Sunday Rundown: Shooting for Alive, Live Acoustic Sessions and Florida

Photo: Geena Sharma Singh Photography

This week has been half hard work and half holiday, but with many exciting developments!  Both at home and in America I had some amazing weather and took some beautiful photos, which I have included in the blog, along with details on what I’ve been up to!

Monday:  On Monday, me and my awesome videographer (and friend), Geena headed to Flamborough in the East Riding of Yorkshire for our first day of filming the video for my song ‘Alive’.  We got some beautiful shots of the amazing scenery around there and some performance shots.  We got lucky with the weather as it was 26 degrees Celsius and wall to wall sunshine!  So excited to finish filming and share this video!

 

Tuesday:  Tuesday was spent practising piano, packing and generally getting ready to go away!

Wednesday:  On Wednesday I flew to Florida for the start of my two week holiday in America and the Caribbean.  The best part of long haul travel for me is that I have so many uninterrupted hours at my disposal, which I can use to catch up on work!  I managed to respond to three sets of interview questions, write all my notes on the mixes for my upcoming album and read and write notes on my book on music marketing.  Very productive and relaxing times for me!

Thursday:  I had a lovely morning walk to start off the day and then I went to the mall.  I’m ashamed to say that a big shopping spree always makes me feel good, and this was definitely one of best shopping trips I’ve ever had!  So I left feeling very happy, especially after a great Chinese meal!

I also made my Thursday Twenty playlist and it’s even more varied than usual!

1. Boots by Kesha – Definitely my favourite track on Kesha’s new album.. really fun and catchy!
2. Painkiller by Liv Dawson – I really wanted to include this in the playlist last week but I didn’t have room.  It’s such an touching pop song with great sweeping production and really relatable lyrics.
3. Make It Up To You by Julia Michaels – I’m fast becoming a Julia Michaels fan as I think her brand of cool, edgy pop is the future of the genre.  I also really admire her roots as a songwriter.
4. Safe Place by Jazz Morley
5. Borrowed Time by Falcon Punch & Alexanderson
6. Give It Up (feat. Salt Ashes) by Cruels
7. Tennis Shoes by Lennon & Maisy – I always love the soundtrack to Nashville and this my favourite song from the current season!
8. Take Shelter by Years & Years
9. Dead End Love by XYLO
10. Alexis Texas by Cruel Youth
11. You’re Mine by Phantogram – Phantogram have only been on my radar for a few months due to hearing them on a TV show, but I really love their dark vibe and edgy production!
12. Think Before I Talk – Astrid S
13. Madness by Ruelle – I came across Ruelle as one of her songs was used as a reference file for a sync placement I applied for and I really like her music!  It has a slight vibe of Banks, which is something I always enjoy!
14. C O O L (Radio Edit) by Le Youth – The ultimate holiday party song; just so so catchy and happy!
15. What Lovers Do (feat. SZA) by Maroon 5
16. If I’m Lucky by Jason Derulo – Jason Derulo is one of my guilty pleasures and I’ve just bought tickets to see him perform in May so I’m super excited!  This new track is very different but I actually really like it!
17. Girls On Boys by Galantis & ROZES
18. Bad At Love by Halsey
19. Cross My Mind Pt. 2 (feat. Kiiara) by A R I Z O N A 
20. Know U Anymore (feat Sarah Hyland) by Bo Talks – Another that almost made it on last week… great track, super catchy and loving Sarah Hyland’s voice… I usually just know her as Haley from Modern Family.

 

Also, ‘Music, Musings and Such’ did an interview feature on me, which was awesome, so have a read if you are interested in my inspirations, my ambitions and my favourite musicians!

Friday:  On Friday I went for another amazing walk, this time along the boardwalks to the lake, which was so relaxing and pretty!  I took some gorgeous pictures 🙂 After that I spent the day by the pool reading and catching up on emails, as well as submitting songs for sync placement consideration.

Saturday:  After a four hour drive first thing, we made it to Miami around midday to board a cruise bound for the Caribbean!  I didn’t get much work done this day as I was too busy drinking cocktails and dancing at the sail away party!

I did upload a teaser video for the live acoustic session of ‘Lead Me Down’ to my YouTube channel though, which I’m really excited about!  Check it out below!

I was also featured on the ‘Readers Recommend’s ‘Sounds on Sunday’, playlist, which was lovely!

Sunday: The first day at sea on the cruise so I spent the day exploring the ship, drinking more cocktails and having a lovely massage!  Very relaxing times… managed to get some work done too which was nice!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and enjoyed seeing some holiday pictures!  I will no doubt have many more next week!

