A few weeks ago, Greenpeace invited the frontman of Bastille, Dan Smith, onto their iconic vessel, the Arctic Sunrise, in the Sargasso Sea in the Bermuda Triangle. Onboard, Dan learned more about the importance of ocean protection (something super important to him and something that should be important to us as well, as currently less than 1% of the high seas are protected, according to Greenpeace). He participated in various types of scientific research, a beach cleanup, and, last but not least, writing and recording this timely and beautiful song, "Blue Sky & the Painter". You can listen and watch Dan perform the track below and read more about his voyage in the Bermuda Triangle here. If you want to learn more about the initiatives of Greenpeace, go here.
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Brittney Williams
Updated: May 15
“Dirty English sky is washing me away.”
“Tomorrow Is Closed” | Dead Club City
From the moment you hear the first few notes play from Dead Club City, the new album from English Rockers Nothing But Thieves. You know two things, this is not your standard Nothing But Thieves musical fare, and the band has boldly dipped their toes into the world of concept albums. So this is going to be a wild ride, and it is. If you haven't heard of Nothing But Thieves, they are a quintet hailing from Southend, U.K. comprising Conor Mason (vocals, guitar), Joe Langridge-Brown (guitars), Dominic Craik (guitars, keyboard), Philip Blake (bass), and James Price (drums). In their ten years, they have amassed quite the fanbase and following, including a #1 alternative radio single here in America with Trip Switch. Now the band is on the fourth studio album Dead Club City a blistering venture into an unknown world filled with narratives, characters, and concepts all inspired by the band's struggles with the pandemic, the lockdown, and life in this new world we live in. NBT has always had a natural knack for raw honesty and extrospection (and introspection in some cases) in their lyrics. So, an album like Dead City Club truly allows them to explore and hone in on those skills.
The album opener, Welcome To The DCC (aptly titled, I might add), quickly puts the listener within the world of the DCC. Frontman Conor Masons' honeyed falsetto greets you with the lyric Welcome To The DCC repeated. All set amongst an atmospheric soundscape of textured tones and synths. The crunchy layered guitars are all very 80s-inspired and hard-hitting. The album segues into the second track, the anthemic single Overcome, a song filled with blissful synths, punchy basslines, and rockier guitars. Lyrically, it's one of few tracks that lean hopeful in tone and messaging. NBTs' grit is still very apparent throughout the record as well. It's not something they lost or even shied away from. It is all over tracks like Tomorrow Is Closed, City Haunts, and Members Only. The latter two have a sludgier stomp-rock vibe to them. There are a few restrained moments on the record, like the reflective love letter Green Eyes:: Siena and the slinky R&B-influenced confessional Talking To Myself. The band also leans fully into pop and electronic music on the dance-pop number Foreign Language. Dead Club City closes on a high note with the electric and hard-rock number Pop The Balloon. It is loud, brash, and so rock and roll.
While Nothing But Thieves has been a band for ten years now. This fourth record clearly shows why they are one of the U.K.s most exciting Rock acts and live shows. Dead Club City demonstrates Nothing But Thieves' progression as a band and their skill in experimentation. It has not steered them wrong so far. While the concept album can quickly go bad, even comical for so many artists, for Nothing But Thieves, it didn't. It could be the overall evasiveness and abstract nature of what is the inner realm of the Dead Club City. Which comes across in a more choose-your-own-adventure manner, even more so with the attached visuals. Then there is the tight production from band member Dominic Craik and the on-point vocals from Conor Mason. Whatever it is that gelled together at the right time, Nothing But Thieves has easily put out one of my favorite albums of this year.
* DEAD CLUB CITY *
Welcome to the DCC
Overcome
Tomorrow Is Closed
Keeping You Around
City Haunts
Do You Love Me Yet?
Members Only
Green Eyes :: Siena
Foreign Language
Talking To Myself
Pop The Balloon
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Updated: May 12
M. Byrd is a German-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter whose stark, inspired, and confessional pop-inspired folk-rock music. The artist is turning heads and opening ears with his intense and contemplative sound, which marks his debut album, The Seed. A body of work that is out now and happens to be a deeply personal collection of songs for him, as it was also a healing process for him. For the listener, M. Byrd hopes the aptly named record plants a seed and encourages the listeners’ evolution or growth in some way, as it did for him. I got to interview M. Byrd about his debut record and much more. You can read his answers below.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Let's start with learning a bit about your background. Did music always have a role in your life? Did you always know you wanted to pursue this path professionally?
M. BYRD: My grandfather collected jazz records, so I early on became interested in swing music by e.g. Duke Ellington. Music had always played a huge role when I grew up in a small town - it presented me with a new language that would always be a companion.
I never made a conscious choice to pursue music professionally, it was more of an accident that we made some songs that people responded to. I think, even if I changed career paths you’d still find me in the studio experimenting - it’s just such a big part of my life
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How has your year been so far both professionally and personally?
M. BYRD: It’s been a wild ride so far - I didn’t get to spend a lot of time at one spot and have been traveling back and forth in Europe playing shows or recording. This makes it possible for me to visit a lot of friends that I otherwise wouldn’t see too often and I am very grateful to combine these things!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: You just released your debut album, The Seed. What’s a typical creative and writing process like for you? And was it any different to record this record?
M. BYRD: I like to start with a very rough voice memo. My voice memos really are like little, grainy, old photographs that I take during my travels. When I start working on one of these days’ ideas, I like to have people in the room, that see the same potential in these little ideas as I do - everything from there is an open field of experimentation, and whatever instruments work best at that moment.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Was there a track on The Seed that you found particularly challenging to craft? One that came together quite easily?
M. BYRD: Pyrrhula was quite challenging because it’s played completely live and not on a grid or anything that could lead my timing. I recorded a loooot of versions of this until I stuck with one of the initial takes.
Flood came together quite easily - I remember the process as a fun day of playing with sounds and structure.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: I did some digging and discovered that you played bass in a band called, Ilgen-Nur. Was there anything from that time playing and touring that you brought with you into this current solo project?
M. BYRD: Well, Ilgen is a super talented writer - she has a calm but very sharp sense of observation, which really inspires me. Also, the end everybody really encouraged me to release my own songs!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: The visuals to your songs really emphasize the emotion felt in your music. Is that something you were keen to get across?
M. BYRD: Absolutely! Glad you recognized.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?
M. BYRD: That changes a lot. I’ve lately been digging Daniel Norgren’s music, in case you haven’t heard it. It’s all recorded to tape and sounds super analogue. On the other hand, I am also digging into Cocteau Twins’ discography a lot. Oh, and there’s a lot of Japanese ambient music out there (e.g. Haruomi Hosono) that I’ve been listening to.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Lastly, what is next up on the horizon for M. Byrd?
M. BYRD: EU Tour in September and October! Come to the shows and say hi if you read this interview :-)!
For more information on M. Byrd, please visit:
M. Byrd’s “The Seed” is out now so stream
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