OUT TODAY: Darren Parry is no longer ‘Outside Looking In’ with new single

Hot on the heels of his last single, ‘Unconditional’, multi-award winning Welsh, singer/songwriter DARREN PARRY has a brand new single waiting to be heartedly embraced by the listeners again entitled ‘Outside Looking In’, out now across various music platforms.

This contemporary piece of earworm Pop was co-written with Rachel Walker Mason. Rachel Walker Mason is a multi-award winning musician, currently writing songs with Grammy Nominees, Billboard Hot 100 Artists, Alumni from The Voice UK and American Idol, Emmy Winners and Independent Country Music Association Award Winners. A highly regarded songwriting and vocal judge, Rachel was a judge for NTA nominated Sing: Ultimate A Cappella on Sky One and is a judge for the UK Songwriting Contest, Strive and the Intercontinental Music Awards.

‘Outside Looking In’ was written via Zoom in 2022 as Rachel had heard some of Darren’s songs and got in touch to write. Darren says.“It was great that I was on Rachel’s radar, we had a lot of fun writing this and wrote 90% of it in about a 2 hr Zoom call. I think we had a second short Zoom call to tidy up some loose ends and voila… it was done! I had the chorus idea going around my head for over a year or so before so I played it for Rachel and it struck a chord with her, so that’s the idea we ran with”

Darren recorded and produced the track with young, hip, Swansea producer Dai Griffiths (Dai Griff Productions). Dai has had a lot of success recently with various artists such as BBC Radio Wales Welsh playlist ‘A listers’ Ify Iwobi, Luna Lot and Mal Pope.

Darren’s achievements in music include… 2004 ‘UK Songwriting Champion’ (beating 6000 entries from around the globe), 2014 and 2016 USA ‘Song Of The Year’ contest runner up (judges included Gwen Stefani, Don Henley and Phil Collins), 2019 ISSA Awards ‘International Male Vocalist Of The Year’ Silver Crystal Award winner and multiple other awards from Billboard and Unisong, to name but a few! Darren has co-written songs with hit songwriters like James Warren (The Korgis, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”), Dazzle Music (Charlotte Church), Steve Balsamo (Cliff Richard, Slash, Meatloaf) and many others.

Darren has had a busy year or two with winning the 2021 ISSA (International Singer Songwriters Association) ‘Int. Male Songwriter Of The Year’ Silver Crystal Award in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, writing a song for the new The Korgis album (‘Broken’), having four new songs on Lee Gilbert’s brand new album (‘Take Me As I Am’), including the title track, releasing his own singles, writing for other artists as well as various film and media projects.

‘Outside Looking In’ is a great collaboration between two noteworthy songwriters who manifest a positive, upbeat, slick, contemporary Pop track that sees Darren really showcase his three and a half octave vocal range!

Darren says of his latest offering…”I wanted this song to have a universal message. The song is for anyone and everyone who feels they have ever been ‘outside looking in’, i.e. feeling that the world has brought them down, that the challenges of life are difficult to overcome. There is a scene in the film ‘Trading Places’ (I love that film) where Dan Aykroyd, looking cold, hungry and wet is in the rain, looking through a restaurant window at those inside laughing and enjoying themselves. It’s a real metaphor for what many of us have experienced, that of feeling not part of something, not achieving your true potential. It’s a song about realising that you always had wings (even though you didn’t know it) and now it’s time to open them and fly! Now is the time to have that confidence… it’s your time to shine!”

‘Outside Looking In’ is out on various music platforms from Friday 29th September and forms part of his forthcoming new EP, ‘Learning The Hard Way.’

Connect with Darren Parry via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/darrenparrymusic
T: https://twitter.com/darrenparry
IG: https://www.instagram.com/darrenparryphotos/

Song of the Day: Part Ways – Morgan Swann

Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk, MORGAN SWANN emerges as a captivating musical force, skillfully intertwining his passions for Rap and R&B to create a distinctive sonic tapestry. His journey into the spotlight has garnered recognition from respected platforms such as BBC Introducing, BBC Look East, Complex, Mixtape Madness, and Grime Originals.

Despite stepping onto the music scene via Soundcloud in November 2017, Swann has shown unwavering dedication and an impressive consistency in his output. Demonstrating an impressive range, he takes pride in his ability to seamlessly transition between infectious melodies and his charismatic rap stylings.

