Jamie Noone has released his new single and opening track of his upcoming EP, ‘In’. Jamie Noone is a singer-songwriter, producer and poet from Dublin, Ireland. Noone writes, produces and mixes all of his music from his home studio based in Berlin, where he is currently living.
Majestic and melancholic, ‘In’ presents Noone’s chilled and atmospheric sound spectacularly. The track is a dense endless pool of mellowness that ripples with warm guitar and retro keys while R&B beat adds an edge and bounce to the songs tranquil nature. The singer-songwriter subtly layers the song with soft twinkling bells and foot-tapping percussive textures that wash over the fluttering synths and laid back lo-fi tone of the song to create an instantly pacifying listening experience. Noone’s approach to songwriting is one of deep thought and poetry as his rich velvety voice croons the thought-provoking lyrics “Happiness falls right in your lap, Like a panic attack, I’m afraid to say, Embrace the change in the mess you’ve made”. A little trippy and boasting a plethora of sublime subtle textures and sounds, ‘In’ is a wonderful new single from Jamie Noone.
Co. Down artist CeeV (pronounced like ‘leave’) has released her new single ‘Twenty Three’. CeeV, who’s real name is Caoimhe McAleavey, is based in Newry but began her music career in Manchester studying songwriting at BIMM. Although immersed in music in one of the most creative and musically rich cities in the world, CeeV was reluctant to showcase her own songs and instead took a more backseat role while playing in several bands in some of the most recognisable venues in the city. Although she didn’t perform her own songs live while in Manchester, CeeV plucked up the courage and shared her work with real live people on Soundcloud and was astonished when her music reached over 30,000 listens.
‘Twenty Three’ is a lushly arranged tune that displays CeeV’s mature songwriting and beautiful musicianship. CeeV crafts a bittersweet tune laced in rich instrumentation as elegant piano laments through graceful strings and warm guitar refrains to create a wholesome and soothing backdrop for her emotive vocals to drift upon. She coos, “I’m only twenty-three. Got my whole life ahead of me. And I don’t want to waste it. I don’t want you to waste yours on me” over a soft melody while the instrumental backdrop builds with cinematic tones and heartfelt melodies. The song exudes a timeless grace while dipping in and out of contemporary pop with ease. CeeV has created a moving tune filled with emotion and refined musicianship, marking her as an artist to keep an eye on. Looking forward to hearing more from this talented artist.
About her latest release, Twenty Three’. CeeV says… “Twenty Three is a story. But it’s also a lesson. It shows two different perspectives of leaving a relationship. One might think it’s the end of the world but the other knows there is a future out there for both of you even though it’s apart. I wrote this song as a lighthearted reflection. With influences from musical storytellers like Picture This and The Jezebels, I felt this meaningful story was best told alongside uplifting melodies and heartwarming lyrics.”.
Hard-rock band ModernWelfare have released their new single, ‘Death Of Me’. Based in the USA, but with members from around the world, this alternative rock outfit combines the angst and raw power of hard rock, with the immaculate melodies of electronic pop.
‘Death Of Me’ erupts with ModernWelfare’s raw and all-consuming alternative rock. The band create a heavy and mosh ready wall of sound filled with pummeling drums and jagged guitar riffs to accompany the tracks catchy melody. The verses sear with tension and stop-start backdrops while the chorus builds to a dynamic outburst and brawn-filled onslaught of alternative rock. With expressive vocals bellowing emotional lyrics through an instrumental assault, the track runs on a thrilling concoction of adrenaline and emotion. Touching on themes such as mental health and substance abuse, ‘Death Of Me’ is a powerful tune that display’s ModernWelfare’s bracing and compelling sound.
‘Just Let Me Be’ is the brand new debut single from four-piece rock band, FIGS. The first release under this name, ‘Just Let Me Be’ was initially written as a joke – until they realised that they might have been onto something big. The new band’s artwork for their debut single is intensely symbolic, with the wasp symbolising the need for growth, and for the old to give way to the new which represents each band member’s journey to becoming FIGS. FIGS are a rock band, formed in London, by Chris Makh, Edward Kaane, Alex Saleh, and Alex Hoff. Chris and Ed are originally from Venezuela. In 2015, they started playing as a two-man band, or sometimes with session musicians as a trio, touring small venues and opening for artists like Adam Wakeman, Rawayana, and The Second Sons. In 2019 Chris and Ed decided to make an album, and in 2020 they met Hoff and Saleh, who were long-time friends and joined the band.
