Little Tealeif is a Kent-based producer and multi-instrumentalist who has just come to our attention thanks to his debut release, coming via indie label Not Saints. Taking inspiration from uncategorisable masters like Mark Ronson and Rick Rubin, it’s a track that’s difficult to pigeon-hole when it comes to genre. It’s called Pedestal People.
By Graeme Smith
Whatever genre you want to place Pedestal People in, you can’t deny its catchiness. Opening with a groovy bass beat and echoing guitar melody that will have you nodding along, it canters nicely into a rapped verse. The vocals are breathy, barely-there but at once omnipresent. Electronic elements add textures to a soundscape that will utterly envelop you.
Yet, through all it all, Pedestal People is a track with heart, speaking of the human condition and its darker elements such as isolation and addiction. Tempering the darkness are bright moments – resilience and self-belief is never far away. It’s a complex emotional story that can only be told through hard-won experience.
Little Tealeif’s real name is Shaun Hinton. Though now settled down in Kent, he’s a bit of a world wanderer. In the past he’s spent time in Paris, France and even found himself far flung in Australia during his 20s. Now 33 years old, he finds himself clean and sober following a past of alcohol and drug abuse.
Pedestal People truly is a stunning debut from him and it feels like he’s the only person that could have created it. In it, Shaun exorcises the demons of his past while channelling cult legends of the music industry to create a sound that is perfectly unique and exciting.
The track is out now via Not Saints, a record label who works particularly with musicians in recovery from addiction. You can give the track a listen below.
And for more thoughtful tracks with a story to tell, be sure to follow our Decomposition playlist on Spotify.