After almost a year, Marc Gallagher has released his newest tune. Bees Keep Buzzing debuted through YouTube on the 12th of March and features the young songwriter’s most evolved sound yet. His previous album (which…
Interview with Elesa Marmo
Firstly, could you tell us which music artists influenced your sound, for any readers who may be new to your music?
We listened to a lot of Carly Rae Jepsen while recording and me and my producer Greg love her a lot. Lorde was also an influence since I’m such a huge fan of hers as well.
A lot of honesty, some fun dance songs and some emotional acoustic songs, so it kind of just splits down the middle. You get two sides of me. Do you have a favourite song on your EP? Or maybe a track that we should definitely check out first?
If you like more upbeat songs, Bottled is the first on the EP and that’s a fun song, but if you like slower more vulnerable then I’d say Swimming Pools is the one. It’s hard to pick from them though because they all have such different meanings to me and I get attached to them.
Further Away by Melanie Crew: EP Review
Further Away is Melanie Crew’s second EP of soft acoustic music. Released on the third of October, the EP includes some tender tracks like Ghost as well as upbeat tunes like A Hundred Words. The London-based musician has previously had her songs played on local radio stations BBC 6 and BBC Kent, and if her music keeps progressing as it is I’m sure they’ll be played all over the western world.
Interview with Ksenia Valenti
Russian born pop artist Ksenia released her latest single from her upcoming album, an electrifying dance track named Locked in the Dream. She was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her sound and her music.
1. For the benefit of my readers who may not know much about you, can you tell us about your sound and something about yourself?
I am Ksenia Valenti! The fake Italian. Singer, actor, comedian. Yes I know it’s too much to pursue, but my main focus has always been music. I love pop music and I love mainstream music that’s on the radio, music that everyone knows, music that makes you want to jump up and dance. My sound is very much influenced by American pop music, but I remain unique to my own pop sound with a little Russian flavour.
Locked in the Dream by Ksenia Valenti Review
Released in early March, Locked in the Dream is the third single from Ksenia Valenti’s upcoming album. The singer herself is a very talented vocalist, songwriter, actor and comedian who competed in the Russian reality show Sing If You Can. Citing one of her earliest musical memories as hearing Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s fair to say I had high hopes for the song and her vocals.
Feather by BREATHE: Album Review
British artist BREATHE releases his new album soon and gave me the opportunity to have a listen and share my thoughts on it. With particular interests in metal and progressive music, it’s clear that his eclectic style has yet to transform into a particular sound. However, this latest album certainly brings together many elements that the Seed EP did not, and is a step in the right direction to finding his niche.
The album begins with the familiar prelude of Seed vol 1, with its low, sultry piano chords and excellently timed beat. Lift, with vocals by Helen Victory, was an amazing match. The vocal prowess of Victory lends itself to the crescendo of the music, especially when she transitions into her falsetto. I would have liked to hear the drums come crashing in straight after the vocals; I found myself waiting for the beat to come in for too long. Back Again had seemless transitions between sections, with the vocals sung in a different accent than the usual American (a nice change). I think Matthew James (the vocalist) needs to work on supporting his voice through his diaphragm so his pitch is more steady, but definitely has potential as a singer. The Clay interlude reminded me of a ticking clock, with the subtle build up of layers and brief break in the middle creating an interesting sonic picture reminiscent of typical movie scenes where a character travels to a new and exciting place.
With vocals by Jake Brown and Zahid Qureshi, the title track Feather poses an interesting contrast. The lyrics are quite heavy, and the lightness of the piano brings out the emotional significance of the vocal line. It also contrasts with the effect put on the melody, creating what sounds like a physical distance when the whole song is quite personal. Probably the best part of the song was when the electric guitar cane in. Definitely a good choice to bring the message home. The last two tracks, Nerves and Seed vol 2 were probably my personal favourites. The former had an interesting solo guitar bit intermingled with arpeggios on the piano, and although together they sounded confusing, both parts separately were catchy. Will Heggadon’s falsetto was amazing, transitioning between his vocal ranges was also expertly executed. Seed vol 2 was based loosely on a pentatonic scale, differing enough from the other tracks to make it interesting but not enough to seem out of place.