After Three extremely successful single launches, Finnian has released his new single ‘Fly’ taken off his debut album ‘Under The Influence’ which will be released on July 24th. Growing up in Dundalk, Ireland, Finnian has carefully nurtured his songwriting to the point where he is now being lauded by his peers as one of the most exciting talents in the country.
Saturated in bluesy swag and jazz elements ‘Fly’ is a bright number steeped in the sleek and engaging songwriting of Finnian. The song is anchored by the jazz piano refrains while elements of blues rock and retro soul adorn the track in lush tones. With banjo twangs between a foot moving rhythm, jaunty organ and warm guitar the track has a strutting sass all of its own. Finnian’s clever turn of phrase and passionate songwriting are at the forefront of his powerful, intricate musicianship. This is best shown when the listener admires the song as a whole – the instrumental backdrop flourishes behind Finnian’s rasped vocals giving the track a fluctuant and kinetic texture that is vibrant and uplifting without becoming overpowering.His beginnings as a folk based songwriter have now truly evolved and this song is a fine display of Finnian mastering his craft.
Irish pop/rock singer-songwriter Fly the Nest is set to release his new single, ‘Borrowed Time’ on July 24th.Dublin native Fly the Nest (Stephen Cooper) started playing music at a young age, performing in various bands. Last year he started solo project Fly the Nest, under which he writes and releases his own music. Stephen also writes for sync, and says that writing for film and TV has opened up another facet of his creativity. The name Fly the Nest came from travelling and moving on from a previous musical journey to the one he’s currently on.
‘Borrowed Time’ is filled with lush instrumental surprises as Fly the Nest crafts an anthemic rock track laced in heartfelt passion. From warm string laments to triumphant brass the song drifts through a majestic arrangement with ease. Cooper allows the track to unfold beautifully. The anthemic rock remains at the forefront creating emotive tones through dusty drum beats and steady guitar strums however its the brass that lifts the song into an adrenaline induced state of jubilation.
The song is a journey through someone’s life and finding their purpose. The lyrics talk about giving life everything you have while you are on this earth, appreciating what you have, and embracing every opportunity. Coopers emotive rasped vocals portray this message perfectly while powerful progressions and a catchy pop-rock melody ensures the track will stay in your head all day. ‘Borrowed Time’ is well paced with Cooper taking his song writing to new heights – looking outside the box to bring a track that is sweet, sincere and bursting with cinematic energy.
I caught up with The Coronas frontman Danny O’Reilly to talk about their new album ‘True Love Waits’ which is set for release on July 31st. We talked about the new direction of the album, its intricate production, and missing the buzz of live shows as well as his collaboration with Gabrielle Aplin,the pressures of previous success and much more.
A quartet for 13 years, last summer The Coronas became a trio when guitarist Dave McPhillips unexpectedly left. Briefly they questioned whether to continue but, once the shock had subsided, something dawned on the Dubliners. If they weren’t the band they used to be, why make music as they always had? – the result is The Coronas’ new album ‘True Love Waits’. The album is set for release on July 31st and Danny is eager to let fans hear the album and see what they think.
“ Yeah absolutely I mean we finished the album in January, early February we signed off on everything and we are really proud of it. We have released four or five songs off it already and it’s getting a great reaction so yeah we are really excited about getting it out. Initially with the lockdown we postponed the release just by a couple of months then we weren’t sure when gigs were going to come back and as we saw that they weren’t going to come back any time soon we said alright there is no point in delaying it any longer, lets just put it out there. I think there’s an appetite there for new music and we can see a serious engagement from our followers online so it felt right to get it out and then we will wait for gigs to come back, hopefully it won’t take too long.”
The band have taken a different approach with this album.They have some brass and a lot more keys and sonically the album takes a cleaner less band heavy approach.This was a natural evolution for the band as they experimented with what their sound is without their guitarist Dave McPhillips who left last year.
“Yeah it’s sort of organic for us usually we tend not to talk about those things too much we let the songs lead us and if it suits the song to be a bit more guitar -y or if it suits the song to be a bit more synth- y we will try and do it that way but it was really working with our producer George Murphy in London. We had worked with him before and he’s brilliant he knows the band he knows our strengths and when we sent him the bunch of demos the reply he had to each song was so bang on.We were just getting excited at his email, I forwarded on his email to our bass player, I was like George listened to the demos, look what he has to say in each song and it was just crazy how much he was in our heads. We had the same ideas even though I had just sent the demos I didn’t really say anything about them, his comments on them and where we should go with them was exactly what we were thinking so straight away we knew it was good.
