Algebra Parable / On Platt's Eyot

In an age where everything appears ever more disposable, Zach Thompson’s music has the rare feeling of being called down from the fires of heaven. Born and raised in West Yorkshire, but now based in London, he’s long been making his mark in the burgeoning South-East London folk scene, regularly playing across local venues alongside his fortnightly residency at Skeehans.

Yet it was with the release of debut EP ‘Algebra Parable’ in June that he first began to break beyond the Thames, as audiences across the UK caught a glimpse of a truly enigmatic songwriter, one who almost appeared to arrive fully formed. Recorded live with a nine-piece band over two days at Fish Factory studios in London, it reflected not only Thompson's passion for the dynamics of live sound, but also his distinctive blend of literary and music influences, whether they be the greats of English Modernism or the broadsides of Appalachian folk.

Now, Thompson returns with a new EP, composed of four tracks taken from the same sessions at Fish Factory.
While ‘Algebra Parable’ often found its footing in freewheeling, classic balladery, ‘On Platt’s Eyot’ truly captures the breadth of Thompson’s artistry. Produced by Nye Banfield, it's full of deftly rendered metaphors and almost painterly imagery, calling back to the vibrant poetry at the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s.

However, Thompson’s work also forever stretches such comparisons, moving between intimate folk and freewheeling jazz at a moment's notice. Lead single ‘On Shardeloes Road’ is the perfect example of the former, a rolling, ruminative track whose symbolic lyrics bounce between the universal and the local, resisting any straightforward interpretation. As Thompson himself puts it:

“Shardeloes Road is an unremembered stretch of land populated by a constantly refiguring horde of red-eyed somnambulists measuring their sunflowers, reading their letters of fire in hollow voices, diligently punching holes in the tower of song.”

‘On Shardeloes Road’ is being released on the 17th September via Breakfast Records, with ‘On Platt’s Eyot’ arriving on the 30th October. With a series of support slots planned throughout 2025, and a headline tour in the works for the beginning of 2026, there will be plenty of opportunities in the near future for anyone across the UK to witness one of the country’s best burgeoning folk talents. ‘On Platt’s Eyott’ is also available with ‘Algebra Parable’ on a limited edition 12” vinyl, with pre-orders opening alongside the release of ‘On Shardeloes Road’ on the 17th September.