Browsing Tag

coldplay

Danelle’s “Broken” Is A Risky Production, But The Payoff Is Worth It

Posted on 26 October 2017

Have you ever found it odd that so many songs about feeling damaged or distraught are put together in a way that seems to convey the opposite. Major keys and crystal-clear production doesn’t exactly scream trouble. Artists, particularly singers, tend to find juxtaposing contrasting emotions to be a way of creating something unique, but when a singer has a tone in mind and can also find the perfect backdrop to amplify that feeling, we get something more powerful. Broken by Danelle is a song that builds incredibly well using slightly off-kilter elements to its advantage.

From the opening, the slightly transduced vocals have a quality about them that’s hard to pin down. They seem somewhat lo-fi in how they’re recorded, but they’re much more ambitious in their performance than what a lo-fi artist would be comfortable with. Between humanly off-beat claps and progressively more layered vocals, we get to enjoy a frightening and dynamic mix that evolves over time into something much grander than the original parts led on. In this way, the key to the song is sticking to the theme without sacrificing quality. Broken is a risky production altogether, but the payoff is well worth it.

-Paul Weyer

Jordan Waller Releases Official Music Video For “Let You Down”

Posted on 14 October 2017

Singer/Songwriter Jordan Waller has a keen ear for larger-than-life melodies and emotional hooks that feel memorable and easy to relate to. His recent single, “Let You Down”, is a perfect example of the artist’s songwriting skills and lyrical prowess. The song feels lush, deep and rich, reminding me of artists such as Coldplay or The Fray. However, Jordan’s approach is a little more personal, echoing the work of artists like Ryan Adams.

You could say that “Let You Down” is a great compromise between the vibes of pop, the energy of stadium rock and the sensibility of an intimate singer-songwriter act.

 

Check out B.F.R. ‘The Great Unknown’ sometimes simplicity works best

Posted on 19 August 2017
https://youtu.be/vTk-dL1svag

When it comes to rock music, sometimes simplicity works best. This is definitely the case for B.F.R. – This band set out to create a catchy and direct tone with lots of attitude and energy. The song is a great blend of pop, rock, punk, and indie: imagine what it would sound like if Blink-182 were to jam with Coldplay! This might sound a little weird, but if I picture that “fantasy” collaboration in my mind, I would probably imagine the hypothetical resulting jams to sound something like “The Great Unknown”!

The song is atmospheric and textural, yet direct and fresh. With “The Great Unknown”, this band set out to channel their spontaneity through a simple, yet engaging set of melodies and beats. The drums are direct and sustained, while the guitars are crisp – the sound is driven, yet ever so slightly, allowing the guitars to breathe and still have somewhat of a “clean” tone that offers more defined melodies.

A&R Factory Present: Patrick Joseph

Posted on 15 March 2017

For years, Patrick Joseph has forged a prolific career as a songwriter on the rise. You may have heard his music on such television shows as Gossip Girl, The Office, Chicago Fire, MTV’s Friendzone, or Happy Endings, to name a few. You might have caught him at festivals around North America such as SXSW in Austin, NXNE in Toronto, or CMJ in New York. Or maybe you’re just discovering his music for the first time. Regardless of how you’ve gotten to know him, you’ve already discovered quickly why Joseph’s had a steady rise to success over the past few years from the Los Angeles music scene to the international stage. With two releases and a few years of touring under his belt, singer/songwriter Patrick Joseph is no stranger to the craft, and 2015 shows no signs of slowing down for the young songsmith who hails from Los Angeles, CA.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Joseph forges a mixture of pretty & gritty vocals, lush production and timeless songwriting, creating a presence that NOW Magazine describes as “A Gifted LA adult-contemporarist with a world-weary Waitsian voice and a Spoon meets Beatles soft-rock vibe.”

Patrick is largely independent, producing, recording, mixing, and until recently, performing all of his recordings on his own. A resident of the neighborhood of Silverlake in Los Angeles, Joseph has established himself as one of the rising stars in the buzzing songwriting scene of Southern California.

His latest release Hindsight brought Patrick Joseph on a US Tour, steady airplay around North America, several features in film & television and the honor of Producer Of The Year in the 2015 Independent Music Awards, as well as recently being named Best Male Pop/Rock Artist in the 2016 LA Music Critic Awards.

https://www.facebook.com/patrickjosephmusic/

A&R Factory Present: CHIMES

Posted on 11 March 2017

‘Wolves’ is an infectious, feel-good dance track with looping synths and bellowing vocals.

It follows on from ‘Pieces’, which has received hundreds of thousands of streams, as well as support from Mr Suicide Sheep, having surpassed over a million plays on Mr Suicide Sheep’s YouTube channel alone.

CHIMES is the collaboration between London based duo, pop producer Jamie Draper and multi-genre songwriter/vocalist, Paul Aiden.

With Draper’s love of dance and pop, and Aiden’s experience working within the genres of EDM, folk, rock, R&B and pop, CHIMES is perhaps an unsurprising match, but their creative chemistry and shared love of constructing credible, commercial songs with international appeal is what makes them so unique.

The duo formed in 2014, following speculative songwriting sessions. Since then, Draper and Aiden have been busy applying the skills acquired from working with global artists (Draper has written singles for Cheryl, Låpsley, Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora and Little Mix, and Aiden has appeared as a featured artist on top releases worldwide) into making the kind of songs that they are both passionate about.

