Puma Blue - 'Velvet Leaves'

London-based singer-songwriter and producer Puma Blue (real name Jacob Allen) announces his long-awaited debut album ‘In Praise of Shadows’ and shares the captivating lead single ‘Velvet Leaves’.

‘Velvet Leaves’ thrills with a dynamic soundscape. Steady beats and crisp rhythms hold the track upright as emotive vocals near a breakdown. There is a tangible vulnerability to ‘Velvet Leaves’ that seeps through its elegant production and Jacob’s reverb-soaked cries. “In the summer of 2015, my sister attempted suicide,” he reveals. “It was a lot to process personally and for us as a family. I always wanted to deal with it in song, but I never had the language, lyrically or musically, to grapple with such a complex issue. Then last year, I realised I finally had a way of dealing with that. I’d like to think it ended up being a hopeful song, about the beauty of the way she got through it, and we all got through it. But there are definitely elements of the song which are just about how dark that veil is”.

‘Velvet Leaves’ beautifully showcases Puma Blues evolution as an artist, maturing into his sound and finding solace in intimacy. It is the best possible introduction to an album that, in Jacob’s own words, deals with “finding light in darkness - and realising that it’s what got me here today.”

Words by Laura Freyaldenhoven

---