Alfie Templeman takes us track-by-track through his sun-kissed, soul-soaked sophomore album ‘Radiosoul’ – a triumphant, kaleidoscopic coming-of-age record whose deep grooves and soaring melodies make for a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind experience.

for fans of Harry Styles, Declan McKenna, Jake Wesley Rogers

Stream: “Radiosoul” – Alfie Templeman

Adulthood doesn’t just “happen” overnight.

You don’t wake up one day, and come to find you’re all grown up. Change within us happens slowly, even as the world around us evolves and expands at a rapid clip. Adulthood” has a steep learning curve, meaning often times, we’re fighting to keep up with the changes, adapt to new environments, and understand who we are and how we fit into our surroundings.

It’s a universal truth every twenty-something learns the hard way, and one Alfie Templeman now knows all too well: At twenty, he left his family home in cozy Bedfordshire for the big city, and he’s been navigating young adulthood – and young, indie stardom – in London ever since. The 21-year-old artist captures his own coming-of-age story’s roller-coaster ride in Radiosoul, a sun-kissed, soul-soaked sophomore album built on musical and emotional exploration.

Radiosoul - Alfie Templeman — Radiosoul – Alfie Templeman

I saw your heartbeat through a looking glass
A flowing river from a garden hose
Is there a darkness when you close your eyes?
Is there a thorn between the rose?

I heard a soul sing through the radio
He wore his heart right on his sleeve
Is there some moonlight in your summer sun?
Is there a rose within the leaves?

‘Cause I’ve been running the red lights
like it’s the beginning
And the radio stays on while nobody listens
‘Cause I’ve been running the red lights
like it’s the beginning
And the radio stays on while nobody listens

– “Radiosoul,” Alfie Templeman

Released June 7, 2024 via Chess Club Records, Radiosoul is a radiant, downright dazzling soundtrack to self-discovery, introspection, and open-eyed wonderment. Arriving two years (nearly to the day) after his critically acclaimed debut LP affirmed him as a singular talent and definitive artist-to-watch, Alfie Templeman’s second LP isn’t just a reintroduction; it’s a full-bodied transformation. Growth may not happen overnight, but these past two years have been monumental for the multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and producer – and in eleven youthful, soaring, and spirited, Templeman endeavors to express how far he’s come, and how much has changed for him along the way.

Templeman considers Radiosoul a musical diary all about turning twenty – entering the next decade, a new chapter in his life, and figuring out how to guide himself through all the twists and turns.

“It’s the last couple years of my life condensed into eleven tracks,” he tells Atwood Magazine. “Leaving your teenage years and entering your 20s, moving out of your parents’ house, and maturing as an artist and person.”

“I just wanted to have fun musically, no limitations in terms of where I could go to. I wanted to mix as many different things together and see what happened. It was all about making a colourful, spontaneous record that excited my ears.”

Whereas 2022’s debut album Mellow Moon was a largely self-made endeavor, Radiosoul finds Templeman bringing a who’s who of collaborators into both the recording and production rooms with him. In addition to guest artist features – like Nile Rodgers’ virtuosic performance on the furiously funky, soul-soaked “Just a Dance” – Radiosoul sees Templeman working with such A-level producers as Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C.), Oscar Scheller (Arlo Parks, Charli XCX), Charlie J Perry (Jorja Smith, BTS), Karma Kid, Will Bloomfield, Justin Young, and Josh Scarbrow.

**“I started from scratch when I was recording Radiosoul,” Templeman explains.**

“Mellow Moon was mostly recorded by myself at home in 2020 amidst the pandemic so there wasn’t too much going on, which affected the lyrical content of the record. I think this album goes a lot deeper into lyrics and takes bigger risks musically.”

“Separating myself from most of the production duties on the album meant I could focus more on the songwriting without worrying about limiting myself due to my lack of experience with production. Knowing I had a great team of people behind me to help execute my ideas made my life easier and the songs better. It’s a really good insight to the last couple years of my life both musically and lyrically.”

While the title “radiosoul” is indeed lifted from the album’s stunning opening track, the word (or concept) itself holds deeper meaning for Templeman.

“I was thinking about the novelty of radio and general technology back in the 20th Century, and how grateful people used to be to have absolutely anything like that in their lives,” he says. “Nowadays the world is superficial, and people take everything for granted. So the soul part essentially comes from wanting to be true to yourself and stand out from that.”