We did work with two other producers as well Rob Kirwan in LA for the first batch of songs. Rob was brilliant as well, but it just made more sense to us financially as well as everything- we couldn’t get back to LA to finish it off and George was great and then we worked with a great Irish producer called Cormac Butler as well and then George sort of put the whole thing together and again we didn’t overthink it. We wanted it to sound cohesive we wanted it to sound like one piece of music and I think with Dave leaving last year as well that sort of led us to evolve without even trying too hard.We knew the album was going to sound different with a guitar player leaving who always had a good input in the songs so in a way that sort of took the pressure off. We could just follow our instincts and try and do what we thought was best for each song.”
The album still has the massive choruses, melodic hooks and passion that The Coronas are known for however the backdrop is tighter, perhaps more refreshing as the band grow their sound, softening the guitar and rhythm driven backdrops we have come to know from them and opting for a more spacious, relaxed and well paced sound. For instance in ‘Haunted’ there is a light beat and delicate electronic element between the soft keys and sweet desert rock guitar melody. But the band don’t belt out all these elements together; they take each part and allow it to flourish and grow at a steady pace to create a wonderful and expressive atmosphere in a delicate and subtle way. I wondered if this was what the songs and songwriting warranted or something they actively tried to achieve in the studio.
“ I think it was a bit of both. We definitely had ideas from even the initial demos and for the first time we actually ended up keeping some of our demos and some of the sounds on the demos because often when you write a song it has a little magic and if you try and change it and redo it you can almost make it worse. I think when Dave left the band last summer I opened out my song writing to loads of different friends as opposed to taking on the burden of just being the main writer myself. I started writing with different friends of mine and opening out some of my ideas and I think that all came into play as well and the songs started taking different shapes.You’re right though these subtle sounds and stuff, again we didn’t spend forever it was organic in the studio and thankfully we were all on the same page.”
Title track ‘True Love Waits’ is the first song on the album. The track epitomises the theme The Coronas wanted to portray.
“I think we knew it was going to be the first track on the album and Knoxy our bass player suggested it as the name for the album even though that’s probably the only I’d say love song on the album but it has a bit of positivity. A lot of my lyrics I think thematically on the album are sort of about self improvements and the journey, trying to get somewhere, trying to be the best person you can be, the best brother you can be the best band mate you can be and a lot of the lyrics have that sort of thing.I think ‘True Love Waits’ had that as well. In a way it’s like you’re trying to get somewhere and you’re being optimistic that you will get there and it will all work out in the end sort of thing and it seemed to be a nice little phrase to encapsulate the mood of the album in a way. “
‘Lost in The Thick Of It’ is one of the album’s highlights, a beautiful duet with Gabrielle Aplin, written in Brighton with Gabrielle and her partner Alfie Hudson-Taylor. I wondered how that collaboration came about.
“ Gabrielle is a friend of ours so I literally went over to stay in her house in Brighton. Her and her partner Alfie Hudson-Taylor invited me over just to hang out last summer. We have sang with them before but we have never actually sat down, well I’ve written with the Hudson Taylor lads before but myself, Gabrielle and Alfie have never written together.
We didn’t put too much pressure on it we went just to hang out, chill and then we took the guitars out in the afternoon and ‘Lost in The Thick Of It’ came so easily and that’s how it happens, it’s a good sign I suppose when the good songs come quicker. Straight away I was really excited about it and it was just one of those natural things.We worked out the chords and the little piano riff and I brought it to the guys and Gabrielle is such a talented melody writer as well and she straight away started singing the chorus and I was like ‘oh my God this is great!’ It came together very easy. I did a good bit of work on the lyrics afterwards and based the lyrics around the sort of sounds Gabrielle had been making in the original demo which was her just sort of mumbling words that didn’t really say anything but I was hearing little lines come out of them.
Often that’s how I write lyrics. When I’m writing melodies myself I just mumble words that sort of fit around it and then all of a sudden, oh thats a line!, maybe the song is about that and it will sort of lead me in that direction.That’s the way it came together it was great and we are so happy to have her feature on the album as well because initially we were just writing the song as a co-write and I was writing for Coronas stuff but then it sounded so good with her voice we were like you have to sing on this and thankfully she did and hopefully we will get to do it together live sometime.”
