The dynamic musical duo of Andy Platts and Shawn Lee return with a brand new single, "Stevie & Sly"
Released today, "Stevie & Sly", the brand-new single from Young Gun Silver Fox—duo Andy Platts and Shawn Lee—transports listeners to a world of sunshine and positive vibes. With a musical and spiritual ethos rooted in escapism, the track is a nostalgic nod to an era when life felt a little less complicated. The first single from their upcoming album, "Stevie & Sly" came together quickly, as the duo worked under tight deadlines following their European tour.
“This was the very first idea we did together at Andy’s just before Christmas,” explains Shawn. “We had to deliver the album by January 31st, so the pressure was on! Musically, it all started with a jam on the Rhodes and bass.” Lyrically, the song—co-written with Conner Reeves—captures the essence of an old soul born out of time, with a chorus that name-drops two musical legends. “Stevie & Sly are two of the GOATs—Sly especially is one of my all-time heroes,” Andy adds.
Click here to listen to "Stevie & Sly".
With their fifth studio album in the works, more details will be announced soon.
Young Gun Silver Fox (YGSF) needs no introduction. With decades of experience and a lifetime of musical accolades between them, Andy Platts and Shawn Lee have solidified their status as masters of modern soul. Andy, a world-renowned composer, singer-songwriter, and guitarist, is best known for fronting British soul sensations Mamas Gun, while Shawn, an esteemed producer and multi-instrumentalist, has become a leading force in the global soul and funk community.
Beyond their own projects, both artists are in high demand as songwriters and producers for major acts. They co-wrote and co-produced the title track for Take That’s chart-topping album This Life and have also contributed songs to James Morrison’s forthcoming release. Andy has been collaborating with rising UK talent MT Jones, shaping his debut album, while Shawn has been traveling the world as a drummer and musical director for the legendary Asha Puthli.
With a rapidly growing U.K. and European following, YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX are starting to make a mark on these shores, having just concluded their largest U.S. tour to date in 2024, supporting the Black Pumas both here and across the pond. Other fans of the band include composer Hans Zimmer and ELO’s Jeff Lynne.
As a band, YGSF is at the peak of their creative powers, refining their signature blend of sun-kissed pop-soul, West Coast AOR, and infectious grooves. With meticulous craftsmanship in both songwriting and production, they channel influences from Steely Dan, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bobby Caldwell, and Paul McCartney, always striving for conciseness and impact. Their journey continues down a musical highway filled with blue skies, timeless melodies, and pure positive energy.
In a world of uncertainty and swift change, it’s no surprise that YGSF’s fanbase has significantly grown over the last few years, when people look for comfort in the familiar sounds of the past. However, it isn’t just the older generation who are buying into the sun-kissed yacht rock sound; there is an ever-growing fanbase amongst the younger generation, which the band have significantly noticed at their live shows.
Yacht Rock provides a glimpse into a world of carefree extravagance, where people spend their days sailing, sipping cocktails, and enjoying good company. An auditory escape into a life a million miles away from the challenges and day-to-day anxiety these younger generations face.
For both participants, the chance to make a new record together is always a liberating experience, as Andy explains; “I always come back to Young Gun Silver Fox like taking a drive to the coast and I just smell the ocean and the air and it’s like ‘wicked I’m back here again’ and I can just kick back and enjoy it.”
“We have a sound and a language that we’ve cultivated that sounds like Young Gun Silver Fox, and these things are great but they can be a double-edged sword because you think ‘well nobody wants to make the same thing over and over’, so you need to find ways to move forward and do something you haven’t done before”, explains Shawn.
The duo’s forthcoming fifth album takes on a different and more personable recording process, after four albums with both musicians laying down ideas in their own studios and sending files back and across via email. Shawn based in London, and Andy in Norfolk, this album saw Shawn travelling to Andy’s studio The Prairie for four days in December 2024, and back again in January 2025. The duo commenced furiously writing and recording ideas from a completely blank slate, with over half of the album's 10 songs birthed from these in-person sessions. This was a real game changer, and evolution of the game for Andy and Shawn.
Shawn and Andy being storied multiinstrumentalists themselves, the only additional musicians on the album are the horn players: Nichol Thomson on trombone and arrangements, Tom Walsh on trumpet, and Graeme Blevins on sax and flute. Andy engineered these sessions, and the album was later mixed and finished at Shawn’s London studio with Pierre Duplan helping engineer and mix it.