As Draper explains, “there was space for something new, fresh and powerful to make a mark”, but it’s not just about creation of music for CHIMES; it’s also about the performance.

Live, CHIMES put on an energetic show, creating a special experience that involves maximum audience participation. Their last gig was a sold out headline show at The Old Blue Last in London, and they expect to make an even bigger splash this year, proving that CHIMES are well on their way as becoming one of the most promising artists of 2017.

CHIMES’ SOCIALS

SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/chimesofficial

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chimesofficial

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chimesofficial

A&R Factory Present: Heffron Drive

Posted on 12 February 2017

Based out of Los Angeles, CA, Heffron Drive is an Alt Pop band started in 2008 by lead singer Kendall Schmidt and Guitarist Dustin Belt. The duo began making music together when they were teenagers. Both Kansas natives met while living on the same street in Burbank, CA called Heffron Drive, which ultimately inspired the name of their band.

Before Heffron Drive had a chance to take off, Kendall booked the lead of a television show/music group and gained worldwide popularity as the lead Singer of the Nickelodeon/Columbia Records project Big Time Rush. After 5 years of success, Kendall, alongside guitarist, Dustin Belt, got back in the studio together as Heffron Drive.

The two best friends and band mates have been busy touring all parts of the world since the revival of Heffron Drive. From Europe to South America, the Philippines and all over the US. Their first album Happy Mistakes was released in 2015, shortly followed up by Happy Mistakes: Unplugged; per the fans request for an acoustic album. Happy Mistakes is a soaring example of how pure songwriting can be. The music is thoughtful and meticulously crafted to go along with lyric and melody that pull on every individual heart string.

 

So far the band has only impressed and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. With the release of their two new singles “Rain Don’t Come” and “Don’t Let Me Go” in 2016 they have brought a new sound to their music that has pleasantly surprised the fans and attracted new listeners. These two new singles push the limits of what HD is all about; unforgettable music. “Rain Don’t Come” is a heart racing track full of desert vibes and incredibly thoughtful production. “Don’t Let Me Go” is the new sound for the project, showing the love that Heffron Drive has for electronic music while keeping their unique sound alive.

The band has been hard at work in the studio writing and producing new music. Their first new song of 2017, “Living Room”, was released January 13th, followed by an EP entitled “The Slow Motion EP” released February 10th. They will be playing a few shows in Mexico in January, and then of to Europe for a full European tour in February.

A&R Factory Present: Natalie Major

Posted on 10 February 2017

Natalie Major is a young singer/songwriter originally from Chicago. Creating a soulful blend of catchy pop melody and ambient vibes,​ she takes influence from a wide array of artists such as Sia, Coldplay, Lana Del Rey and many more.​

Produced by Robot Koch, “Human” captures the raw, authentic feel of what it means to be open and honest about the grief of heartbreak. Her combination of poetic lyrics and haunting melody impacts the listener instantly.The song’s elements create a somber yet hopeful feel that touches your heart through it’s purest expression.

A&R Factory Present: Medic

Posted on 19 May 2016
Very few rock bands are capable of wowing people right out of the gate. It usually starts with a half recorded demo here, another half recorded demo there, empty bars, empty promises and then you finally get to the good stuff.
In February 2011, four young men who were tired of such a pattern gathered in an empty church to discuss their dreams, aspirations and what they were going to do about it. The idea was to create the music they’ve always wanted, spend all the money they had and make the best music they’ve ever been apart of.
The group enlisted producer Michael Rossback to help them craft the sounds that they were striving for and to help the songs come to life. “The whole thing was a big experiment. None of us had worked with a producer before and the biggest thing was, the band had yet to even play music together in a room.” says Aaron Wagner, the groups frontman, “when we got to Rossback we had only laid ideas down piece by piece in a computer, never anything
more. Rossback would then make us play everything as a live band when we arrived at his house and that’s when things came to life. There was a chemistry and sense of trust between us all.”
August rolled around and after months of working, Medic had finished their first EP. Five songs that had stolen the very breath away from all who would hear and with a developed sound that felt like they had been around for 10 years, the band started to play around the Denver area with the intent to stun the audience. They are succeeding. Bassist Drew Barnard explains: “We went in to this just wanting to make music with hope. Music that made people feel like they were understood and the shows feel like that; like we are reaching an understanding between us and the audience that hope is alive and well.”
“In the midst of the trials that we go through these days, I think we are just tired of the same old. Anyone can make art these days. It’s so accessible to make and promote and yet most of it is so negative. It was wearing on us. Medic is about something new, we are about creating a community of thinkers, dreamers and believers that aim for something positive. This world will continue to fall apart if we keep talking about how it’s falling apart. But what if
we dare to be the people to figure out ways to put things back together? That’s our platform. That maybe our music can be apart of someones healing process and spread from there.” says Aaron.
So maybe it is time for something new. New songs to sing, new dreams to dream. Maybe Medic is formed out of four guys who might be what we call idealists. But maybe it’s time for us to leave the cynicism behind and begin to embrace hope. Maybe it’s time for a new beginning.
Let us welcome, Medic.

A&R Factory Present: Slowlights

Posted on 9 May 2016

Slowlights are a London based four piece, mainly influenced by Arcade Fire, The National, Local Natives and Coldplay. They started 2016 by recording a debut EP with producer, Peter Miles.

The band have been on the road supporting Eliza and The Bear. Slowlights are independently releasing one track a month from the EP to their soundcloud page, Only Young is the third song that they have put out.

The EP will be released as a whole on June 1st!