Narrow In

First Word Records are proud to bring you new music from Werkha featuring Daudi Matsiko.

'Narrow In' is the 5th single taken from Werkha's forthcoming 3rd album 'Unsung Irregular'.

This is a short sweet blast of uptempo folktronica, merging positivity with an air of melancholy. Werkha's unique drum padding and synth pops combine with the sumptuous strings of Simmy Singh, and accompanied by Daudi Matsiko's earthy vocals and gentle guitar licks over a 110bpm 4/4 strut; once again crafting a sound sculpture that combines the analogue with the electronic.

Werkha (aka Tom Leah) says of the track concept "I love little overgrown paths and narrow lanes. These lonins (cumberland dialect for old lane or narrow road) feel like magical places of sanctuary for the imagination.

This song really resonates with the feeling of curiosity these places hold. The old lanes that cut though our countryside are stooped in mystery, the magic of stories past.

That freedom to wander is a huge part of my love of being outside, and a huge part in the story of our health. Yet it's often only through narrow paths that we are told we're allowed to access our own land, and perhaps the healthier versions of ourselves.

There's many obstacles along the way, through the undergrowth and the lack of attention these narrow ins are given…"

Daudi Matsiko is a British-Ugandan singer-songwriter and guitarist that's been pricking plenty of ears in recent years with his haunting but reverent take on folk music, often compared to Nick Drake. A graduate of Montreal's Red Bull Music Academy, he's toured with artists such as Portico Quartet, Keaton Henson and GoGo Penguin.

Daudi says of the collab "Getting to work on this track with Tom was such a joy. The making of this song was full of laughter and imbued with Tom's resilience and charm! Writing these lyrics came so easily. It didn't feel wrong to put my whole heart into it. It was a true collaboration and I'm grateful to have been a part of it! Big ups Werkha!"

Werkha adds "Daudi really helped the journey this song took. Our collaboration on this track was that opening, that glade the song was searching for. We wandered through that process following shared instinct, looking to the title 'Narrow In' as our guide.

I recorded strings with Simmy Singh in south Wales, where equally narrow lanes dart along hedgerows and treelines.

Through the obstacles and obstructions of day to day life, these are the places that can hold you. They're worth the cuts and bruises, the following of our instincts and benefits our health yields from them."

——

Werkha is a multi-instrumentalist born in Rusholme, Manchester. His previous releases on Worldwide Award-winning independent London-based label First Word Records include 'The Rigour' EP (2020), and the 'All Werk Is Play' LP (2022), carrying on from his initial output on the Brighton-based Tru Thoughts label.

He's had previous support from a wide range of tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Nemone, Don Letts, Jamz Supernova and Zakia (BBC 6 Music), Mo Ayoub (BBC Radio 1), Julie Adenuga, Scratcha DVA, BBC Manchester, Worldwide FM and Rinse FM.

Alongside his own releases, he's collaborated and remixed with Quantic, A Certain Ratio, Marcos Valle, Eska, Chunky, Andrew Ashong and extensively with Keisha Thompson and Bryony Jarman-Pinto, to cite a few.

Werkha has done full band and solo performances across the UK and Europe, touring with the likes of Bonobo, Chet Faker, Rebecca Vasmant and Mr Scruff, and sharing billing with Crazy P, GoGo Penguin, Todd Terje, Lefto and MCDE, gracing stages at legendary venues like The Roundhouse, The Jazz Café and Manchester Cathedral, and various festivals including Glastonbury, SXSW, We Out Here, A Love Supreme and Latitude.

Additionally to playing live, Werkha is a formidable DJ, recently doing a mix for Selector Radio (British Council) and previously for the likes of Tom Ravenscroft & Afrodeutsche (BBC 6 Music), NTS, Primavera Sound and Reform Radio.

——

Werkha is a thoughtful, conscientious artist, whose approach to creating is innovative, unique, ever evolving and deeply groovy.

'Unsung Irregular' is Werkha's third full-length studio LP, and is comprised of 11 tracks showcasing his unique blend of jazzy breakbeat-tinged electronics and analogue aesthetics. It includes previous singles 'S-Bend', 'Toast Rack', 'Sastrugi' and 'Everyday' which featured BBC Radio 2's 'Folk Singer of the Year' Ríoghnach Connolly (Honeyfeet).

'Narrow In is available on all digital platforms on 11th September, with the album dropping on vinyl & digital on October 10th.