Ten more songs you need to hear! Charlie Puth - How Long
Returning to the quality of his earlier singles 'How Long' is a Justin Timberlake-like rnb-pop number with a catchy rhythm and hooky lyrics. (7.5/10) Gary Clark Jr. & Junkie XL - Come Together
Taken from the Justice League trailer this chunky take on the Beatles classic has plenty of beef and gives the original song more drama and purpose and, whisper, improves on it... (7/10) Luis Fonsi and Demi Lovato - Échame La Culpa
After taking the world by storm in the summer with Despacito, Fonsi is back with another summer-tinged number that doesn't quite fit in with a cold November, but it has enough bouncy optimism and a strong mix between the two lead vocals to cover up the fag-packet lyrics. (7/10) Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha - Home
The verses may be a little bland but the touching, Oh Wonder-esque choruses lift it up and give what could be quite a generic pop-rnb track a bit of heart. A grower. (6.5/10) Maggie Lindemann - Obsessed
Onto single #2 and it's another catchy pop number from Lindemann. The verses may take a little bit to get going but the attitude-filled poppy chorus will win you over. (7/10) Pop Chorus - Always
Simply produced but touching, this is a beautifully composed and sung choral charity song that feels well at home at this time of year. Smooth and sweet and well layered. (7/10) Rachelle Rhienne - Candle
Another great track from Rhienne, this is a slower and sweeter number than her last single but the warmth and heart in her vocal performance and production is a delight. Touching. (7.5/10) Rex Orange County feat. Benny Sings - Loving is Easy
It may be a little rough around the edges with some production-based help but its smooth, warming vibe will win you over thanks to its gentle, wholesome vibe. (6.5/10) Shed Seven - Room In My House
A welcome return for the band from my home town this is a fun and anthemic indie-rock number with a solid guitar solo and a chant-able chorus, though it does outstay its welcome a little. A grower. (6.5/10) The Wombats - Lemon To A Knife Fight
The Wombats return with this first cut from their upcoming album and it balances the band's familiar sound with a rather quirky title. I wouldn't say it does anything particularly revolutionary compared to their older tracks but it is fun and memorable enough to please the fans, of which I am one. (7/10)
With
mesmerising golden locks, captivating smile and shimmering blue eyes, stunning
Scottish singer/songwriter, Rachelle Rhienne, turns up the summer heat as she
steps onto the global music stage with her debut single ‘When The Sun Goes
Down’. Well known in Scotland as a DJ on
her former show ‘From Rachelle With Love’ on Your Radio 103 and 106 FM,
Rachelle now steps into summer as one of Scotland’s most tantalising exports
this year.
We spoke to Rachelle about
her brilliant new single but started by asking her about her thoughts on living
in Scotland.
It’s
perfect really! The only thing we don’t get is the weather, most days, though
it’s actually quite sunny today! It’s good for inspiration. I go up to the park
a lot to write, play piano and guitar a lot. Everything is perfect apart from
the weather. I’m just back from Spain too, where the weather was perfect, so to
come back here to thirteen degrees is like ‘Oh no it’s so cold!’
Your new single is ‘When the
Sun Goes Down’. How would you describe it?
Musically
it’s mainly pop but it’s got a bit of a Spanish twang to it. It’s a very happy,
feel-good tune for summer and when you’re on holiday. It was a lot of fun
filming the video too, lots of fun recording it!
You’ve been to Spain and you’ve
translated your songs into Spanish too. Is that Spanish influence part of your
musical identity?
Yeah.
From a very young age I’ve always had the idea of, once I finally get around to
doing an album, is translating all the songs and doing a Spanish album, as I
just love the language and the culture and the people, and I think the Spanish
market is incredible, and it will expand my horizons. It’s just something I’ve
always wanted to do.
Where did the inspiration
for the song come from?
I
wrote it about four years ago. It was specifically about Spain; it was just
generally about being on holiday and travelling the world with someone you’re
with, like a partner or a friend, and you realise how close you are, and how
everything kicks off when the sun goes down. We wanted to film the video around
the same sort of vibe to explain the lyrics that the song has. We filmed the
video in Sardinia, which was absolutely perfect!
What was it like being involved
in the video?
It
was amazing! It was a three-day video shoot and we ended up having the
opportunity to use a yacht, and so we were on the seas, filming on the yacht,
and we literally had to chase the sun so we could get the scene where the sun
is actually going down, as it would have been really bad if we missed that part
for the song! We got it in the end, and I did lots of stunts and it was just a
great experience!
You’ve won song writing
competitions in the past; has that helped build your confidence in terms of song-writing?
