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Baby Dave announces debut album ‘Monkey Brain’ and shares new single ’29’

The Slaves frontman will drop his full solo project 'Monkey Brain' in April

By Charlotte Krol

Baby Dave aka Slaves frontman Isaac Holman sits on a bus
Baby Dave aka Slaves frontman Isaac Holman. (Picture: Harvey Williams-Fairley)

Baby Dave, the solo project of Slaves’ Isaac Holman, has announced his debut album ‘Monkey Brain’ and released a new single called ’29’.

Holman’s album is released independently on April 22 and features contributions from Blur/Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn.

Today (March 25) Baby Dave has shared new song ’29’, which was composed on a bus after he challenged himself to write a song over the journey’s duration.

“There really isn’t much of a story behind this tune, but that’s kind of the whole point,” Holman explained in a statement. “It’s about an uneventful bus journey from Brighton to Tunbridge Wells with my mate Lucy. I had my laptop with me and I decided to challenge myself to make a tune on the journey. This is that tune, about that journey.”

Of his forthcoming album, he added: “‘Monkey Brain’ is collection of tunes written from shortly after a debilitating mental breakdown at the start of 2019, up until now. Around half of the tunes on the record co-produced by Damon Albarn who also plays various instruments throughout. I don’t know where this project would be if it wasn’t for him and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him and observe his wizardry. It was a proper game changer for me.

“Thank you for your patience, it shouldn’t have taken this long but ongoing issues with my mental health have made putting this record together incredibly challenging. Here we are though, we got there in the end. Can’t wait for you lot to hear it.”

You can see the album artwork below:

‘Monkey Brain’ artwork. (Picture: Press)

Baby Dave plays a handful of live dates next month – see below:

APRIL 2022
22 – Tunbridge Wells, The Forum (sold out)
23 – London, DIY Alive festival 

Last year the Slaves frontman shared the first taste of his solo material, ‘Too Shy For Tennis’, which was also created with assistance from Albarn.

Meanwhile, Holman’s bandmate Laurie Vincent released another single from his side project called LARRY PINK THE HUMAN in 2021. Vincent, who is joined by Jolyon Thomas for the project, shared ‘NO WRONG NO RIGHT’ last May.

Slaves released their EP ‘The Velvet Ditch’ in 2019. The four-song collection followed on from the group’s third studio album, ‘Acts Of Fear And Love’, which dropped in 2018.