‘Just Let Me Be’ is an upbeat and vibrant tune that boasts the fun and rich sound of FIGS. Blending jazz-infused piano with driving rock n’ roll, the band create a musically lush soundscape sure to have you up and dancing in no time. With jaunty classic rock guitar bouncing between punchy drum progressions, ‘Just Let Me Be’ rides on infectious energy and swagger. The band weave psychedelic moments into the track. It builds to an explosive crescendo filled with twinkling guitars and harmonies, creating a trippy prismatic backdrop before the chorus returns for a final hurrah. With lyricism inspired by their own personal relationships, FIGS present a catchy and thoroughly enjoyable listening experience with ‘Just Let Me Be’.
N.O.A.H return with their new summer anthem, ‘Hands Up’. The highly anticipated track was produced by the Grammy-Winning Ruadhri Cushnan in Camden Studios and mastered by John Davis (The Killers,U2, Dua Lipa). To mark the release of ‘Hands Up,’ the band will perform one of Ireland’s first indoor shows on July 24th at The Solstice Theatre in Navan, which will also be streamed live. The band are currently working on their debut EP, ‘Echoes of the Night’, which is set to be released on vinyl on 1 October 2021, and will play their first headline show of 2021 in LostLane on 2 October, followed by another show in The Fiddler London on 8 October. The now Dublin-based band hail from County Meath, and comprise of lifelong friends Ryan Hill, Adam Rooney, and Ronan Hynes.
‘Hands Up’ is a refreshing burst of indie pop as N.O.A.H showcase their hook-filled musicianship in one irresistible gem. With bubbling synths, glistening guitars and shimmering beats, this bright, upbeat tune oozes luscious soundscapes and feel-good vibes. Smooth vocals drift over a dreamy melody while the jangly backdrop creates a humid intoxicating atmosphere for listeners to indulge in. N.O.A.H’s diverse and captivating sound is blossoming superbly with each release, and ‘Hands Up’ is a sublime example of their glorious upbeat pop. Press play and enjoy.
Four in the Morning have released their new single ‘Keep It Together’.Led by Irish singer-songwriter Kevin Dolan and surrounded by an eclectic group of genre defying musicians – Kiran Srinivasan, Dan Walwyn and Alex Lees – Four in the Morning write sad songs for insomniacs. As Kevin Dolan puts it: “I’ve always been bad at sleeping and I find late at night a great time to write. Whether it’s a dream or a song, there’s something beautiful in the subconscious taking all the stuff from a day and making sense of it. I guess that’s what these songs try to do.”. After multiple delays and with only a week before a government grant ran out, ‘Keep It Together’ was produced, recorded and mixed by Jono Steer (Angie McMahon, Ainslie Wills, Leif Vollebekk, Julia Wallace) at The Perch Recording Studio in Castlemaine in rural Australia.
Immersed in cinematic soundscapes, ‘Keep It Together’ is a moving, atmospheric tune from Four in the Morning. The band swirl ethereal synths through a fluctuant heartbeat -esque rhythm while an icy piano chimes innocently throughout. Dolan’s vocals whisper, almost unable to express the tender lyrics out loud, as he admits “I’m a little lost,“ over driving rhythms and a building backdrop of distorted murmurs on guitars. He fixates on repairing a broken record player “I took it apart just to see what makes you sing. There was nothing but the wires and the space between” to distract himself from the sense of isolation due to the pandemic. The emotive lyrics evoke a sense of loneliness within the song, however the band contrast this with glimmers of hope as the song builds to an uplifting crescendo. ‘Keep It Together’ is a joy to listen to and a fine example of Four in the Morning’s compelling musicianship.
Dublin band Inhaler have released their highly-anticipated debut album ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’, through Polydor. This swaggering indie rock album is a triumphant debut brimming with exhilarating soundscapes and eloquent lyrical content while showcasing the musical expertise of each member of the band.
I caught up with singer and guitarist Eli Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon a little while ago to talk about the album, their musical growth and how guidance from producer Antony Genn brought out the best in the band.
There is no denying the depth of musical talent Inhaler possesses. Within ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’, the listener is invited to delve deep into the album, explore and indulge in the band’s exhilarating sound through engaging and catchy songwriting and compelling musicianship. The beaming faces of the four-piece were enough to express their delight in finally being able to release their debut.
