Carpet – 'Soft and Hidden'
Carpet finds clarity in returning to his roots on ‘Soft and Hidden’, the latest cut to be lifted from the Leeds-based musician’s forthcoming EP, ‘Fruit’.
With credits stretching from Yard Act to Holly Humberstone, and previous stints across numerous local bands, including Crakes and The Spills, Rob Slater has situated himself as a notable name within the DIY Yorkshire music scene. Now, having recently revamped his solo project, the multi-hyphenate is merging his past and current influences to create his most refined sound yet.
Forging a connection between the intimate bedroom recordings of his earlier years and the more sophisticated studio production of recent work, ‘Soft and Hidden’ is a carefully crafted piece that sees Slater return to the lo-fi influences of his teenage years, while maintaining the musical clarity of later offerings. Between a simple three-chord pattern, plaintive vocals serve as a guiding thread, musing over a series of diaristic reflections. Underpinned by gently strummed guitar lines and sedately paced drumbeats, the track is intentionally uncomplicated and speaks to Slate’s mission for the project.
“In a way, for me, this is actually the first Carpet song,” Slater reflects. “I was playing a lot of Zelda at the time, so obviously thinking a lot about time, light, sanctuary. A friend and I were messaging about what I would hypothetically get as a first tattoo—a snail, under the arm, somewhere soft and hidden. Then I sat on the stoop in the sun, and this song came.”
As the third offering from Carpet’s EP ‘Fruit’, ‘Soft and Hidden’ is another glimpse into the project, due to arrive November 1st via Launchpad+. Championing a sound that effortlessly weaves between the lines of indie rock and lo-fi, the genre-bending tone of the forthcoming record is firmly being set.
Words by Emily Savage