Definitely!
With the competitions the judges are usually someone really high up in the industry,
so it’s just an amazing feeling and really rewarding that these people find
your music really good. I started writing when I was twelve so getting feedback
from the judges was just incredible, and it really helped.
You have been a radio DJ; did
that help give you an insight into the music industry?
That
was really fun. It was on my local radio station and all the guys there were so
amazing and really friendly and helpful. It was another experience I’d never
done before so I wanted to broaden my horizon. It was really fun to pick songs
I could share on the radio that I liked and I knew other people would like too.
They were great guys to work with.
Back to the song, how did
the collaboration with Diaz Rodriguez come about?
That
came about from a friend in America, [who was a] mutual friend with Diaz. I
asked him for someone that I could use on the track, a rapper, and he
recommended him. As soon as I heard his reggae, Jamaican accent I knew we had
to have him as that’s what we were looking for, the kind of rough, manly voice
with gravelly tones! He’s from London, which I didn’t know, so he did it in his
studio and sent up and we got it mixed and produced up here and in London. He
was a great guy to work with. He came onto the video shoot with us and we all
had a great time!
Have you got future EP and
album plans?
I’m
going to be working on an album very soon. I’m going to be heading off to Sweden
in the new year to work with some producers and writers to get the best
material possible. I’ve got a single coming out in November and then one in the
new year to build up a bit of hype and buzz before the album. [There’s] lots to
do!
You have a live show on
Saturday; how are preparations going for that?
I’m
really looking forward to it; there’s so many amazing musicians I’m performing
alongside, and it’s such a great cause as well. It’s my first gig after being
on holiday so it gets me back into the swing of things!
How would you describe your
live show?
I
play piano, so most of my gigs are focussed on piano. I play some covers, and
it’s acoustic, so it’s a chilled out vibe. I have a backing band that I do a
lot of the bigger gigs with; that’s a more up-tempo fun-vibe. They’re all
really talented guys and really nice guys to get along with, so that creates a
good atmosphere!
Finally what are your
ambitions for the next six months?
Just
to get a bigger fan base [and] to gig around as many as places. My main goal is
to go on tour in the UK and hopefully head over to America and work with a lot
of producers over there and get as much material as possible for the album!
Find
out more about Rachelle Rhienne at rachellerhiennemusic.com/ where you can find
links to her social media accounts!
Ten more songs you need to hear! Binky - Fireflies 'Fireflies' is a jaunty, country-tinged radio-friendly pop song with a great optimistic vibe and fun chorus. Well produced and Binky has a very loveable voice. (7/10) Frequency Cowboy - Win Some Lose Some
With hints of Hot Chip in its chunky electronic style, this is quite a subtle and subdued number but it rolls along nicely thanks to its strong synth work and calming harmonies. (6.5/10) The Ghibertins - Where Are We Now?
The Ghibertins take an even darker and somber turn for their latest single and though it might not have the buzz of their last couple of singles the production and atmosphere are definitely on point and it makes a strong set of statements. (6.5/10) Julia Biel - Wasting Breath
Like a Joss Stone sung by Macy Gray crossed with Amy Winehouse this is a slow swagger of a soulful song with a touching mix of strings and Biel's on-point voice. (6/10) Kaixen feat. MRKI - In Private
With a strong club feel this is a catchy bouncy number even if the lyrics of the verses are pretty low-brow. Fun. (6.5/10) Kerri Watt - The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond
One of the best singers around at the moment brings us this lovely version of the Scottish classic, giving it a pleasant folky feel. Neat. (7/10) Ooberfuse - Never Give Up
A much slower affair than their last single this breathy and atmospheric, dramatic number, flows well with hints of Kate Bush in its ethereal sound. (6.5/10) Rachelle Rhienne - When The Sun Goes Down
With Shakira-like vibes in her vocals this is a bouncy, summer anthem for a colder Autumn, with a catchy radio-friendly chorus and a brilliantly swaying rhythm. Cool. (7.5/10) Robbie Williams feat. Big Narstie and Atlantic Horns - Go Mental
Taking a nod from Sam and the Womp with its horn base, this is a funky swing track and I never thought I'd hear a song where Robbie and Big Narstie would collaborate. Lyrically it's not exactly complex but its vibe and enthusiasm is palpable and there's plenty of variety from the mix of vocals. (6.5/10) Secrettape - Forget It 'Forget It' is a rather memorable, ironically, track, with a fast-paced indie feel with its backing vocals and catchy pop chorus really lifting it up. A truly fun song that hits big. (7.5/10)