Sunday Rundown: Camden Gig, Exploring London and Producing a New Track

This week has been super busy music-wise, which is always great, with the main news being that I performed at my first ever gig in London on Friday! 🙂  I’ve also been keeping my new Spotify playlist up to date, booking more gigs and been working on the track I am self-producing… Here is my day by day account of this fab week (15th April to 21st April)

MONDAY: I guess Monday was a fairly boring start to the week as it was admin based mainly… however, I did get closer to finding out where and when the video for Poison is going to premiere, which is very exciting news!  Hopefully on next week’s Sunday Rundown I will be recapping about that! 🙂

TUESDAY: I was at college and actually the only student in!  That sounds boring but it was amazing for my productivity and I got sooooo much done! The main progress was made on ‘Alive’, the track I was talking about last week.  I think the arrangement has been fully worked out now and we added some amazing rhythmic guitar to the choruses, which I feel added so much to the vibe of the track!  Next things to do are record my lead vocal, harmonies and backing vocals and then look at transitions!  So excited to share this when it’s finally finished!

WEDNESDAY: This week I’ve had no voice at all so I couldn’t record a new video for my Wednesday Cover but I did edit some live footage from my Gullivers Gig last Saturday… so this week’s cover is ‘Into You’ by Ariana Grande!  I absolutely love this song and love performing our version with the loop pedal… so check it out and let me know what you think!

THURSDAY: On Thursday I picked my set lists for my upcoming gigs, sorted out all my backing tracks and packed for my trip to London.  Thursday is also the day I update my weekly Spotify playlist ‘Thursday Twenty’ and this week I added some amazing tracks!

1. Attention by Charlie Puth – OMG I’m obsessed with this song…. so catchy and the bassline is just amazing!
2. The Cure by Lady Gaga – The first Lady Gaga song I’ve liked in a while, but I do loooveee this!
3. Siren by Kid Cupid – Kid Cupid are playing with me at Hangar 34 in Liverpool on June 1st and I’m really excited to watch them perform after hearing this track.
4. Strip by Clara Mae
5. In the Blood by John Mayer – My favourite of his newer songs that he performed last week… such a beautiful track.
6. Whatever I Want (Young John Da Wicked Producer Remix) by Classixx – Thank youuuu to my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify for this one…. such a tune.
7. Despacito Remix by Luis Fonsi & Justin Bieber
8. Like Home (LUCIANBLOMKAMP Remix) by JOY.
9. Oh Woman Oh Man by London Grammar
10. Blades by Farr
11. Rollin with the Flow by Geek Boy – I love the wordplay and the vibe of this track; it’s got a really fresh sound.
12. Hypnotized by WeAreTreo – The rhythm of the lyrics in this track is so clever and different and the production has something really cool and summery about it… maybe even my track of the week!
13. Don’t You Feel It by SubFocus
14. Can You Hear Me? by Amber Mark
15. On My Mind by Disciples – Another song I’m obsessed with… just brings a smile to my face whenever I hear it and I can’t help but dance and sing along!
16. Eyes Closed by Halsey – This is a song I wish I’d written!  Such a relatable theme done so beautifully.
17. Let Me Out (Banx & Ranx Remix) by Gorillaz, Mavis Staples & Pusha T – Been listening to Gorillaz as I’m so excited to go and see them in December after buying my tickets this week!  I think this has to be my favourite track off their new album ‘Humanz’.
18. Quit by Cashmere Cat & Ariana Grande
19. Hot2Touch by Felix Jaehn
20. 4am by Huntar

https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/11155725702/playlist/3fsHErchu1TvOs4URkHZWu

FRIDAY:  Definitely the most eventful day of this week as I had my first ever gig in London at Proud Camden as part of Absent Kelly’s ‘Camden Clique’.  I was the first support for London-based band arC and was also joined by Bisola, Gabriela Eva and Samuel Hyde.  I was incredibly nervous before as it was the first time I’d performed some of those tracks live with just backing tracks and I also had a really sore throat!  All in all though, it was a really valuable experience and I felt like I learned a lot from it.  I had some great support from the crowd, despite being first on, and I got to meet and watch some great musicians!  Afterwards I had such a feeling of relief too as I’ve been anxious about it for a while, so it was awesome to let loose and party 🙂

SATURDAY: I was feeling slightly fragile from the night before but still took the opportunity to go and explore Camden Markets and Piccadilly Circus in London.  Felt good to be out and about and to be spending time with my brother and his friends.  London is such a good place to be a tourist and I think Camden is now my favourite place I have visited there, although I love Shoreditch too!

SUNDAY: Another admin day as I had to write a press release for my EP (although it is a little bit late) ready for the premiere of the Poison video!  I am on a bit of a health kick at the moment as I feel like I’ve let myself get very unfit and have developed some bad habits, so I did go for a hike near my house.  It was really nice to get some fresh air and just be able to relax whilst listening to music.  Plus I saw these horses, who were just too cute not to share!

Thank you so much for reading – even though it has been even longer than last week!  I don’t want to make any more false promises, but hopefully I will have a little bit less to say next week! 🙂

Sunday Rundown: John Mayer, Gullivers and Spotify!

Starting this week, every Sunday I will be doing a weekly blog talking about everything I have been up to, my favourite music that week and anything exciting I can think of.  This week seemed like the perfect week to start as it’s been amazing and music-filled!  I’ve been to watch two gigs, performed myself, booked tickets for more gigs and started my first Spotify playlist as a verified artist…busy, busy times!  Without further ado, here is the rundown of the past week (8th April to 14th April)!

MONDAY: I spent most of the day rehearsing for my gig on Saturday and getting the loops sorted for my new songs, ‘Warning’ and ‘Shackles’!

TUESDAY: I attend music college every Tuesday and I had a super productive day as I made loads of progress on my first self-produced track, which is called ‘Alive’.  I have been working on the song on Logic for quite a while and am aiming to create really fun but relaxing summer song about running away and staying young…. so we’ll see how that goes!

WEDNESDAY:  Wednesday was a great day as I managed to record a cover for ‘Cover Wednesdays’ on my YouTube channel.  The song I picked was ‘There’s Nothing Holding Me Back’ by Shawn Mendes.  I had heard it the day before, instantly loved it and knew that it was the right song to try and cover.

That evening, I went to a fabulous event in Manchester organised by Punch Records called, ‘Welcome To My City’!  The gig featured five amazing artists: Gambimi, Sub Blue, Kizzy Crawford, Nipah and Tobi Sunmola.  It was great to watch such talented artists do their thing and show off their talent.  I enjoyed having the opportunity to network a little too!

Check out Tobi Sunmola performing his amazing track ‘Run Free’!

THURSDAY:  On Thursday I had more rehearsals, bought my tickets to see Gorillaz (Yayyyyyyy!!!) and also set up my first ‘Artist Playlist’ on Spotify.  I got verified on Spotify last week so it was really excited to finally make a playlist on my artist page showing what I’m currently listening to!  The playlist is called ‘Thursday Twenty’ and is simply twenty songs that I’m loving each week… updated every Thursday!  This week’s picks were:

1. Waters by Gambimi – I loved this song when he performed it live at ‘Welcome To My City’… such a chilled and romantic vibe!
2. Committed by Sub Blue – Another favourite from the event on Wednesday… a great live performer too!
3. Lead Me Down by Sally Caitlin – I felt like I should include one of my songs in my first ever playlist!
4. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes 
5. Old Friends by Jasmine Thompson – I heard it on the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack and fell in love with the relatable lyrics!
6. Hot Blood by Kaleo – Obsessed with this song and the whole album to be honest… just a must listen if you like a bit of rock that isn’t that heavy!
7. Breathe by Astrid S – Big Astrid S fan… she makes the sort of modern alternative pop which I think has a really fresh sound.
8. 1998 by Chet Faker & Banks – As the ultimate Banks fangirl I kind of had to include her, but this track with Chet Faker is a lot more summery and softer than her usual offerings.
9. Quit You by Lost Kings & Tinashe
10. Not Going Home by DVBBS
11. It Ain’t Me (Tiesto’s AFTR:HRS Remix) by Kygo & Selena Gomez
12. Run Free by Tobi Sunmola – Amazing song by a new Manchester based artist… his voice is like Louis Armstrong crossed with Howlin’ Wolf!
13. Wherever You Go by TRXD ft. Hilde
14. Wicked Games by The Weeknd – Rediscovered this song and my love for it after playing it on piano again last week… still my favourite song by The Weeknd!
15. No Promises by Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato
16. Want You Back by HAIM – I love HAIM and their cool brand of alternative pop with catchy hooks and this is the perfect sunny day driving song!
17. Places by Martin Solveig
18. Feels (Jai Wolf Remix) by Kiiara
19. No Don by LottoBoyzz
20. You Don’t Know Me by Jax Jones ft. Raye

 

 

FRIDAY:  Literally the best day ever as my dream of seeing my ultimate idol, John Mayer, in concert came true!  He was absolutely incredible and did not disappoint me at all, despite me having exceedingly high expectations!  He didn’t play my favourite song, ‘I Don’t Trust Myself Loving You’, however, he did play ‘Edge Of Desire’, which is my second favourite!  Managed to get myself some sweet merch, which I haven’t taken off much since the gig!  Just an unbelievable night and a dream come true!

 

 

SATURDAY:  On Saturday I, myself, was gigging at Gullivers in Manchester!  I performed some of my original songs for the first time with my loop pedal, drum pad and my acoustic guitarist, Keenan.  Really enjoyed performing and sharing some brand new material, despite being slightly under the weather and completely losing my voice after the show!

 

SUNDAY: Rest, recuperation and planning for next week!

I hope you have enjoyed this little insight into my day to day life…. I promise next week won’t be quite as long! Thank you for reading 🙂