It can be important for artists to collaborate with other artists, to bring diversity to their writing style or sound and Danny really enjoys the opportunity to see what other artists bring to his songs.
“I think it is great, you know in general the Irish music scene is very strong and I’ve definitely seen it grow and the support that is there is amazing. When we started out I didn’t do many co-writes at all. I used to write all the songs myself. It’s only in the last couple of years really. I think co-writing can be difficult. It’s such a personal thing there is a lot of ego involved.
I think collaborations in general are great and we had lots of people playing on our album. We had Larry Kaye from All Tvvins who played guitar, Dave our old guitar player played some guitar as well, Cian (MacSweeny) from True Tides played some guitar and did some backing vocals and my sister Róisin did some backing vocals and we just sort of opened it out and had lots of different people involved.
That was just good for us after Dave left as well. It just made sense to open up the family a little bit as opposed to ok just the three of us are going to be here doing it. I think if it’s beneficial for everyone it’s only a good thing but co-writing can be a tricky thing and I’ve only gotten a bit more comfortable with it in the last few years.
Also the other thing I find about co-writing is when you write a good idea if your messing around yourself and you write something yourself you want to finish that song straight away and then the little bits that you bring to a writing session usually are the leftover ones that didn’t excite you as much but what I’ve tried to do in the last couple of years is when I write something that I think is really good I’ll sort of bank it and not finish it off myself and bring it to friends of mine so everyone is excited about it and they are like ‘oh that’s really cool’ and then we start from scratch with that sort of enthusiasm.
That’s what I did with ‘Lost in The Thick Of It’ and with a lot of the songs on the album even ‘Light Me Up’ our new single. I had the chorus written and I brought it to Cian and he was like ‘ah the chorus is cool man’ and we just started working on it. So I think not using up your good nuggets is important if you’re co-writing with people and also writing with talented people that you are comfortable with, as I say, we are lucky that we know a lot of them.”
The Coronas have had quite the career, their thirteen-year journey has definitely been unique with a handful of multi-platinum selling albums and a huge fan base in Ireland and abroad. However the bands previous success does not weigh heavy on Danny. He doesn’t feel pressure to match his previous work
“ I think the longer we do it the more I appreciate that it is actually something to be proud of that we have been together for so long. When we first came on the scene we were a young student band getting loads of radio play and there was a slightly older generation like the Frames and BellX1 and stuff that I loved you know, Republic of Loose and we were the new kids on the block. Now I feel we are at that stage and there is a whole new wave of bands coming through you know the likes of Picture This, Wild Youth and The Academic with just amazing music. So to be honest I don’t feel pressure.
We always put pressure on ourselves to try and write good albums, to try and write good songs. The only time I felt pressure was when we moved back from London before ‘Trust The Wire’ came out. We had a bunch of songs that I thought were good but I really didn’t think we had enough and usually writing under pressure isn’t good, for me anyway. I like to have a bit of time and space but thankfully right at the end of that process I wrote ‘We Couldn’t Fake It’ and ‘Give Me A Minute’ which became two of the big songs on ‘Trust The Wire’ – actually no – ‘Give Me A Minute’ in fairness was earlier, but it was ‘We Couldn’t Fake It’ and something else towards the end, I think it might have been ‘Gut Feeling’ or ..yeah, I can’t remember what song it was but I definitely remember writing two or three songs right at the end and I was like oh thank God we needed them, we needed an album starter and ‘We Couldn’t Fake It’ was it.So I felt a little bit of pressure that time.
I think it was the closest I’ve ever been to have a little bit of writer’s block or something… I mean in my early twenties I used to write a song in a day no problem and I’d just move on and I thought that was just an age thing but this year I’ve been writing a lot more and even late last year when I wrote 70% of the new album since last summer. I was definitely going through a creative burst. I think it can come in waves and you just have to be aware of it but that’s the only pressure we put on ourselves really.
One thing we didn’t put pressure on ourselves with this album was we were trying not to write pop radio singles like we used to. There was not much point in us trying to compete with the likes of Wild Youth and Picture This and try to get student radio when our followers have grown with us. We’ve been around for 10 years and the people who come to our shows are of all ages. We’re not just trying to get on daytime radio anymore we are trying to evolve.
I think as we get older we are grateful that we still do it and thankfully touch wood up until now we’ve managed to keep selling tickets which is the most important thing really.Fingers crossed that continues to happen when gigs come back.”
