Category: Music

Interview: Quickfire with George O’Hanlon

While singer and songwriter George O’Hanlon is still a fresh face within the British music scene, he’s already picking up considerable momentum thanks to support from heavyweights like BBC Introducing and Radio 1.

It’s easy to see why this 21 year-old from Dorking is so captivating; few can create tracks that give such a strong feeling of intensity and emotion as O’Hanlon can. Thanks to the release of his new single ‘The Weight’, I was able to ask this hugely promising artist some quick questions to learn more about him.

How would you describe your sound to someone who’s not heard your music before?

My sound is a combination of my influences, stuff like Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke, as well as being inspired by my life experiences and the world around me.

When did you realise that you wanted to become a musician? 

I never thought of it like that, I just enjoyed playing the guitar and singing. I’ve always had a love for music.

How did it feel signing your record deal with a label as established as EMI? 

It was a big change of course but it’s felt very natural and everyone’s been very welcoming.

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

Michael Kiwanuka or Phoebe Bridgers.

What artists do you draw upon for inspiration when you’re crafting your songs?

Loads but at the moment I’d probably say Nirvana and Radiohead.

What does the rest of the year have in store for you?

Hopefully getting out and playing more gigs! I’ll be recording more songs as well so that’s exciting.

Be sure to check George’s debut Mahogany session, featuring stripped back performances of both ‘The Storm’ and ‘The Weight’ here.

George O’Hanlon

Harvey Causon – Corinthians

Bristol talent Harvey Causon returns today with ‘Corinthians’, a stunning piece of indietronica that feels conceptual and avant-garde, while also being dark and intriguing.

“’Corinthians’ references a metaphorical idea that a person’s being and psyche is a structure or building, with each supporting pillar representing networks, other people, therapies or habits. The track and video convey losing or having one of these pillars shatter and the lead message being to invest in others so as not to let the whole building collapse. The track became a personal reminder to open up to those around you so that ‘cracks don’t become tools‘.”

Causon will perform a headline show at London’s Corsica Studios on 6th October 2021. Tickets can be found here.

Harvey Causon

New Music: thom.ko

LA-based indie-pop talent thom.ko creates a kind of music that is near impossible not to enjoy and fall in love with. Listening to new single ‘Goodbye’ gives the listener equal doses of fun, playfulness and charm.

thom.ko

New Music: SARAS

A fantastically catchy slice of electro-pop that will fill you with a desire to go out and dance the night away. If you’ve got your summer playlists set up, be sure to add ‘Don’t Say It’ immediately!

“This song is about the silent agreement between exes to not get back together. It’ll feel good for a moment and then you’ll be right back where you started so why even bother? Let’s just not. I wrote it after a breakup, imaging a scenario when we run into each other in the future. The chemistry’s still there. We still make each other laugh. But the relationship is fractured and one wrong turn, and I’ll end up running back into his arms because the good parts of love are intoxicating.”

Watch out for the EP, coming out later in the fall.

SARAS

New Music: Bradley Denniston

LA artist Bradley Denniston is one of those talents who’s already had an incredibly impressive career to date, yet you may never have heard of.

As a head engineer, composer and music producer, Denniston has worked on projects that have consequently gone on to achieve Grammy, Oscar and Emmy nominations. Today he releases solo single ’15 Minutes To Midnight’, and it’s a nostalgic blend of alt-pop and disco that is infectiously memorable.

“It’s all about that feeling of being out with someone that you have a thing for but they just don’t know it… Dancing all night long, drinking and having a moment when there’s a bit of hope that your crush might just be giving you a chance. Those close encounters where you want to tell them how you really feel about them and the moment is so close but also that window of opportunity is slipping away fast.”

Bradley Denniston

Bryar – Self Sabotage

No stranger to the Alfitude pages, Bryar returns today with a beautifully emotive piece of electro-pop that offers us a glimpse into the artist’s personal struggles.

“This song is like a page out of my diary. A very honest and hard look at myself and my bad habits that might keep me from better relationships. But I’m also really good at blaming myself and making myself the bad guy. So by the end of unraveling my thoughts I got to a place where I accepted myself and my issues and decided to love it all and be ok with not being perfect.”

Bryar

New Music: cudos

Hailing from New York, cudos are a jazzy dance-pop duo who blend upbeat sounds with sad Gen-Z vibes to create a sound that is not only distinctly unique but also totally relatable.

“‘FeelSad’ started out as a beat that we made last year in March. We created it when we were both feeling sort of down about certain relationships within our respective lives. We sat on the idea for about five or so months and then started shopping it around. We then linked up with Jake and wrote to it over zoom. It only took one session and it came out great. We then went back and forth on production and minor vocal edits and it eventually became what it is today.”

Taken from the debut EP ‘Extra-Curriculars’ which is out now.

cudos

New Music: Carson James Argenna

I reckon this is probably the sweetest-sounding pop release of the week. New York artist Carson James Argenna’s ‘Pride First’ is an infectiously catchy bop that feels emotive in the most charming way.

“My songwriting began when I was 15 and I’m really only just now starting to share some of the music I’ve written over the years. My style focuses heavily on melody and lyrics and I mostly work with other producers to bring it all to life.”

Carson James Argenna

New Music: Sophie Hunter

American talent Sophie Hunter has created an emo-trap banger through ‘Ketamine Breakfast’ that commands to be heard, featuring exceptional lyricism that is not only honest but captivating to listen to.

