If you’re scratching your head wondering why ‘Oh My Love’, by US duo The Score, sounds familiar, then stop!
The song, which has accumulated over 1.8 million plays on SoundCloud alone, won fans worldwide by sheer word of mouth before landing an ad spot with UK retail giant, ASDA. Independent of a record label, the band amassed staggering success in the UK, hitting the top spot on the Spotify UK Viral Chart and number 4 on the iTunes UK pop charts. But the rise of ‘Oh My Love’ didn’t stop there, as the tune went on to become second most Shazam’d song in the UK, meaning radio stations just had to play it. Poised to become a veritable international smash, the song’s trajectory is a fitting introduction to the music of Eddie Anthony and Edan Dover. However, it’s not the beginning of their story.
When looked at on the surface, it might seem that Eddie and Edan couldn’t be any more different. Eddie, from Orange County, California, discovered music by playing his dad’s classic rock records which led to teaching himself guitar. Edan, on the other hand, hails from New York and was classically trained as a jazz pianist, becoming a producer through hard work. Opposites do attract however, and the pair haven’t stopped creating songs since they met. Initially writing for other artists behind the scenes, their fervent creative partnership yielded a multitude of tunes that they agreed needed to be heard.
“These songs had a different sound,” explains Eddie. “We thought it would be a shame to let them go to waste. So, we formed The Score and started playing shows.”
Cutting their teeth at the famed Rockwood Music Hall, which was also where it all began for acts such as Lady Gaga and Mumford & Sons, the pair amassed a following, and quickly attracted placements with Abercrombie and Hollister. They took a shot at the Macy’s Rising Star and John Lennon Songwriting competitions (among others) but soon realised New york wasn’t big enough for their ambitions.
“Everything was just going on in L.A.,” says Eddie. “We knew we had to go there.”
The pair soon packed their bags and headed west, releasing “Oh My Love” in January 2015. Eddie explains how it came about:
“I was in traffic on the 101 freeway in Los Angeles. The melody popped into my head, and I immediately sang it to Edan. We found one chord for it to chill on with the rhythmic drums.”
“When we came to L.A., it was a risk for us,” admits Edan. “Being an artist in general, you deal with a lot of rejection. You’re constantly questioning, ‘Do I have what it takes? Are we doing this right?’ That was an ode to ourselves, instilling confidence and serving as a reminder that ‘We’re on the right track, and we’re going to get through this.’ It’s optimistic. We’re about to go higher because we embarked on this adventure in L.A. Anything can happen since we’re working towards this goal.”
The Score literally do everything by themselves: from writing, recording and producing, to creating state-of-the-art websites – and even a 3D lyric video – all from scratch. Their DIY ethic is based on hard work and has taught them a great deal, and it’s this determination that has seen them sign a worldwide deal with Republic Records this summer.
“We put so much into this,” says Eddie. “We’d love for people to connect with the music and hopefully feel better.”
The Score are performing at London’s The Borderline next Tuesday night, 19th September. See here for further details. ‘Oh My Love’ is available on iTunes, as well as their EP, ‘Where Do You Run’.
You can find The Score online on their official website, on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram and YouTube.