‘LA at Night’ is a perfect closing song. It’s very evocative and beautiful. The trio dabble quite heavily into the electronic pop scene with beat machine pulses. Danny discussed how he wrote the track and how its simple arrangement transformed into something quite special on the album
“That was one of those songs that came together very quickly. I wrote it in Dingle County Kerry. We toured America in probably November, end of 2018 and we finished up in LA and I was really tired after a long tour.I’d just been through a break up and was emotionally drained and we were meant to fly home and a friend of mine who I was hanging out with in LA was like why don’t you change your flights and stay for a few days and I just had a really lovely few days in LA. She showed me around. It was really nice and I came home then and I felt like I needed that.
I went to Kerry and I wrote the song very quickly. It’s one thing that the guys, George and myself did well I think because I wrote it on piano it was a pure ballad and we didn’t really want to change it or for the production to get in the way because it was a nice song, but we didn’t want it to be just me and a piano and strings. We wanted it to fit into the album as you say. I was really happy with the production that George did on that song in particular because if it was just piano and vocals I think it might have been borderline cheesy you now, like a lot of my songs. But that one it’s got a simple message about if your wrecked or tired you can have something that will just make you feel better, you can have a couple of days with a friend or whatever it is and then all of a sudden you realise that its going to be ok.”
Like many bands and artists The Coronas have had to cancel shows this year. As a band who are popular for their live shows and energetic performances Danny is experiencing some withdrawal symptoms from lack of gigs.
“Oh my God so much.You have no idea.For us gigging is the centre point of what we do. It’s my favourite thing in the world to do.We are praying that it’s going to come back. We have thought about possibly doing social distancing gigs or even drive in gigs or whatever and it just doesn’t really sit right with us. You just don’t know how they are going to go.At the moment we are just trying to bide our time and wait for it to come back and hope that it comes back fully and properly.
It’s one of the things we are missing immensely. We’ve been putting stuff online and we recorded the full album in a studio, played everything live and filmed it as well so we will be putting that on our Youtube channel as a sort of launch I suppose for the album but thats all we can do. Usually we are doing a lot of promo at this time, then you’ve got a big gig that you are looking forward to as well. It’s strange but I think it will hit me when all the promo is done and the album is out, like a week later it’s going to hit me like a ton of bricks, like oh my God I’m not going to get the payoff of having a few amazing gigs.
We had some big festivals lined up and big gigs so anyway we will get on with it. We are luckier than most and we should be able to ride it out. Hopefully gigs will be back next year and there will be as much if not more of a demand than ever. “
Also, just like the rest of us Danny is spending this crazy time sharpening his culinary skills and binge watching TV
“I’m watching a lot of Netflix. I got a dog yesterday… Jess is amazing. She’s a mixture between a Collie and a little bit of Rottweiler but she is beautiful and I got her in the DSPCA and she is the best. Yeah I’m baking and cooking and 5ks so I’m a total cliche”
The Coronas have had a lot of success and experienced every aspect of the music industry ( labels, learning about production and improving songwriting) along the way. I wondered what advice Danny would give to his 18 year old self now that he can look back on a significant, interesting and successful career.
“I would say enjoy it. Enjoy your twenties appreciate it a bit more maybe. Not that I didn’t appreciate it but definitely, I’ve been thinking wow we are so lucky. In our early twenties we were sort of going with it and having fun. I don’t have any regrets. I wouldn’t have too much I would change.There is always a bit of, what if we signed to a label at a certain time would we have gotten bigger but there is no guarantee. I think the most important thing is we have a great career, we are doing music and I’m happy. We could be in a bigger band, you could be Chris Martin and still be miserable.There is no guarantee that if you have success you will be happy..You put your happiness on things if you say oh if only this happens then I’ll be happy and if only I get this I’ll be happy.
You know when we started out all we wanted to do was play Whelan’s and some stage at an Oxegen festival. The goal post continued to change and that’s good. It’s good to be ambitious but I think you can put your happiness on that. Some people equate their ambition with success but you have to enjoy the journey. You also need to be able to pat yourself on the back sometimes and say you’re doing alright. I’d say to my 18 year old self Danny you’re in for a good life you’re lucky.”
Hopefully The Coronas can tour the new album soon. It’s a cohesive well paced album that flows seamlessly as a whole. The bands mature and evolving sound definitely makes for a chilled and emotive listening experience with some catchy tunes on there too.
