London newcomer Ben Narcis announces the upcoming arrival of his self-titled debut EP, set for release November 18th, and shares distinctive second offering ‘First Time’ out today (September 22nd)

Ben Narcis - First Time https://lnk.to/BN-FirstTime

Born in Romania, a country undergoing Revolutionary turmoil, Narcis, the seventh son of his birth parents, was adopted into a British family as a baby. Having spent most of his adult life in London, his songs often reflect a sense of being out of step with the world around him. These feelings of alienation have only been amplified by the city’s unrelenting demands and unignorable inequality. Narcis sings with a glinting grin and razor-sharp vividness, channelling his experiences of living in one of the world’s most revered and reviled places through doomed characters and disastrous situations.

Culled from hundreds of half-written songs in various states, the four EP tracks introduce us to the prolific songwriter’s latest mode of expression. While the echoes of his heroes like Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits are all audible, it’s amalgamated and reconstituted into his new persona, which he pithily describes as a “weird ass croaky preacher fella”.

Having already drawn plaudits from the likes of The Independent and Rough Trade following the release of debut single ‘Appocalypse’, ‘First Time’ finds the singer wallowing in deflated fantasy over a woman, played magnificently by Mags on Earth’s Lana Del Rey-esque hook. The production is balmy, with echoing guitars and light claps subtly turning up the temperature while Narcis explores that first rush of attraction to the unattainable. Over psychedelic synth organ, he trips through spluttering and flustered observations like “You’re like a sculpture by a sculptor that was sculpted by a master, by a visionary poet who can sculpt,” revealing his heart is just as big – if not bigger – than his ego.

Detailing his second EP offering, Narcis explained: “I don’t generally write love songs. When the impulse strikes, I usually freeze up after a line or two. They expose you, make you feel self conscious. Not this time. The thing just flowed like a river. In some ways, perhaps that’s what it’s about: keeping something fragile and beautiful alight in the face of all that seeks to extinguish it.”.

Primed to take his wild and unpredictable project on the road for the first time this autumn, including his own headline show at London’s Peckham Audio, the accomplished songwriter is sure to maximise his arrival in the spotlight, with several additional live dates in the pipeline.

Ben Narcis’ ‘First Time’ is out now and available on all digital platforms.

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Live Dates

12th Oct - Peckham Audio, London