Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

BBC Sound Of 2018 winner and the most exceptional breakout star of the last year Sigrid, releases ‘Raw’, the first in a collection of brand new material, set to drop every week. The last few months have been remarkable for the Norwegian pop sensation. From a blisteringly beautiful Nobel Peace Prize performance, moving Helen Mirren on the Graham Norton Show, to reaching the top 10 in the UK charts with A-list single ‘Strangers’. Sigrid now has a global reach of 185M streams and 2M sales with the mood-defining Don’t Kill My Vibe EP and brutally honest ‘Strangers’. The 21-year-old has won over fans in every territory with her incredible live performance, defiant pop songs and non-conformist attitude to femininity. Just returning from a momentous tour in Australia and storming the stage at Shepherds Bush Empire last night, Sigrid begins her UK tour, selling out every show date. From the tiny town of Ålesund in Norway, which sits at the entrance of a UNESCO-protected fjord surrounded by

John Newman , owner of one of the most distinctive voices, writer and performer of some of the biggest anthems including 3 number 1  singles -  Feel The Love, Love Me Again & Blame, and one of the major breakthrough artists in the UK in recent years, marks his very welcome return with the release of his brand new single “Fire In Me”. Released on Island Records, “Fire In Me”, co-produced by John and Mark Ralph (Clean Bandit, Jax Jones, Alma), finds Yorkshire’s finest doing what he does best, belting out a bona fide banger that is guaranteed to light up dancefloors and airwaves for months to come. Lyrically the song sees John reclaiming the spotlight and reminding his fans that he’s back bigger, stronger and making those classic pop anthems that elevate the form and uplift the soul.  Following the release of 2015’s acclaimed “Revolve” album, which was the follow-up to his platinum selling no. 1 debut album “Tribute”, John took a well-earned break to take sto

Last week, Flyte performed to a packed Heath Street Baptist Church, using string quartet accompaniment to reimagine their critically acclaimed debut album ‘The Loved Ones’. Reminiscent of an MTV unplugged session, the night further established their reputation as a remarkable live experience. Having reached the end of seven months of touring, the band took a break on the Isle of Wight, to write and produce two completely new songs. The result was ‘Moon Unit’ - a nod to Frank Zappa’s daughter and an ode to the songs their parents would listen to on cassette during long drives- and ‘Victory Girls’ - a simple, melodic piece, which crosses history both lyrically and stylistically. The two tracks are produced and mixed by longtime friend and collaborator, Burke Reid (Courtney Barnett). Tap link to Listen to Moon Unit and Victory Girl Flyte began to form when Will Taylor (vocals, guitar) and Jon Supran (drums, vocals) started playing together age 11 at their local c