“During COVID I got addicted to ketamine and ended up losing my most important friendships. With no one left to turn to, I said f*** it and went to a studio for the first time. I’ve been clean ever since. Making music has been turning my life around, day by day – this song is a dispatch from the darkest depths.”

Sophie Hunter

New Music: Bruvvy

Assertive, bold and arresting hard-rock from American outfit Bruvvy. This is a sound that is refreshingly assured and unapologetically confident. On the song, vocalist Liz Varum says:

“I came to a boiling point when my boss at the time told me how unlikely it was that I was going to make it in the music industry and that I should always have a backup. Being that it was my millionth time hearing this, I got overwhelmed and decided to write a song dedicated to all the people who have underestimated me in the past.” – Liz Varum, Bruvvy

Taken from the upcoming EP ‘Little Heat’ which is out in August 2021.

Bruvvy

New Music: Ellie Gadzos

A charming approach to indie-pop from Canadian talent Ellie Gadzos. With a style of music-making that is distinctively unique while still feeling familiar, this artist possesses a refreshing sense of self-assuredness and confidence that is on full display with debut single ‘Fiji.’

“I think everyone has wanted to run far away and restart at some point. When I wrote this song, I wished I could leave Ottawa behind and start fresh on a faraway island. At the time, rumours kept me apart from the person I had feelings for, and it made me think that if we could disappear and getaway, it would solve all of our problems.”

Ellie Gadzos

New Music: Georgia Cécile

A stunningly emotive blend of jazz and pop from one of the UK’s most promising new female vocalists.

Already tipped as ‘One To Watch’ by BBC Introducing and Jazzwise Magazine, Georgia Cécile’s fan base has been growing steadily on the strength of her live performances and a songwriting partnership with award-winning pianist & composer Euan Stevenson.

“This song is my most personal as it was written about my Father. I wanted to capture the essence of him – his presence, spirituality, and the ways in which he nurtured and shaped my world and how his personal sacrifices allowed me to pursue my dream.”

Georgia Cécile

New Music: Hadar Adora

With over half a million followers on TikTok alone, it’s safe to say that Hadar Adora could well be the next household name in the making. Music is in this artists’s blood, who’s spent her younger years either behind the stage or in a studio.

Blending electro-pop with RnB and EDM, ‘Free Zone’ is an unapologetic number that will leave you dancing like there’s no tomorrow!

Hadar Adora

Scott Quinn – Hands Across The Table

London-based producer, songwriter and singer Scott Quinn finally releases his much-anticipated debut EP today, alongside new single ‘Hands Across The Table’.

Alongside garnering over 9 million Spotify streams with his own material, Quinn has also written tracks for the likes of BTS, Zara Larsson, Keith Urban, and JONES.

Taken from the debut EP ‘BETTER FOR ME’ which is out now.

Scott Quinn

Retro Video Club – Disaster

One of the UK’s most promising indie-rock outfits in recent years, Retro Video Club return today with the hugely anthemic ‘Disaster’. A siren call to everyone that the end is in sight, this is sound that is filled with the energy you need to keep going!

“’Disaster’ is a song about the thrill of the chase, and the chaos that ensues when you reach the finish line.”

Retro Video Club

New Music: Addi

Still only 20-years old, UK talent Addi’s style of music-making brings a stripped-back yet impactful approach to pop.

After growing up in the West Midlands, Addi moved to London for University just before lockdown, which in turn gave this promising artist the time to focus on self-producing gems like ‘Facebook’.

“I wrote ‘Facebook’ in the first Covid-19 lockdown in the UK, it is written about growing up in the social media age and constantly seeing the highlight reels of everyone else’s lives. It can leave us feeling like we are not doing anything, going anywhere, or seeing anyone.”

Addi

New Music: Wodan Boys

Hailing from the Netherlands, Wodan Boys craft a kind of garage rock that is bursting with raw energy and character. This is music with impact, and will immediately hold your attention and leave you wanting more!

“Let’s be honest. You don’t need another shopping list of bands we all like nor a bunch of metaphors that make us look cool. High energy loudmouth rock music, that’s basically what it’s about. We’re not vegan, didn’t have a hard childhood and yet fully aware we’re all on the same sinking ship.”

Wodan Boys

Confetti – Boring

One of the week’s biggest statement songs, ‘Boring’ is an anthemic alt-pop sound from mysterious duo Confetti, who’s music has so far earned praise from the likes of Earmilk, Atwood and This Song Is Sick among others.

“We make music because it’s 100% genuinely a representation of how we feel at that very moment, never aren’t afraid to censor our feelings and ready to hit you with realness. So this song is about how we felt during quarantine… BORED. Also, boredom predates quarantine back to the early days of living in a society where only people with loads of money can have fun. Perhaps that’s why our imaginations are so… ferked?”

Taken  from the the forthcoming EP ‘Guilty Pleasures’ which is out soon.

Confetti

New Music: Molly Mae

A gorgeously sleek fusion of soul, RnB and pop from Finnish-Swedish talent Molly Mae.

A successfully featured vocalist on tracks by the likes of Liam Mockridge, Palma and KASPERG, this Berlin-based producer & singer is now ready to showcase her own sound through debut single ‘I Wanna Know’, of which she says:

“It’s about wanting to explore a connection further with someone yet not knowing exactly where they stand. You know, that frustration of not understanding why the other person is holding back, I think a lot of people have been there.” 

Molly Mae