Category: Pop

What inspired the raw, vulnerable approach on “Watch Me”?

‘Watch Me’ was one of the first concepts I wrote for my second album, definitely 80s dance inspired. The message stems from my determination to prove the naysayers wrong and to be successful in the pursuit of my dreams. I absolutely love the production on this song. Shoutout to my producer, Electropoint, who really killed it with this one! This is definitely one of the dancier tracks on the album, which makes it even more fitting as an anthem of defiance and celebration. 

What message do you want “Watch Me” to send?

I want my listeners to realize and understand that it’s okay to be different, and to live a life that goes against the grain. You can be yourself and still have everything you’ve ever dreamed of. For me, as a gay man, I still wanted to get married and have a family. Everybody said I couldn’t have that after coming out, and I just responded with “Watch Me.” 

How did writing “Miserable Fck” help you process emotions?

I feel like every song I write is me processing my emotions in some way, shape, or form. 

Specifically with ‘Miserable Fck,’ I was reliving an argument I’d had with someone close to me while also processing the fact that I, along with many of my generation, tend to paint a perfect picture on socials while secretly dealing with — let’s call it ‘darkness’ — alone, or behind the scenes. Everyone thinks I have it all, but if that’s the case, why do I feel so miserable at times? 

That contradiction is something so many of us experience, but rarely admit to, and I wanted to put that raw honesty into the song. 

I’ve come to realize that the more you obsess over what you don’t have, the easier it is to overlook and underappreciate all the great things you DO have. It’s really all about your perspective — think glass half full vs. glass half empty. Hopefully a change in perspective will keep us all out of the ‘Doom Loop.’

Have you ever felt silenced in your career?

Absolutely — Whether by the industry, social media algorithms, or even those closest to me, I’ve faced moments where I felt unheard.

I’ve felt silenced by the industry, when I’d go on countless casting calls and auditions, just to be rejected and feel as though I’m not good enough. 

I’ve felt silenced by The Algorithm, for not allowing me to access a larger audience that so many other content creators seem to have found, and generated a genuine and long-lasting connection with.

I’ve felt silenced by my inner circle, whom have often discounted my music, even before experiencing it.

That’s really what “Shut Up & Listen” is all about. It’s about embracing self-expression and lifting each other up, always. Everyone seems to have an opinion, but only I have my story, and I choose to tell it through this medium. So STFU and listen! 😉 

What can fans expect from the Watch Me music video?

There are many many layers to the ‘Watch Me’ music video. It begins in a chaotic toddler environment, where I’m tripping over toys and kids are crying in the background.

It’s apparent I need a break, so I lock myself in my room for what I like to call a “daddy timeout.” I put on my virtual reality headset and escape to my Pop star fantasy world. Cue the music, choreography, and leather chaps!

At its core, the video mirrors the song’s message: stepping into your own power and demanding to be seen for who you are.

Shoutout to my incredible choreographer, Amanda Arenas, and dancers — Laura Hertziesen, Tianna Brown, Maya Shah, and Joicy Yang — Y’all slayed! I can’t wait for the next one. 🙌🏼

• youtu.be/DKE71ylHyVI
• www.iamthomascole.com
• facebook.com/thomasbcole
• www.instagram.com/iamthomascole

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Photo Credit: Thomas Cole.

Marsha Swanson, the progressive-pop singer is still firing on all cylnders and her new release, “Generational Transmission” proves yet another standout from her “Near Life Experience” album. There is a beauty surrodning this track which is easy to get lost in and it is the ideal track for the festive season with its warm glow.

There is a depth and a boldness present on this track which sends goosebumps right up the back of the neck. The vocals from Marsha are perfectly delivered, likely her best vocal performance to date and she synergies flawlessly with the myriad of sounds beneath her such as strings, piano tones and gripping drum rhythms.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.

Words By Joey Rochert.

Thomas Cole’s highly anticipated EP “Watch Me” is out now, and it marks a bold new chapter in his musical voyage. The three-track collection, which dropped on November 22, 2024, sees the New York-based pop artist embracing a rawer, more vulnerable side while diving deep into personal themes of defiance, resilience, and empowerment.

The title track, “Watch Me,” is a powerful declaration of self-confidence and independence. With unflinching courage, Thomas responds to those who doubted his ability to have a fulfilling life after coming out, confidently proclaiming, “Watch me.” This anthem serves as both a personal statement and a message to anyone who’s ever faced adversity and judgment, reinforcing Thomas’s unshakable sense of self.

In “Miserable Fck,” Thomas channels the complexity of navigating relationships while dealing with inner turmoil. Inspired by a heated argument, the track is an emotionally charged release, blending electronic and rock influences to express frustration, longing, and the messy process of moving through tough times. As Thomas says, it’s about transcending the darkness even when life feels overwhelming.

The final track, “Shut Up & Listen,” fuses rock and electronic rhythms to tell a story of self-empowerment. Here, Thomas explores the fight to be seen and heard in a world that often seeks to silence authentic voices, making it a compelling anthem for anyone who has struggled to assert their truth.

