Leeds' Come Play With Me have announced a new compilation supporting women, marginalised genders and LGBTQ+ artists

Leeds label / development organisation / 'etc' Come Play With Me have announced a new compilation, 'Side by Side'.

A new project to support women, marginalised genders and LGBTQ+ artists based in Leeds and further afield around the north of England, it follows on from last year’s ‘​Come Stay With Me​’ compilation fundraising for local artists, and their ongoing 7” singles club series.

Featuring a collection of 12 new tracks, artists featured include Bored At My grandma's House, Supriya Nagarajan, Dilettante, Tyron Webster and more.

The first single comes from Jamaal Monarch (pictured) - a hip-hop artist aised in Manchester with Pakistani roots. Off the back of releasing his debut album 'Audio Honey' last December, new track ‘​Love’s A Joke, I’m The Butt Of It​' documents a period than Jamal describes as a "real coming-of-age, turning point moment for me."

"COVID aside, I had just had a birthday, my Gran died, this love was heavy on my mind and heart, and I learned a lot through the whole experience," he explains. "This track is me being able to digest and understand how that love made me feel, how I looked at myself, how I looked at someone else. Also, this track is part of my journey in understanding love as a concept generally, romantically or platonically, and understanding my own worth and value in these situations. I'm really proud of the writing on this song, simply because it helped me digest an experience, learn, and understand my emotions.”

So there we go.

You can check out ‘Love’s A Joke…’, and the full tracklisting for 'Side by Side', below.

Tracklisting: