Novo Amor

A multi-talented Welsh multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, sound designer, and producer, Novo Amor’s wistful blend of indie pop and folk evokes names like Bon Iver, the Gentle Good, Iron & Wine, and Colorama. After finding almost immediate success with his 2014 debut EP, he expanded his audience with a prolific stream of singles, additional EPs, and collaborations, as well as acclaimed full-length efforts like Birthplace (2018), Cannot Be, Whatsoever (2020), and Antarctican Dream Machine (2022).
Born Ali John Meredith-Lacey in the Welsh town of Llanidloes, he later based himself out of Cardiff, where he took on the moniker Novo Amor, which means “New Love” in Portuguese. Following his independently released 2012 debut single, “So We Drift/Flay,” he found breakout success with his 2014 EP Woodgate, NY, released by the Norwegian label Brilliance Records. He also began an ongoing collaboration with English indie electronic folk artist Ed Tullett, starting with the single “Faux.” An evocative 2015 cover of Guns N' Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” drew attention when it was used in a popular Axe/Lynx advertising campaign, and a handful of well-received singles, including another with Tullett, preceded the May 2017 release of his second EP, Bathing Beach. Heiress, a full-length outing with Tullett, was issued later that November, with Lacey’s solo debut long-player, Birthplace, arriving the following year, this time on the AllPoints label. His penchant for collaboration manifested itself again on a pair of 2019 singles recorded with American singer/songwriter Gia Margaret, with whom he also toured. In mid-2020, Lacey issued the evocative and introspective singles “Opaline” and “Keep Me” in advance of his follow-up solo album, Cannot Be, Whatsoever, which arrived later that November. Two years later, he released Antarctican Dream Machine, an ambient instrumental set inspired a by his journey through Antarctica aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. ~ James Christopher Monger