#FeelGoodFriday: KOOLKID – ‘Feelings’

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Scottish singer-songwriter, KOOLKID, has just released his captivating new single, ‘Feelings’, written by KOOLKID himself, alongside Lewis Gardiner (ex-drummer of Scottish band, Prides).

The single is a soaring, modern pop ballad which flaunts KOOLKID’s emotion-drenched vocals with engrossing, forward-thinking production.

“Falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship is never a good thing. ‘Feelings’ is an upbeat pop anthem that is sure to make you reminisce being in this situation,” says KOOLKID. “You know you have certain feelings, but you only want to feel them with that one person, but you can’t. I feel like we can all relate to being in this situation at one point in our lives. I have and that is why I wrote this song.”

The singer hails from Glasgow in Scotland, where he was surrounded by live music from a young age. Since the age of 15, he has been building his musical identity with constant songwriting efforts, as well as cutting his teeth with live performances up and down the UK.

An accomplished songwriter, KOOLKID has penned tracks for some prominent pop acts, including K-Pop icons BTS. The Scotsman co-wrote ‘Mikrokosmos’ from the group’s chart-topping EP, Map of the Soul: Persona. The relationship between KOOLKID and BTS looks set to continue with future releases in the pipeline!

This latest single sees one of the UK’s most exciting, up-and-coming young artists continue to leave his mark in the contemporary music market.

What are your thoughts of this singer-songwriter? Got a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
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‘Feelings’ can be downloaded off iTunes now – https://music.apple.com/gb/album/feelings-single/1493801876


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#MuzikSpeaks: An Interview with Georgie


   

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On Tuesday 13th March 2018, Georgie came to Brighton, as the sole support on Jake Bugg‘s acoustic, UK tour (review here). We were lucky enough to get some time to chat to her backstage at the Brighton Dome. I cannot thank her and her tour manager (Mark) enough for their hospitality and making us feel so welcome and sharing a couple of beers with us; it was a real pleasure!

📸 Cover photo by Damon Peirce 📷
Why not give him a follow on Instagram and Twitter or check out his website.


Hey, how’s it going?
Yeah, good thanks.

So you are about to release your EP, ‘Impacts’, how do you feel prior to a new release? Is it nerve-wracking or exciting?
Yeah, excited. I mean, it’s always kind of nerve-wracking to see what the response is going to be but it’s exciting because you’ve kind of been at the very start of the song, so it’s nice to write it, record it and then get it out. So yes, it’s always exciting.

Awesome! So, where did the idea for the title come from and what’s the meaning behind it?
Well the main single on it’s called, ‘Too Much TV’, so it came from that really and what the song’s about.

It’s a 3-track EP, isn’t it?
Yeah.

Is there one track you’re kind of really excited for people to hear, other than ‘Too Much TV’, which is already out?
Both of them really, yeah, because they’re both songs that I wrote ages ago, about 2 or 3 years ago so I’m kind of excited to get them both out.

What’s your usual writing and recording process like?
I haven’t really got one to be fair; I kind of write in different waves. Sometimes I’ll write like here, just on my computer or I’ll have an idea and I’ll write at home or just have an idea on the bus and I’ll get my phone out and like hum into my phone a little melody and I’ll write the lyrics. It’s all different really; if an idea comes I just try and get it down as quickly as possible. Well like a lot of the time I do write the music first and then the lyrics kind of go on top.

That’s awesome. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be and why?
Oh…dead or alive?

Either. Or go for one of each?!
Oh…one of each. That’s a good question. I’d probably collaborate with Elvis for the dead one…just because it’s Elvis and just to be in the same room as him would be amazing! Alive; at the moment, I love Chance The Rapper; that album, Coloring Book it’s just so good, it’s like chaotic and beautiful, it’s amazing so I think I’d have to go with Chance The Rapper, yeah.

Nice, good choice…and different it would be quite a nice collaboration.
Yeah (laughs).

