Shelter Boy’s expressive, curiously English-sounding voice. Appropriately for the themes that later emerge in the record, ‘PARADE’ draws parallel between his directionless youth in which many wrote off his chances of ever following a career in music, to the position that he now finds himself in.
He adds, “The first part of this track I wrote back when I was just 16 or 17. The rest of it has been percolating for ages. There’s a neat circularity to it that shows where I started and where I am now. It’s about having faith in yourself, to not let others rain on your parade and to have confidence in yourself even when others may not have it in you, which takes a lot of strength.”
That strength percolates deeper with ‘MESSED UP KIDS’, both a confessional about his post-festival season blues as well as a plea for men to open up about their feelings – all in a song inspired by the unlikely combination of Girl in Red, Empire of the Sun and Post Malone. ‘MOVING BACKWARDS’ hits harder still, with luminous, uplifting synths the counterpoint to a man in the midst of an emotional crisis. But in a record that calls on further influences from Phoebe Bridgers to IDLES and Foals there are brighter moods too: looking towards a brighter future with the post-punk ‘GROWING PAINS’ and celebrating one of his all-time favourite artist with ‘JAMIE T FOREVER’.
Ultimately an album which explores the things that define you – both good and bad – and how you navigate those challenges, ‘MERCYLAND’ is available to pre-order HERE.
Raised in Zwickau in Germany, Simon Graupner formed his first band in his teens as an escape from the boredom of teenage life, his early influences such as The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, MGMT, The Maccabees and Bombay Bicycle Club still personal favourites to this day. He subsequently launched as Shelter Boy in 2018, picking up millions of streams and international attention, as well as playing shows with boy pablo and Gus Dapperton.
Shelter Boy will celebrate ‘MERCYLAND’ by playing album release shows in Berlin and his current home city of Leipzig in April. He will then commence his biggest headline tour to date in October, taking in shows across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Plans for UK gigs are also in the works.
