PRESAVE LINK

"Sometimes the lines between my own experiences and what originally inspired a song become quite blurred and that's the way I like it" Leo says. "Although a sizeable proportion of my songs have a strong influence from my curiosity and appreciation of the natural world, I think they are a way of acknowledging things I struggle to articulate about myself directly. I write about animals but I use that as a way of processing my own life too." 

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The song came about on a camping trip. Leo always takes a guitar with him when he travels, but don't expect the usual campfire fare. "I was a couple of weeks into the joint decision to separate from my wife and bandmate, and was thankful for a group of friends who invited me to spend a few days out in nature. The initial spark for the song came from a conversation with a friend who was saying they really struggled to like slugs and snails. I think this connected with the way I was feeling at the time and I scribbled down some words from the snail's perspective about feeling unloved but finding strength on their own. This connected with some sleepy-sounding fingerpicked patterns and wistful melody ideas."

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When he got home and started researching the lives of gastropods Leo hit upon the title of Sleep For Years. "This is one of snails' many amazing abilities, and the idea of being able to doze through hard times and wake up when conditions were better was an appealing prospect."

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The song weaves through delicate verses and a heartfelt chorus before changing key for a rousing coda. Featuring a 1960s rubber bridged guitar, electric violin ensemble and rhodes electric piano the song explores the lo-fi aesthetic Leo has employed for this album, representing an artist rediscovering themselves and using music as a beautiful way to navigate life's trials and tribulations.