Sydney Minsky Sargeant has swapped the chaos of Working Men’s Club for something altogether more contemplative. The 23-year-old’s debut solo album Lunga drops September 12th, and its latest preview “Summer Song” reveals an artist stepping boldly away from his abrasive indie roots.
Don’t let the bucolic title fool you. Over psychedelic guitars and synths, Syd croons about death walking in his stride. “Come round another time / In another life / And maybe I won’t feel death’s in my stride,” he sings, betraying the darker undercurrents beneath the summery surface.
“It evokes the longing to be taken away from my self and the habits I once had of thinking in certain ways that felt unavoidable,” Syd explains. It’s vintage introspective songwriter territory – think Nick Drake meets Bon Iver with a Yorkshire twist.
The album represents a radical departure for the Todmorden-born musician. Where Working Men’s Club brought shock-laden live performances to Glastonbury stages and earned nods from Atticus Ross and LCD Soundsystem (who handpicked them for recent Brixton Academy shows), Lunga offers something more intimate.
Written over several years starting in his teens, the 12 tracks chronicle Syd’s personal metamorphosis. Co-produced with long-time collaborator Alex Greaves, he plays most instruments himself – remarkable for someone still just 23.
The shift from band dynamics to solo introspection feels like a natural evolution for one of the North West’s most versatile musicians. Lunga promises to reveal the artist behind the chaos – and “Summer Song” suggests it’ll be worth the wait.
Catch Syd’s first solo live dates at Manchester Psych Fest on August 30th and his London debut at Stone Nest on September 16th.
