#London musician

[lydiaplain]

Every Day ~ this is life 🎶

[chilled-ray]

Daniel Dunlevy’s second album comes six years after the first, which was entitled “But That’s the Thing.” In 2023, Dan describes his naïve debut as having been rife with inflated expectations. Now, he’s a little older, a little wiser, and a touch more cynical.

“Hoping For A Pyramid” is the new album that just hit Spotify on the 10th of February. The name alludes to the lofty goals of youth – and the inevitable disappointments that succeed them.

When Daniel recruited me to create the cover art, he had a vision. He supplied me with a photo of a sculpture that exists in Fort Lauderdale, Florida: The original statue by Daniel Popper is called “Thrive” and depicts the torso and bust of a woman holding her chest cavity open, with ferns hanging inside and moss growing on parts of the outside. Since there are many cracks on the sculpture’s concrete exterior, Dunlevy chose to use this image to represent the album’s theme of imperfection. He asked me to isolate the statue, remove the greenery, and, if possible, portray a beam of light emitting from the chest to represent the honest voice of Dunlevy’s songs.

I used Adobe Photoshop to trace the silhouette and delete the background. The particular photograph we were authorised to use was cropped, so I had to visualise extensions to the left, right and top, and create those additions. I used the clone stamp tool and others to create a lock of hair, the edges of the shoulder and upper arm on the left side (left of the image, which would be the stone woman’s right), and the hand on the other. Hands are notoriously difficult to draw, but in this case, the texture of the stone seemed easier to emulate than flesh. I was quite pleased with what I was able to produce, but then, of course, the next step obscured my handiwork. I found a starburst png that could be manipulated to fit in the space and match the musician’s vision for the projection of light. I separated the sculpture into layers based on depth and placed the partial-opacity lightburst between them; in this way, the side of the chest cavity closest to the viewer would occlude the light source while the beams shot out in front of the other side.

After the core image was edited and approved by Daniel, I used Adobe Illustrator to design several options for the final cover art. Daniel Dunlevy, his band, his manager, and a few close friends were polled on their favourite iterations. The end design for the album cover of “Hoping For A Pyramid” features the meticulously adjusted female statue with split beams of white-gold light erupting from the heart, laid in the foreground over a monochromatic star-riddled galactic sky, with the album title and artist’s name at the top centre and bottom right, respectively.

All of Daniel Dunlevy’s music may be found on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3oOWYKcxsq58mSgVOLLmHh

The best way to contact me, the graphic artist, is by e-mailing rrbranstrom@gmail.com.

[gabigenova]

I’m on the voice Lithuania

Lietuvos balsas diy photoshoot

[53v3nfrn5]

Amy Winehouse passing ice pops to the neighborhood kids outside the window of her North London home (2008) photog. Gareth Cattermole

[legendarytragedynacho]

John Koviak - London After Midnight

[soundrooms]

D A N I D A S E R O | London, UK

Got to love the cords & cables…

[canmking]

J i m i H e n d r i x

[slack-wise]

Punks

[xjustakay]

(9/16) prompt: vision — 1,052 words (fame au pt.3; famous boyfriends pre-their first premiere together - pt.1, pt.2, pt.4, pt.5) @jegulus-microfic

Regulus is sure that Dorcas is pacing impatiently down in his building’s lobby while he finishes examining his reflection. She’s an ‘on time is late and early is on time’ sort of manager and Regulus tests that consistently. Especially since he and James started seeing each other, even more since they’ve gone public.

It’s their first premiere together, two months of their relationship being officially confirmed for the masses under their belt. Even Regulus is sometimes stunted by it still —the outpour of both shock and support that’s come from finally confirming that James is his boyfriend. The Marauders’ tour has been over for months, Regulus wrapped filming his latest project about a week and a half ago. Now, outside of their private time for just the two of them, it’s all various Hollywood events he’s invited to. Except it’s different now, because he gets to have James at his side walking carpets and taking photos.

He adjusts the collar of the white suit jacket his stylist picked out for him. They’ve forgone a shirt underneath and the jacket dips low down his bare chest when it’s left partially open. It leaves the diamond encrusted choker of pieces made to look like bones wrapped around his throat all the more apparent. The styling team had left a little while ago, giving him and James a brief bit of privacy before needing to leave. 

Of course, most of that time thus far has been spent looking in a mirror, making sure he likes how he looks. He’s allowed to be a little vain, it’s practically in his job description. Regulus fluffs up the front of messily styled black curls before finally exiting the penthouse bathroom into the adjoined bedroom.

“Ready?” He asks.

