2, the highly anticipated follow up to 1 from Ciaran McFeely (aka Simple Kid), will be released August 7 by Yep Roc Records.

McFeely is widely acknowledged as one of the most exciting and original emerging artists in British popular music. His forthcoming 2 follows the success of 1, which garnered considerable praise from the likes of SPIN, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, and Time Out New York, among others. McFeely's growth as an artist is apparent via the warm response 2 has received from U.K. press. According to Mojo, "Simple Kid comes of age on his second outing, blending scrubby slide guitar, Casio beats and freaky melodies into warped euphoric 21st century folk music."

Thrilled to be releasing Simple Kid's second effort, Yep Roc label head Glenn Dicker says, "We love this record. The man's a genius who writes wonderfully witty and charming pop anthems to which everyone can relate. We're all very excited to be working with him."

McFeely emphasizes a more organic approach to songwriting and production on 2. This contrasts the home-recorded, very cut-and-paste driven artistry that defined his debut album. His signature sound - which, among other elements, incorporates slide guitar, jangly beats and electronic pastiche - is still present but the songs, such as the powerful opener "Lil' King Kong," are largely more concise, linear and folk-informed.

In considering the process behind 2, McFeely says, "I just felt like to do it the same way I did it last time I would only be doing it that way because that's what people expect from me, not because that's really what I wanted for the music."

In addition to his recordings, Simple Kid receives vast praise for his live shows, in which he performs alone armed only with guitar, banjo, laptop, harmonica and a screen for his visuals. Asked to open for Richard Ashcroft early last year he put together a visual show that was an engaging combination of karaoke, computer programs (or his backing band as he likes to refer to it) and a number of surprise showbiz duets. A review in the U.K.'s Guardian summed it up nicely, "He charmed the pants off absolutely everyone."

Dates for his American tour will be announced shortly.

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Watch the video for "Serotonin" off the upcoming album, 2: