UK born singer and songwriter Leanne Tennant new relatable single off of her Happiness Is album titled ‘Overthinker’ is comforting to the lost and fragile in these times of chaos around the world. The songstress has mentioned the tensions and anxieties that she was facing as an artist in her previous single ‘Everspin’.
Leanne shares personal details behind the development of the song, “As a sufferer of anxiety, I have a tendency to overthink things. I started writing this song when I was feeling a little fragile however what came out was quite powerful. Even though the lyrics are about my overactive mind, I wanted this song to be a song of strength. A reminder that I am strong.”
Leanne is an open book to anyone that will hear her sincere and thoughtful lyrics about the small victories and challenges that she faces every day as a creative and human being. but ‘Overthinker’ digs deeper into the vulnerable space of mental health.
Pop singer Valdii originally hails from Canada, where he went on to study music in his native city of Toronto. In the years to follow Valdii was swiftly spotted by Warner Music, who signed him up to a major-label deal as the lead singer of Eleven Past One. Their debut release, ‘The World is Ours’, became a gold-certified smash hit earning over a million views on Youtube alone.
Choosing to strike out as an independent artist, Valdii released his first single, ‘Toxic’ in June this year. We’ve included his latest single, ‘Comfortable’ for your enjoyment below. It’s one of our favourite parts of the industry, watching the artists develop into their unrestrained selves. We decided to sit down for an interview with him and learn a little more about this rising talent.
Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production?
Some of my earliest entries into music appreciation would have to be singing and performing with my older sister in our family home. We would put on ‘shows’ for our family where we would sing, dance and even have outfit changes. Also, I was raised singing in the Church, so I began to hone my singing voice and performing talent from there really.
If you could paint a picture of your unique sound, what would it look like?
Well, that’s a little difficult to answer myself, but I would have to say that my voice stands out from the rest. I’ve had many people tell me that there’s something about it. It draws people in. I think growing up singing gospel music is a bit of a reason for that. And when you put that kind of a compelling voice-over catchy pop production, I think there’s magic there.
What are some of your key musical influences?
I usually like to answer this question without quickly jumping to the most common Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston answer. I feel like my musical influences really stem from many different people. It could be my brother that influences me to be great because he’s so great at playing the guitar. It could be Justin Timberlake because he was one of the first big musicians I saw in concert. Mostly, when I’m making music and producing, I’m thinking of what music is most listened to and then I try and put my own spin on it.
What’s on your current playlist?
Sam Smith – ‘How Do You Sleep’, Ed Sheeran feat Khalid – ‘Beautiful People’, Old Dominion – ‘One Man Band’, Lewis Capaldi – ‘Someone You Loved’, The Chainsmokers & Bebe Rexha – ‘Call You Mine’, Billie Eilish & Justin Bieber – ‘Bad Guy’… I could go on, but you get the idea.
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
Usually, I’ll set aside a certain time frame to have writing sessions/writing trips and I’ll team up with successful writers and producers to have these sessions where we just create together and we end up writing a song in a day or two then producing it right after that. I’m always jotting down ideas in my notes on my iPhone, whether it’s one word, a couple, a full sentence or even more. So most of the time on these writing trips I’ll go back into my notes and see what I’ve culminated over the past little while and I’ll pick and choose what I’m feeling to write about or what’s most important to me. Other times, I’ll just sit down on the piano and start writing spontaneously.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Honestly, being around a successful creative team gets my juices flowing. For me, it’s usually being in the right place and being surrounded by the right elements. I feel like that’s where my best music thus far has transpired.
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 would probably change the way artists get paid, and how much they get paid for their music/craft. I think streaming has sort of robbed artists a bit, but I realize that this is where the industry has landed for now and you just have to evolve with it. Go with the punches so to speak. I think I’d also change the way radio chooses to play an artists song. If the song is a great song, I think music directors at radio stations should take a chance with it, like the old days, instead of waiting for the song to get millions of streams.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
It’s super amazing when you see and hear people singing the words to your song while performing
Manchester-based singer/songwriter Ellysse Mason began to make serious musical waves. In the last year alone she’s sold-out Manchester’s Deaf Institute, headlined Academy 3 and racked up over 1.5million streams for her debut single ‘Hunt Me Down’ on Spotify.
