With a multiplicity of accolades to his name already, having been the vertebrae to releases and studio work belonging to Mary J Blige, Sam Smith, Janelle Monae, Kano, Joey Badass, Emili Sandé, Paloma Faith and Chase & Status (to name only a fraction), stepping out alone to showcase his unfiltered talent couldn’t have come any more naturally for music aficionado House of EL. Championed by Colors, Clash, Complex, Trench, Wonderland, Notion, BBC Radio 1 and 6 music, highly-accomplished writer, producer and jazz musician, House of EL, aka Kieron McIntosh, moves confidently into the release of his second project “When It Rains It Pours”, out now!
A project that not only lands as an illumination of McIntosh’s standout musicality, but a philosophical depth that lies behind the fragrant jazz and soul tones and melodic grooves that have won him so many devout muso fans.
Speaking on the project, House of EL explains;
“This EP is the culmination of expression that derived from music that I’ve been doing on social media, it almost felt like a social experiment and got me thinking more about the social experiment we are currently in. Having made it through as a society, through the first global pandemic in over 100 years I found it interesting how we as people immediately found ways to get back to normal as if nothing happened. WIRIP EP speaks to this interesting duality, I think I discovered so much about myself during that time and we all discovered much – when it all comes down to it, so see the basic human need is for love and connection.”
Initiating the release with single ‘Electric’ (listen) on the 27th January, House of EL quickly resumed his position as favourite amongst tastemakers, with support from Berlin’s finest Colors and a Clash ‘Next Wave’ interview.
‘When It Rains It Pours’ follows in succession to House of EL’s 2022 mixtape ‘BOOK OF EL’, an 11-track fusion of jazz, soul, hip-hop and pop, which saw McIntosh enlist the support of Laura Mvula, Jay Prince, Reuben James, Tom Ford, and Karma Kid to add their individual creativity to the sonic tapestry of House of EL. Still receiving traction around the project, single “Something Special” will be synced in NBC’s ‘The Equalizer’ and Amazon Primes ‘Harlem’ season 2.
House of EL is a music man. Not only being the sole architect of his own sonic output as a highly accomplished multi-instrumentalist (piano, trumpet, guitar, bass, drums), writer, producer and performer, he has worked with some of the biggest music artists in the world with his name attached to some of the biggest tracks of the decade: Paloma Faith, Gavin James, Chase & Status, Kano, Plan B, Joey Badass, Casisdead, Tom Grennan, Maverick Sabre, Becky Hill, Janelle Monae, Ella Henderson, Mary J Blige, Jay Electronica, The Bullitts, Emeli Sande, Freya Ridings, Stef London, Sam Smith, and so many more. His natural aptitude for music and enviable versatility has been widely recognised across the industry for a number of years and lays the foundation for a very successful solo career.
Now focusing on a more particular circle, namely the jazz scene, House of EL is on a journey of brining his own story to the forefront of his musical narrative, meanwhile, showcasing the music he truly loves, with true musicianship at the forefront of his artistry. Such authenticity has gained the recognition of gushing tastemakers, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, 6 Music’s Huey Morgan, Colors, Complex, Clash Magazine, Wonderland, Notion, Trench, Guap and more.
2023 promises to be a big year for House of EL with a slate of releases promised throughout the year.
‘When It Rains It Poors’ is available now via Spotify and all major platforms.
Connect with House of EL
Credits: All photography by Charlie Pryor
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