Smalltalk is the debut release from Nightbus, and comes from a collection of songs written during the pandemic.
Having connected in early 2020, Sena Verdi and Louise Wellby found a shared creative chemistry that led to the formation of Nightbus. Born and raised in London, vocalist and lyricist Louise (also known as Skylu) draws on her personal experiences as inspiration for her music, and on Smalltalk particularly:
“The lyrics are all drawn from my journals, scribing my dreams and struggles with mental health. I don’t always know how to talk about it, but songwriting just flows. The track has a nostalgic feel to it, written with my teenage self in mind.”
With British-Iranian producer Sena, the music they create has a deep, emotionally full feeling. Known for his work as Lyonheart, Verdi has previously released music with the likes of BT and Paul Oakenfold, and collaborated with the Grammy-nominated Aqualung.
The sound draws on the New Romantic sounds of the eighties, big dance sounds of the late-90s and modern progressive pop. Perhaps the closest contemporaries to the music exhibited here are the experimental pomp and drama of Wild Beasts and These New Puritans. Whilst Nightbus dress their sound in less overtly avant-garde theatre, the sense of emotional depth is similar and, when it comes, Smalltalk’s chorus soars magnificently.