‘True Love Waits’ is set for release on July 31st until then check out The Coronas’ latest single ‘Light Me Up’ below
1000 Beasts has released his debut EP ‘On A Different Page’.1000 Beasts is an electronic producer & musician from Cork City. Starting off producing electronic pop songs in 2017 he has already achieved great critical success, with spins on BBC R1, heavy radio support in Ireland (TodayFL, 2FM…) and some of the biggest editorial playlists on Spotify (Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds: Pop, New Music Friday UK, The Pop List, A breath of Fresh Eire…), Apple Music, and Deezer.
‘On A Different Page’ reveals 1000 Beasts impeccable ability to create rich layers of brooding electronics filled with R&B, pop and lo-fi elements as he provides a collaborative EP ready to tantalize the senses. The laid back night-time vibes envelope tracks like ‘Is This Love?’ in ethereal atmospheres of swirling synths while the sticky slapping beats provide a danceable groove.
The use of different vocalists on the EP gives each track its own character and persona. 1000 Beasts pulls in mesmerising vocals from Shiv, Kayleigh Noble, Lenii and Alex Tierney to surge soul, warmth and R&B sass into the EP. However it is through the subtle intricacies and layering that 1000 Beasts excels. If it’s the soft jazz guitar in ‘Le Marais’ and funk elements in ‘It’s Cool’ to the tropical rhythm and bubbling electronics in ‘Tokyo’ the soundscapes within each track are meticulously crafted for a satisfying listening experience.
The tone of the EP is quite dark at times and this dark theme continues in ‘Waistcoat’ which boasts sweet vocal coos over skittish trap beats and a smooth noir pop melody. There is something eerie about the track as it ventures down a sound that could fit on Billie Eilish’s debut ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’
The tender ‘5 Points’ brings an end to the EP – a euphoric track with a building background full of suspense-filled synths and breathtaking pulsing beats.
‘On A Different Page’ is an engaging musical experience with laid back lo-fi pop elements sweetening the more weighty electronic and groove rich moments. 1000 Beasts presents himself as a musician to get excited about as he creates a sound laced in depth and dexterity with masterful musicianship at its core.
Luke Clerkin is set to release ‘What Little Time We Have’ on July 24th. The Dubliner’s highly anticipated EP was produced by previous collaborator Gavin Doyle, and Jack Keenan, at Cabin Space Studios in Dublin. It was mastered by the internationally renowned Pete Maher (Jack White, Damien Rice, U2), in London. Luke Clerkin has been playing and releasing music for the last five years, gaining international airplay and support, whilst also topping the Irish Singer Songwriter Charts on multiple occasions. He is also known for playing over 250 gigs in 2015 as a way of honing his craft. Since then he has headlined famous Dublin venues such as Whelan’s, The Workman’s Club, and The Button Factory. His music has brought him all over the world, with multiple tours of Germany, as well as festival slots in America, The UK, and Ireland.
‘What Little Time We Have’ is an earnest emotive collection of tracks which showcase the tastefully memorable and enjoyable musicianship of Luke Clerkin. From the wonderful build of ‘Confession Box’ to the tender struggle with mental health in ‘Stones’ Clerkin displays his ability to present sweet melodies and heartfelt songwriting through a lush blend of genres. The classic rock ‘Not In Love’ is the boldest expression on the EP. Clerkin’s vocals spread over sharp guitars and punchy drums with a stinging guitar solo bringing the track to its crescendo.The track grows into its loud, sweeping finish, with the lead guitar blending perfectly into the thumping background.
Though Clerkin experiments with pop rock he maintains the stripped back wholesome style we have come to know him for. The emotive ‘Closure’ surrounds heartbreaking lyrics and sweet falsetto on vocals with graceful piano accompaniment. Within the melody there is innocence and glimmers of positivity and healing. ‘Nocturnal’ brings the EP to a close with a catchy chorus, charming guitar refrains and danceable atmosphere. Instrumentally it’s an upbeat and vibrant end to an EP that pulls at your heart strings.
‘What Little Time We Have’ is a poignant honest account of self-discovery and self-reflection.With instrumental subtleties appearing throughout the EP which often at times is mixed behind the vocals there is something to enjoy with each subsequent listen. ‘What Little Time We Have’ is deeply personal and a sublime EP from Luke Clerkin.
