Showing posts with label Freedom Fry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freedom Fry. Show all posts

Freedom Fry - Alyssa Trahan - Space Museum featuring Ian Moss

We have featured Freedom Fry a few times, the last being back in January when we shared 'The Seasons' EP. Now we have 'The Sun is Gonna Shine On You' EP, including a video for their superb French version of Elton John's 'Your Song'.

Alyssa Trahan has released 'Petty' a song that has plenty of Nashville influences and a whole lot of feisty energy, she's described as having plenty of sass, well this song kind of endorses that, it's very catchy as well.

Space Museum will release a mini-album called 'Nightmare on Glitch Street' on the seventh of June. The only song with vocals (by Ian Moss) is 'My Name Is Jim' a sort of homage to Jim Morrison with more than a little mischief. Focusing on the musical backdrop gives a hint of what to expect from the other tracks, but only a hint on this "out there" musical excursion. 
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Freedom Fry - The Sun is Gonna Shine On You EP.

Freedom Fry tell us about The Sun is Gonna Shine On You EP. "It was written & recorded both in our home studios in Paris and Los Angeles".

Track 1: “One Man Show” is about how life is best lived with others and you can’t do it all alone.

Track 2: “Your Song,” by Elton John, is such a perfect song. It’s almost intimidating to do a version of it. We had never heard a French version before so we translated the lyrics and were able to keep the meaning the same. Doing it in French felt freeing and helped us to reinvent it slightly and give it another feel.

Track 3: “The Sun is Gonna Shine On You” is an optimistic indie pop song with a dark sense of humor. Everyone will have their day in the sun, it just might not be exactly how they envision it. “Like a drink on the sidewalk all afternoon, yeah, the sun is gonna shine on you.” - Bruce & Marie.


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Alyssa Trahan - Petty.

A little bit of sass and a whole lot of talent. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (she plays over a dozen) and audio engineer Alyssa Trahan is a young force to be reckoned with. She grew up in the small town of East Rochester, NY where she created a major buzz in her hometown and surrounding areas.

In 2016, she made the move to Nashville, TN and has been making big waves in the music industry ever since. In January of 2018, she signed her first publishing deal with Dan Hodges Music. This is an impressive accomplishment for any young writer, but especially for a young female artist that's new in town. Not only that, but she has become a successful producer in Music City, producing not just her own music and demos, but music & tracks for several other artists & writers as well. In a male-dominated business, Alyssa is giving the guys a run for their money.

Alyssa’s newest release “Petty” is an upbeat and wickedly catchy modern country tune. It pays homage to legendary artist, Tom Petty, both lyrically and sonically, drawing influence from his song titles and signature instrumentation. The song was written as a reminder to “be the bigger person” in a tough situation, a message much needed today, while still remaining lighthearted and positive. This song showcases not only Alyssa’s clever songwriting, but her sweet vocals, impressive musicianship, and unapologetic sass.


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Space Museum featuring Ian Moss - My Name Is Jim.

The seventh of June sees the return of Space Museum with a mini-album called "Nightmare on Glitch Street". After a couple of years off concentrating on other projects label co-owner Bob Osborne returns in his Space Museum guise with a predominantly instrumental album. Exploring Asian beats and adopting Stockhausen influenced sound design this latest collection stretches the edges of modern electronic music. The sole vocal track features the other label co-owner Ian Moss with a tongue in cheek homage to Jim Morrison.

Space Museum is the solo project of label co-owner Bob Osborne, one of many projects in which he is involved i.e. Passage of Time, Auster Boys, The Parasite. Bob was originally part of the duo Markoz between 1971-3, and, following time away from music formed the Auster Boys in 1982 with Bob Stow. Originally playing guitar and keyboards Bob moved to wholly computer based composition in the late 1990s. Space Museum was created in 2014 as a vehicle for his work with German Shepherd Records.

Material is exclusively written using Ableton Live. There are occasional partnerships with vocalists and other label-mates. Following an initial partnership with KP2 , Ion-Morph, and House Mouse (Ian Moss) and a couple of solo releases Space Museum was put on hiatus for three years but returned in Spring 2019 with new material.

