Ambient production duo ag. Have released their debut EP Servia via Ont’ Sofa Records on 28 September and along with this release the Leeds-based electronic project also released a music video for their latest single ‘All Falls Down’.
Consisting of Ross Quin and Andrew Goddard, the ag. Duo have each seen success as solo DJ’s, touring and performing across the globe. With this new collaborative project, they pooled together their knowledge of songwriting, production and live music to bring forth a sound that is accessible to fans of all ages as they aim to bring eclectic shows to each stage seeing as they provide DJ sets as well as full band performances.
The latest release, ‘All Falls Down’, has a sound that can be likened to industry giants like Disclosure, Odesza and Bob Moses. ag.’s luxuriously smooth production will leave a long lasting emotional mark on any dancefloor. Soulful vocals and lush tones, ‘All Falls Down’ is a fantastic follow up to their first single ‘Warped Minds’ and a gripping entrance for any listener who just discovered the duo.
Regarding the video ag. say, “Our music video transpires the strain of wanting to make something work but your other half keeps running away from acknowledging the problems. We just wanted to put across the emotion, which our lyrics portray. We worked with a great Director called Tom Pallant, an old friend from the north who headed to London to pursue film. He did a great job and we’re already planning our next videos with him.“
Don Broco have revealed the video for their brand new single ‘Action’, ahead of their first-ever headlining tour of North America. ‘Action’ is the perfect representation of everything that Don Broco are about – powerful tunes and inextinguishable good vibes. It’s crammed full of big riffs and even bigger hooks, laced with their signature British swagger spilling out of every note. Not only that, but there are guest vocal spots from their friends Tilian Pearson (Dance Gavin Dance), Caleb Shomo (Beartooth), Tyler Carter (Issues) and Taka Moriuchi (ONE OK ROCK), all of whom contribute weight to the already formidable mass of the track. The stop-motion video features Don Broco’s lead singer Rob Damiani, and the co-vocalists on the track, depicted as action men heroes. A fantastically surreal narrative unfolds, with the characters becoming the center of a frenzied reign of toy-based-terror featuring blood, explosions, and the ever-entertaining reappearance of the cowboy. “We’re all gonna die at some point so get the fuck up and do something with your day/week/life,” says Rob. “That’s what ‘Action’ is about and it’s been rad linking up with a load of our mates on it. There’s not nearly enough collabs going on right now in rock music so we’re bringing back the vibes with help from the absolute dudes Taka, Caleb, Tyler and Tilian.” ‘Action’ comes as the band finish a run of Asian shows in South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ahead of their first-ever North American headline tour which features 24 dates and includes sold-out shows in legendary venues such as New York’s Gramercy Theatre, LA’s Troubador and The Fillmore in Philadelphia. Earlier in the year, the band headed out on an extensive European run, including a number of UK arena shows which saw them sell out two dates in Manchester and play to a packed-out Wembley Arena. This summer, Don Broco returned to the UK for a number of festival appearances and played at Community Festival, Kendal Calling, Y Not Festival and Truck Festival, garnering nothing but praise for their relentless high-octane performances. ‘Action’ is the second single from Don Broco in 2019 and follows their earlier smash ‘Half Man Half God’ – both of which are brand new tracks, following their critically acclaimed Top 5 album Technology last year.
Award-winning singer-songwriter, Thomas Oliver has just announced his new album, ‘The Brightest Light’, due to be released in March 2020. Ahead of this, he has released the first single, ‘Bulgarian Mountains’ from the upcoming album.
Whilst currently based in Berlin, Oliver has toured and performed throughout New Zealand, Australia, Europe, the UK, Asia and the USA, and has also shared the stage with such legends as Joe Cocker, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Eric Clapton and Xavier Rudd, and a recent tour of the Netherlands with Dutch favourites, My Baby.
Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production? I remember standing in the lounge room as a child, maybe 5 years old, listening to ‘This Old House’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and being completely enamoured by the sound, the vocal harmonies, and the sentiment of the song. I really felt for the family in the song, and I loved that a song could make me feel empathy for people I knew nothing about. As for production, I became a producer and mixer by accident. It wasn’t until people started wanting to pay me to mix/produce their music that I realised that it was a thing I was now! But it’s a huge part of my love for making music now.
If you could paint a picture of your unique sound, what would it look like? I love it when people ask good questions. It would be dynamic; lots of contrast between light and dark. And lots of different colours used. There would definitely be a human pictured, to represent the human aspect of my music. Probably a man and a woman, actually. With defined edges. But the background would be ambiguous, to represent the swirling nature of the human mind.
What’s on your current playlist?
I’ve been loving the new Bon Iver album. And I’ve been digging Son Little, Gary Clark Jnr and J. Cole.
Take us through your songwriting process.
