Raphael Tate Opens Up About His Loss In Single, ‘Here Without You’

Premiered on BBC radio Derby, RAPHAEL TATE‘s new single, ‘Here without You’ is about different forms of grief we all encounter on a daily basis – from a bad break up, an estranged relationship from one’s child, and the extreme loss of losing a loved one. Surrounded by a breathtakingly stunning orchestration, Raphael brings awareness that suffering from any form of grief in silence can be detrimental to our mental and physical wellbeing.

Speaking of the inspiration behind ‘Here Without You’, Raphael confides: “This song is a personal reflection of what I have had to endure the last 13years from the estranged relationship from my first born son and the recent tragic loss of my Mother in May 2020. This composition was created to empathise and sympathise, with people like myself who are battling daily with different forms of grief – to show them strength, courage and perseverance. I wanted to share the message that you can and will make it through these challenges, if you just believe. I am leading by example how we can use our gifts in the arts as a major outlet to no longer sit in silence but openly express or communicate our challenges.”

2022 has been quite a year for Staffordshire-based powerhouse. Since his compelling ballad ‘Lord I Need You Near’- which also deals with the loss of his mother- was picked up by BBC Derby’s Pam Sidhu, Raphael has become a clear favourite with the regional station and went on to perform at BBC Derby charity, Beat The January Blues earlier in 2023. Raphael performance at the charity was aired on BBC One’s East Midlands Today.

Raphael recently took the stage on ITV’s Starstruck, and gave an outstanding performance as James Brown, impressing judges Adam Lambert, Beverley Knight, Rowland Keating and Jason Mansford. Can you watch his performance here. To see more footage on Raphael at Starstruck, please hear over to his IG account.

Now Raphael turns his attention to offering an ode anyone who’s lost in grief and needs a friendly ear with his latest single, ‘Here Without You’, which forms part of his upcoming album, ‘Love Grieve Live’.

Connect with Raphael Tate via:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RaphaelTateofficial
T: https://twitter.com/TateRaphael
IG: https://www.instagram.com/raphaeltateofficial/

Listen To Eleanor’s New Single, ‘Waste My Time.’

Canadian newcomer ELEANOR‘s new single ‘Waste My Time’, was inspired by a friendship that was tiptoeing into a relationship. With the guitar plucks echoing into a mesmeric backdrop and Eleanor harmonic vocals, the cheeky and flirtatious single has an unexpected lyrical reference in the chorus to “Kiss The Girl” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

‘Waste My Time’ has helped the Ontario-based singer/songwriter to recognise that not every song she writes has to be deep and pensive, “I can write things that feel light,” Eleanor says.

‘Waste My Time’ follows her 2022 debut single ‘Make Sense’ – which claimed the blog’s Song of the Week title back in December – and forms part of her upcoming EP, ‘A Late Bloom’. Check out the single below…

Song of the Day: Midnight Rose – Eliza

Following her critically acclaimed debut LP, ‘A Sky Without Stars’, British artist ELIZA follows up single, ‘Midnight Rose’.

Speaking about ‘Midnight Rose’, ELIZA says: “We made this song Midnight Rose whilst writing A Sky Without Stars but we didn’t finish it in time. I didn’t want to let it slip by without sharing it with you. We finally got it ready for you to hear, here it is. Keep your ears peeled as there’s more (almost) lost music to come.”

ELIZA has seen press support from NPR, i-D, CLASH, METAL Magazine, DUMMY, OkayPlayer, CRACK Magazine, and a plethora of others. After playing a run of sold-out record store shows in London to celebrate the vinyl release A Sky Without Stars on vinyl, ELIZA has featured on Grant Brydon’s podcast, ITV London News, and Radio Nova. Thus far in 2023 standout single ‘Dripping’ has reached #1 on FIP Radio, and she has recently curated an hour mix for BBC Sounds, as part of their ‘Focus Beats’ feature.

Have a listen to ‘Midnight Rose’ below…

Song of the Day: Latter Days/Greater – Nona Brown

It’s very rare to come across a song that’s a VIBE, which really resonates sonically and lyrically with the soul, but singer/songwriter NONA BROWN perfectly encompasses those qualities in her single, ‘Latter Days/Greater’, out now on various music platforms.

The soothing drive of contemporary soulful jazz arrangements, alongside Nona’s robustly smooth vocal performance (a cross of Ann Nesby of Sounds of Blackness and Patti LaBelle), helps to hone in on the message of the inspirational single which is to: hold on in those dark moments as greater days are coming.

Nona Brown knows all too well what it’s like to be in the depth of despair when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the terrifying experience, the San Francisco native was determined to fight! ‘Latter Days/Greater’ is a testament to her strength and trust in God during this experience; she’s now an eight year cancer survivor. With the turmoil behind her, Nona is now living life to her full potential and was recently elected as the President of the San Francisco Chapter of the Recording Academy, the first black women to serve in that capacity.

Spanning over 25 years, Nona’s music career includes some amazing accomplishments as an arranger and background vocalist on the GRAMMY Award winning Best Children’s Album, ‘A Colorful World’ by Falu and 2022 Telly Award Winner for her ‘Black Lives Matter’ music video co-written with Tony Saunders. Along with her fruitful solo career, Nona is also a member of the jazz trio Brown, Sturgis & Brown.

Nona recorded her first single, ‘I’ll Sing My Song’ back in 1997. In 2019, after writing music for years, she emerged with her Billboard Gospel-charting sophomore release, ‘Songs from my Journal Volume 1’, ranking #14 and #21 in weeks one and two.

She now follows up in 2022 with the project ‘Songs from my Journal Volume 2’ with ‘Latter Days/Greater’ as the lead single, which is a massive favourite with her fan base. The instrumental version of ‘Latter Days/Greater’ features the amazing sound of saxophonist Kevin Moore and has gained the attention of jazz stations around the globe.

Before you head out, have a listen to the stunning single below.

Connect with Nona Brown via:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/nonalisabrown
T: https://twitter.com/NonaLisaBrown
IG: https://www.instagram.com/officialnonalisabrown/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nonabrown266



Song of the Day: Heaven and Home – J Summa

Drawing inspiration from the great Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Nina Simone, Jamaican singer, songwriter, guitarist J SUMMA’s debut single, ‘Heaven and Home’ is a soul/R&B masterpiece. It stands out immediately, with J-Summa’s soulful voice and stunning falsetto starting off the song and setting the tone before the bluesy production kicks in and elevates the track even further. Lyrically, it speaks on experiencing true love and connecting with a soulmate and no doubt the song will connect with listeners around the world.

Speaking further on his debut release, J-Summa says, “‘Heaven and Home’ is the unique, delicate yet beautiful balance between yourself and your loved one. It’s easy to have a house but not a home. It’s easy to be with someone but not have peace of mind. This song represents true love and companionship – this person is your heaven and your home. I hope this song can connect with the hearts and souls of listeners worldwide.”

Before you leave, you HAVE to listen to his jaw-dropping debut below…