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Kiran Leonard

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Kiran Leonard
Birth nameJohn Kiran Leonard
Also known asPend Oreille, Akrotiri Poacher, Advol
Born1 September 1995 (1995-09) (age 29)
Saddleworth, Greater Manchester
GenresArt rock, avant-garde music, progressive rock, psychedelic music, electronic music
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, mandolin, drum kit, banjo, bass guitar, piano, organ
Years active2008–present
LabelsHand of Glory, Moshi Moshi, Mute Song
Websitekiranleonardhtmlwebsite5555.co.uk

Kiran Leonard (born John Kiran Leonard) is an English musician, composer and singer-songwriter from Saddleworth, Greater Manchester.[1]

Career

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Leonard was born into a musical family in the countryside of Greater Manchester. He first learned to play mandolin and guitar and then, inspired by his older brother's diverse music collection, began to experiment with composing electronic music.[1]

After a period of prolifically self-releasing experimental music, Leonard's full length album Bowler Hat Soup was released in 2012 on Hand of Glory Records to some acclaim,[2][3][4] receiving notable endorsement from DJ Marc Riley of BBC Radio 6 Music.[5] His subsequent LP Grapefruit (2016), released on Moshi Moshi Records, likewise received critical acclaim.[5][6][7]

Leonard's music notably references a wide variety of literature, historical figures and geographical locations: his 2017 LP Derevaun Seraun documented a collection of pieces commissioned by Manchester Central Library inspired by works by James Joyce, Albert Camus, Henry Miller, Clarice Lispector and Manuel Bandeira,[8] while Grapefruit makes reference to Ondör Gongor, Caiaphas, the Bilderberg Group, Lagavulin and Werner Herzog, Bowler Hat Soup to Friedrich Nietzsche, Brunswick Street, Port Ainé and Bora Bora, Thread Colours (2015) to Franz Kafka and Windermere, and Garden in Bermuda (2016) to Annie Edson Taylor and Coyoacán. He has cited musicians such as Frank Zappa,[9] Richard Dawson,[10] The Mars Volta[11] and Kate Bush[1] as important influences on his music.

Personal life

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Leonard studied Spanish and Portuguese at Wadham College, Oxford University.[1]

Select discography

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Albums

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  • Selected Passive Drones, Part II: Organic Journey (2009)
  • The Big Fish (2011)
  • A Seed is a Sovereign (2012, compilation)
  • The End Times (2012)
  • Oakland Highball EP (2013)
  • Multi-Titled Summer Tour CD (2013)
  • Bowler Hat Soup 2LP (2013)
  • Spring Rounds CD (2014) Collection of live, field and home recordings
  • Terreiro do Paço (2014)
  • Abandoning Noble Goals EP (2015)
  • Grapefruit 2LP (2016)
  • Garden in Bermuda CD (2016) Collection of songs credited to Kiran Leonard as well as his Advol, Pend Oreille and Akrotiri Poacher pseudonyms
  • Derevaun Seraun LP (2017)
  • Monarchs of the Crescent Pail cassette (2017)
  • A Bit of Violence With These Old Engines cassette (2018)
  • Western Culture LP (2018)
  • Trespass On Foot double album, cassette (2021)
  • River Holds Peace, Some Live LP (2023)
  • Real Home LP (2024)

As Pend Oreille

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  • YLA EP (2012)
  • Thread Colours (2015)

As Akrotiri Poacher

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  • Silence Within Buildings (2010)
  • Jane Barbe / Akrotiri Poacher (2011) Split with Jane Barbe
  • Seminary (2012)
  • Motiongazer / Akrotiri Poacher (2014) Split with Motiongazer

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Richards, Sam (1 March 2016). "Kiran Leonard: the art-rocker challenging the indie-lad stereotype". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Kiran Leonard – Bowler Hat Soup". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Bowler Hat Soup - Record Collector Magazine". recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Album Review: Kiran Leonard - Bowler Hat Soup". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Album Review: Kiran Leonard - Grapefruit". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Kiran Leonard - 'Grapefruit' Review - NME". NME. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Kiran Leonard returns with a wildly ambitious, challenging and wonderful second album". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  8. ^ "The Present Stops For The Past To Speak: DiS Meets Kiran Leonard". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  9. ^ "In Conversation: Kiran Leonard". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Kiran Leonard - Interview - Louder Than War". Louder Than War. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Frank Zappa? Kate Bush? Grinderman? Here Are The Bands Kiran Leonard Ripped Off On His 16-Minute Single 'Pink Fruit' - NME". NME. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
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