What music have you been listening to most recently?
Loads. I’ve got like a little playlist that I have on tour which I always add to. So, I really like Bruno Major at the minute, Rex Orange CountyChance The Rapper…I listen to a lot of old stuff as well, like a lot of old blues like Johnny Hooker and bands like Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin and stuff, so it’s quite varied.

Yeah, quite an eclectic mix! If you had to cover a recent chart song, which song would it be and why?
That’s a good question…um…I don’t listen to the charts that much so I don’t really know what’s in the charts. Like, that Dua Lipa song, ‘New Rules’, is quite good, but she smashes it so I don’t think I could cover it and do justice to it.

I feel like it’s a grower that one, because I hated when I first heard it.
Me too! Me too! I was the exact same, I mean you can’t get away from it at the minute.

Yeah, it’s everywhere! So how’s it been touring with Jake Bugg? What’s that been like?
Yeah, amazing. Like this is my third tour with Jake now so it’s kind of like [I’m] used to it now. It’s like I’ve become part of the team, so it’s quite nice. I’ve probably made myself too comfortable.

(Laughs)
Like go in and take milk from his fridge and stuff (laughs). But yeah, it’s good. He’s a great artist; he’s one of the best of what England has to offer of this generation, so it’s really cool to be on tour with him.

That’s cool. What have been some of your favourite cities to perform at?
Brighton! Which is true, like I love Brighton; it’s one of my favourite cities, just to go for a night out in. London’s cool – I do like playing London. I mean, the London crowd are very like sit there silent – they just want to be impressed.

Like, it’s your time. Impress me. Go! (Laughs)
Exactly, it is totally that. I guess they’ve just had everything come through the city so they’ve heard it all and seen it all. Up North’s cool; Manchester’s great, Nottingham, Glasgow’s always good fun – everyone’s like drunk. So yeah, they’re probably a few of my favourite cities.

Do you get much time off to go and explore them?
A little bit, yeah, a little bit. I did the Europe run with Jake (Bugg) at the beginning of this tour and I had like 3 days in Stockholm which was cool and here you get a few mornings off. I got a free morning in Margate the other day so I just had a run on the beach, which was pretty nice.

That’s pretty cool; nice to take some time.
Yeah.

What makes a show particularly amazing for you?
The crowd. I mean a gig for me is never just about the artist on stage, it’s about everybody in the room, so like the crowd are just as important as the artist, so if the crowd have really got a nice feeling, then they’re always my favourite kind of gigs. And the venues themself as well, like some venues just have something magical about them. Like tonight’s venue’s beautiful, like a lot of history as well.

Yeah, the Dome’s a good one!
Yeah, I saw Abba played here!

Yeah.
That’s it, I’m made. I don’t need to play anywhere else now (laughs).

(Laughs) Has anything really scary ever happened to you on tour? If so, what?
Scary? I don’t know…When I was in Dublin…yeah (laughs), actually two things in Dublin. I nearly set myself on fire in Dublin.

Oh my god! (Laughs)
(Laughs) Yeah it was the last show of the tour with Jake (Bugg) and I was with my band and he was with his band and I had a whiskey in my hand and I lit a cigarette and poured the whiskey down my scarf while I lit the cigarette.

Oh no! (Laughs)
And my scarf just went up in flames. I could still smell my burnt hair for like a week afterwards. Someone came outside and was like, “I can smell something burning,” and I like, “Yeah that was me.” (Laughs). Yeah that was probably the scariest thing, I would say, yeah.

(Laughs) Yeah, that’s pretty bad! Do you have any pre-show or post-gig rituals that you do?
Not really. I probably just drink a whiskey. I go to the bathroom and say a little prayer, um, and then I’ve also like, just started dancing a little bit, like ten minutes before. I can’t dance; I put like Sheryl Crow on or Shania Twain and just let loose (laughs).