Eli: “Yeah it’s been a long time coming, it feels it was like 10 years in the making to be honest because we’ve been writing songs since we were teenagers. I think some of the first songs we wrote made it onto the album so it feels like, definitely, yeah, it’s about time.”
Covid and the lockdowns hit the band hard, considering they were gearing up for a big year ahead in 2020 and everything shut down. However, Inhaler took the time to hone and perfect the album writing five new songs and rethinking how they were going to create this debut album. The result is a cohesive, mature and sonically dense collection of tracks that moves through genres of disco, indie and rock.
Ryan: “The album that we were going to write and then record previously, before the pandemic happened, it was totally different and the songs that were written in the first lockdown that have now made it onto the album have just made it 100% better. So we’re really proud of what we have produced now and we’re also kind of glad that we did actually have all that time off to focus in on it more because if we had just gone in to record it straight after coming off tour, we would have been burned out, we wouldn’t have had the songs fully formed or ready to go. So we’re really happy with how it’s turned out in the end.”
The band pack in a plethora of glorious guitar moments within the album. In fact, the guitar melodies and solo’s have always been an enticing aspect within Inhalers music. The four-piece venture into many styles with the guitar from desert, indie, 80’s rock to psychedelic and more. ‘A Night On The Floor’ displays this spectacularly. A slinky bass, grooves atop funky beats and sultry drum progressions as the band create a sleek tune that subtly pivots around magnificent and expressive psychedelic guitar pines and simmering adornments.
When I enquired about who creates these wonderful guitar arrangements all of the band members gesture to the shying guitar virtuoso himself, Josh Jenkinson.
Robert: “ I think all the bands we’ve ever loved as a group have always played guitar and played it in different ways and in great ways and worse ways but usually always have a good time.”
Eli: “Yeah, and we just have so many different influences, so many different favourite guitar players. We love The Smiths, we love Johnny Marr, we love The Stone Roses, The Strokes. Pixies, these are all the best guitar bands, and that’s what inspired us to be in a band in the first place. We can’t help want to put that feeling in our music, and I also feel like there aint a great amount of that type of music around right now so it’s nice to be able to do that.”
Ryan: “And as kids, we grew up loving guitar music as well and so that was the first thing that we kind of gravitate towards one another over, was just the love for that. Not a lot of kids our age when we were 12 or 13 were really into [ it ] so we became friends.”
The rhythm section is another factor that sets the band apart especially within ‘Who’s Your Money On’. The intricate disco rhythms create a dazzling dance-infused tempo that fluctuates and chops through the shimmering disco ball synths, lifting the songs entire dynamic.
Josh: “That was, all chopped up on the sample pad, we made that song as a dance track, and then put actual instruments on it instead which was kind of cool.”
Eli: “We did it in a way where I think it was a recording of a song that we were trying to form a year and a half ago and towards the end of the album process, we were seeing, is there anything that we could dig up to give it a chance to be on the album. Our producer was like, oh yeah we’ve got that, that one kind of jam that we did a while ago on November 16 at 4pm or whatever. We were like, Okay, that’s gonna be really good. Then he took it and he cut up all the different instrument parts and put them on a keyboard and we started playing it like that and it gave it this weird stagnated feel, and it feels really choppy, and that’s actually how we wrote that one and [gave] it’s unique rhythm feel. That was a fun one to make and probably one of the most gratifying again.”
The band fill out their tracks with synths and experiment with different sounds on the album to create a refreshing and rich body of work. This resulted in multiple versions of each of the songs as they figured out what way each song would sound best.
All: “Yeah too many”
Ryan: “They’re locked in a vault, never to be reopened”
Robert: “ There’s always at least 10 demos for every song.”
Ryan: “ ‘ Cheer Up Baby’ is a song that’s only three and a half minutes long or something but it took us about three and a half years to get it right and what’s strange is how the final version of the song turned out pretty similar to the first version we ever did of it. That was a song that, we want to, I suppose, take our time with a little bit because it was the first song that our fans had really ever fallen in love with. So it was really important for us that we got it sounding and feeling the best that it possibly could. With songs like ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ its the same story, that was one of the first songs that we ever wrote and was our first single as well – what other songs are there that just have so many different formations?”
Josh: ‘‘A Night On The Floor’,
Ryan: “ ‘A Night On The Floor’, yeah. ‘My King Will Be Kind’ yeah, there’s so many different versions of them that, maybe 20 years from now we’ll be curious to hear, but right now, I’m really enjoying the album and how it sounds now in its finished form. Finally”
I wondered if they felt like they were going crazy listening to multiple versions of the same song.
