Laundromat is the moniker of the prodigious Brighton-based artist: Toby Hayes. It’s been a project a long time in the making, with Hayes saying it’s taken “years” to reach fruition. A musician who has earned his stripes in the DIY scene (a former member of cult band Meet Me In St Louis, no less), Hayes draws from a broad range of influences including Kim Deal, Broadcast, Jaki Liebezeit, Jason Albertini, Madlib and Gonjasufi, while also citing film as a huge source of intrigue: “I find a lot of inspiration in film – Repo Man (1984), Deep End (1970), Punch-drunk Love (2002), and Alice in the Cities (1974) in particular.”
With three EPs under his belt: Red, Blue and Green, Laundromat writes lyrics with a candid honesty which blend effortlessly with his talents as a producer and songwriter. Laundromat has received support from the likes of Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley, DIY, Dork and many more – with Dork in particular keen to highlight how he “reviews relationships and mental health with a gripping feeling of catharsis.”