I like that, that’s fun! Have any of you got any weird habits?
I probably have got loads! Before I go to sleep, I always have to say to someone, “Goodnight, God bless, love you, see you in the morning.” I’m like OCD with that, it’s like weird. Even if I’m on my own, I’ll ring someone up and be like, “Just ringing to say, goodnight, God bless, love you, see you in the morning.” (laughter) And it has to be the last thing I say, so as soon as I say that, I put the phone down (laughter). But that’s more OCD than a weird habit.

It counts as a weird habit! (Laughs) Do you have any other passions outside of music?
Yeah, sport I guess. I love football. I used to play football. I love playing tennis. I used to be really sporty before I did music, but I’ve only recently just got back into playing sports. And film, I love film. I just watch films all the time.

Ah, that lines up my next question very nicely. What’s the best film you’ve seen lately?
I watched Spotlight recently, that was good; that’s disturbing though.

I’ve not seen it, but I’ll have to watch it.
It’s good, yeah, it’s good. I also watched that one on Netflix which is like Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, but I can’t remember what it’s called. They’re like a Jewish family. I can’t remember what it’s called but it was really good. Like the characters are great and Emma Thompson is in it as well and she’s like one of my favourite actresses.

Yeah, she’s cool. If a film was made about your life, in like 20 years time, who would you want to play you?
It would probably be…I dunno…I love Emma Stone, but she’s too cool to play me.

(Laughs) I love Emma Stone, she’s cool.
Yeah! (Laughs) Yeah, she’s great! Or Judy Dench as well – just put a brown wig on Judy Dench (laughs).

(Laughs) If you were a chocolate bar, which one would you be and why? Nice random question for you!
This is literally the best interview I’ve had. (Laughs) Yeah, this is so good, these questions.

Aw thank you, that’s very nice to hear.
Um, I’d say a Twirl, because you get two of them. They’re like flaky on the inside and crispy on the outside.

A Twirl is a good one actually. What really grinds your gears?
Loud chewing.

Oh God, I’m sitting here chewing gum! (Laughs)
No, you’re not chewing loud, don’t worry. You’d know about it if you were. (Laughs) It’s more like crunching. Like my dad’s terrible, like he’s just got the loudest crunch ever, so maybe that.

I can relate to that! What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to any of you, in life? Setting your hair on fire? (Laughs)
I remember when I was like 13, I’d just started playing the guitar and where I’m from, Mansfield, there’s like a big, steep hill going down into the town and I had my guitar on my back and I was just toddling along and it was icy and I slipped over onto my back but because my guitar was on my back, I couldn’t get up. I was just like a turtle and everyone was walking past. I was like there for a good 5 minutes just like, “Help!” (Laughs) This old guy came and helped me up, so that was embarrassing.

That’s hilarious! I’ve just got one more question: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
I guess, “Don’t give up” – the obvious one. Like my tour manager said one to me the other day, which was really good; it was like, “For every 50th brick wall, you build a Taj Mahal.” It was something like that. So you have to build lots of brick walls and it can sometimes feel like it’s taking forever but at the end you’ll get the Taj Mahal, if you keep building the walls.

That’s good advice; I like that! Well thank you very much for taking the time to talk!
No, thank you very much for having me!


Georgie‘s releases are all available:

  • To purchase on iTunes – Georgie
  • To listen to on Spotify –

Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other interviews here:

Muzik Speaks Interviews


#Review: Will Joseph Cook – Sweet Dreamer


   

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Will Joseph Cook is a Kent-born singer songwriter who’s been hard at work crafting his sound, supporting on several tours and then in October 2016, embarked on a headline tour. Since then, we had a chat with him about what he’s been up to recently (check out the latest interview) and he’s put the finishing touches to his debut album. This is, Sweet Dreamer.

Will Joseph Cook - Sweet Dreamer

The album kicks off with the chilled sing-along track, ‘Biggest Fan’ with it’s slightly country-tinted guitar twangs, making for the perfect way to open this rather cinematic record. It leads perfectly on to one of Will‘s biggest hits, ‘Sweet Dreamer’; a funky song with incredible production and subtle sounds, topped off with sugar-coated, sombre lyrics; an oxymoron to the all-round uplifting sound of the track.

