“Sorry for the 4am message, there’s a reason behind it.” An apologetic start to an ambitious project from Manny & The Coloured Sky, sent to Foibles, a Milton Keynes based production duo that couldn’t wait until morning. This was borne of an idea he’d been formulating that evening, gathering label mate The Isle of CC and regular gig partner Lauren Paige, he’d spearhead two singles that showcased their respective talents and branch out into other media. Collaboration has always been the name of the game for Manny and that night he’d struck upon a song about, of all things, his dog Milo. A simple chord progression and the hook “life just ain’t simple” led him to choosing fellow dog owner Lauren Paige to lend her jazz infused vocals for the lead single. One of the key features of “Ain’t Simple” is the lyrical ambiguity. Whilst on the surface, the song can be interpreted as a message to a significant other, the listener is invited to create their own subject. Appealing to those who love, but find it hard to find sense in the other’s actions, the combination of Manny and Lauren’s voices create an almost ironic harmony. Influenced by the beautiful synthesis of James Blake their initial vision was realised through the organic and intuitive production stylings of Foibles. This was designed to keep fans upbeat and pensive through the testing times of 2020 because, as Manny says, “sometimes people worry, and that’s okay”.