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Photo Credit: Thomas Cole.

On her most recent release, “Once in a Lifetime,” a vibrant single with a contemporary pop vitality to her folk-acoustic roots, Saskia Griffiths-Moore shines. Acclaimed for her reflective approach, Saskia explores vivid new ground with this song, mixing the raw realism of her live band with appealing rhythms.

Designed by Kris Gorski in Poland, the song adds a vibrant edge to differentiate it from Saskia’s past work and catches a rich acoustic sound that seems as though you’re in the room with the band. “Once in a Lifetime” has a strong uplifting message: welcome the fleeting opportunities of life even if the road seems unknown.

You can check it out below.

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Photo Credit: Saskia Griffiths-Moore.

Singer-songwriter Marsha Swanson from London is back with a new single, “In Touch,” an instrumental piece that serves as a perfect window into the themes of her recent album, “Near Life Experience.” Released earlier in 2024 to critical acclaim, the album has been praised for its depth and introspective qualities. “In Touch” carries this forward, offering a unique musical journey that blends the poetic with the universal.

One of the single’s most touching elements is its vocal performance, featuring three generations of female voices softly reading poetry. Each voice adds a distinct layer, representing different stages of life and offering a haunting yet uplifting reminder of connection, reflection, and the passage of time. The interwoven vocals create an atmosphere that is as impactful as it is introspective, allowing listeners to experience the essence of shared human experiences.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.

Words By Joey Rochert.

Marsha Swanson is the progressive pop star who keeps on delivering! Here she explores nostalgic feelings with ‘Still Remember’. Her vocals are divine and potentially her most compelling yet as she serenades the soul from the start. Also, the music is beautifully put together with many mood shifts occurring as it progresses.

‘Still Remember’ dips in and out of sad and happy realms. It is a journey with us one minute being taken down a pathway of longing before then being propelled forward with a joyous momentum. It is a great offering from Marsha Swanson and one to add to our collection!

You can take a listen below.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.

What inspired the story behind “My Rules”?

I think we have all probably experienced being in the company of someone who asserts “My way or the highway”. Sometimes this can be a strength, an ability to know oneself well and to preserve healthy boundaries.  At other times, where collaboration is required, a lack of flexibility and an inability to compromise can be self-limiting. 

Working in different bands and song-writing set-ups over the years,  I have observed both ends of the scale. I have also seen similar issues played out in the work place of family and friends as well as in romantic relationships or families with their children.  When I wrote this song, I was thinking about people who have particularly fixed rigidities/rules about what they will do or won’t do for a variety of different reasons. I was interested in exploring the fine line between someone’s will and their capacity when it comes to change. Some people have the will but not the way and vice versa.

I was also interested in the question of influence and how far a positive relationship can go towards expanding a person’s window of tolerance. Sometimes, we experience people who appear to be great enablers of change in others. In contrast, we can experience other examples where there is still no leg room, even in emergencies! It takes time as well as different settings to learn where the boundaries are. It is easy, however,  to either over-estimate or under-estimate a person’s capacity to be either fixed or fluid. 

How does “My Rules” fit into the theme of your album “Near Life Experience”?

The ambition to really live as opposed to nearly live, is not about fulfilling all your dreams, travelling the world or bungee jumping.  It is about living life consciously. Whilst there is much that we cannot control, by being as self-aware as we can, it means that the choices we can make are more likely to be authentic. This extends not only to ourselves but in interaction with other people. When applying this within the context of “My Rules”, I am reminded of the Serenity prayer “Grant me the serenity  to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. 

What message do you hope to convey with this song?

To bring out the complexities of these issues so that people can reflect further on their own experiences. To encourage thinking around when and whether self-imposed or external rules are either helpful or a hindrance.

How did you approach the song-writing for “My Rules”?

Like the majority of songs that I write for myself (as opposed to commissions or songs for other artists), it literally wrote itself very quickly. When I have been thinking about something for a long time, it is always brewing like a tea in the background. By the time I come to sit at the piano, it usually means there is something I am ready to express.  Once I have found the chords that fit the emotion I am feeling, it won’t be long before a few useable lyrics pop out in-between random words that I sing whilst focussed on the melody.  When I pay close attention to what words do emerge, I am then able to filter out the important ones and grasp what the song is about. From this point on the rest of the words will follow quite easily.

What can fans expect from the official video for “My Rules”?

A lot of fun and humour! When adults become stubborn or blocked in their thinking, whether in a band, board meeting, or political battle, they can appear regressed, much like playground antics!  Just as there is a difference between a healthy challenging of authority, versus complete inability to take direction, there is also healthy artistic integrity, versus a devaluing of other people’s contributions.  Humour can be a useful way of gaining perspective, so I thought this would be a good way of telling the story. We interchange the same dynamics (a figure of authority, alongside a rule breaker and a bystander) within two different settings commonly associated with rules and hierarchy. There is also the backdrop of a literal tug of war, which is also the metaphor running through the song and video. It illustrates the central premise,  which is the underlying question of whether any movement will be possible with someone who struggles to compromise.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.