All: “Yeah.”
Ryan: “ I was on the couch in the studio one day with my head back going, we’re never gonna finish this album.”
The band’s knack with melodies never falters throughout the album. Songs such as ‘When It Breaks’ and ‘Cheer Up Baby’ boast Inhaler’s signature earworm melodies. Interspersed throughout these catchy melodies are powerful, mature and thought-provoking lyrics that leave the listener craving to hear more.
Eli: “ It just flows. Flows like manna”
Josh: “I wish we had the recipe because we’d be able to just do it whenever we want”
Ryan: “Yeah then we would be able to do it with the second record.”
Eli: “I don’t know, we were just really lucky. I think you don’t write songs, I think songs just appear or they don’t appear, and we’re just lucky to have found these songs. I think that the songwriting on the album is really ahead of our age group. We are quite young to be producing songs like this, we’re just really proud of it. But if there’s a recipe, tell me what it is.”
Ryan: “It came to a point where we were so proud of the songs that are now on the album we’ve kind of, just had to slowly detach away from it and put our attention towards writing the second album. All we can do now is hope that people love it as much as we do and that it resonates with as many people as possible. We’re really excited for people to hear them. More importantly, we’re excited to play them live when gigs come back. It’s weird we always tested how good a song was by playing it live. So with a lot of these new songs we had to trust our gut instinct on whether we thought they were good or not and how they would go down live and that was difficult for us to adapt to, but in the end, I think it’s worked”
With lockdowns and the pandemic putting a halt on gigs for a while. The band didn’t have many opportunities to perform with each other. The only opportunity to perform was recording the songs for the album
Josh: “We’ve been rehearsing a lot, recently”
Robert: “yeah only in the last maybe two months. Prior to that we hadn’t really played at all, we weren’t even really seeing each other, “
Josh: “And we didn’t have our instruments, that’s the other thing as well”
Robert: “Yeah that was in the UK so it’s been very strange for us… we just met up together to record and that’s why the album process, it was a weird one because we had to both catch up as friends but also work pretty hard with a lot of focus [and] not much time on our hands.”
Eli: “No time off really either. I think it was interesting being in London because we were really trying not to get corona.“
Josh: “Yeah, that was like the main goal everyday”
Eli: “So we just went from the studio. We walked every day, to and from thestudio to our place, and it was just work, work, write, write, write, work, work, work. It was intense, going from like three months of just doing absolutely nothing to all of a sudden just going alright here it is, But I think we were really driven”
Although it might not appear at first, but performing live can be tough on the body. Especially if you haven’t been gigging in a while. I wondered if the band felt that the first few shows back will be a shock to the system
Robert: “It’s gonna hit us like a train. I can tell you that now we will be absolutely fecked”
Ryan: “I’ll happily be fecked after that”
Robert: “I don’t know, if we can’t handle rehearsal in here, it’s gonna be tough to handle full tours. We’re gonna have to look after our bodies and take it seriously, for sure. I think, every band is gonna have to though, because not only have we not been playing together, people are out of shape. Actually, some people are in shape from lockdown”
Eli: “You go one way or the other.”
Robert: ”I think we went the other”.
Inhaler have released a fun video for their single ‘Cheer Up Baby’ where the band are covered in paint and spattering it around. It’s an anthemic and bright tune that is sure to be a pick me up on a dull day and the video subtly mirrors this.
Eli: “ A director called Joe Connor, really great, smart guy from Manchester and I think when we read his brief, we just really enjoyed the visual style that he was going to have. We liked the idea of the paint because it felt quite innocent and positive, it’s not like a dark video, I mean the song’s not dark but we just wanted to have a colourful vibrant thing because that’s what our music sounds like..”
The album is laced in evocative lyrics that ooze uplifting emotion while at the same time embraces a sense of sadness and longing. Lyrics in the aforementioned, ‘Cheer Up Baby’ are a fine example of this, “oh, how to kill these February blues.” …“When I think of all the things, I didn’t do, Oh, I can’t help but blame it on you…..cheer up baby you’re not on your own”. Perfecting lyrical flow and crafting lyrics that can relate to many people all at once isn’t an easy task but the band are doing an impressive job.