**Filled as much with euphoria as with angst, Radiosoul is a complex, irresistibly catchy album.**

Templeman’s music alone is at once captivating and all-consuming; despite the wide net he casts (incorporating elements of everything from indie rock to disco into his songs), the tracklist itself feels cohesive, if not utterly exhilarating. With a smorgasbord of guitars, synths, and plug-ins making for a truly kaleidoscopic, multi-faceted sonic experience, Templeman’s impassioned, expressive voice is the glue binding these eleven tracks together.

And bind them together, he does – masterfully, in fact. Highlights abound from the titular album opener “Radiosoul” – itself a smoldering, achingly emotive seduction – to the record’s dreamy, gently dramatic finale, “Run to Tomorrow,” a step by step guide to calming oneself down from a panic attack.

“To me, ‘Beckham’ is one of the best things I’ve ever written. It’s adventurous and exciting and quite unique in the way it sounds,” Templeman says on the topic of favorites. “I’m also really proud of my production on ‘Vultures.’ Every instrument on it is external, there’s no MIDI. I got into drum machines and synth programming recently, and ‘Vultures’ was one of the first tracks I made out of my experiences with it.”

As a lyricist, Templeman says the songs “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Run to Tomorrow,” and “Beckham” stand out the most. “The lyrics to ‘Beckham’ are quite acidy, it was a ramble that kind of just poured out of me in one go,” he reflects. “‘Run to Tomorrow’ is one big note to self on how to stop an anxiety attack, so it’s a very raw song for me. ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ has some great lines in it. ‘You’re a hologram in a wonderland’ gives off metaverse vibes.”

Obelisks around me
Make it hard to see
Where the bridge is burning
When it started burning me
The circus dance is endin’
All reason left the air
Freezin’ til we’re burnin’
Stomaching your stare

Sutton, Bexley, Tooting, Earlsfield
Streatham, Peckham, David Beckham

**As an experimental pop-leaning record, Radiosoul is far greater than the sum of its parts.**

This collection is vastly more diverse, and special, than any one song alone can possibly express. “Drag” is a frenzied fervor ready to transform any space into an all-out discotheque, and upbeat jams like “Hello Lonely” and “Just a Dance” are as musically creative as they are viscerally alluring, with Templeman pushing himself to his limits as a vocalist while building a breathtakingly colorful world from the ground up.

And while songs themselves are packed with coming-of-age trials and tribulations, Radiosoul is ultimately a fun, endlessly rewarding ride. Taking plenty of musical risks while staying true to himself, Templeman effectively channeled his transition to young adulthood into an invigorating artistic triumph.

“I see Radiosoul as a bridge to what comes next,” Templeman shares. “Hopefully people enjoy the leaps and risks it takes. I want to be an unpredictable artist, as all my favourite musicians are exactly that. So hopefully people enjoy the album for the versatility and experimentation.”

Experience the full record via our below stream, and peek inside Alfie Templeman’s Radiosoul with Atwood Magazine as he takes us track-by-track through the music and lyrics of his sophomore album!

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:: stream/purchase Radiosoul here ::

:: connect with Alfie Templeman here ::

Stream: ‘Radiosoul’ – Alfie Templeman

:: Inside Radiosoul ::

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Radiosoul

The song delves into the profound and sudden impact of social media. People go to great lengths to conceal their imperfections, committing to this growing and burdening illusion. A couple of years ago, it suddenly hit me that people’s ‘Instagram lives’ or ‘twitter lives’ felt superficial, or just trying to be overly funny or stupid. I felt like I’d been sucked in too, and honestly I just wanted to never post again. This song to me just helps to embrace the little imperfections of being human, I wanted it to build up like a big warm hug. It’s okay to get away from your phone for a while and clear up that headache feeling. It’s like a breath of fresh air.

Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut is an amalgamation of ruminations I faced on tour. My brain always seems to be on full volume after a show and I find it really difficult to wind down. The adrenaline used to turn sour pretty quick once you’d get back to your hotel that looked the same as every other hotel. Eyes Wide Shut helped me express those feelings and since we started playing it live I often use it as a reminder to go easy on myself. It deters the burn out. Musically, Eyes was the first song I wrote for my upcoming album. I knew I wanted to make big, weird pop songs. At the time I was rinsing Prince and Talking Heads a lot, lots of crazy staccato synth textures and nutty bass lines.

