The Shellers - 10 Minutes (Single)
UK duo The Shellers release brooding, dub infused ‘10 Minutes’, further expanding on the intoxicating foundations established in debut single ‘Work No More’.
The track’s atmospheric backdrop is provided by Toddla T (with co-production from Lawaun Bernard), as the haunting instrumentation lends to the emotional destitution of the subject matter. Over a slinking bassline, vocalist Jamal Bucanon details the more difficult aspects of a relationship in which both may be better off parting ways, but instead stay in each other’s lives to in equal measures love and torment one another. There is a clear level of musicianship illustrated by the BIMM alumni, with rolling steel pans and horn lines accentuating the ebb and flow of the song. In its final act, the song erupts into a percussive flurry of breaks and vocal chops, reminding us that The Shellers are as equally suited to the club as they are the night bus home.
Speaking on the song, Jamal says, “The song talks from the perspective of being in the middle of an argument. We are all guilty of thinking we are in the right and the other person is in the wrong when we argue, unable to see the forest from the trees.” Continuing to comment on the often contradictory nature of a lover’s spat, he adds, “The line ‘Kill me 10 minutes at a time, as long as it is you I don’t mind’. Symbolises the moment you step back and realise. That despite the heated arguments in the grand scheme of things you wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. Trials and tribulations come with life and arguments happen to the best of us.”
Having met at London university BIMM during a songwriting class, Jamal and Lawaun decided to do a few studio sessions together which sparked their early beginnings as a duo. Listing Amy Winehouse, Kendrick Lamar and Gorillaz as some of their biggest musical inspirations, the range of this talent mirrors their approach to making music, with no two songs sounding the same. Debut single ‘Work No More’, also co-produced by Toddla T was received well by listeners and publications alike, signalling a prosperous start for the group. Over the last few years the duo have taken time to refine their sound, which they call “a playlist of different music and genres.”