Eli: “ The lyrics are just about things that resonate with kids our age because they’re just about experiences, and, there’s this weird period in your life where you’re not an adult, you’re not teenager and you’re in the middle. That’s what most of the songs are about it’s that transitionary period but we wanted to make a really optimistic record because it’s such a horrible time, I don’t think we want to write sad stuff. A lot of it is just about experiences that we’ve had, or our friends have had during this kind of weird transitionary time. I think before COVID happened, the lyrics were maybe a little less serious and they’re more just like fun and kind of teenage stuff. After the pandemic happened it definitely forced us to write about broader subjects and naturally just wrote things that resonated with other kids our age.”
Eli has a distinctive vocal. Throughout the album, he shows he can croon with tenderness like the best of them in ‘Slide Out The Window’ and howl with impressive, swaggered rock bravado when the song demands, such as in the chorus of ‘When It Breaks’.
Eli: “I didn’t evenknow I was the singer until yesterday.”
Josh: “He considers himself more of a guitar player.”
Eli: “Yeah, literally, I don’t know why I ended up as a singer, but like I am, and I couldn’t sing for ages…I still find it quite hard. I have to force myself into doing it, and really like, find a voice.. because for a long time [ I ] didn’t have one.”
Eli: ”Yeah I definitely do consider myself more of, just a guitar player,”
Robert: “He practised”
Josh: “When we start doing shows again, I think you’ll [Elijah] find it a lot easier being the singer because you’ll be there in the moment.”
Eli: “I definitely enjoy it.”
I wondered what advice the band would give a shy aspiring musician
Eli: “Honestly, the best way to do it is just to throw yourself in the deep end, see how you swim, because that’s what we had to do you. We certainly weren’t ready to go out and play gigs when we did but we did it and I think you learn more in one gig, than you will in 100 rehearsals, it’s just a different animal. The only way to build your confidence is just, get out there and put yourself in front of people and, really just try and figure it out that way”
Ryan: “Comfort zones are dangerous.”
‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ was recorded with long-term collaborator and producer Antony Genn at London’s Narcissus Studios and the band discussed how vital Genn was with regards to bringing out the best in them.
Ryan: “I think a producer is half the album, you know. We have to come with the songs and play them but the producer is essentially what brings life into the, like, the sonic aspects of the album. We were very lucky with our producer who is not only just a producer for us but also a great friend, Mr. Antony Genn, who’s taught us loads, not only about how to become better musicians or songwriters but also just better people as well, so he’s a very, good coach to have in our camp”
Robert: “it depends on the band too. There’s some bands who probably don’t even need a producer and they just get someone to help them record the album. For us, in a sense he’s part of the band because he really is vocal and helps us find parts of songs that sometimes you wouldn’t be able to find, so it depends. But for us, we think the producer is an important part of making the record for sure.”
Robert: “It’s easy to get caught up…when you’re in a studio, everything sounds good, you forget that you still need to finish a song that people are going to listen to, and you know, the average person isn’t going to care about the four or five keyboards you put on a song. Even though we care about it. So you have to sometimes turn off the fun creative side, and be serious because you can literally, and we’ve done it, where you work for days on something that you end up just going okay, that was a lot of fun but we don’t need any of that stuff. So I guess it’s a balancing act.”
Ryan: “There were certainly periods where we ended up bogged down or overwhelmed during the recording of the album, times where we were not feeling very motivated or anything or the vibe was a bit down. Ant [Antony Genn] was always there to pick us back up and, not only breathe life back into the songs but us whenever we needed it as well. So a lot of what people are hearing on this album, should be credited to him and the hard work that he put into the record as well I think.”
The band compiled their most catchy, genre-bending and boundary-pushing songs to date for this album. They have not compromised on the enjoyment and listening experience either, The order in which each song is placed is precise and creates an energising mood that fluidly flows to the end. The four-piece admitted choosing what tracks made the cut was difficult.
Robert; “Yeah, it was, I think there was some questions we had about some singles that didn’t make it on the record but at the end of the day it was important for us to have the songs that we love as a band and that our fans love but also give way to new songs. We wrote so many good new songs over the lockdown and songs that are kind of the now, as opposed to songs that might not relate to people as much at the moment so we took that into account and made, I think the right decision.”
Eli: “Made it to feel like a gig too. We wanted it to feel like you were at a show when you listened to it”
Inhaler have displayed immense musical and lyrical prowess within ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’. For a debut, these guys are setting the standard very high. The rich and utterly lush production on the tracks is something to be admired and the dynamic energy within each song is irresistible. Each track warrants its place on the album creating a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable body of work ready for repeat plays.