Some of Swann’s most resonant tracks include gems like ‘When You Told Me’, ‘Wannabe’, ‘Accusations’, and ‘Stand The Rain’. These offerings have effortlessly captivated listeners, becoming hallmarks of his artistic prowess.

In his latest release, ‘Part Ways’, Swann delves into the world of past love. This standout track, in contrast to his previous “love song” releases, exudes a distinct vibe that sets it apart. With ‘Part Ways’, Swann aims to make his mark in the UK music industry, hoping that this single will be the catalyst to solidify his presence as a notable artist. Through his innovative blend of sounds and unwavering dedication, Morgan Swann paves his own path in the realm of music. Have a listen to ‘Part Ways’ below…

Indie dance duo Midnight Mystery Club return with single,’Eyes Closed Tight’

It’s been awhile that indie dance connaisseurs MIDNIGHT MYSTERY CLUB have graced the blog … now I’m so pleased that the Winners of the 2018 Independent Music Awards in the Electronic/Dance Producers of the Year have return with their brand new single, ‘Eyes Closed Tight’ – their first single in three years.

A following up their previous two studio albums, that are still growing in popularity and singles ‘True Love’ and ‘Keep a Beat’, which generated over seven million streams, ‘Eyes Closed Tight’ continues with the chilled and swanky feel, offering up a balearic vibe.

‘Eyes Closed Tight’, is from their third album, Aesthetics Vol.1’, to be released next year. Have a listen below…

LA genre-bender Asha Imuno unveils single, ‘DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME?’

LA-based genre-defying newcomer ASHA IMUNO unveils his newest single ‘DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME,’ released via Guin Records. The celebratory offering reminds listeners of Imuno’s place in the landscape of hip-hop while championing his unwavering ambition, painting a vivid picture of a feel good, summer night vignette. The combination of sharp, textured co-production by Asha and Zach Ezzy and the feature by Atlanta native Rizz Capolotti (co-signed by Monte Booker, Metro Boomin) sees the creative collision of hip-hop’s most exciting new faces. ‘DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME’ can’t help but lock you into a bouncy groove, as Asha and Rizz exchange verses from their respective sides of a long night out.

“This single captures me feeling confident and ready to pop out and celebrate. It’s about the feeling you get after seemingly getting to the other side of all the bullsht, and finally being able to feel yourself and flex on it all. We was just having fun with this one – people haven’t heard be talk my sht like this in a while, so I’m pretty geeked.” – Asha Imuno on ‘DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME’.

‘DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME’ is the second single from Asha’s forthcoming debut album Pins & Needles. It follows his introspective hip-hop/r&b single ‘PUSHING BUTTONS,’ which according to Asha, serves as the “inception point” for the album, born from a period of profound introspection as he reckons with the impermanence of life.

Asha is an absolute self-starter, having built his music career from the ground up. Boasting an impressive 552k+ monthly listeners on Spotify, his cult following continues to expand upon each new release. Asha’s innovative spirit has led to recent career milestone moments, including performances at both the 2023 Culture Creators Brunch and A Toast To Black Hollywood during this year’s BET Awards, as well as being asked to create his own rendition of Kendrick Lamar’s GRAMMY-winning hit “i” for GRAMMY’s Hip-Hop Re:Defined. He is a member of the POC-led artist community KOGO (home to CONNIE, Alé Araya, Curtis Waters, KOAD & more), and has earned co-signs from the likes of Jordan Ward, Diddy, and Hitboy alongside collaborating with buzzing upcomers like Aaron May and AG Club. At this rate, 2023 is sure to be the year Asha makes the jump from fan favorite to commanding superstar, as he continues his run of self-reflective art. Check out ‘DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME’ below…

Song of the Day: Sonnet #18 – 5omerset

5OMERSET’s latest single, ‘Sonnet #18’ , on the surface, is about summer ending too soon, but underneath that it’s a song about living every moment to its fullest potential because you never know when the moment may end.

‘Sonnet #18’ is a catchy little Folk/Pop tune all based around an Ovation acoustic guitar with atmospheric slide guitars and a pulsing rhythm section that keeps the head bouncing along.

5omerset wrote, recorded and mixed Sonnet #18 in his little home studio and then sent it to Juno nominated engineer Dajaun Martineau in L.A for the finishing vibrant touches to brighten up those cold months ahead.

Have a listen to ‘Sonnet #18’ below…