Talking about the release Luke said ”For this project, I wanted to experiment with new genres, and new sounds. Over the past few years, I’ve worked with amazing musicians and songwriters from all over the world, each of them influencing me in a different way. So these recordings are a reflection of that.’I’m known mostly for my heart-on-sleeve vulnerability, so when moving to a more pop rock genre for songs like ‘Nocturnal’ and ‘Not in Love’, I tried my best to retain this. My lyrics on this project are still as honest as they’ve ever been. This is especially present on ‘Closure’, I think this is the most personal song on the EP, and I feel because of that, it’s the most relatable.”
‘What Little Time We Have’ is set for release on July 24th.For more you can follow Luke Clerkin on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/LukeClerkin/
Arthur Valentine is delighted to announce the release of his latest single, ‘Fruit Juice’, ‘Fruit Juice’ was born out of quarantine, the making of which has been described as a “cathartic exercise” by Arthur. Recorded over two weeks between tea and basketball breaks in the back garden, Fruit Juice is the brain child of Arthur and fellow Hausu collaborators-turned-roommates Actualacid and Automatic Blue.Despite relative newcomer status, Arthur has already clocked up a lot of ‘gig-miles’ on the Irish circuit including headline slots at the Button Factory’s Crowbar, Cork’s Cyprus Avenue, Bodytonic’s Pot Duggans and a sold out Ruby Sessions show. In addition to this, he has performed numerous times in Cork’s Plugd (The Roundy) and Coughlan’s, as well as an additional performance in Cyprus Avenue supporting Sorcha Richardson.
‘Fruit Juice’ blends Arthur Valentine’s intricate, velvety sound with R&B elements and smooth pop to create a luscious summer track. The melody and sugary production seeps into the ears with ease while the bubbling electronics and jaunty guitar provide zesty bursts of scintillation throughout. A buoyant bass weaves through the tracks elastic backdrop while rich percussive spurts and vibrant beat lay down a hip hop hued foundation for the swirling soundscapes to flourish off.
Arthur Valentine has a wonderful ability to create ear-worm worthy tracks which ooze subtle sonic intricacies and ‘Fruit Juice’ is a perfect example of this. It is a wholly satisfying, irresistible track that is both wonderfully euphoric and masterfully crafted.With elements of Lauv glimmering through the sweet emotion and a Mac Miller sprinkling on top, Arthur Valentine has created a sound that builds on the balmy bliss of lo fi debut single ‘Selfish’ – ‘Fruit Juice’ is a fantastic example of the suave musicianship and precise alternative/pop of Arthur Valentine.
Dublin’s punk garage rock duo Vulpynes are one of the most exciting Irish rock bands in recent years. Since the release of their self titled debut EP and their sophomore EP ‘Dye Me Red’ which was released last year the band have gone from strength to strength supporting the likes of Deap Vally, Doyle (Misfits), Marmozets, Stiff Little Fingers, Sleaford Mods and the Interrupters.
The duo have a slick, raw and majestic way of presenting their blood thirsty rock and this Thursday they are treating us to a few acoustic versions of their tunes. It is a set not to be missed.
I caught up with Dublin singer songwriter Miles Graham to talk about his new EP ‘All The Right Things’. We discussed how he wrote the EP, his break in 2018 and how much he is missing gigging.
Miles Graham released his new EP ‘All The Right Things’ via Peer Music on the 10th of July.The EP was recorded in London with producer Paul Herman(Emeli Sandé, Dido, Corinne Bailey Rae), with string arrangements from the renowned Sally Herbert(Plan B, Usher, Duffy,Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine).The EP showcases his soul-baring songwriting and top-quality sound: a genre-blurring blend of retro-soul and fresh yet timeless pop.When I spoke to Graham last, he expressed he was nervous for the release and having the EP out there now is still quite a scary thing.
“ yeah it’s still terrifying, since the last time I was talking to you nothing has changed. I’m excited about it. When you release music it can take a while for things to pick up, nothing happens overnight. It’s really busy at the moment with promo and there’s not a lot we can do gigs-wise so I’m still missing that dynamic of going out and getting energy from gigs and connecting with people, so it’s a weird balance. It’s like you’re stood still but kind of promoting this body of work but you’re not getting that energy back at you from the crowd which is a bit strange.It’s just missing something but I think we are all missing something no matter what you are up to theses days.