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Rosie Carney - Coco Bans - Twain - Freedom Fry

Having spoken highly of her music on a number of occasions, along with sharing a good few of her songs, it's a pleasure to feature Rosie Carney once again, this time with the brand new album 'Bare'. Coco Bans mixture of synths, rhythmic guitar and gorgeous vocals works beautifully as this addictive song demonstrates. Twain's inviting voice and carefully matched musical backdrop ensures everything stands out with refined clarity, the piano adding even more. Our last inclusion today are Freedom Fry who have a three song E.P with plenty of variety and a whole load of hooks to enjoy.

Rosie Carney - Bare (Album).

Building on over 30 million Spotify streams and 1.8 million monthly Spotify listeners, breakout singer-songwriter Rosie Carney’s long-awaited, deeply personal debut album Bare is out now via Akira Records.

Bare is already receiving early rave reviews from the likes of Mojo Magazine who calls Carney’s music “haunting” and “the sound of a troubled soul finding her voice” while Earmilk describes it as “astonishingly beautiful,” “delicate but unwavering.” The Irish Times praises the record as “a gorgeous cycle that runs the whole gamut of life, love and loss.”

In support of the release, Carney will embark on a 26-date tour of the U.K and Europe with Benjamin Francis Leftwich.

Of the highly anticipated record Carney says, “I hope these songs encourage people to go into themselves. I hope they somehow find parts of themselves when listening to them. I definitely found parts of myself when writing them. I hope they experience that—that intimacy with themselves.”

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Coco Bans - Fighting Feathers.

From Iowa to France, the voice of Coco Bans weaves around the globe with pop anthems and intimate hybrid folk songs – the effects of which stay with you long after listening. The American singer-songwriter, having already collaborated with some of the biggest and most promising artists (Lil Wayne, Julian Perretta, Fakear, Kiddy Smile, Jabberwocky), stormed onto the scene in October 2018 with debut single “Make It Up” and a packed MaMA Festival show in Paris.

Coco Bans’ debut EP ‘Fantasy & Parables’ will be released on February 28th, 2019. A collection of songs that explores the internal worlds we cultivate and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. A narrative of 6-parts, ‘Fantasy & Parables’ documents struggle, determination and triumph over a magical folk-gospel landscape. With support from Rolling Stone and Pop & Shotamong others, Coco Bans is set to be one of the key breakout artists of 2019.

‘Fighting Feathers’ opens with airy vocals and synths which create a dreamy sonic landscape, accompanied only by snappy lead guitar which gives the track percussive momentum from the outset. The verse instrumental stays restrained, making room for a lead vocal that commands the listener’s attention. Coco Bans lures you into a magical trance before a distorted bass kicks into add punch to a musically inventive outro that builds to a soaring height and fades out slowly, practically demanding you to press repeat.

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Twain - Death (or S.F.?).

Twain's highly anticipated double EP is out now on Keeled Scales. Titled 2 E.P.s, the 13-track collection represents two distinct moments in the artist's recording history. Side A is New Miami Sound, unreleased material from the Rare Feeling album sessions.

Side B is Alternator, an intimate recording of Davidson performing a selection of his songs in a van; it is the first fully solo Twain music to be released on vinyl. Since its announcement, 2 E.P.s  has garnered fervent attention from tastemakers including NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, Hype Machine and more.

Twain will tour this spring, first with critically acclaimed label-mate Buck Meek then with art pop legends Rubblebucket.



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Freedom Fry - The Seasons EP.

Freedom Fry have just released their first of the year - The Seasons EP. The title track might be their most “radio-friendly” song to date, whilst “A Beautiful Day” is another original to set the year off and “Hey Moon” is a beautiful cover of Molly Nilsson’s original.

"The Seasons" is about how people's moods are more up in the Summer and down in the Winter. It's also about time passing and watching the seasons of your life go by.

We wanted to write something upbeat with a strong bass-line. The verses are dark like Winter and the choruses are feel-good and bright like Summer.

