Lukas Batteau: Dance (for the Dead)

Single release: ‘Dance (for the Dead)’ by Lukas Batteau 
Release date: 23 June 2014
Label: RnR Live
Listen on: Lukas Batteau official site

Melancholy and melodic, unpolished and emphatic: some words to describe the music of the Dutch singer-songwriter Lukas Batteau. He will be launching his first single, ‘Dance (For The Dead)’ on June 23rd in the UK. A very promising upbeat prelude to the album ‘Wasteland’, scheduled for this year.

In this single many characteristics of Lukas Batteau’s music come together. The driving banjo and his distinctive voice cause goose bumps in both the higher and the lower registers. Somewhere towards the end of the song he slows down, to then intensify with a refined final sprint. B-Side ‘Waterside’ similarly enthrals with a dark thumping beat and an overriding fluidity of its namesake.

Lukas Batteau grew up in South Korea, The Netherlands, and America, finding some steadiness in his guitar and voice at fifteen. Inspired by nineties bands like Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, and Radiohead, he took to songwriting. Melodic, melancholy songs, soulful without getting too heavy. In 2008 he released his successful first EP ‘All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go’. In 2012, in collaboration with hometowners Jelte Heringa, Nicky Hustinx, and Merijn van de Wijdeven, a well received second untitled EP.

Since the release of his first EP, Lukas Batteau has performed on many stages, like Paradiso and Melkweg in Amsterdam, Ekko and Tivoli in his home town. He even briefly toured the US, playing at the famous New York club The Livingroom. He has opened for international artists like Tracy Bonham, Gomez and Megafaun.