Browsing Tag

3rd single

Rosina Bullen Interview: Finding kind beauty in tragic sadness with Lie Down My Love

Posted on 2 December 2022

Filling our hearts with so much hope despite the tears which have previously made her sad, acclaimed jazz musician Rosina Bullen sits down with A&R Factory and guides us into her 3rd single off her upcoming EP Painting A Picture, with the gorgeous Lie Down My Love.

We truly appreciate you sitting down with us today, Rosina.

Rosina: Thank you so much for having me!

Firstly, please let us know what fans can expect at your show on the 7th of December at The Pheasantry in Chelsea?

Rosina: I am very excited for this show as I will be returning from NYC after 4 months away and I can’t wait to perform back in my home country! The evening will feature the music from my debut EP “Painting a Picture” along with some brand new material that I have written which has never been performed live before, so it is sure to be a special night! I will be joined by my incredibly talented friend and ‘partner in crime’ on this project the wonderful David Swan who’s orchestral arrangements really have brought my music to life – we haven’t actually seen each other in person for over 3 years now due to covid and location so I am very excited for us to perform the music we have created together for the first time! I will also be playing with the wonderful James Maddren, Tom Herbert and special guest Dom Ingham who are all featured on the EP and my amazing friend James Maltby on guitar! This is sure to be a special night that I won’t forget and the official launch of my EP, “Painting a Picture”.

How can the music industry be better for its performers and fans?

Rosina: One of the things I find difficult in the music industry at the moment is that it seems to be so focused on genres and fitting each artist into a box. I often hear that I am “not folk enough or not jazz enough” but I think that having your own unique sound and not fitting into a single box is a good thing but the way the industry is set up at the moment doesn’t always make room for artists who span multiple genres.

I like the fact that I don’t always know what direction my next song or project might take, but the storytelling is always central to my music. So what I guess I’m trying to say is that I hope the music industry will support those artists that don’t want to be defined by just one thing, as creativity doesn’t fit into a single box.

What was it like growing up in Suffolk, England, and how did you get started in music?

Suffolk is a beautiful place and east Anglia is known for its creativity. I have an incredibly supportive family that I am very close with – sadly not geographically anymore, but we speak all the time and I’m so lucky to have them!

I know this probably sounds very predictable, but there really was nothing other than music for me since before I can remember. Ever since I was a little girl, I struggled with my emotions and found the general day to day to be very overwhelming and it took me a long time to realise that not everybody was as sensitive as I was. Therefore, I used to shut myself up in the music blocks at school, which was the only place that I could be alone for a bit and I could then put what I was feeling into something more tangible and this was songwriting. I guess it was almost like my personal therapy as I used to bottle everything up so much and songwriting became my emotional release, where I could put what I was feeling into the lyrics and the music. There is just nothing else that makes me feel the way that music makes me feel – it can hurt like hell or it can heal things you didn’t know needed healing. It is my one true love in this life.

Wow, that got pretty deep there, but I guess that’s as honest as I can be.

The seasons certainly turn around rather quickly in life. What does Painting A Picture mean to you personally and what was the creative process like with David Swan?

It’s quite hard to explain in words what this EP “Painting a Picture” means to me as I find the songwriting process to be so personal. When I write a song, I have to be in a particular frame of mind and emotional state where all my feelings, fears, pain and joy just spill out of me to create a world of music from the place I am in at that moment. I often describe it to friends and family as a little piece of my soul that I have put onto a page. Therefore, I see this record as a piece of me and my life which I am sharing. This can be pretty terrifying but also just the most amazing feeling when I hear that someone has connected with a song or relates to the music I’ve written.

The creative process with David was pretty interesting as we were in lockdown, going over ideas together on zoom calls. David was in Scotland and I was in London, having returned from NYC on one of the last flights back to the UK. I have known David for about 8 years now and he is one of my best friends and favourite musicians. We have performed together many times, and he just knows exactly how to bring my music to life. I am forever grateful to him and we are already working together again on the next record!!

Do you feel like the NYC music scene is alive and back to normal or not yet?

It has been so exciting moving back to NYC after being away for two years and I am just totally in love with this city. I am now living in Brooklyn which I really didn’t know at all as I used to live Uptown in Manhattan before, so I have been exploring lots of new places and am just overwhelmed by all the amazing music that is going on here. I definitely feel that the music scene is alive here and one of the things I love so much about this city is that everyone is always up to play – it doesn’t have to be for a specific gig or concert they just want to play for the joy of it and I find this so infectious and inspiring. I don’t think anywhere will ever be back to normal as many iconic venues sadly closed, including my favourite venue ‘The 55 Bar’ but there is definitely lots of exciting creativity happening which is really special to be around!