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Monday Mix: Jesse Jo Stark - Analog Candle, Freedom Fry - Cavegreen - Joe Nisbet Jr

Jesse Jo Stark - Driftwood.

Background - Singer/songwriter Jesse Jo Stark launched her own record label, “Sugar Jones Music,” in late January and inaugurated it with her first single, the achingly beautiful tune about love and loss, “Driftwood.” An exciting new artist on the rise, Jesse Jo has begun to carve out her own niche amongst the musical landscape with her beautiful lyrics and original melodies.

Very few young artists have inherited bonds to the music world as much as Jesse Jo. Growing up in an environment that fostered creative expression, music came naturally to her and became a great way for her to express herself. Under the guidance and collaboration of notable musicians such as Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Jesse Jo began writing and recording in her teens.

Jesse’s musical influences reflect her own eclectic tastes, ranging from country, punk, folk to rock and roll. Each genre shares the qualities that are most evident in her own music – honesty and authenticity. Often drawing on her deep love of horror for inspiration, Jesse Jo has crafted a look and sound all of her own. “I'm in love with the Cramps and I also grew up listening to Merle Haggard, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Brian Eno and David Bowie—they all influence me,” says Stark.

“Driftwood” is produced by Jason Lytle (Grandaddy, Band Of Horses producer) and written by Jesse Jo and Johnathan Rice (a frequent Jenny Lewis collaborator and film composer). “I loved working with Johnathan on this song because he has such a lovely way of writing. My lyrics are a bit darker so I felt like the combination turned out beautifully,” said Jesse Jo. Another track, “Down Your Drain,” will be released as a B-Side to “Driftwood.” Produced earlier this year by Steve Jones, the companion video was shot by Olivia Malone and starred Lanna Lyon, Payden Hayes and Bella Hadid. Website here, Facebook here. mp3 here.

Putting the influences cited above to one side, and just focusing on the song, then 'Driftwood' is one very fine piece and Jesse Jo Stark clearly has a talent for both writing and performing both original and refined music. Production is spot on, allowing her vocals to dreamily glide above the soundtrack as both carry the melody with style. A case perhaps, that her influences have done a good job, and Jesse a superb one.

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Analog Candle - Winter '15. (EP).

Background - Analog Candle are pleased to share their new 'Winter '15' EP. In terms of the EP itself, and conversely given the circumstances in which it was born, the lyrical content reflects Callum’s apprehensions on personal relationships, as well as the uncertain fragility that followed him around during his first winter in NYC.  Each song is intended to provide a small window into how that winter progressed, as well as mapping the chronology of a doomed relationship.

Album opener ‘Scarlett’s Web’ features delicate female vocals that hover above shimmering electronic effects, while its lyrical themes allude to the beginning of the end of a love affair, “I see where my body is / But my heart’s far away”.  Elsewhere, ‘Trier’, a wavy slice of electronic pop, explores flashes of real life pain - ‘Lying aimless in bed / With all the books that stay unread’ juxtaposed with buoyant electronic currents.

Themes of reminiscence and rejection sit alongside concepts of expressionism, and throughout the EP, heightened emotion is given a front seat over exact realism in the form of piercing lyrics that twist and linger like smoke-trails. Website here, Facebook here.


We featured one song from the EP (Trier) last month. The opportunity to share the whole EP is to good to pass up on. I would think it fair to say that the four songs indicate this is a band full of ideas and not frightened to test out differing directions or styles. The one constant so far is the quality, and that's a given.

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Freedom Fry - Songbird.

Background - Freedom Fry’s music, which heavily bleeds the warmth and sunshine of their home state of California, skirts the lines between pop, folk and indie rock – always blended with danceable rhythms and a sing-a-long chorus.

After Belgian sensation Stromae took notice, he asked Freedom Fry to go on tour with him in the US. Freedom Fry has also toured with Communion Presents and performed in Madewell stores across the country as part of a national campaign partnership. They’ve shared the stage with other acts such as X Ambassadors, Phantogram, Aurora, and French darlings Lilly Wood & The Prick. They’ve appeared at School Night in Los Angeles & New York, Popscene in San Francisco, Club NME in London, Nuba in Paris, and standout showcases at SXSW.

