Artist description Why you should care about World Leader Pretend? It would be no stretch to consider World Leader Pretend the absolute convergence of youth, talent, and energy in American music today, and a band from which great things will inevitably come. There is something undeniably impressive about a new, emerging rock group who says no to formulas, works outside of trends, denies being anyone’s little protege, and subscribes to purity and expressiveness. Even more impressive is that they do all this at the tender age of twenty years. World Leader Pretend’s upcoming first release Fit For Faded is an achievement in all of these ways. This young rock quartet has managed to create a record that is compelling and intriguing -- not to mention an obvious testament to their extreme musicality and vision. Singer Keith Ferguson tells of headache and heartache, confusion and clarity, bad sex and a schizoid thrust into adulthood. The album’s opener “Panic Button” is unnerving and jagged -- an anxious, disorienting alarm call. “Shape-shifter” is the abrasive confessional of an opportunist, while “Headlights” is a bare, mournful account of lust gone awry. Ferguson, also the main songwriter, successfully composes songs of schizophrenic indecision and helpless observation. That’s not to say that these tunes are all dreadfully serious and hopelessly depressing -- their energy carries a playful element of youthful fun throughout the record, albeit ‘dark’ fun. Although World Leader Pretend hails from New Orleans, they think well beyond geography and genre. The band embarks on a college radio blitzkrieg and a national tour in the coming months, in support for Fit For Faded. In the meantime, they’ve begun work on their follow-up, stretching their conceptual and musical limits. No matter the success of Fit For Faded, it is certainly stands as a sign of immense talent and great things to come from the young foursome, who may very likely be making incredible music for decades to come. “We are a pop band. We are supposed to rely on melody and the conventional. But when we’re in the processes, it all gets fucked up, things rearrange themselves, and the songs explode in all directions. And sometimes pieces of them get in your eyes. Then you’re crying, not because you’re sad -- but because you’ve got sharp pieces of music in your eyes. And we’re sorry about that.”

Music Style Rock

Musical Influences Talking Heads, R.E.M, Scott Walker

Similar Artists Radiohead, Talking Heads, Coldplay

Artist History World Leader Pretend’s drive, ambition, and creative force stems from its founders, Keith Ferguson and Parker Hutchinson. Ferguson, the band’s lead singer and guitar player, writes and arranges the majority of the music. He and Hutchinson, bassist, share song-writing duties, and the duo produces and mixes all of World Leader Pretend’s music, as well. With offerings of rock, pop, and electronica, they create the band’s distinctively catchy sound. Guitarist Will Donaldson adds to the group’s dynamic another unnerving layer of organic guitar that rounds out the band’s edgy sound. Drummer Arthur Mintz is the backbone of the band. His over-the-top attitude combined with his ability to play sharply and with reckless abandonment simultaneously set the tone for World Leader Pretend’s incredible live shows. World Leader Pretend have been together for two years now, and, although the average age of the band is just 21 years, they have made a tremendous impact on the types of music to which college students in New Orleans are now listening. In a town of mostly jam-band fans, World Leader Pretend has carved out its own audience with its self-effacing rock style, and many bands and fans in New Orleans are now beginning to follow suit.

Group Members Keith Ferguson- vocals, guitar, keyboard Parker Hutchinson- bass Will Donaldson- guitar Arthur Mintz- drums

Instruments guitar, keyboard,bass,drums

Albums Fit For Faded

Press Reviews World Leader Pretend’s debut album, Fit for Faded, has already received rave reviews from local music critics. Offbeat Magazine declared it one of New Orleans’ “Albums of the Year.” The predominantly rock album combines many of World Leader Pretend’s diverse musical interests that mesh pleasingly to create a sound that demonstrates that World Leader Pretend is clearly ahead of the learning curve in regards to its peers in the music industry today. On the irony of the contrasting elements in World Leader Pretend’s songs: The songs’ wide variety of instruments, layers, textures and vocal melodies are going in many different directions but at the same time bound together by the band’s central obsession with writing really good pop songs. The very organic drum, guitar, and piano tones should completely clash with the very inorganically simulated samples and synth tones. Contrarily, they mesh beautifully to form a lush sonic foundation that represents all of the intricacies Keith Ferguson intended when writing the songs. In the same vein, the caustic, intimidating desperation exemplified by many of the tracks should completely nullify Ferguson’s often comforting melodies and ever-layered, often-silly vocals. Instead the track and vocals blend to create a very literal sense of what Ferguson and Hutchinson wanted the listener to feel when writing the lyrics.

Location New Orleans, LA - USA

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