James sits waiting for him at the foot of the bed in an all black crushed velvet suit; a picturesque opposite to the all white of Regulus’ ensemble. There’s a deep burgundy tie undone around his neck, left that way on purpose. A new pair of glasses were offered to him for the night, the squared-off frames the same shade of his silk tie, and they bring out the swirl of warm colors in James’ hazel eyes when he looks up from his phone.

Immediately upon his gaze landing on Regulus, James groans dramatically, like he’s in physical pain. He pinches his eyes shut tightly beneath the furrow of his brow, head slumping backward heavily on his neck.

“God, we have to break up right now. I can’t deal with you looking like this anymore.”

Regulus snorts, a smirk twitching at his lips. “Feels a bit dramatic.”

“I’ll write a song about the split and everything. It’ll be so clever, everyone will know it’s about you without trying. I’ll call it ‘Heartache On the Big Screen.’” James sweeps his hand in the air in example before he looks at him with a faint grin, brows lifted. “Are you seeing the vision? Because I’m seeing the vision.”

“Mm, little cheesy, if you ask me,” Regulus hums, moving nearer to stand in front of him. James’ knees part automatically to make room for him there, hands settling at Regulus’ hips when Regulus tucks a hand beneath his chin to tilt his head backwards. “You’re already thinking up lyrics, aren’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely.” James nods, tilts his head down to kiss at the back of Regulus’ hand in response to the soft laugh he lets out. “How do you feel about ‘a tragic story, starring you and me’ for part of the chorus?”

“I hate you,” Regulus laughs further.

“Just adding to my heartbreak, love, you’re really doing me a favor here.”

“You make it so hard to date you.” It’s the world’s biggest fucking lie and Regulus knows it.

James’ eyes flash triumphantly like he knows it, too. “‘Started out like in the movies, but it ended like a bad dream.’ Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

“You’re so annoying.”

“Mhm, keep it coming.”

Rolling his eyes fondly, Regulus dips down to press a lingering kiss to his lips. James hums contently into it and Regulus can feel his unrelenting smile right against his own mouth. Both of James’ hands glide up beneath the back of his suit jacket, settling on the warm skin at his lower back. 

It’s enough for Regulus to inch back, their lips still brushing as he murmurs, “Don’t fuck up this outfit, baby.”

“I’ll save that for later.” James winks at him.

With a huff of a laugh, Regulus pushes against his shoulders to put a little distance between them. He takes a small step back but holds out one hand expectantly for his boyfriend.

“Car’s waiting downstairs, Dorcas said. We should get to the photo op’s before you make up anymore fake songs.”

“Fake songs,” James scoffs playfully, taking his hand and standing up. “I’m writing it, it’s so real.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Just you wait, Reg. It’s going to be a fan favorite.”

“You’re lucky I like you so much.”

James chuckles behind him as they get to the front door, crowds into Regulus’ back as he presses the needed buttons for the security system. James loops his arms around his waist from behind and hugs around him. A couple kisses at the side of his neck. Another hum right beside his ear that Regulus can hear the smile present in. 

Regulus resists the instinctive urge to tilt back into him, open himself up fully to the physical attention. He can’t afford to go into this premiere looking rumpled or someone (Dorcas) really might kill him.

“I am lucky, you know,” James says softly; so sweet, so full of an adoration that nine months ago might have had Regulus bolting away in seconds.

Instead, now, Regulus turns his head to look at James sideways, affection bright in his own shining eyes. He kisses once at the line of James’ jaw, a second time at his cheek, a third at the corner of his mouth. It’s soft and it’s tender —an isolated moment of knowing that this is real and they’re finally letting themselves have it, have each other.

Then, Regulus jokingly ruins it when he says, “Yeah, you really are.”

James only laughs loudly as he’s tugged by the hand out of the apartment and toward the elevator.

[gaycrashbandicoot]

If anyone is interested in discovering some trans musicians who aren't c*vetown especially if ur into punk/pop punk/emo/indie/queercore/folk punk music then boy do I have the playlist for you!

This is a work in progress playlist I've been making of trans + nonbinary artists :3 only canonically and out trans artists not people who there's speculation about. Ftm, mtf and nonbinary artists included!

There's some popular artists and some less well known ones on there so hope u enjoy!

[soupy-sez]

Nine Inch Nails, London 1999

[lydiaplain]

🖤🖤

[twixnmix]

 Stomu Yamashta photographed by Michael Putland in London, 1975.

[manicpixiedepressedwitch]

fka twigs for british vogue

📸 johnny dufort

[aroundtheking]

WUT!!!

*hearing Around The King's new album*

"Second to None", out now https://aroundtheking.lnk.to/SecondtoNone

[legendarytragedynacho]

John Koviak - London After Midnight - in Propaganda Magazine