The now-married Michigan-native Bruce Driscoll and Parisian Marie Seyrat are preparing to release new music in 2017, following the success of their 2016 single “Shaky Ground,” a song that made Spotify’s “Best of 2016: Ultimate Indie playlist.” Website here. mp3 here.


'Songbird' is the third piece from Freedom Fry we have featured. With a gentle understated and predominately acoustic back drop, the vocals and delightful harmonies remain the focal point throughout, and they are natural, warm and melodic. Looking forward to he next one. 

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Cavegreen - Over the Earth.

Background - Electro folk duo Cavegreen's new album Vita Lucida was just released on Friday. Cavegreen is the artistic collaboration of Eleanor Murray and Gianluca Bucci that blends electronic and acoustic music, poetry, and images.

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Cavegreen takes inspiration from the green, lush surroundings from which they come, and it can be felt in Vita Lucida through it's themes of human connectivity to nature. The album is a positive electro-pop experience that combines earthly drum and dance beats with light, dreamy melodies, a soundscape that is both grounded and ethereal.

The songs sing about the profound beauty of nature, inspired by ancient philosophical traditions. Vita Lucida is one to dance with, dream beside, and ponder with.Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for Cavegreen this time with the song 'Over the Earth', the first track on their just released album 'Vita Lucida'. One of nine tracks, the opening song indicates something special may be on the way, and Cavegreen keep that promise with some exquisite music and beautiful vocals.

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Joe Nisbet Jr - All The Right Reasons (EP).

Background from Joe Nisbet Jr - You may (or not) know that musicians can be bitchier than Joan Collins, and I've always relished being opinionated, acerbic, or plain dismissive about people's songwriting. So it is with understandable trepidation that I approach the criticism entailed in the release of my own first foray into original material - which I also arranged, played on and sang. There would appear to be nowhere to hide - I present you with an open goal.

If you don't like it, I can't blame the extraordinary talents and generosity of the brilliant musicians, engineers and biz enablers who have donated enough rope for this auto asphyxiation. If you don't like it, I will understand entirely and think none the worse of mankind than I already do. I will not cry, I promise I will be in no way upset. Because most importantly, if you don't like it that means you've listened to it. And because you've listened to it, let me give you a little background on the tunes:

All The Right Reasons, is not about drinking, it is about stopping on a hillside and looking around to see where you actually are. Often a very different place than you thought. Judge Not, is about recognising mistakes. There's a universal theme for you. Too Blue, is about feeling so bad that you don't even want to play the guitar in the pub. Honey You Lie, is just a jaunty little pop song. About Westminster. Maybe. So go on, give yourself a chance to form an opinion - listen to my new songs. You might even like them. Amazon (20 Feb onwards) here, Bandcamp here, KFM Records here.


I was tempted to begin these words by ripping into the EP and tearing it apart, as Joe clearly has that potential outcome as a possibility. However the whole idea of Beehive Candy is to ignore the stuff that's not to our taste and celebrate the music that is (and because music 'critics' are... well they just are). So fear not Joe Nesbit Jr, we judge not, and enjoy a lot!!!

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Quality Not Quantity: Freedom Fry - Gillies Daddy - Lesley Barth

Freedom Fry - Awake.

Background - Freedom Fry is about to release a ton of great new music to follow up last year’s “Shaky Ground” single which is approaching 6M plays on Spotify, leading up to their debut album, and here’s the first single of the year. Prior to the release, “Awake” has been synced already in a handful of places including the Netflix show “Love” and the film “Baby Baby Baby.”

The name “Freedom Fry” – a satire on French/US relations during the Iraq war. The French & American duo have racked up over 40 appearances on the music blog aggregator, including SEVEN Top 10s and TWO #1s. While independent, they’ve amassed over 20-million combined streams on Spotify & SoundCloud and received support across airwaves from radio tastemakers KCRW, KEXP, BBC Radio 2, Radio 6, SIRIUS XM, WXPN, RTL2, and beyond.