Words By Joey Rochert.

Marsha Swanson, the progressive-pop artist with countless stand-out releases now under her belt charms us again with new single ‘Homeward Bound’. As a fan of Marsha’s it has been refreshing to witness her growth as an artist over the last few years and her new album, ‘Near Life Experience’ just keeps on giving.

‘Homeward Bound’ is highly narrative driven as are a lot of Marsha’s songs. This is one of her trademark qualities now as an artist because you know with each one there will be a message within it which has a prevalent factor. Moreover the way she manages to incorporate real-life experiences into her music is inspiring.

You can take a listen below.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.

Marsha, your album ‘Near Life Experience’ has been celebrated for its emotional depth. Can you share with us the personal journey or experiences that inspired the creation of ‘Love’s Not Late’?

This song was originally written as an ode to my mum for her 70^th birthday celebration. I wanted to deliver a timely message of love that could properly capture the key values that I had learned from her. One of these was the value of creativity as an essential life force. The other was the high priority she placed on being a mother. The original first lyric of the song was “You taught me how to be a mother”. Later, when Producer Henry Thomas chose it for inclusion on the album, we agreed to change the lyric in order to broaden its relevance to “you taught me how to love another”. Whilst all love, including romantic love can equip us with the deepest fundamentals needed for approaching life and all its hardships, there is something unique about a mothers love in terms of its unilateral beginnings. It is how we first learn to love when we are dependent and do not know how. This has an extra societal relevance because if we have learned it from our earliest beginnings we have a ready-made blueprint for easier repetition later in life. It’s never too late to learn later of course, it’s just harder than for those lucky enough to have been born into it.

Critics have praised your ability to convey deep emotional themes through your music, particularly in ‘Love’s Not Late.’ Can you walk us through your creative process when tackling such profound subjects?

My process for this song was slightly atypical in that I knew the theme I wanted to write about before sitting at the piano. This is opposed to the majority of songs which start with me discovering the theme via finding the chords that feel emotionally in synch or a good match with how I’m feeling. The process of writing the lyrics is the same for me the majority of the time.  I sing whatever sounds come into my head whilst forming the melody and then I pay close attention to the first words that emerge from free association. I suppose it is the singing equivalent of the psychological mental process that occurs in therapy. The rest of the song normally flows after those first lyrics have crystalized and then I can start to shape it from there.

In ‘Love’s Not Late,’ you explore the theme of love as a healing force in the face of life’s uncertainties. How do you envision your music impacting listeners on a personal level?

I can only extrapolate from the purpose that it served me when writing it. If it helped me to get something universal but complex clearer in my mind, I can hold the possibility that it might do that for someone else. I am always interested to know whether others connected to any aspects of it whether lyrically or musically and I would anticipate that it would be interpreted in a variety of different ways. 

The instrumentation in ‘Love’s Not Late’ is rich and dynamic, with layers of piano, strings, and a spirited guitar solo. Could you elaborate on how you collaborate with your musicians to achieve such a vibrant and cohesive sound?

On a practical level, a lot of this is down to what happens in the pre-production stages. There is a long process of song shaping, honing and structure before introducing other instruments.  The first band rehearsals are primarily dedicated to the rhythm section. The recording stage which follows is where other instruments are introduced into the arrangements such as the guitar and strings. A vocal guide is laid down for the band to mirror the emotional map of intensity and then choices are made over where to bring the instruments in and out. We will be looking at where to build the track and where to create more space according to the narrative. Vocal harmonies are added to enhance particular lyrics and everything is refined further once again at the mixing stage. On top of this process, the performance of the musicians is very much down to their emotional sensibilities as well as the relationships between band members which all goes into the final mix! This particular group of musicians were chosen for their capacity to lend themselves to the key communication and message of the song as much as for their technical abilities.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.

Words By Joey Rochert

Marsha Swanson’s “Gustav Mahler’s Letter of Intent & Alma Mahler’s Lament” stands out with its timeless tale of love, longing, and the complexities that bind two souls together. Spanning generations and emotions, this track duo delves deep into the tumultuous relationship between Gustav Mahler and Alma Mahler.

With an intimate connection to the Mahler legacy as a distant descendant, Swanson brings a unique perspective to her interpretation of their story. Through a careful blend of Gustav’s impassioned letters and Alma’s heartfelt lamentations from her diary entries, Swanson weaves a narrative that is as haunting as it is captivating.

The first track, “Gustav Mahler’s Letter of Intent,” serves as a poignant portrayal of Gustav’s fervent devotion to Alma. In stark contrast, “Alma Mahler’s Lament” presents Alma’s side of the story—a lamentation of love lost and dreams shattered. Swanson’s emotive delivery imbues Alma’s words with a sense of sorrow and resignation. Also, the melancholic melodies blend seamlessly with Alma’s poignant reflections, creating a hauntingly beautiful ode to a love that was destined for tragedy.

You can take a listen below.

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Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.