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Mar 01, 2021 By Dom Gourlay

Leeds based duo Sunflower Thieves have made their new single “Don’t Mind The Weather” available to stream and download prior to its physical release on Friday 19^th March. The latest addition to Leeds based independent label Come Play With Me’s much celebrated and sought after series of limited edition vinyl releases that’s previously featured the likes of Harkin, Team Picture, Treeboy & Arc and Fizzy Blood among others.

“Don’t Mind The Weather” will be released as a split seven inch single (catalogue number CPWM19) with fellow Leeds artist LENU, whose track “Vulnerable” features on the flipside. The single is due for release on March 19th 2021, and is now available to pre-order HERE.

Originally from the East Midlands and made up of songwriters Amy Illingworth and Lily Sturt-Bolshaw, Sunflower Thieves combine rich harmonies and honest lyrics to create their own unique world of ethereal melancholy, influenced by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Fenne Lily. The idea for “Don’t Mind The Weather” was conceived in early 2020, in the comfort of Lily’s home studio, written alongside fellow Leeds artist and friend Mehalah Ray. Originally a simple acoustic composition, the track quickly blossomed, with Lily’s unique production finding an exciting new direction for the song. Sonically the track sits in familiar territory to previous singles “Hide and Seek” and “Heavy Weight”, alongside typically emotive and personal themes in terms of subject matter.

“‘Don’t Mind The Weather’ translates as “don’t worry, this is where you’re grounded and safe” - wanting to make the most of that feeling and stay inside. The picture painted is that no matter how the seasons/weather change, the gravitational pull of the moon / the person you feel safe with, will keep you grounded and safe. We based it on the moon’s relationship with tides, and the idea that it’s easy to get swept away in everything that’s going on, but there’s beauty in that, and the relationship with this person overcomes it all anyway”

The duo (Amy Illingworth and Lily Sturt-Bolshaw) have written and performed together for many years. Since relocating to Leeds, Sunflower Thieves has grown organically from being a predominantly live act into a songwriting and production collective. They’ve hosted remote songwriting sessions throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with a diverse range of both new and established artists including Benjamin Francis Leftwich.

Come Play With Me is a Leeds based development organisation, record label and magazine that first launched as a singles club in 2015. Since its inception the label has supported a huge number of artists from the region as well releasing over 30 releases on vinyl for Leeds artists including the Come Stay With Me compilation released in Summer 2020 to raise funds for contributing artists following Covid-19 related loss of earnings and opportunity. CPWM are also responsible for a number of events including LGBTQ The Music & HERFest. Their releases are funded with the support of Arts Council England Project Grants.

In the meantime, here’s the lyric video for “Don’t Mind The Weather.

https://smarturl.it/CPWM019

https://soundcloud.com/comeplaywith/sunflower-thieves-dont-mind-the-weather

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