We Speak Music
Luke Marzec releases sublime soulful tune ‘Broken Promises’
“Literal blue-eyed soul man Luke Marzec has the type of rich, booming, wise-beyond-its-years voice that’ll make you do a double take.” – KCRW.
“[Luke Marzec is] Our very own answer to Teddy Swims” – Daniel Pascoe, BBC Introducing.
“‘Broken Promises’ is about new beginnings. It’s about jumping on a plane, going to the other side of the world, and starting afresh,” British multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter Luke Marzec explains about his luminous new single which blends raw reflection and hopeful renewal over warm analog textures and plaintive vocals which KCRW highlighted as “rich, booming, wise-beyond-its-years voice that’ll make you do a double take.” The track feels both bright and cathartic and continues to build momentum for Marzec’s debut album, “Something Good Out Of Nothing”, set for release on August 15, 2025 via Swift Half Records. He adds, “And although I know that to confront the issues in your life – to learn from your mistakes and to live a better life – I know that that requires introspection and to work on yourself, and it’s a long and steady road, but there’s another part of me that thinks… Sometimes it might just be your surroundings. Maybe you can get bored. Maybe when you’re bored, you end up not living properly, and you end up making mistakes, and accidentally just being a slightly shitter version of yourself. But, if you live life with adventure… if you do jump on that plane, go to the other side of the world, experience a new place, and get excited by life again; maybe that really could be the catalyst that will get you to be excited about life, to smell the roses, and to take life by the horns, and ultimately become a better you. Life really is an adventure.”
That spirit of emotional honesty and fresh perspective shines on “Broken Promises.” Singing “Broken promises end in pain / Just remember / Don’t repeat the same mistakes time and time again,” Marzec turns personal farewells into a modern hymn about letting go of what no longer serves us and finding the courage to start again. “I could see a couple of lost friends not knowing their way, and leading others astray with them,” he adds. “This is a song about new beginnings, leaving the past behind and looking forward to a better day.”
Arriving hot on the heels of “Space To Be Free” (a slow-burning anthem inspired by economic inequality and the vanishing spaces that make life meaningful), “Broken Promises” shifts focus from systemic forces to personal reckonings. Where “Space To Be Free” imagined collective liberation, “Broken Promises” invites listeners into an intimate story of fractured bonds, painful lessons, and the promise of brighter tomorrows.
Both songs are taken from Marzec’s solo debut, “Something Good Out of Nothing”, which was conceived in two distinct halves: Side A, released digitally earlier this year which explored memory and nostalgia, while Side B leans into themes of resistance and possibility. This unique release strategy allowed each side to stand on its own before coming together in a full-length LP – showcasing Marzec’s signature blend of soul-rooted songwriting, richly layered instrumentation, and experimental production.
Marzec’s music is steeped in contradiction — analog and digital, political and intimate, timeless and modern. His previous singles, including “Growing Up With You” and “I Can’t Get You Out of My Mind,” (which KCRW lauds as “proper, classic sounds comin’ atcha from England’s Wye Valley”) and his work as a collaborator spans a wide range of artists including Maverick Sabre, VC Pines, Jazzanova, and Johannes Brecht on the widely appreciated Voicing Something—remixed by Adriatique.
With a background in classical and jazz training (Royal College of Music, Trinity Conservatoire), and current work as a member of modular synth-jazz trio Lazy H and the Loose Cables, Marzec has built a singular voice that bridges experimental production and soul-rooted songwriting. His jam session series Headroom has become a fixture in London’s underground music scene, showcasing some of the capital’s top electronic and jazz talent.
With “Broken Promises”, Marzec underscores the emotional heart at the center of his work: a belief in music’s power to heal, uplift, and remind us that every ending can be the start of something good.

We Speak Music
Christian Balvig releases gorgeous new album ‘Find And You Will Seek’ in collaboration with Ensemble Hermes.
Acclaimed composer and arranger Christian Balvig is known for his work with an array of artists and bands like Jade, Efterklang, Lowly, When Saints Go Machine and Mew, as well as his work with some of the most acclaimed orchestras like Royal Northern Sinfonia (BBC Proms), The Royal Danish Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, London Contemporary Orchestra, The Danish Radio Broadcast Orchestra and The Norwegian Wind Ensemble.
The cinematic sound on his new album might echo Balvig’s work in the world of film and TV music. Scoring the 2025 Oscar shortlisted short movie ‘Eternal Father’ and the Danish hit series ‘Cry Wolf’ (Ulven Kommer), which has been shown on television in more than 30 countries around the globe, including Channel 4 in the UK. He was also nominated for a Harpa award for ‘Best score’ last year at the Berlinale for ‘The Son and the Moon (Min Arv Bor I Dig)’.
Balvig’s new album, ‘Find And You Will Seek’, backed by Danish string group Ensemble Hermes, grew organically out of this background of experiences and is music that appeals to listeners seeking original, immersive music with space for reflection and contemplation.
‘Find And You Will Seek’ is a collection of chamber works that explore the combination of piano and strings in new ways. Recent single ‘The BirdSuite II – Praesentia’ is part of a 3-part Suite running throughout the record, written and performed on a custom made “Keybird” piano, which is an una-corda (one string pr note) piano that gives a more subtle and intimate sound. On top of it is a lush and emotional string ensemble arrangement with Ensemble Hermes in multiple layers fluctuating in and out of the keybird piano.
Balvig’s second single from the record is ‘What Happened To The World’, an ultra transparent neo-classical inspired piece, with slow melodic structures, a simple chord progression and emotional performance starting with a floating viola solo. It is written from the feeling that the world sometimes goes backwards, and you feel left on the platform wanting to take the train in a different direction.
From film music inspired pieces to experimental chamber music over piano concerto inspired movements, to more neo-classical productions with almost orchestral sounding dubs of strings, ‘Find And You Will Seek’ flows with emotions and lush sound worlds, always with a tangible organic texture.
Find Christian Balvig and Ensemble Hermes on tour in Denmark:
27.5 Ansgars Kirke (Odense)
28.5 Folkegaarden Festival (Aalborg)
29.5 Gnisten (Ry)
30.5 Musikhuset (Aarhus)
1.6 Basement (Copenhagen)

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