It’s all very surreal especially in the music industry and in the entertainment industry and any entertainment that gathers crowds it’s just all uncertain.For single people who are meeting up, how does that work now?. It’s just creating a bit of distrust with people and you don’t know their background and where they are coming from or whether they have covid 19 or not and they probably don’t even know themselves. I don’t like the way it creates that distance. Before, people greeted each other with a hug whereas we came from you know a good few years ago it was just a hand shake. You know you’d have no more than a hand shake now and that will be that and then we became more friendly with a hug and we have gone from that to no, you can’t do that.“
‘All The Right Things’ is a soulful EP with deep grooves, intricate soundscapes and mellow guitar lines. Each track warrants its own space on the EP and has a special timeless quality. It’s difficult to pick a favourite and Graham is proud of them all but Sunbeam, the intricately textured and heart-melting tribute to his daughter is a special track for him.
“ I’m proud of all the tracks on it. It’s very hard to pick one. It’s like if you have young kids you can’t pick your favourite one, they are just all the same, but I suppose I love the groove in ‘Sunbeam’, I love the vibe in ‘Sunbeam’ and there is a nice dynamic there. It has some surprises in it with the vocal dynamic and the guitar solo and stuff. I just love the vibe and the change in melodies as the song progresses, but that’s just me being a music nerd, but then again the single ‘Give It Up Now’ I love the strings that Sally Herbert arranged and I just loved the intimacy of it. I love ballads that reach out to people as well in a different way. But yeah I vibe off ‘Sunbeam’.
When I wrote Sunbeam it was just a moment I had. I was going through a tough time in the form of a break up and my daughter, she was like my sunshine, my sunbeam and helped keep me positive and I just had a moment, I can visualise it now. My daughter hugged me in my living room and there was that Sunday morning sun just coming in the window and the curtains were barely open and you know that kind of dust that settles in the air and that sunbeam through the curtains. It was just a beautiful moment. I suppose the whole kind of vibe in that song is in the verses basically just saying that everything is going to be ok as long as we have that sunshine in our lives. She’s a twin to my son and now he’s a bit jealous. He wants me to write a song about him so I’ll have to get working on that.”
The EP as a whole flows smoothly and is perfect for relaxing to. This wasn’t Graham’s intention but just what appears to happen when he writes
“ I’ve been into that vibe. I’m not sure whether it’s my voice or not, maybe it is. I actually just got an email from a label I was working with in Australia, a dance label and they said we’d love that smooth vibe on this track and I was thinking does everyone just want to fall asleep to my music or what’s the story? It’s all the laid back type of vibe but I think there is a lot of soul in it. When I say soul I mean from the heart. Especially in the EP there is more of a connection, but no I don’t aim to be that way I think that’s probably the way I am.”
The arrangements throughout the EP are simply outstanding; Graham delicately blends bubbling rhythms with subtle explosions of melodic counterpoints to create a cohesive and charming body of work. Graham likes to be precise with his production but still manages to capture emotion within his tracks.
“Thanks very much, that’s a lovely description. I’m not sure whether it was purposely done but I do focus a lot on the dynamic within a song. From its first lyric to bringing people on a journey and in the production of a song and the lyrics and melody.I do focus on that journey and I’m conscious of that when I write, that the first line has to get people interested. It’s like writing a novel or a book, I am conscious of that and also the build up in the production.I would be quite finicky with that kind of stuff you know it has to have the right dynamic and have the feeling and accomplish the hairs on the back of the neck moment. For me that’s what music is about.”
Graham took time out to focus on family in 2018 – which was a brave decision. When you get into something like the music industry it’s easy to develop a mindset that makes you want to keep reminding people you are there for fear of them losing interest.I wondered if he was worried about this when he made his decision to take a break.
“No I didn’t worry about that.It was just something I had to do at the time and I had the right reasons obviously. I had a young family and that’s my priority and music is always second to that.Family is first.That was always the case even when I started out on my music career. I work really hard even when the kids were really young, you know changing nappies at two in the morning and sending emails at three for the next day and that’s just how it works.
It is a different thing when you have a young family and are trying to work a music career. I remember the late Terry Wogan saying that to me. I had some success in the UK in 2015 and he said Miles that’s a tough challenge and I wish you all the best with it. He knew that I had a young family and at the time I thought ‘ah he’s a nice man saying that’ but it was the years that followed that made me realise that he was very right. For me it’s worked. If you’re out touring, if you’re hugely successful and you’re out touring for months it’s different.Whereas I was going out and I was doing, like I did a tour in the UK and it was 2 weeks and I played loads of lovely venues and then I was back home again and that was fine.In 2018 it all just built up to a certain point and I went through a relationship breakup and I just had to re-focus. It’s a huge change in anybody’s life so I just needed time to re-calibrate myself and focus on family.