As she moves to bigger venues and festival stages, she is becoming a live act to be reckoned with. Dark, haunting melodies combine with deft guitar playing to create an ethereal, otherworldly sound that has drawn comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Billie Eilish and Massive Attack.
Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production?
The first Artist I really remember falling in love with was Jack Johnson. I saw him on a video from a live show he did when I was about 12 and that inspired me to take up the guitar and perform. A bit further down the line, I discovered Joni Mitchell, in fact, I don’t even really remember when it was specifically. I was going down a bit of a rabbit hole of the 60s and 70s music and I just remember realising one day that I was a huge fan of hers all of a sudden. She definitely influenced my early vocal/writing style. As for production, I’ve only just started to think of myself in those terms, but I do remember the impact that Moby’s track “Porcelain” had on me and it’s still one of my favourite songs.
What are some of your key musical influences?
At the moment the stuff I’m listening to that’s influencing my material most is probably: HAIM, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish and 1975
If you could paint a picture of your unique sound, what would it look like?
It would probably be a scene set in outer space… but weird.. If there was a 1960’s Motel/Diner on the moon… Something like that… With neon.
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
I always put the melody first. Everything else comes after. But I do work with the production in mind for very early in the process. I always sit and write on logic just using it to play guitar or keys and vocals through, so I have the effects or the synths running right from the start and have an idea of the vibe from the beginning.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
When I hear a PROPER good tune. One that gives you the fuzzies. It makes me wanna write straight away.
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?
At the moment I only really know one scene and that’s the one in Manchester. Everyone here supports everyone else. It’s a great place to be a musician so I feel really lucky to get to do what I do.
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
My first big headline show was for my last EP launch and we sold out Deaf Institute in Manchester. It was amazing to play to a full house at a larger venue like that for the first time. I’ve played bigger shows since, but that one was really special. And the buzz you get from the crowd being fully involved in the music and singing along to your songs is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
I played at Band On The Wall last year and when I played one of my new songs (I Could Make It Better) as a solo performance in the middle of the set (I was playing a full band show btw), the whole crowd erupted, and then the applause just kept dying down and then swelling back up, over and over again, as you get at much bigger shows. It was such an amazing feeling!
What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?
I just want to reach as many people as I can and hopefully make enough from each album so that I get to make another one… Anything else on top of that is just icing on the cake.
What’s on your current playlist?
Phoebe Bridgers – Dua Lipa – Sam Fender – Lana Del Rey – The Weeknd
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you in the near future?
The plan is to release a string of singles this year on the run-up to an album at some point in the not too distant future. With everything that’s going on, it’ll probably be a little slower than planned, but everything is still in motion, and once lockdown lifts I’ll be back to full speed!
Norwegian cult pop icon Dagny has released the new single ‘Somebody’ along with a music video – the second track to be lifted from her upcoming debut album. Today Dagny is also announcing that her long-awaited debut will be split into two parts, with the first 6 tracks Side A available for streaming on May 22nd, and the full album to arrive in September later this year.
New single ‘Somebody’ sparks into life with a dance-floor ready rhythm section, before bubbling synths, open up to provide a lush backdrop to Dagny’s unmistakable vocals.
The song was written with a goal of conveying the ultimate “in-love” experience, Dagny went on to say: “It’s the all-consuming and exciting feeling when everything is still new. I’ve been lucky to experience it. I find that when I’m in love I feel everything ten times more than usual. With ‘Somebody’ for me, it’s not just the lyrics but the whole vibe of the song that represents that: when I listen to it I get a lot of positive energy and I just wanna throw myself into something new and exciting.”
Both new single ‘Somebody’ and the previously released ‘Come Over’ truly epitomises Dagny’s singular sound, style, and spirit. “Now – more than ever – I am able to be personal in my music. I want to tell stories that mean something to me, but also stories that others can relate to,” Dagny said.
Once again, Dagny worked with directing duo TUSK on the video for ‘Somebody’. Comprising Kerry Furrh & Olivia Mitchell, the pair have recently worked on Camilla Cabello’s single release campaign and live show visuals, as well as creating work for artists including Halsey, Olly Murs, Olivia O’Brien, Nicki Minaj and many others.