This Is Just The Beginning

Such an innocent song. I really wanted to make something cute and happy go lucky for the record and this song was the first thing that came to mind. It’s very much that ‘falling in love on the playground’ type of song seeing I wrote it all those years ago. I kinda wanted it to sound like it was in a modern Disney film. The demo from 2017 was super Tame Impala, but I rewrote it in a more Bruno Mars meets Thomas Headon kinda way.

Vultures

This was the last song I made for the album and actually the only track I produced fully by myself. I really worry about the way popular artists explode into fame since the pandemic happened. It’s so intense, so overnight and so rapid. How could anyone ever know what to expect and how to maintain their sanity when every move is being so carefully watched? I think it’s dangerous how the limelight can be so bright it can completely shatter and reshape someone. They sacrifice themselves for the people that lifted them to the top.

Drag

“Drag” is about co-dependency in relationships & friendships and how it can be seen as both a good and a bad thing for people’s mental health. Sometimes relying on others too much can recharge you, but it can drain whoever you were offloading onto. I think a lot of people are conscious of this and try to hold back on dumping their stress onto others but that can also be super dangerous too. I think it’s about finding the right balance. This track focuses more on the idea of someone just completely relying on their truly beloved to get them out of this claustrophobic rut.

Hello Lonely

To me, this song captures those existential thoughts everyone seemed to have during the pandemic (and even post-pandemic) where everyone kinda said ‘So what now? I’ve always had a bit of a dodgy social battery and sometimes struggle with social media and touring as it can require a lot of energy to get on stage 100 times a year and maintain conversation with so many different people. When you have such a different work life compared to home life, silence becomes pretty deafening and very intense. ‘Hello Lonely’ is about coping with those big quiet moments and checking in on your own sanity.

Just a Dance ft. Nile Rodgers

Nobody does rhythm guitar like Nile Rodgers. He contributed just the slickest, grooviest jam ever for this one. I went to Miami to put it together with the man himself and got to learn so much about his process and how he writes hooks that never escape your head. Just a Dance came about thanks in part to Bowie. Nile told me so many incredible stories about musicians he’d either worked with or knew well. We had pretty much all the music ready, it was now a question of “how do we make the whole world sing together?” We got to talking about David’s album ‘Let’s Dance’ and how the title track was seemingly about getting people moving for a while, though underneath it all the song was actually about covering up and burdening your feelings. Just A Dance became a nice, short song full of energy, but one with such a simple message: enjoy the now for a while, everything will be alright. It’s all just a dance.

Submarine

Following my first record, I toured so much in 2022, and at the end of the year I was so tired I just didn’t do anything or go anywhere for awhile. It was like I’d been hit with 7 months worth hangovers in one go. Submarine is, in part, about that: going home and resting. It’s also about my girlfriend Sitara’s love for marine biology, which she tells me about more and more each day as I failed my science GCSE and knew absolutely jack shit about. She kinda brought the pretty, romantic-sounding aspects to it as without it, I just sounded very sad!

Beckham

The chorus of this song is the list of places I was looking to move houses to in London. I moved for the first time in my life summer of ’23, which was really exciting. But the days counting down to moving out really felt like the realest and most dignifying moments of my life. So on one hand, the song is about a whole new chapter that had started around then, while the verses sing about everyday anxiety. That existential dread building in you making the present ever so blurry. It’s one of a few songs on the record where I’m trying to deal with it and make sense of it.

Switch

This one is about how I started taking cold showers. They really help me to calm down and face whatever comes my way when I wake up. That horrible, ugly, dark feeling you feel before and during one can feel like it will never leave your mind but by the end I feel such an incredible sense of relief that changed my life.

Run to Tomorrow

A step by step guide to calming yourself down from a panic attack. When I have wobbles, I have little instructions and reminders I tell myself. Like, no feeling is final. So don’t work yourself up too much about it. There’s a real vulnerability in the vocal takes I did at Dan Carey’s studio (who produced the track) since I was probably in the lowest place I’d ever been when finishing the song. I was aching and everything felt so heavy. I think this song will exist as a reminder that I can climb over the hill of darkness and come out the other side like I just won us the World Cup.

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