𝙊𝙪𝙧’ 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝘽𝙮 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠’ 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨’ 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙘.
We love pulling back the curtain on the stories and inspirations behind intriguing new releases. It’s always fascinating to hear the personal anecdotes, creative processes, and little-known tales that shaped each track. These insights not only give us a deeper appreciation for the artistry that goes into crafting these musical gems but also create a sense of connection with the artists.
A new transmission from Run Logan Run is always welcome, and their latest EP, LV:HRD (the second instalment of the ‘Prey / LV / Ears’ trilogy), is a left-of-centre, industrial-jazz experiment that sees the project led by Andrew Neil Hayes heading a new direction.
Emerging from Bristol’s restless creative scene, saxophonist Andrew Neil Hayes has rebuilt Run Logan Run into a leaner, sharper unit, teaming up with longtime friends BB.JAMES (vocals) and producer Jonathan Wolf, alongside drummer Ryan Thrupp. The result is a four-track journey that dismantles expectations and rebuilds them into something unpredictable: auto‑tuned saxophone soaring over sub‑frequency vibrations, jagged beats colliding with lush vocals and soaring melodies.
The track‑by‑track guide to LV:HRD opens a door into the band’s evolving sound world. Each song, from the dreamy ‘Without Comma Enough’ to the heavy reverb, screaming feedback, and hypnotic pulse of ‘Skew Yew’, reveals a different layer of Run Logan Run’s new identity. The standout is the closing cut, ‘Wake and Shake’, which is exactly the kind of wake‑up call the title promises. Andrew Neil Hayes’s saxophone collides with weird electronics and psychedelic polyrhythms, creating a sense of weight and propulsion. It pretty much sums up the EP, freaky, untamed, bursting with inovation and we love it!
Without further ado, stream the EP and read Hayes’ exclusive track-by-track guide below.
We built our reputation on the back of intense live shows, but chasing that energy and being able to turn it on and off on demand was taking its toll. I was desperate for time and space to create new sounds, free from the restraint of expectation. From the beginning, Run Logan Run was set up as a vehicle to do #wotevathefukwewanted. Experimentation has always been at the core of my music-making process, and Prey/LV/Ears is the next evolution of this. I was waiting for the opportunity to partner up with BB.JAMES and Jonathan Wolf my entire life. We’ve been lifelong friends, but for various reasons the right moment to collaborate only just materialised. I also roped in Bristol’s busiest drummer, Ryan Thrupp. We spent a lot of time messing about in the studio, making strange noises, chatting shit, having a laugh basically. Trying to shed the pretence of past excursions.
‘LV:HRD’ refers to those fucked up moments in your life where people you love are fatally ill, and all you can do is love them through all the grief and pain and anger. It also touches on the difficult practice of trying to love your enemies. I decided to release the album as 3 EPs because I knew it would be easier to drag myself back into the public’s ears that way, to commit in small steps. I’ve realised I need to make the practical parts of the project as simple as possible, so I can worry about making the creative aspects as deep as I need them to be. A special mention must also go to Adam Barringer of Skew Note, who initially convinced me to get back in the studio and also contributed his amazing graphic design talents to the project.
1. Without Comma Enough
As always, I was trying to expand the creative possibilities of the saxophone, this time using auto-tune and side chains. It was especially pleasing to fuse my saxophone with BB. JAMES’s vocal on this track forming a singular melodic instrument. I borrowed (stole) this technique from Gary Bartz.
2. Skew Yew
Working with Jonathan Wolf pushed me to consider how I can use the studio itself as an instrument. How can I manipulate analog outboard with computer controlled FX sends? What happens if I redline the input on a 1980s digital reverb? How can I wrangle time and space in a way that’s not possible on stage? BB.JAMES added her seductive vocal in one take. ‘Skew Yew’ is dedicated to Adam and his label Skew Note, as a thank you for persuading me to get back to it.
3. Shit Poems
This track was really a joke, but we had a lot of fun in the studio making it and couldn’t resist putting it out.
4. Wake And Shake
Previously, the core of Run Logan Run’s music has always been about the conversation between my saxophone and a drummer. We always wrote together as a duo in the rehearsal room. I thought to myself, okay, it’s just me now, how can I have a conversation with machines? Harmonising my saxophone solo at the end of the track with a second line was particularly joyful. Ryan Thrupp’s drums really finished off the track, grounding it with a heavy polyrhythm.
