Lighthouser is the concoction of James Gales, a jazz-trained pianist whose classical background might not immediately hint at his impressive production skills. With a debut EP on the way under the Lighthouser name, James has already started making waves musically with a couple of well received singles, as well as some striking collaborations alongside established acts Cleopold and Yeo.

The third release from the upcoming EP, ‘This Year’ energetically conveys the feelings associated with the start of the new year. The emotional landscape of the track is all too relatable - Lighthouser seamlessly expressing feelings of hope, anxiety, optimism and pessimism at once, while an eclectric backdrop of fluctuating synths and spluttering beats pulses underneath. Although the playful instrumentation might seem to defy the lyrical themes, James’ vocals make no attempt to hide his concerns, and even at the track’s most exuberant moments, his voice remains tender and subdued.

Speaking about the song,  James says: “I assume I’m not alone in feeling pulled in a bunch of different directions every time I think about New Year’s Resolutions, so I wanted to capture that with a song that gets pulled in two different directions. The sound world had to feel 3D and energetic too - so it took me a long time haha. The year the song was written about eventually became multiple years.”