Freedom Fry’s music, which heavily bleeds the warmth and sunshine of their home state of California, skirts the lines between pop, folk and indie rock – always blended with danceable rhythms and a sing-a-long chorus. Website here, Facebook here.


There is nothing like a well produced bright and breezy indie pop song to lift the spirit and 'Awake' does that in style. Delicious harmonies and vocals and a hook laden melody makes this song really stand out.


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Gillies Daddy - Mr. Robertson.

Background -  Straight from the frozen tundra of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the sunlit shores of Los Angeles, California, came the two Canadians. They met in the confines of a summer session at United College, due to an aversion to math. They soon discovered an equally shared love of music.

Over the years the two have worked as songwriters, musicians and producers in both the film and music business. Through it all they have maintained their passion for melodic pop music. Culminating in this latest endeavour "Delusions of Grandeur", reflections of both writers weave in and out of the CD. John the optimistic, methodical one and Graham the moody, contemplative one- blended in more or less equal parts.

Hope is a necessary ingredient for any artist, and speaking as an emissary for the team, we hope that some part of this latest project touches you in some small way.

Delusions of Grandeur  is our 21st century evocation of the golden age of pop music , mainly the 60’s with an emphasis on the wonderful productions of the Beatles and George Martin though the influence of the Who , the Beach Boys , the Zombies and others can be heard throughout. It is designed to be listened in it’s entirety , complete with segues and transition pieces, That is perhaps a bit of an archaic concept in and of itself in this age of single downloads but we had a great time doing them nonetheless. Website here.


Although 'Delusions of Grandeur' has been around for a little while now, Nub Music have picked up on the duo and hopefully their wonderful music will reach a wider audience.  'Mr. Robertson' is typical of the wonderfully creative re imagining of all that was good about sixties pop music. Love it!

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Lesley Barth - Just Like Summer.

Background - New York-based singer-songwriter Lesley Barth is a master of fusion.  The daughter of an opera singer and an actress, she grew up in a very musical and creative household, studying classical piano, devouring Romantic poetry, and swimming in 60s/70s pop, rock, and soul. Following a few years of teaching music in Philadelphia, Barth moved to New York City 5 years ago and has been consistently building a name for herself.

After performing around top NYC singer/songwriter venues for a few years and capturing audiences with her strong voice and compelling lyrics, she released her debut EP, “Good Like This,” as a surprise to her supporters on her 28th birthday in summer of 2015, quickly building a loyal and devoted fanbase off of its warm reception.  Only several months later, in partnership with OvationTV and Rockethub as part of their first “Creative Studio” of artists, she was able to crowdfund her first full-length album from the growing number of supporters who were hungry for more from Barth.

The album “Green Hearts,” out January 27th, 2017, was made at Brooklyn’s Mission Sound, where Barth recorded her debut EP in 2014.  Elements from disco, folk, country, blues, and retro pop have been woven together by themes of longing, soul-searching, and young love in her first full-length album. Website here and Facebook here.


The new album 'Green Hearts' is packed with melodic and creatively varied songs that are produced to a very high standard. 'Just Like Summer' showcases Lesley Barth's superb vocals with one of the more uptempo tracks in this high quality collection.

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Genre Wander: Freedom Fry - Jonny Avery - The Jade Assembly

Freedom Fry - The Words.

Background words - We were messing around in the studio and came up with this hybrid, disco-folk song. It’s written from the perspective of a boyfriend or girlfriend who just needs to hear that they’re still wanted. We really liked that the lyric “Just say the words” kind of also sounds like “Je sais the words.” “Je sais” means “I know” in French. - Bruce & Marie

In February 2015, Freedom Fry started the year at #1 on The Hype Machine with their first in a series of new singles, “Shaky Ground (Hey Na Na Na).” Just a few weeks later, Spotify included them in their rankings of “100 Emerging Artists From SXSW,” where they met Belgian sensation Stromae and were asked to support his west coast tour. Freedom Fry ended the tour with the beginning of a weekly May residency in Los Angeles, then took off to well-received shows in London & Paris, and came back to tour the east coast with Communion Presents.

