Having your music heard in 2026 can mean competing for attention on streaming platforms and social media, where algorithms help determine what listeners discover next.

In response to this, Homerton resident Alexi Shrimpton decided to create a listening station playing his single “Lucky in Love” to London Fields park walkers on weekends.

He connected an iPod to a pair of headphones and built a painted wooden box that could be attached to a lamp post.

“I’m a painter and carpenter for a living. For my branding, I wanted to mix the two,” he told The Citizen.

“I thought it would be a cool idea as I’m not a social media person. I wanted people to just hear my music in the park. I built it and painted it. I just wanted to go back in time with it.”

Removed by rangers

The initiative has proven to be successful and gained him some new listeners and followers, including a dance choreographer who reached out to work with him, but the London Fields park rangers were far from happy.

“I had it there on the weekend, three days running, in one spot. The first place I put it up turned out to be the best place to put it for people to stop and listen and for it not to get taken down.

“And then on a weekday, I put it up in a different spot, where I thought it would have higher traffic. And I went and got coffee, and when I came back, it was already gone.”

The listening station had been removed by park rangers. Shrimpton retrieved it from the park keeper’s office, but the experience has not dented his determination to have his music heard.

A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “Whilst we love the enthusiasm, like in any park, we will remove unauthorised items left without prior notice or permission.”

The spokesperson added that people wishing to organise creative projects in parks could apply via the council’s website or by email, where proposals would be reviewed by the parks management team.

Shrimpton hopes to continue setting up the station in good weather and eventually create “six or seven” to accompany future releases.

Record shop nostalgia

The listening station is part of Shrimpton’s effort to push back against the growth of AI in music promotion and connect with listeners more authentically – an outlook that also feeds into his music.

“Back in the day, I’d go to HMV or Our Price – people may not even remember – I used to go to the shop and listen. I loved that.”

He sees the listening station as a way of recreating that experience: stumbling across music in the real world rather than having it recommended by an algorithm.

“The irony of the whole situation is I am trying to do analogue promotion out in the world, and then I’m putting it on social media.”

An introspective new single

That tension between outward presentation and inner experience also runs through his latest release, “Worms”, which comes out on Friday 30 October.

“The new song is quite an introspective song. It’s me just talking about mental health struggles,” he said.

He describes the track as an expression of the “cognitive dissonance” he experiences, pairing an upbeat backing track with more reflective lyrics.

Punk roots

This run of singles marks a transformative moment in his life, following a break from music after a long career in various bands, including a stint as a session musician with ’70s post-punk band The Pop Group.

Asked what the band might make of the pressure on modern musicians to promote themselves on platforms such as TikTok, he said: “It’s the sort of thing that would make them sick.

“They just wouldn’t do it. They have an old punk philosophy, and they would never do that.”

After years of personal and professional ups and downs, Shrimpton hopes to make music his main source of income, leaving his decorating work behind.

“I would love to make a living off my music. For me, huge success is just not having to be a decorator anymore.”

For now, he hopes to build an audience gradually, with further releases planned once a month.

“Hopefully by next spring, I will have a decent enough following to make the listening station just a cute little side note.”

“Worms” is released today, Friday 30 October, with an EP to follow next autumn.

He plays Paper Dress Vintage on 10 February 2027.