Sion Hill (Nate Johnston) and Norwegian DJ/Producer MYXE (Rune Eie) have recently released their new house-pop single, ‘No Way Back From Your Love’. The track is laced in vibrant tones, crisp production and luscious pop melodies to create the perfect summer bop.
I caught up with Nate and Rune to chat about the new single, how an inspired hungover moment brought about the songs lyrics, gigging again as well as how the duo’s collaboration came about. At the time of our chat Rune was about to embark on a boat party to perform, the prospect of which seemed like finding El Dorado to me, here in Ireland and Nate in The U.K due to the pandemic restrictions.
Rune: “It’s on Saturday so I’m really looking forward to that. Well, they are getting a bit stricter here with the stuff, so hopefully, it will go through. I think it’s 120 [people]. I think it will go on because it’s sailing so it’s a sport, they call it, then.”
Nate: “Are you sailing anywhere close to London?. I don’t know what I would give for a boating party on Saturday, probably my left baby toe I would sacrifice.”
‘No Way Back From Your Love’ was originally written in London in 2020 by Nate and songwriter Louis Ryan for piano and voice and was actually intended for someone else to sing, but when Rune heard Nate’s vocal, he loved it so much that he decided to keep it in.
Rune: “We kind of got connected through a guy called Louis, that I met online. He told me about Nate, and said that he might have some vocals laying around that I could try and work with so that’s kind of how we got in touch, and, yeah, Nate sent over the vocals for ‘No Way Back From Your Love’ and I did an instrumental behind it”
Nate: “ I think this one is really a product of the lockdown. I see it as that. It’s a lovely thing because I wrote it together with Louis Ryan. He’s an Irish guy from Dublin, a great songwriter, and really great keyboard player. We just wrote some songs together a few times and then there was this moment, I think they opened up the studios for like a week or so, do you remember after the first lockdown there was this little mini lockdown for like a month, and that was how it was in the UK. I think we got into the studio, like, a day before that happened, so we actually got to use a recording studio, which is quite cool and then everything closed down. So we wrote that song and then yeah, he [Louis Ryan] connected with you [ Rune Eie], but we did everything virtually and I think that’s cool.”
Rune: “ I think the first time we spoke on the phone that was after the release actually. “
Nate: “Yeah. I’m just praying that next time you’re playing the tune at a boat party I got the invite.”
Rune: “Yeah for sure”
I wondered if the pair found the remote collaboration more awkward or difficult to communicate and express ideas through.
Rune: “It’s obviously not the same as meeting in person. But we had a good start on email and we both knew what we wanted. I really loved what Nate did with the vocals and yeah I think he found the instrumental, okay as well.”
Nate: “I don’t think that was too difficult doing it online. I didn’t really know what was going on because this song when we wrote it was a bit of fun. I wasn’t really intending on anything happening with the tune. I kind of forgot about it, and then all of a sudden I get this message from Louis being like, Oh yeah, MYXE this DJ has been working on the track with me and I’m like Okay, send me something. Then I got this 30-second clip. It was just the first verse and he was like just ignore the drop it’s not ready yet. You [refering to MYXE] said something you’re like oh no I’m not happy with that drop leave that off. Yeah. The next version I got was almost finished and it was quite cool. I like that collaborative process and you can do everything online now and there’s been so many songs, recordings and albums over the last year and a half, that have been done actually on Zoom and whatever.”
Rune: “Yeah, I think in the past it was a bit more awkward to do writing sessions or whatever through Zoom or Skype, because not everyone was doing it, but nowadays, it’s more the norm now, at least in my world. “
Nate: “Yeah, for sure. I think when we were using this technology during the last lockdown, we came across this thing where there is no latency, there was no lag between recording. Normally, the reason it was so difficult is, you’d try to write a song together and I play a chord and then you try to sing and obviously the timing doesn’t match. It’s always gonna be difficult and you can’t rehearse live together as a band over Zoom because there is this latency problem, but we found this one piece of software that fixes that. I think like Jay Z and some of the big boys and big girls in that world have been using that. I don’t know how we got our hands on it but even having things where we can actually sing a song together, over the Internet, and there’s no lag, that’s insane. So yeah, I think technology has made it easier but it’s not really that different, we’ve all been WhatsApp and phone calling each other for quite a while now”
When Rune heard Nate’s demo of the song he loved its rawness and decided to work with it. The demo was minimalist but highlighted the melody and the potential of the song.
