Artist spotlight: Bakar

Unbeknown to me, until about 11pm on the night, I went to see Ten Tonnes — an indie artist who happens to be George Ezra’s younger brother — in Leeds last May, which happened to be the same time that Bakar was in the city playing. No regrets about getting to watch Ten Tonnes dazzle at Brudenell Social Club, but I would’ve felt particularly torn about whether to see him instead of Bakar had I been aware in advance…

A brief blurb

Who’s Bakar anyway? Only one of my favourite artists that I’ve discovered in the last year or so. He grew up in Camden and started his career by chopping, splicing and sampling tracks together and posting them online. Since then, he’s done an exceptional job of cultivating a sound that fuses rap, rock and indie, all with his own musical quirks. His lyrics boast a humble honesty with a dash of humility, though some elements are especially raw and emotional.

To me, Bakar is the very definition of ‘all killer, no filler’. He only has one full studio album, ‘Badkid’, and an EP, ‘Will You Be My Yellow?’, under his belt, yet I’m about to struggle to list you just five suggestions of what to hear first. He’s an up-and-coming genius who I hope that I get to finally see live really, really soon. His medley of upbeat tunes and melancholy melodies offers listeners a song for every occasion. Prepare to be under his spell, just like I am.