Ahead of the release of their new album, We Are Stars, South-East London-based duo Raf and O AKA Raf Mantelli and Richard Smith have shared a live rendition of ‘Eyeliner,’ a taster of one of the album singles, performed live and recorded at Schtumm Box, Wiltshire, on the 21st May 2023. Watch here:
‘Eyeliner’ is a smouldering, groovy laid back track that frames a mysterious tale of an outsider, underpinned by rich double bass, O’s jazzy guitar licks and drum beat, infused with Raf’s fluid distinctive and emotional dramatic tones. It swells into a soaring 50s-tinged chorus that swirls with the atmosphere of a back road Blues club. They say: “It’s a story of a young man who wears makeup. He’s a star and he’s always ready for the show. ‘A casualty of pleasure’, but he’s also a catalyst for change, a ‘dandy of the new world’ – ‘pinned up phrases on the wall are the cut-ups that inspired you’.”
Previously Raf and O previewed another track from their upcoming album: performed live, ’Tommy Newton’ is inspired by the film ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’.
The duo, who have released four full-length albums and played venues such as The Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Union Chapel are planning an album launch in the autumn. Multi-faceted and reflecting our contemporary society flourishing and struggling simultaneously, ‘We Are Stars’ is “tinged in retro-futuristic 50s blues, anxiety-ridden, upbeat, thoughtful and metaphoric and can be summarised as existential arty poetic visual pop for the 21st century. It’s a musical story-a telling journey through worlds, stars, lives, survival, sad stories, love stories, stories gone wrong, the beat goes on.”
Raf and O are also about to launch Constellation Club, a subscription club with bespoke exclusive items of merch, Raf’s original art and access to ongoing new songs creations, details on Raf and O’s website – https://rafando.com