Belfast’s resident neo-psych maestro Ruairí Richman, aka Lemonade Shoelace, is back with Magnetised, a new five-track EP that crystallises his prismatic craft while leaving plenty of room for hooks and oddball lift-off.

Richman’s sunshine-laced lead single ‘Autopilot Paradise’ had the County Down man’s head dipped in the spotlight earlier than expected, not least when it led to a life-changing support slot with Yungblud in Mexico City. A spot at SXSW in Austin, Texas followed, showing that ears beyond the beaches of Newcastle were tuning in.

In 2023, he released his debut project Do Whatever Makes You Happy, a six-track EP very much living in the world of Innerspeaker/Lonerism-era Tame Impala and the new school of psychedelia. On songs like ‘Hopscotch In The Sky’, though, Richman also embraced his whimsical side, producing something genuinely fun, which can sometimes feel lost in modern indie.

Now, after two years of relative radio silence, Magnetised sees Richman keep the colour, maybe with fewer brushstrokes, but with no fewer earworms. Trust me, you’ll have ‘Turn Yourself Around’ and the accompanying woops buzzing round your head all day. Richman chatted to me about the new developments at Shoelace HQ. Josh Henry

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