The first half is intuitive and, shall we say, spiritual. That sounds a bit rich, but I mean guided by the subconscious. And the second half is critical and meticulous. The subconscious leads the way, and then the conscious swoops in to tidy up the mess. Haha.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
My studio is in Berlin, very close to the Spree, so most mornings when I arrive, I go first to the river and sit on the edge and drink a coffee and look into the body of water. There’s something about it that helps to clear my mind of the kinds of thing that tend to obstruct the creative process.
What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?
Buying a lap slide guitar and diving into that turned out to be something that I would be widely recognised for, which I never foresaw. It’s good to have a point of difference in this super-saturated music game!
As an artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?
I wouldn’t be a true artist if I didn’t have things I’d like to change about the business! Haha. It’s so fast-moving these days. An album comes out and is old news so quickly. Musicians are being forced to put out more music, but expect less and less in return due to the saturation of the market. There has to be a breaking point of that. But as for how to change that; I don’t know if it’s possible as it’s just a reflection of the age we live in. But I look forward to a time when a song has more value again, whatever that value may be.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
It’s usually a little smile from me and then a little nod which means, “okay, it’s time to get off now.”
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
I’ve had lots of people message me and tell me that they’ve walked down the aisle or shared a first dance to a song of mine, and also people thanking me for the fact that my music really helped them through a hard time. Those things always mean a lot. But someone once said to me, “your music embodies the very essence of existence.” And I think that was my favourite.
Do you have any guilty pleasures? Things you like that you know you probably shouldn’t.
As a New Zealander, I’m acutely aware of the general standard of treats in Europe; like chocolate, ice cream and cake etc. I eat a .5L tub of Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream in one sitting, about every two days. I’m not proud of it, but it does bring me immense joy. Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you in the near future?
I just announced my next album, ‘The Brightest Light’, due for release on March 6, 2020. I wrote and produced this album in Berlin, and it feels like my best songwriting yet, and my best production. It combines my love of Soul, Pop, RnB and electronic music with a lot of dynamic variation. I can’t wait to release it. But there’ll be a couple of singles from it between now and then!
Famous last words?
“I’ve got far too much creative energy in me to be dying right now.”
Platinum award-winning Welsh songstress Donna Lewis has teamed up with producer David Baron again to create their own cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’. They previously collaborated on ‘Bad Bad Love’, which was a heartbreaking expose on the separation of mother and child. You can read our previous piece on it here. ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ focusses on the simply interactions between people that can result in misunderstandings, pushing the subject of the song to request the aforementioned deal with God to trade places
Standing alone as a well-established producer, arranger, mixer and engineer David Baron has worked alongside several other big names including Lumineers, Lenny Kravitz, Meghan Trainor and even the late Michael Jackson. The result is someone who has advanced both technically and socially within the industry, leaving behind a trail of hits in his wake.
Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production?
My father was a pioneer of remote recording and had a truck with recording equipment on it. He took me to concerts and showed me how to record. I wanted a studio when I was three. I wished for it every night.
If you could paint a picture of your unique sound, what would it look like?
Combination of classical, electronic, emotional, and vintage recording. With splotches of red for drama and blue for modal coolness. A jester standing in Antarctica playing a modular synthesizer.
What’s on your current playlist?
Josin, Hania Rani, Matt Maeson, Debussy.
Take us through your songwriting process.
I write at the piano. I have three pianos – all of them with very different characters. One is a Steinway from 1890 and a ghost lives in it. I write haunted pieces on it. My Yamaha is from the 90s and it leads to optimism – the economy is good and 9/11 has had yet to happen. I have a Steinway grand and that leads to feeling important! Everything sounds epic. It’s so fun to write on that it probably should be illegal.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
My area is filled with inspiring musicians. My local bakery, Bread Alone, is always full of them. You can go and talk to a famous composer about contemporary music – or a bass maker about the important of low end. You feel part of a community that values and sparks creativity. My town is called Olive but it’s right outside of Woodstock. Also, the majesty and starkness of nature. Love it.
What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?
Attending Oberlin Conservatory. Writing my first well-known themes for networks. Playing synthesizers and piano for Lenny Kravitz. All About that Bass being a massive hit – with my great friend Kevin Kadish. Deciding to make my own records. Working with the Lumineers.
As an artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?
It would be really nice if recordings paid money that you could live on. The internet has really changed the economic ecosystem for musicians. That being said: I love streaming. I am addicted to listening to new music all the time. Love it!
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
I hardly ever play concerts. I’ve done some television and radio with Jade Bird. That was super fun because we made the records together. And she’s just awesome as a human and performer. So fun!
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
People paying money for my music! Also, getting threatened by someone in a bar because they hated an Old Navy Jingle I wrote (a friend drunkenly told the whole bar I wrote it). I hope to make people feel love and beauty with my music. I’d love to make someone’s life a bit better through the music.