Is there a specific venue in the world where you would love to play live?

Ooof this is way too hard as there are just too many!! The biggest thing for me would to be able to travel around the globe playing my music. I have a big travel bug and I love seeing new places and meeting new people, though I am often a little shy at first! One thing I would also love to do is to perform this whole project live with all the strings and woodwind as it was a 20 person project in total, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for that too!

Finally, what advice do you have for young musicians starting out in the industry?

Try not to judge yourself against other people, as we are all individual and we all have something to say. Music and art is not a competition – it’s a gift that we can give to others around us and make something beautiful from the pain or chaos that we feel or see.

–

Hear this stunning single on Spotify. See more news on her IG page.

Interview by Llewelyn Screen

Down The Path: Lucas Burn drops terrifying new song Nightmare

Posted on 5 November 2022

Dropping his 3rd single from the much-anticipated upcoming album, Lucas Burn shows us that the pain remains and could tear the entire roof off with the heart-stopping new release Nightmare.

Lucas Burn is a Gdańsk, Poland-based indie hip hop artist who forms those meaningful songs that have a genuine message and helps others deal with their own issues.

“My experience growing up in a home with an abusive father almost scarred me to life. However, I decided to channel the frustration to show my listeners, who might be sugaring from a similar situation, that they can overcome this and create a successful life for themselves and their loved ones. Many fans have already sent a message about how this song is helping them come out of their trauma and get their life back on track.” ~ Lucas Burn

Soaring into incredible heights that reveals what is really going on, Lucas Burn has released a brave single that is packed with intensity and shall get those speakers roaring with life.

Nightmare from Gdańsk, Poland-based indie hip hop artist Lucas Burn, is such an explosive effort that will shock the senses from our dripping souls. Steaming with intensity and featuring a powerful tone to truly get behind, we find ourselves in a harrowing story, which is cinematically on point for its creative intelligence.

We’re not alone.

Listen up to this unique single on Spotify and see more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

So Little Is Free: New York duo Astroblue Express remind us to stay innocent with ‘Cotton Candy Dreams’

Posted on 20 July 2021

Released as the 3rd song from their upcoming EP named ‘The Optimistic Traveler‘, Astroblue Express willingly take us for an exciting truth-filled journey to show us this money-grabbing world on ‘Cotton Candy Dreams‘.

Astroblue Express is an imagination-packed New York City-based husband and wife duo who also produce their own music. Their soundscape is a mixture of exciting cinematic music, dreamy freshly poured pop, busty blues, and experimental RnB.

”Cotton Candy Dreams is about the universal desire to achieve a dream or a vision of how our lives should be, in a reality where our perception is inevitably distorted by all the media input we’re saturated in. It’s both optimistic and flawed, it’s about life in our era.” ~ Astroblue Express

On such a well-made music video which shows you where the signs are to hide from, you feel their unique style lather a thoughtful ambiance into your reflective mindset. The beat has you nodding along slowly, and this is such a terrific experience to remind yourself where your priorities should be.

‘Cotton Candy Dreams‘ from the New York City-based duo Astroblue Express, is a wonderfully expressive music video which shows us how consumerism can really bloat your mind into having things that you don’t really need. The world can be so free and innocent if you choose to ignore the noise, and keep your mind pure with those dreams you know are good for you. This is a superb reminder from a refreshingly self-aware duo – who know that its better to be happy without useless junk – sapping your straining wallet.

See this new music video on YouTube and see more on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Make The Moment Last: Fresh Baltimore band Ryan And Perry wish for a special ‘Tomorrow’

Posted on 15 April 2021

With a big smile on their faces and their tinted shades on to block the sun of the day, Ryan And Perry wake up our romantic senses so we can look forward to ‘Tomorrow‘.

Ryan And Perry are a highly motivated two-piece indie rock act from rural Baltimore in the USA. They make that freshly squeezed new school rock sound that is meshed with their appreciation of the legends before them, as they forge their own original path to the top.

This is the story about being so excited to start the day by thinking of that sweet love who you can’t stop thinking about, as they have your heart and you get all giddy inside just thinking about being around them.

Their sound is so timeless and you feel like they would be appreciated in any era. They make that positive energy type of music that seems to get sadly lost sometimes under the fake bling and stories that should be impossible to believe. This is that quality music that your whole family can enjoy, their likable tone makes you warm inside and feel rejuvenated again.