Nate: “I think it was just keys and vocals actually that we did and this was one of those songs where I didn’t record. I think generally with House tracks and pop music, you sort of record it line by line, you know the vocals anyway, sometimes even, you might record just one word, just to get it perfect. So, yeah, I think that vocal take was actually meant to be just a demo take and you [Rune] used it, I liked that, that you took the original recording”
Rune: “Yeah the take, I really liked it because it was good, but still had that raw element to it and I just really liked it and normally I don’t do that, but I felt that it suited the vocal sounds.“
Rune: “If I like it, if I get a good vibe from it, then I’ll work with it. It doesn’t have to be techno or house or pop. It’s more the vocal itself, if it’s good, it’s good. I think.”
The lyrics for ‘No Way Back From Your Love’ were inspired by the Beatles’ – ‘All You Need Is Love,’ by playing on the idea of – if you can envision something, then it is not impossible. Nate explained how the lyrics came to fruition.
Nate: “It was an easy flow, I think. We made this little hook melody “Ooooh, oooooh”. I think that’s what Rune is saying there as well, it has this rawness to it because the night before, I’d been out quite late and I was just not really in the singing mood, but I felt kind of creative. I don’t know if you ever feel like this, when you’re hungover sometimes you are quite creative and come up with things. I came up with this idea. I love that simplicity of that song, The Beatles track, All You Need Is Love, and it’s, “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done, Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung”. This idea, it’s really simple but I wanted to follow along that sort of idea so yeah it’s not really the same thing but it was sort of the inspiration. Then, at the time I was in this relationship and it was happening really fast so I realised that when you meet someone’s friends and their family and when it all happens really quick, I’m like there’s no way back from your love, that was the idea. It wasn’t necessarily Beatles inspired, I just liked that idea of, there’s nothing you can say that can’t be sung and so on. An inspired hungover moment, I think”
The track is built superbly around the melody and Nathan’s voice, creating a light, fun atmosphere filled with driving beats, lush synths and even a whistle-like feature. This arrangement is the perfect example of Rune’s exceptional production skills.
Rune: “I think, for me as I speak from a production point of view, I tend to do that a lot. I’ve heard that I let the vocal get its place but sometimes maybe too much so the vocals a bit too much in the front but I think here, it turned out really well, but yeah I think that’s important. I really love vocals – so let them shine a bit.”
Nate: “Yeah, I think it’s hard to find that balance isn’t it sometimes?. I think you [Rune] blend the production really well and some producers, the vocal either gets lost or it’s way out, and I kind of get annoyed by that because I like to have a bit of both, you know,”
I wondered if the pair plan on releasing a summer-themed music video for the song.
Nate: “We didn’t do a video actually no. Maybe on the boat. Maybe at the boat party.”
Rune:”Yeah, maybe we could do some iPhone videos”
Nate: “Some decent iPhone videos at the boat party and some candid shots of people. I did actually have an idea of going down to Brighton with my cousin who’s a filmmaker and shooting something on a boat because it’s quite a summery little bopper this song and it’s got the little whistle and everything. I thought it would be cool just to film some girl on a boat, driving around the place. That was the idea but yeah never happened.
Rune:” That would be cool.”
Nate: “ Yeah, I think we just got to the beach and then we got in the water and it was too cold. You realise you’re in the UK. It’s raining, it’s not quite the Ibiza sort of vibe that we’re looking for, but I don’t know it would have been cool to see a video but we’ve actually been working on some other tracks so possibly down the line we will do that.”
With things slowly opening up both Nate and Rune have got a chance to get back performing. We discussed the nerves and surreal experience of doing live gigs after all this time.
Nate: “ I was Yeah” [nervous]
MYXE: “Same here”
Nate: “The first gig I did back, I played guitar for this singer, so I didn’t actually do my own show, and I was a little bit nervous because it was her thing and I was backing her up. I wasn’t necessarily nervous about the crowd but it is a strange feeling, getting back on a stage after a long period.”
Rune: “You can also tell, the people in the crowd they also think it’s been a bit weird, you know people dancing and being close and you can’t really keep one and a half metres on the dance floor.”
Nate: “I’ve done a few sit down gigs where people are separated but after just 15 minutes everyone’s up and dancing on the tables. It’s too hard to stop it. But we make our choices and if you decide to go to a concert, if you want to be there, there’s a risk you’re going to get COVID. So, maybe you have to isolate after the concert for a couple of days.”
