Electric drone pop from North London.
“World-weary yet innocent, blissful dreampop” – Uncut
“A sensory deprivation tank of experimental sometimes-pop” – Concrete Islands
“Like experiencing The Clientele’s ghostly pastoral elegies warped through the drone melodies of Stereolab" – PopLib
"A melancholy wonder" – The Guardian
"Fascinating, bold and experimental drone-pop" – Louder Than War
“Music for a rainy Tuesday afternoon of the soul” – Pete Paphides
The Leaf Library are a north London band playing melodic dream-like music built on layers of chiming guitars, pulsing electronics, noise and looping drones. They have released three studio albums (Daylight Versions, About Minerals and The World Is A Bell), a collaborative LP with Japanese artist Teruyuki Kurihara (Melody Tomb), and a recent double LP of rarities and compilation tracks (Library Music: Volume One).
The band formed in the mid 2000s around singer Kate Gibson and ex-Saloon guitarist Matt Ashton and has settled into the core line up that includes drummer Lewis Young and bassist Gareth Jones.
On their studio albums the band have collaborated with musicians as diverse as Alasdair MacLean of The Clientele, singer Ed Dowie, noise group Far Rainbow and string collective Iskra Strings, and have provided music for a number of exhibitions, films and performances. Over the last few years they have released five Monument CDRs; an on-going series of experimental solo and side projects on their Objects Forever imprint (which also features releases by Michael Tanner, Melinda Bronstein and Anrimeal, amongst others).
In their live shows the carefully constructed and occasionally delicate sound world of their albums is replaced by an occasionally noisier and more intense experience, helped by the addition of an ever-evolving collective of musicians including the aforementioned Melinda Bronstein, saxophonist Daniel Fordham, flugelhorn player Laura Copsey and Mike Cranny (both of fellow drone pop travellers Firestations).
Associated Leaf Library bands include Beneather (drummer Lewis Young) Sea Glass (guitarist Matt Ashton, Melinda Bronstein and Firestations guitarist Mike Cranny), The Nameless Book (guitarist SJ Nelson), Wintergreen (bassist Gareth Jones), Rushes and Steven Adams & The French Drops (both saxophonist Daniel Fordham), Melinda Bronstein solo and Basic Design (Matt again).
