Kiran Leonard reveals new single "Don't Make Friends With Good People"

This latest offering follows the inventive "Secret Police" and 16-minute genre-defying opus "Pink Fruit".

As well as the new track, Leonard's unveiled a lengthy statement on the track:

i could never imagine being so contrived

I wrote the first draft of the lyrics for this song while watching the film Sedmikrásky [Chytilová, 1966]. That's where the line 'I was afraid that you weren't of this century' is derived from (though it deliberately makes references to the original meaning of the quote, really it is placed within an entirely different context here). The words slowly changed over the course of a few months to reflect changes in my relationship with some of the people (indirectly) referenced in the song. Not to be bait but I don't want to go into any detail about the subject matter of the lyrics: I reserve the right to be allegorical and rambling and vague (and maybe even full of shit!).“You're so vain you probably think this song is about you”. It's a sibling to “Pink Fruit” and shares all of its shame and condemnation and bitterness, which nobody seemed to really pay attention to in the former, weirdly (NB: this song is as much about squid fucking as that one was). It'll be more engaging for you and less embarrassing for me if you do the work !!

SNAP OUT OF IT; or, DON'T MAKE FRIENDS WITH GOOD PEOPLE; or, I COULD NEVER IMAGINE BEING SO CONTRIVED; or, TWO MASTS ATTEMPT; or, “ELA QUE SE ARRANJE”; or, POSSESSION OF A HUMAN BODY THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN; or, SURELY WE CAN BOTH AGREE THAT THIS HAS GONE ON FOR TOO LONG NOW; or, THEY'VE GOT THE BEATS (AND THEY'RE VICIOUS); or, A STORY ABOUT FIVE (INFINITY) PEOPLE; or, “BYLO BY VŮBEC MOŽNÉ NAPRAVIT TO, CO BYLO ZNIČENO?”; or, SCARBOROUGH, SCARBOROUGH, SCARBOROUGH; or, YOU DON'T KNOW MY SURNAME; or, WHEN VICTORY IS A DEFEAT IS A MESS IS A ROSE IS AN INCONTESTABLE SHAME

influences: fela; cj gocher; bob weston; “i don't know if i can get over this” (r dawson, 2011); the stretch of road that connects greenfield with holmfirth; isobel who will not go you-know-where because of a drunken persistence; lizard lick towing; acrobatic tenement; d longstreth and a coffman's guitar playing on rise above; zach hill's drumming on the homeboy ep; bongo dave; arsenal fans; judee sill; hebden; roddy doyle; red bull te dá aaaaasas; harrop edge lane; on one's own; shirking villainy & despondency

- kiran leonard, march 2016

Grapefruit is out via Moshi Moshi on 25 March.

Stream "Don't Make Friends With Good People" below. Check out Leonard's upcoming UK/EU shows afterwards.

March

24 - Leeds, Brudenell Social (SOLD OUT)
25 - York, Fulford Arms
26 - Stockton, Georgian Theatre (Stockton Calling)
27 - Sunderland, Pop Records (instore)
27 - Newcastle, Cumberland Arms (SOLD OUT)
28 - Edinburgh, Electric Circus
29 - London, Rough Trade East (solo instore)
30 - Manchester, Soup Kitchen (SOLD OUT)
31 - Birmingham, Hare & Hounds

April

1 - Oxford, Bullingdon
2 - Bath, The Nest
4 - London, The Lexington (SOLD OUT)
5 - Ramsgate, Music Hall
6 - Cambridge, Portland Arms
7 - Nottingham, Bodega
9 - Cardiff, DimSŵn

July

7-9 - Slovakia, Pohoda Festival
29 - Slaidburn, Cloudspotting Festival

August

19 - Brecon Beacons, Green Man Festival
22 - Bristol, Louisiana
23 - Brighton, Patterns
24 - London, 100 Club
25 - Manchester, Deaf Institute