Benjamin Francis Leftwich Mayflies

Benjamin Francis Leftwich Mayflies

Benjamin Francis Leftwich has unveiled -Mayflies', the first single from his long awaited second album, After The Rain, releasing 19th August through Dirty Hit and Sony Music Entertainment Australia.

-Mayflies' debuted on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show and follows album track -Tilikum', which was previewed as part of the album announcement earlier this year.

Furthering the atmosphere Ben crafted with the record's first track, -Mayflies' pits subtly intertwined samples against beautifully restrained guitars, expertly layered instrumentation and Ben's synonymous vocals, culminating in a track that perfectly encapsulates the uplifting side to an emotionally demanding record.

Accompanying the launch of the single, Ben has released a lyric video for -Mayflies', which is available to watch here. The track is also available to instantly download on iTunes when pre-ordering the album.

Following the release of his 2011 acclaimed debut album Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm, a record which has gone on to sell over 100,000 copies worldwide and over 150 million global Spotify plays, Leftwich's life was thrown into an unexpected path when he went through one of the hardest things in life, the loss of a parent and his number one source of inspiration, his father.

Coming at the peak of Ben's success and stuck between tours and caring for his father, Ben invited producers to his hometown in an attempt to work on new material, to muted results. 'I just knew that I needed to not do this for a while," he admits of his mental state following his father's passing. 'For me, I just needed to live outside of music."

Now, 5 years after the release of his debut album, Leftwich returned earlier this year with -Tilikum' and now -Mayflies', the first cuts to be shared from the Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Money) produced new album.

Written during those months that saw him at his lowest, the record is a creation that exists between light and dark; one that is delicate yet grand, melancholic yet optimistic, whilst remaining utterly timeless. With a record that is both effortlessly beautiful and hauntingly honest After The Rain is the sound of him finding peace with himself once more.