A short song for the short life of the mayfly
On 13/3/26 singer/songwriter Leo Brazil releases “I May Fly" the final track from his album "Alone".
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"Alone" takes its title to a literal conclusion: entirely written, performed, mixed and documented on video by Leo alone. Leo set out to create something authentic and personal as an act of catharsis and rebirth during the end of a marriage and long running musical project. To give the album a raw live feeling, each song recorded vocals and guitar together with minimal overdubs.
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The artwork was made in collaboration with artist Sophie Corrigan based on Leo's original drawing and features a mayfly, the creature that inspired this song.
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This song dates back to Leo Brazil's old band Birds and Beasts, it was Leo's bandmate Anna who was responsible for the song's short run time. "I presented the song as the start of something to work on and it was Anna who suggested it was actually finished and that the short run-time was a nice nod to the most famous attribute of mayflies - their short lives. I loved this idea but the song never got recorded during the life span of that band."
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The song is very stripped back and full of space. Like all tracks on the Alone album the lead vocal is recorded simultaneously with the acoustic guitar and this track also features Rhodes electric piano and a harmony vocal. Restrained but atmospheric the song has an otherworldly ethereal vibe that suits the subject matter.
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Mayflies actually exist in their larval form on stream beds for a couple of years before they transform in the flying form which lasts for a single day and marks the end of their lives as they mate and begin the whole cycle again for the next generation.
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"Although it is a simple song and only has twenty words it touches on some massive themes, life, death, what happens when we die. Sometimes simplicity can be profound and that is what I was aiming to convey through this song."
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This song is the last to be released from the Alone album and as the last track on the album it marks moving on to new projects whilst also being a lost track from a previous musical era for Leo.
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The full album is available on streaming now and is available on CD as well as a book. The book features all the lyrics for the songs on alone, detailed descriptions of the inspiration and process behind the creation of the album as well as the hand drawn artwork created by Leo Brazil with Sophie Corrigan.
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Recording and filming all the tracks for the album was a massive task but has created a testament to Leo's determination to rediscover himself musically and create an authentic and unfiltered document of this time in his life.
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The release date is 13/3/26 with a pre-save on all major streaming platforms.
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Download images - landscape and portrait, web and print
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Biography in medium, short and ultra short versions
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Press/quotes from Leo Brazil's previous projects:
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"...emotionally raw and beautifully crafted. 'Alone' stands out for its sincerity and the way it captures a complex range of emotions within a concise, impactful song." - Click Roll Boom
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"...a wall of gorgeous sound that will leave you breathless. This thing is a bloody joy." - Local Sound Focus
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"...colourful and joyous...groove filled, thumping and purposeful." - Folk Phenomena
"...like a Wes Anderson animation in sonic form…" - Kitchen Disco Records
"...fascinating music...a cornucopia of genres..." - Nick Hall (Plumhall)