Despite not being able to get into his main central Belfast hangout, Start Together, Rocky’s been spending the lockdown hammering away at mixes. One of the fruits of his labour is this awesome new single from Rhode Island Nintendocore pioneers and frequent collaborators Math The Band.
The track’s called Duel of the Deer and I’m not even going to bother trying to explain what it sounds like. Go take a listen to this gloriously upbeat, wonky, refreshing slice of pop rock.
Read MoreOur LA based writing/producing/mixing superman, Sean Oakley woke up to the incredible news that Georgia’s sophomore record, Seeking Thrills has been nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize. Sean co-produced the record with Georgia and Mark Ralph and it’s being picking up plaudits since its release earlier this year - including a ton of blog and press love, strong editorial support at digital and a whole load of radio play, particularly on the UK’s Radio 1.
Read MoreRhys Lewis is hands down one of the best looking men I have ever seen in real life. He’s also a fantastically talented songwriter with an amazing voice, and it’s a massive boost on a Friday to be able to listen to his debut full length record, Things I Choose To Remember, released today on Decca Records .
Read MoreI’ve waxed lyrical about my love for both Old Sea Brigade and Luke Sital-Singh in the past, so I’ll leave it for this post. Despite that though, I am very excited that they’re releasing another track from their collaboration EP today, coming out via Nettwerk.
Read MoreRocky O’Reilly and Northern Irish post-rock firebrands …And So I Watch You From Afar go way back. He produced and mixed their first three records, all of which are regarded as seminal albums in the genre. Indeed, Rocky pretty much built his studio Start Together in its first incarnation to record their first, self titled album.
Read MoreOwen Lewis paired up again with frequent collaborator Ben Cramer, better known as Old Sea Brigade to produce, engineer and mix this track for Australian singer/songwriter and former the Voice contestant John Lingard. It’s a beautiful piece of sultry songwriting and well worth a listen.
Read MoreNever one to rest on his laurels, our boy St£fan has been adding another string to his bow, starting out in the exciting (and frequently confusing) world of Twitch. Each Thursday evening at 6pm he’s going to be writing a song live online from his West London studio, sticking it out on Soundcloud at the end of each broadcast.
Read MoreBeen a big month for Rocky O’Reilly’s own musical projects. His nerd-rap collaboration with Atlanta’s Tribe One has been picking up radio play on the UK’s 6Music and today he previews the fruits of his collaboration with Belfast musician Ryan McGroarty
Read MoreMore music from one of our favourites, Ellie Moon who releases her debut EP, MOONISMS, this week, mixed by our boy Ben Mclusky. It’s a collection of four tracks of forward thinking, witty pop.
Read MoreI met Jon Reynolds in a bar in Nashville in late summer last year, around the same time that Owen Lewis & I decided to start working together. It was a really good hang, on a really good trip (in a really good bar), and now Jon and his band The Aches have released the first single from their upcoming EP, Petrichor, produced and mixed by Owen.
Read MoreNOAHFINNCE is the new musical project of 20 year old Youtube influencer Noah Adams, and is his first release under his new moniker. Adams, who is known for his alternative take on LGBQT+ issues went in to write with St£fan to write and record earlier this year, and Underachiever is the first track to be released from these sessions. Record of the Day described it as evoking ‘90s era Green Day with a. Splash of Jamie T and SWMRS.’ The track picked up editorial support from Spotify’s All New Rock playlist on the day of release.
Read MoreThe nicest man in rock/pop/weirdo production is being a super nice guy again, and has released a new single from his long-dormant Malibu Shark Attack project in aid of Bandcamp’s Juneteenth campaign. Bandcamp are abolishing all sales fees and donating profits to the NAACP’s Legal Defence Fund.
Read MoreRoss Quinn is one of the most exciting new names in dance music - I’ve been enjoying his debut single You for a while now. Anyway, Ross released Away With Me, co-written and co-produced with the one and only synthmeister general, Simon Byrt.
Read MoreSo Rocky O’Reilly is best known for making loud, ambitious, sonically mind-melting records. He’s really, really good at it. What he’s less known for is his killer work on pop and hip-hop, his knack for melody and amazing programming skills (as well as his wild collection of synthesisers). It always excites me when he gets to show off this side of his personality. Today is one such opportunity, as his first track with Dublin’s Tebi Rex is released.
Read MoreIt’s been a long time coming, this one. Probably three years since Jack invited his old pal Henry to help him work on lyrics for his next record. Thankfully, it’s been worth the wait and then some. Jack Garratt’s sophomore record, Love, Death & Dancing is out today on Island Records and features nine songs co-written with Henry.
Read MoreAnna Graceman’s new record, the Way The Night Behaves is out right now, and is closed out by an absolute stunner of emotion that Anna co-wrote with Henry Brill. The track’s called Night Follows, and it’s really very special.
Read MoreRadio was my first love. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be doing this if it wasn’t for Steve Lamacq’s Evening Sessions back in the heady days of the early 2000s.
Glad to say that radio continues to be good to me and our gang at Friends Vs Music, with three records on Radio 1’s playlist.
Read MoreLuke Sital-Singh and I have history. When I was working for record labels I tried to sign him twice, he’s that good. Despite the crazy fool resisting my advances, I finally get to be involved (on a peripheral level at least), with some of his work, in the form of this incredible collaboration record between him and another good friend of Friends Vs Music, Old Sea Brigade, produced and mixed by Owen Lewis.
Read MoreIt’s with a heavy heart (kinda, but not really. I know what’s happening next), that today we put out the final EP from Henry Brill’s John Joseph Brill project. Henry sent me the demos that made up this EP (cheerfully named Damn It All) before we were even working together, and it was listening to his scratchy home recordings driving round the Australian countryside that convinced me that we had to work together (and my wife asking me every time I put them on why the hell I wasn’t managing this guy).
Read More