‘Tomorrow‘ from Baltimore indie-rock duo Ryan And Perry, is the youthful story of looking to the future with the one that you care about and taking those lessons learnt from before, to make sure you are self-aware enough to look forward to the next day.

Their energy is infectious and feel like these two genuine love what they do, as their music is joyful and honest. Life is about looking forward and never backwards after all.

Stream this new single on their Spotify and check out the IG for more visuals.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Hold me close: Liverpool’s Sahara Line take our hand on sweet love-story ‘Only You’

Posted on 13 February 2021

Back with their 3rd affectionate single to warm our chilly hearts, Sahara Line make us think about those loving moments you treasure forever on ‘Only You‘.

Sahara Line are a promising four-piece Liverpool, England-based indie-rock act, who stylishly fuse together that sound you have heard before, into their own personal experience, their variety sparkles into your awaiting ears and you feel like this is actually something fresh and exciting. The determination to be different is impressive, their enthralling sonic soundscape lifts you up from your chair and takes you into their soul-stirring world of delight.

This is the loving story of feeling so close with her, as you gaze affectionately into each others flirty eyes and wish that this moment would never end. You feel the warmth through the guitar-filled speakers, as the driving sound brightens up the song with turned-on fairy lights, your anxious emotions are transported to that happy place.

‘Only You‘ from lovable Liverpool indie rockers Sahara Line, is that sweetly curated love-story that tilts your view to remember the innocence again, away from the soul-sucking quick-swipe and forget-quicker world, that blunts what heart-warming moments you should be encountering face to face.

When you care about someone enough it feels like your whole world slows down like you are staring at the stars, at peace with where you are at, your mind still and intently feeling every heartbeat as your souls connect. That special moment that you will never forget, is one that you can’t ever replace and is completely priceless.

Hear this fresh new track on Spotify and see their journey on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Move slow, die young: Sixsense drops soul-moving street story classic ‘Shylock’

Posted on 2 February 2021

Sixsense is back with his 3rd single called ‘Shylock‘ and this is a deeply crafted track that will have you feeling suddenly reflective. You feel this real life song stop you in your tracks with its real flow, that speaks of true stories of growing up in a cold world.

Sixsense is a North London-based emcee who raps with that old school flow consciousness and speaks about his experiences, as his opens up the curtains- to show how life is currently in this covid-stricken world.

When he spits, you listen. Influenced by true storytellers like Nas, J. Cole and Loyle Carner, you feel that he is a young man who puts everything he has, into every line penned from his profoundly brilliant brain.

‘Shylock‘ from North London fast-emerging Hip-Hop artist Sixsense, is that soul-moving track you put on when you feel you have been around too much fakeness, for one day and need to wake up to the realness again. With stories about life in the tough streets, dealing with former friends that have let him down, the pursuit of love and finding his path in this detour-filled world, this is a powerful track that will have you thinking deeply about life.

With a heartfelt song that shows immense potential, you hope that he walks down the right road to fulfilling all his deepest dreams and desires. This is that A-grade music that actually matters and inspires the lost souls.

Get your mind interlocked to quality rhymes of substance via the excellent video (visuals by Kaylo) on YouTube, Spotify and see more on his IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

‘No Ghosts Walk’ from Belfast band Paper Tigers is an Alt-Rock gem that hits the right spot

Posted on 8 November 2020

‘No Ghosts Walk‘ from Belfast band Paper Tigers is an Alt-Rock gem that hits the right spot in your sleepy heart and will wake up all of your senses. There is something a bit special about this as the distorted start soon blossoms into an adventure that will have you jumping around the house. Turn this up, the neighbours won’t mind.

After the success of the 2 previous singles- ‘Gucci Smiles’ and ‘Flames’, this is the 3rd recorded single for the time being and this is a hot track. Full of punk rock that is up there with the best indie bands around, we are treated to fiery vocals and a sound that is like a Lion roaring for a tasty dinner. This is a marvellous meal for the body to get replenished.

‘No Ghosts Walk‘ from the fun 3 piece band Paper Tigers. Lead singer Hayley performs with such fire on lyrics such as- ‘It burns it stings, to watch you leave, not hold you every day’. The song is written to reflect the stages of grief and the whole strange feeling of not being with that special person. This is a feeling that lots of us have experience and it is that real feel here that is most impressive. A band with a bright future and the early streaming numbers back it up. Keep an eye on this band for festivals in 2021 when the world is ‘normal’ again.

Click here for the Spotify link to hear more.

Head through to the Facebook page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen