Despite the pandemic situation, its wonderful to still see and hear new releases from songwriters and musicians around the world. I have to admit to not even knowing of Italian singer/songwriter An Early Bird until a few weeks ago, but been quickly hooked on his beautiful track, Fishes in The Ocean.
Closer to home, in South Wales, we also have two cracking new releases from singer/songwriter Tom Auton and emerging rockers, 39 Broad Street, demonstrating that Wales still maintains its title of being “the land of song” in the 21st century!
An Early Bird – Fishes In The Ocean
Growing up in Naples, South of Italy, self-taught multi-instrumentalist, An Early Bird (Stefano De Stefano) cut his teeth on the Italian music circuit with a local band before going solo. His debut album, Of Ghosts & Marvels was released in October 2018.
His new single, Fishes In The Ocean is from the forthcoming album Diviner produced by Stefano Bruno and due to be released in summer 2021 via Greywood Records.
An Early Bird says of the single, “With my song, Fishes In The Ocean I wanted to picture that feeling of being tired and trapped in the net of everyday life, with rules and roles that we all know. I think that out there we feel like we’re alone in a sea of opportunities. I think we just have one choice: catch them or being captured.”
Andy Howells writes, “Early Bird’s beautiful new single, Fishes in the Ocean, takes the listener on a much-needed distraction trip in troubled times combining gentle acoustic ambience with poetic lyrics.”
Tom Auton – Victim of The Groove
South Wales’ Tom Auton’s latest release Victim of the Groove combines rock and disco, to create an unstoppable deep groovy blues sound. The track focusses on the thoughts that rage inside you when you have a mental block.
As Tom eloquently puts it “As a chef, you’d feel incredibly useless if you couldn’t cook anything. The same applies to songwriters when they can’t write songs.”
“Victim of The Groove ironically explores the hatred I have towards myself when I can’t write a new song. I explore this hatred… by writing a new song. Throughout the verses I frivolously wallow in a pool of self-pity, tearing myself down at every line. Then get to the pre chorus, I explain that self-doubt is part and parcel of being a musician.” says Tom.
One of Tom’s most personal tracks, Victim of the Groove is an ode to self-success, battling with your mental health as you think you can’t reach your own previous successes. Self-produced by Tom, Victim of the Groove is mastered by Robin Schmitd who has previously worked with Liam Gallagher, The 1975 and Nothing But Thieves.
Tom concludes, “I invite people into the world of being an independent artist, cycling between two main emotions; thinking your god’s gift, when you write a good song and feeling worthless, when you can’t. I sum up the song with the title – “I’m a Victim of The Groove”.
39 Broad Street – Stay
Emerging South Wales Indie rockers 39 Broad Street have followed 2020’s debut single, Back To Earth and their EP Walls with a new single release, Stay.
Comprising Rowan Coombes, Tom Greening, Adam Greening and Ben Hopkins, the band’s name originates from their early days when rehearsals would take place in The Cellar, a small pub in the mining town of Blaenavon, of which the address is 39 Broad Street.
The band reveal their latest release Stay is about, “…the feeling of being in a relationship, but not feeling good enough and not being your best-self, but knowing that you’re on a better path, and that you want the person you’re in a relationship with to stick by you because you know you can make it worth their while’.
“We wanted the song to have a very positive message of hope, in a time where people may be struggling in terms of their mental health and personal relationships.”
Several live appearances were shelved for 2020 because of the pandemic, but 39 Broad Street have kept recording with further single releases planned in 2021 as well as perform on the live circuit when restrictions ease.
- Check out these tracks along with others previously featured on our Behind The Tracks playlist on Spotify.
I love 39 Broad Street’s melodies and lyrics