The French/American duo, whose stage name is a satire on US & French relations during the Iraq war, have been self-producing and releasing music since 2011 when they first met on the set of a music video. Their home base, Los Angeles, and all the warmth and sunshine of California tends to heavily bleed into their sound – which skirts the lines between pop, folk and indie-rock – always blended with danceable rhythms and a sing-a-long chorus.

I just liked the idea of a hybrid disco-folk song as soon as I read the promo for this. I was not disappointed either. There's a fresh, breezy feel all the way through. Today's big question therefore has to be, is disco-folk the way forward? 


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Jonny Avery - Captains Of Industry.

Background promo - Jonny Avery is a singer/songwriter from New Zealand who mixes soulful melodies with delicate guitar work. After moving to Wellington to complete his Masters in Music at the New Zealand School of Music, Jonny released his debut solo EP ‘Atonement for Eden’. He has had a busy year, performing regularly around New Zealand. Recently he opened for Australian heavyweights Pendulum on their ‘Rhythm And Vines’ tour. Jonny’s influences include Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley and James Taylor.

“Captains of Industry” is co written by Jonny and his dad. The first half of the lyrics were penned by Jonny’s dad before he passed away in 2000. Several years later, and unaware that the song even existed, Jonny found the lyrics in his dad’s old briefcase in the basement in his childhood home while on holiday. Jonny decided to pay homage to his dad by composing a melody and bridge so that the song could be completed. Soon after, he got his band together to record the song at a local school in Wellington. It was mastered at Park Road Productions in Wellington, the same studio that worked on the post-production of The Lord of The Rings movies.

“‘Captains of Industry’ is about corporate greed and the unacceptable treatment of natural resources in exchange for profit. It’s a difficult topic to sing about so I decided drape the song in irony by adding joyful beats and instrumentation. It’s best to interpret the lyrics as an accusation of unethical behaviour towards global corporations, rather then a song that actually praises them— I only mention this because people have come up to me after gigs asking me why I support such crazy ideas.” - Jonny Avery.

'Captains Of Industry' is pleasing both musically, with some intricate and understated musicianship, along with intelligent lyrics, that ironically have been misinterpreted by some, as Jonny states above.

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The Jade Assembly - Nothing Changes.

Background promo - Manchester has always synonymous with music. So many bands, so much attitude, so much history. Some bands concern themselves with style, neglecting substance. Some bands, like The Jade Assembly, claim to have both.

From the passion of Watson and Danny's rhythm section, to the raw power of Smed's guitar work, each song is constructed to accompany northern poet John Foster's lyrics perfectly. In Foz the band have a front man who possesses an imposing sense of belief, not devoid of arrogance - but full of commitment.

Live Dates:
Feb 7th - Soundcontrol Manchester / Sound Control to Major Tom: For David Bowie
Feb 10th - Trafford Radio: Interview and Live Performance
Feb 13th - Manchester Academy 3 with Sixty Minute Man, Liam McClair, Dirty Saint & The Brakes
Feb 26th - BeerPrest / Prestwich Beer Festival with headline act Badly Drawn Boy
March 5th - Sebright Arms, London
March 17th - Studio 2, Parr Street, Liverpool
March 25th - Engine Rooms, Skelmersdale
March 27th - B Fest, Bolton
April 1st - Late Lounge, Rhyl
April 8th - Old Courts, Wigan.

'Nothing Changes' is one really good song. Forget about all the Manchester 'swagger and attitude' hype, this is a band who have real musical substance. Looking forward to hearing more from The Jade Assembly.

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Bumper Catch Up featuring: Rubblebucket - Mollie Elizabeth - Lilly Hiatt - The Kearns Family - WILDES and St Francis Hotel - Lucette - Caroline Strickland - Mon Rayon - Lala Salama

Keeping the comments a little shorter so we can cram a few more songs in than usual, this is our first bumper catch up of some really fine r...