Today, South East London’s Bad With Phones shares his new track, “Refrigerator,” alongside a mesmerizing visualizer, out now on Don”t Sleep. The Deptford-bred creator, known as Manny to his friends, received instant support for his debut track “Needles” from notable tastemakers like Complex who described it as “such a wonderfully odd introduction” to the artist. In 2020, he released the highly praised single “ON1” which garnered over 1.4M streams on Spotify alone.
Hot on the heels of his greatly-received track “Ghost,” Bad With Phones is back today with his next installment. Opening with a nod to the legend herself, Rihanna, “Refrigerator” is an icy and subdued but sensual single. In Manny’s own words: “I heard the beat and it sounded like an anthem and made me feel like a cold motherfucker hence the title I also recorded it with the mic in my Refrigerator.”
Manny is a man about town. An ex-hacker, photographer, space-enthusiast, and producer, there’s nothing deemed too big or small for him to sink his teeth into. Like many good stories, Bad With Phones’ begins in a small black church.
Manny’s first attraction to music came after being drawn to the bass guitar, which he discovered through his pastor father’s church. He started playing in the church band where he would secretly play secular R&B riffs in the middle of church proceedings for his own amusement, sparking his rebellious counterculture spirit. Inspired by the likes of Bootsy Collins, with vocals that bring Andre 3000 to mind, Bad With Phones found inspiration from black artists who were celebrated for going against the grain.
Attending Westminster University with classmates Michael Kiwanuka and Paolo Nutini, he developed his knowledge, songwriting skills, and musical performance there. A stint in Berlin would later introduce him to the world of psychedelics, which became a source of spirituality and the foundations for his own music. Bad With Phones is signed to Don’t Sleep, a new London-based music venture with the mantra to support creators who are pushing culture forward and Manny’s honest lyrics paired with his warm, intimate style are destined for great things.
