Bobby Alu brings ALL the island vibes on ridiculously catchy new single, 'Keep It Tropical'
Bobby Alu brings ALL his signature tropical soul flare on his latest single, ‘Keep It Tropical’, the four single and final glimpse into Alu’s fourth studio album, ‘Keep It Tropical’ which is out on May 3rd.
The track takes you to a place where you have your favourite drink in hand, sipping as the sun sets on a balmy evening that’s laden with the promise of adventure.
The track is driven by a blissful saxophone, peppy percussion and Alu's smooth vocals, the track is a reminder to not get bogged down and look at the bigger picture to know you exactly where you should be: A new day comes / the old day went / holding on for as long as we can.
‘Keep It Tropical’ feels like the kind of song Michael Jackson could have explored had he went through an island music phase. Insanely infectious rhythms layering up and filling the air, but not making it thick, and that includes the cheeky drum machine sample. The bass line, in its sparseness, pushes harder, which allows the guitars to interact playfully, and those horns to really command your attention. All this laying palm tree roots, musically speaking, for Bobby Alu’s surround and caress like an island breeze. It’s the type of track to make your shoulders shimmy, and even those with the tensest of cores to loosen up. Ridiculously smooth, and grin inducing.
Bobby Alu dives further into the meaning behind ‘Keep It Tropical’.
"Artists are sensitive. It’s like you open your pores to get everything you can to be inspired and create. Exposed and vulnerable is the best way to get the art flowing. The problem is that it’s hard to turn that sensitivity off to deal with ordinary life. In a world where comparing is at the forefront of culture, I have lots of conversations with artists where all hope is lost. The sensitivity gets to the best of us. I get these low feels too. This song is encouragement to zoom out from my situation. Look at it from far away and to realise that I’m doing alright," said Alu.
Bobby is currently halfway through a Breakfast Shirts regional cafe tour where he'll be slinging songs and eating his way through regional Australia with all star cafe reviewing internet personality Breakfast Shirts throughout March and April.
Join Bobby in band format in a release weekend celebration for his fourth album Keep It Tropical, with very special guests: ARIA-award winning world/roots/jazz mates The Vampires (SYD). They will be playing a show at Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane on 4 May and a free entry show at the Brunswick Hotel on 5 May.
This will be a rare opportunity to see Bobby in 2024 before he hits the road in the northern hemisphere for most of the year, including an extensive support run in North America with Xavier Rudd.
Bobby had a 2023 of epic proportions, touring relentlessly across the world, including industry showcases at Folk Alliance in the US and Reeperbahn in Germany. The Sunsets (With You) tour saw Bobby perform his first headline tours in the US and Europe. He performed at Bluesfest 2023, and was signed to international booking agents including Madison House (North America), Rola Music (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), and Fibra Entertainment (Brazil). Previously supported John Butler Trio and Trevor Hall.
His previous studio album Flow was nominated as AIR's Best Blues & Roots album 2020, debuted at #1 in the AIR Independent Labels Chart, and was named Double J Feature album. Bobby's warmth and positivity has generated legions of loyal fans, with 500,000 Spotify monthly listeners, and regular support on ABC and Double J.
‘Keep It Tropical’, the single, is out now on all streaming platforms, while ‘Keep It Tropical’, the album arrives on Mar 3rd. You can still catch Bobby Alu on the Breakfast Shirts Tour, with dates throughout the rest of April in NSW and QLD.
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