The record flows incredibly through a whole heap of diverse songs; from indie pop belters to almost club-like anthems, it’s packed with songs that just have to be danced and sung along to. The singer-songwriter also prides himself on his use of imagery to accompany his songs (in the form of well-crafted music videos) but this album also takes you on a journey – each song is able to conjure up images in the mind that could well make for a video – I’m sure that if he had the time, he’d could easily produce videos for each and every song, but that’s because each song on the album feels like it could be a single in its own right.

A forward-thinking, credible pop record, crammed full of diversity, for all the cool kids to revel in. A true modern masterpiece.

Stand-out tracks have to be ‘Treat Me Like A Lover’ and ‘Plastic’ – both have thumping beats that are guaranteed to have you coming back for more; particularly the latter. ‘Plastic’ is tinged with steel drum sounds and massively euphoric vocals that make me certain this huge banger will be a massive hit this summer. As well as some of his other singles, ‘Take Me Dancing’ and ‘Girls Like Me’, which are both awesome, another incredible song is ‘Alive’ – it feels like the song blends many genres and the falsetto vocals are truly captivating. Lastly, both ‘Hands’ and ‘Habit’ are very different songs to the rest of the album; especially ‘Hands’ – it’s a very raw, honest and truthful track that seems almost like a break from the rest of the album.

The production throughout the album is incredible – it comes together amazingly as a cohesive body of work – it’s genre-blending, exciting, playful and all-consuming (in a good way)!

It is undoubtable that this album will be the soundtrack to many people’s summers this year; it’s fun-filled, indie pop that is bursting at the seems with summery vibes, catchy choruses and intelligent lyrics. A forward-thinking, credible pop record, crammed full of diversity, for all the cool kids to revel in. A true modern masterpiece. I can’t get enough of it, and you won’t be able to either.


Will is also off on a UK tour in May, in support of the album. He kicks off the tour at Stereo in Glasgow on 2nd May before travelling to Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol and London. He concludes the tour at The Bullingdon in Oxford on 12th May before heading to several places in Europe. Be sure to check out a date near you – he puts on an amazing show (Check out our review)!


Rating
5


‘Sweet Dreamer’ is out now and can be downloaded from iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/sweet-dreamer/id1203346564


Sweet Dreamer on Spotify

Beach (I Wanna Make You Mine) (Official Video)


We hope you’ve enjoyed our review of Will’s debut album. What are your thoughts of it? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or chat about it via our social media.


Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:

Muzik Speaks Album Reviews


Matt – Muzik Speaks
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#Two4Tunesday: Prides – ‘Little Danger’ & Digital Farm Animals – ‘True’

This is the second time we’ve featured Prides… maybe that’s because they’re so damn good! Plus we’ve just discovered Digital Farm Animals and they’re definitely worth a share too!

Prides Banner

Prides are back and getting ready to release their new single, ‘Little Danger’ and it’s a real corker! I got the deluxe version of the album the day of its release and this track was an instant favourite of mine…I’m not surprised that it’s being released as a single!

The video is stunning too…so random, yet so cool! The singer of the band is a waiter in a cafe and takes a fancy to this girl who comes in, only to find she’s accompanied by members of a mob! Cool concept for a video and this song just cements my love of them!


‘Little Danger’ is available from their album (The Way Back Up) on iTunes right now – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/little-danger/id994558077?i=994558407


Prides – ‘Little Danger’


Digital Farm Animals Banner

I don’t know much about Digital Farm Animals as there is not much you can find out about him online, but what I do know is that he’s a London-based producer and artist and he’s making his mark with this new single, ‘True’.

I discovered the song both on Spotify and Vevo and I can see why they featured them. This song is the perfect blend of pop, dance and synth-funk and I think you’ll love it!


‘True’ can be downloaded now – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/true-single/id1014737405


Digital Farm Animals – ‘True’

What a #Two4Tunesday! Have you got a different couple of songs you’re loving right now? Please leave them in a comment below.

Matt – Muzik Speaks
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