So I wasn’t worried about what the industry was doing, that didn’t come into my head.It was just focus on the family and then I started writing again after a few months just as therapy and I’ve learnt a lot about myself as well and how music is apart of me no matter what. Even if I don’t release music. I mean I probably have about 3 or 4 albums worth of songs that haven’t been released, that I hope to release someday but I don’t see the point unless there is a reason to put music out. I’m happy to be putting music out now. It feels right.”
Graham’s latest track ‘Don’t Change’ resulted in him performing the single live on BBC Radio 5 and a stunning version of Dido’s Thank You, and picking up further airplay from BBC Introducing.I wondered is all that support a comforting confirmation he was doing something right with his tunes
“ Totally consider myself very fortunate to get any airplay or backing from radio play from Laura Whitmore or people that like the music but it’s a really difficult business.It doesn’t come easy. It comes from hard work.Those radio plays they come from hard work from promoting and even creating the music from scratch. There is so much good music out there as well and even with lockdown, you mentioned BBC Introducing I think had like thirty or forty thousand songs uploaded to their system within lockdown and their policy is they listen to everything and perhaps they might get played on local BBC radio or whatever so you can imagine the influx of that they are getting as well so to get any plays amongst the bunches is definitely great. It is a little bit luck of the draw as well you know. No matter how good you are there is that element of luck there. You always hear musicians saying you know I consider myself very lucky but I know for a fact they work really hard.”
Graham’s plans for the rest of the year are unsure however there is a gig that will hopefully go ahead and some surprises to keep an eye out for.
“EP is out I want to promote it as best I can. There have been really positive vibes back about it so far. It’s hard to plan really but I have one gig booked in London for the 19th November and fingers crossed that will go ahead.It would be great to get out and gig the songs live.Thats the best way to experience them I think.It’s a different experience for people to come and see me live with the band and I’d love to give people that experience.For one thing I’m really tall. I’m like six foot four so that would be the first thing ‘oh he’s really tall’. I love performing so hopeful a few gigs will come about.There are things happening in the background with the music that you might hear very soon.That I just can’t say at the moment.I’m also shooting a music video this weekend in Dublin for the single ‘Give It Up Now’. We are shooting it around Merrion Square so that should be good. “
Miles Graham’s new EP ‘All The Right Things’ is a timeless collection of tracks. His delicate and emotive vocals, lush harmonies and raw tender moments build in to the tracks groove infested underbelly making each song an engaging and spell-binding listening experience. He is a rare talent and the EP is a must listen.
Brighton alt/indie band Thrillhouse return with their new single ‘Wild Child’. It’s a refreshing slice of indie pop exuding chic infectious musicianship with fluctuating beats and kinetic electronics which adds buoyancy for the suave vocals and chorus to ricochet off. A heavy 80s sound creates an ethereal quality to the track while the sweet melody and smooth guitar injections flesh out the bands panache and “ooh lala” flamboyance.
With elements of The Killers and Talking Heads coursing through the tracks sultry pulse, Thrillhouse have created another sun kissed earworm set to tantalise and seduce the listener.
Nicha has released her new single ‘Devices’.Nicha is a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Holywood, Northern Ireland. Having grown up listening to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley her music and writing is heavily influenced by these legends but more recently inspiration stems from hip hop, pop and electronic influences drawing on artists such as Loyle Carner, Jack Johnson, Tash Sultana, Moloko and Bonobo.
‘Devices’ is a vibrant bop, laced in the charming and mellow musicianship of Nicha. The track is sonically laid-back and easy going as Nicha douses a smooth melody over tropical beats and ethereal wisps on electronics with reggae elements and glimpses of R&B flickering throughout. Her warm rasped and soulful vocals melt elegantly upon the tracks bubbling backdrop with a sweet lulling tone as the song drifts between the balmy chorus and dazed verses. There are psychedelic hues rebounding off the warm guitar melodies and fluctuant rhythmic foundation while Nicha lilts through the chorus with a catchy vocal refrain.
The song reflects the feeling and freedom of detaching ourselves from the chaos of social media. Nicha expresses this perfectly through this breezy, pacifying sun kissed gem. A fine debut, ‘Devices’ escapes the tethers of genre as Nicha blends pop, folk, reggae, indie and electronic to create a satisfying and musically rich track.
Stream ‘Devices’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