Rune: “It’s a bit weird, to be honest, but here in Holland they’ve closed basically everything. It’s obviously nice to be able to play a little bit again and see some people, that’s good, but it’s still a bit weird. We have been so long without it now.”
Nate: “It’s crazy. I’ve lived in London so it’s almost back to normal. I don’t know if you saw the Euros, the finals like Wembley was pretty packed, the streets, it’s crazy but there’s kind of a spike again in cases so that scares me you know, events are coming back but are they gonna stay. What’s nerve-racking about it for me, is actually booking shows and having to cancel them because I’ve had to do it twice now, I’ve cancelled two tours. We’re booking a tour at the moment and if something happens again we got to cancel it again, reissue tickets, it’s a nightmare, but also it’s exciting, getting back out on stages. I’m playing a gig next weekend in my town in Mullingar. They’re doing a charity event, and it’s gonna be streamed live but there’s a small crowd there so even if it’s only like 25 people or something that are allowed to be at the event, it’s still nice to get to play for a few people. Although here I’ve been doing open jam sessions. I’ve been to concerts in London so it’s quite unusual that Ireland is a little bit behind, but maybe they’re doing the right thing, who knows.”
Both Nate and Rune have new music in the works for the rest of this year and they told me what they are looking forward to the most.
Rune: “Releasing music and hopefully get some gigs outdoors in winter and, yeah, travel a little bit again. “
Nate: “I’m actually releasing an EP, and an album. We’re trying to do it this year but it’s looking like it’s gonna be next January. But I’ve got a five-track EP coming at the end of August and, the album will be next year so it’ll be a few singles coming out before that, I have a few videos done. Then I’m booking a tour for 2022. “
‘No Way Back From Your Love’ is an infectious tune that is perfect to enjoy in the sweltering heat of summer. Both Nate and Rune display their refined musical prowess within the track and the result is a luscious pop banger that beckons repeat plays.
HVNTER has released ‘Breathe’, the 3rd single from his upcoming EP ‘You Don’t Know Love’ – Out July 30th. HVNTER is an electronic singer-songwriter from Pontypridd, South Wales who found his love for music uploading self-taught acoustic covers to YouTube at 16, where he began to craft his songwriting skills. He soon found his feet and after just 3 years had surpassed over 250,000 views. His debut track “Blood” quickly racked up over 30,000 plays on Soundcloud within the first few weeks of release. Over the years HVNTER bloomed as a live performer. HVNTER has performed with and supported touring artists Bright Light Bright Light, Into The Ark (BBC The Voice), Let’s Eat Grandma, Gabriel Garzon Montano, Tinchy Stryder and Chris Stark (BBC Radio 1), to name a few alongside landing slots at Young Peoples Village and Truck Festival.
‘Breathe’ is a refreshing guzzle of electronic pop that boasts HVNTER’s emotive and irresistible sound. The artist spreads a bittersweet melody over an effervescent backdrop of fluctuating beats and swirling synths to create a heart-rushing soundscape that is sure to guarantee repeat plays. Soothing vocals glide over the melody with tenderness and emotion as twinkling keys create an element of innocence between biting grooves and heavier electronic moments. HVNTER is an ambitious artist whose deft musical ability creates compelling tunes that are easy on the ears, relatable and exciting to listen to. Oozing an infectious chorus and surging soundscapes, ‘Breath’ is an irresistible and passionate new single from HVNTER.
Jack Joyce has released his new single ‘Voodoo Belladonna’. Joyce continues his brooding darker sound with ‘Voodoo Belladonna’ as he blends sombre tones with energetic indie superbly to create a track that is a simmering delight on the senses. Boasting the artist’s agile lyrical ability and refined instrumentation, the song showcases the singer-songwriter’s maturing sound. Joyce opens the track with an intriguing contemplation, “does your tongue go numb as you swallow the sun” while thudding rhythms and chiming guitars adorn the backdrop. Hisquirky labyrinthine lyrics weave random thoughts together through a whimsical dream-like melody as Joyce’s distinctive vocals express the songs conflicting emotions “break, break my heart, don’t leave me alone please leave me alone”. Filled with haunting backing vocals, punchy drums and jangly guitars ‘Voodoo Belladonna’ is a confident and expertly presented tune from Jack Joyce.
Stream ‘Voodoo Belladonna’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
