Raf Rundell

After years of working behind the scenes of the U.K. music industry, Raf Rundell eventually stepped out of the shadows, bringing with him a unique blend of disco, soul, funk, and indie. Born in 1974 in Stoke Newington, London it wasn’t long before Rundell started a career in music. At 18 years old, he landed his first job at a record label, where he would eventually go on to become press officer. He spent over a decade working in this role before meeting Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) at a Greco-Roman Soundsystem party. Alongside Goddard and Joe Mount (Metronomy), Rundell proposed a musical trio, the 3 Bears, even going so far as recording some rough demos. However, in 2008 the label he was working for succumbed to the credit crunch, leaving Rundell unemployed. With his newfound free time, Rundell pursued the Bears project with renewed vigor; due to the increasing success of Metronomy, Mount could no longer commit to the group, leaving them with just two members and a new name: 2 Bears. They released their debut album, 2012′s Be Strong, and a sophomore record, 2014′s The Night Is Young, through Southern Fried Records. In 2016, Rundell recorded and released a solo mini-album, The Adventures of Selfie Boy, Pt. 1, through the relaunched iteration of 1965 Records. After two years of touring the record, and playing shows as part of 2 Bears — including a residency at London nightclub XOYO — Rundell returned to the studio. He emerged in 2018 with his debut full-length, Stop Lying, which veered further toward the indie and funk elements found on his first record. ~ Liam Martin