Lion The Weak

"Exeter solo musician and producer Jack Shepherd, a.k.a. Lion the Weak, blends the erratic pop of Fixers with the simmering chant of alt-pop bands like Among Brothers all on his lonesome. In an act of ultimate DIY, Lion the Weak is born out of Shepher’s bedroom and mixed on his computer. A handful of friends are recruited to bulk out his live performance, but really I don’t see the need. This kind of music fairs equally well as an acoustic set, transforming layered sonic goodness to slumbering beauty and pick choice. Revelling in repetition, exploding with electronics and, occasionally, forging a new genre out of all the indies, it’s no wonder his first set of demos have already gained him accolades across the internet." - Drunken Werewolf

"Lion The Weak is the musical brain child of Jack Shepherd. The project started as an electro idea but has subsequently evolved into the jangly rush of guitar it is today, with Jack playing and producing everything himself. Based in Exeter, Jack has recently started playing live, using a couple of friends to help bring his sun-swathed compositions to fruition." - A Negative Narrative

"Erratic, jaunty pop always will always have a place here at Walrus Towers, and when the whole sound is created by one man, in this case Jack Shepherd, a.k.a. Lion the Weak, then it is all the more impressive. Shepherd may grab a few friends to help him avoid the loneliness of solo live performances, but whether heard live or just the songs originally recorded in his bedroom it is the variation of styles and influences that stand out. Take Me Away is full of danceable rhythms and jaunty grooves, whilst Marble is an upbeat lullaby, and Take It All is full of the swagger for the start of a night." - The Blue Walrus

"Jack Shepherd is the one man behind the project as he handles the vocals, instrumentation, and production, but you would never guess that from listening. Everything is so well textured, and put together, and than when you factor in the layered melodies and the soaring hooks, the songs become even more impressive. It’s really hard to hand pick songs to recommend, because everyone of the 8 tracks he has released so far on the Midnight and I Remember EP each offer so much honesty and emotion, without ever losing the needed energy. I get a very Ellery Roberts sound from the vocals, without having the unfortunate quality of sounding like a gravel pit. The fact that Lion the Weak only has 73 fans on Facebook is ludicrous and we can only hope that this spectacular music will find it’s deserved audience soon. Our 3 standout tracks have to be the jangly, but bittersweet “Marble”, the surprising synth-induced “Take Me Away”, and the heavily heartbreaking number, “Midnight”. - Handclap Movement

Midnight might be shaped like you’d expect – slow start, big finish – but it takes a route from A to B that is genuinely pleasing, affecting and worthwhile. Wu Lyf’s huge failing was that, after a cleverly-won barrage of hype, their songs were just not interesting enough: the album was one-speed and had far too few ideas to make it a worthwhile listen. I would carefully suggest that Lion The Weak have already achieved something Wu Lyf haven’t: variety of sound and ideas a-plenty. Ones to watch." - A New Band a Day