Category: Guest Writers

Magne Furuholmen - photo credit Nina Djærff

“A-Ha Was Not A Stage For Pushing Politics” – Eiken Bruhn Shares Interview With A-ha’s Magne Furuholmen

December 21, 2019

November, 16th, a windowless dressing room in the catacombs of the Bremen concert hall ÖVB Arena, where everything seems to be coloured in beige, the faux leather couches and even the bizarre table-arrangement of a plastic agave. Next door Morten Harket is practising scales; A-ha will appear on stage in this sold out arena in one and a half hours. Keyboarder and co-songwriter Magne Furuholmen (57) is using the occasion to promote his current solo record “White X-Mas Lies”. It’s near the end of the first part of A-ha’s ongoing world tour and he seems a bit tired, but answers all questions with a friendly attentiveness.

Hanson String Theory: A Revelation or Maybe Not.

March 1, 2019

Christine Easom writes about Hanson’s recent European tour in support of their latest project and double album, ‘String Theory’.

Nineties Nostalgia Issues A New Wave Of Reunion Tours

November 13, 2018

The nineties was an eclectic period of music history, with the emergence of grunge and Britpop, and the continued growth of urban music and hip-hop. But one genre undoubtedly dominated the UK charts from 1990-1999, where nine out of ten artists who spent the most weeks at number one were pop groups or pop acts, and 12 out of 14 of artists with the most number ones in that decade hailed from the same category. Pop music, not to be confused with the sixties-punk sound inherited by Britpop, was a force to be reckoned with.

THE BEST POP-R’N’B DEMOS THAT YOU NEVER HEARD…UNTIL NOW

October 3, 2018

Guest writer Ross Stebbing gives us his definitive R’n’B tracks which should have been hits but were never given a chance.

Here’s The Secret To Getting Superfans

September 19, 2018

Think of some of the most influential music of all time…Beyoncé, The Beatles, Michael Jackson…now think, what made these artists so successful? Sure, they made great music, but who’s listening to that great music? The fans! In this day an age, getting exposure to the right audience is just as important as getting your sound right. Reaching the right audience gives you the best shot at growing your fanbase, getting scouted, playing a live gig or even getting your first album deal. We’ve rounded up some top tips from music industry expert, Chris Grayston, on how to grow your fans and followers.

Six Years Of Jay James’ Album, ‘Play It By Heart’

August 30, 2018

Guest writer Helen Gray reflects on six years since Jay James released his debut album, ‘Play It By Heart’.

The Musician’s Guide to IGTV

June 28, 2018

Instagram has a lot of news lately – they just hit 1 BILLION active users and they have just rolled out a brand new feature called IGTV that now allows you to upload videos longer than 1 minute.

String Theory – A Musical Manifesto

June 21, 2018

For several years Hanson have dropped hints about their next big musical project.
String Theory was conceived long before The Middle Of Everywhere Tour took off, as Hanson contemplated a symphonized tour for their celebration of 25 years, in 25 cities, with 25 symphonies and their songs given a full orchestral work out.

Musicians and the Mental Health Crisis

June 1, 2018

Dublin’s Robert O’Connor is a singer/songwriter and occasional journalist, whose new single, ‘You Found Me’, is out now. Robert has written a guest post for us about musicians and mental health. His new single “You Found Me” is out now. You can find out more about Robert O’Connor and his music from his official website.

Exclusive Documentary Featuring Tom Rogerson And Brian Eno

March 22, 2018

Late last year Tom Rogerson released ‘Finding Shore’ with Brian Eno, his acclaimed debut effort on Dead Oceans. The album was created while experimenting…

Guest Writers Orfila Get To The Bottom Of What Exactly Is Country Music

January 18, 2018

The UK’s love affair with country music at this moment in time is apparent and, as a country artist myself, it is a very exciting time for both fans and musicians.

‘I Have A Dream’ – Owen Paul Guest Writes For Essentially Pop

January 3, 2018

Best known for his 1986 number 3 hit, ‘My Favourite Waste Of Time’, which he co-wrote, Scottish singer Owen Paul released ‘The One’, in January 2014, his first official single in the UK since 1987, and followed it with his album, ‘About Time II’ in the autumn that year. He continues to perform extensively, both as a solo artist and with his full band Live 80s show, and as lead vocalist for XSM (Ex Simple Mind). He played all three Rewind Festivals last year as part of the British Electric Foundation.
Owen’s latest single, ‘Amazing’, released in November 2017 is a remix by Stonebridge, and spent three weeks in the Music Week Club Charts.
Owen is our guest writer today.