Are you sure? Ten things you never knew about The 1957 Tail Fin Fiasco
Jazz / Lyrics / Music / Pop / Rock / Songwriting

Are you sure? Ten things you never knew about The 1957 Tail Fin Fiasco

Those very good friends of this blog, The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco have released a new album. And to mark the occasion – some notes on the ten tracks, along with ten things about the band (nine of which are true). With thanks to the band’s Malcolm Moore, here are those notes about the new release, … Continue reading

Rebecca’s new single captures smooth sounds of summer
Jazz / Lyrics / Music / Pop / Songwriting

Rebecca’s new single captures smooth sounds of summer

The new single from London singer-songwriter Rebecca Poole is released on Friday (20 June 2025) – a day before midsummer’s day. Appropriately, it’s called Summer Days [not to be confused with the Emily Sanders classic of the same name], and it captures the mood of the season from the start – “Don’t you love those … Continue reading

How Jean lives on in a beautiful and moving song
Music / Pop / Rock / Songwriting / Writing

How Jean lives on in a beautiful and moving song

Jean Marchetti was a musician who, like many musicians, fell on hard times. Suffering ill health and with arthritis in her hands, she could no longer play her guitar, and she found herself living in rented accommodation in London. By chance, that’s when David Myers (roughly 50% of our favourite [don’t tell the others] band … Continue reading

From Dancefloor to Rollercoaster – exploring the songwriting prowess of Gregg Alexander
Lyrics / Music / Pop / Rock / Songwriting / Writing

From Dancefloor to Rollercoaster – exploring the songwriting prowess of Gregg Alexander

He may not be a household name, but I’ll bet you know his work – Gregg Alexander is a songwriter, producer and performer with a knack for crafting some of the most catchy, emotionally resonant songs of the past 25 years. Here I delve into four notable tracks that highlight his remarkable songwriting prowess: Continue reading

‘All As One’ with Emily, the queen of UK jazz-fusion
Dance / Jazz / Lyrics / Music / Songwriting / Writing

‘All As One’ with Emily, the queen of UK jazz-fusion

Acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer, and ‘queen of UK jazz-fusion’ (so says DJ and producer, Snowboy, and who am I to disagree?), the brilliant Emily Saunders is promising us a new album this year. It’s an exciting prospect, which has prompted me to catch up on her latest releases. So here’s a look at (and listen … Continue reading

Rocky Horror at 50: Richard O’Brien on life, laughs, and singing
Film / Music / Rock / Songwriting / Theatre / Writing

Rocky Horror at 50: Richard O’Brien on life, laughs, and singing

As The Rocky Horror Show reaches its half century, with a UK tour in 2023, we’re pleased to publish this interview with its creator Richard O’Brien. What was your inspiration behind The Rocky Horror Show? Someone asked me to entertain the Christmas staff party at the EMI Film Studios and so I wrote a song … Continue reading

Best gigs, playing on a no 1 hit, and those suits – catching up with Anthony Strong
Jazz / Music / Pop / Songwriting / Writing

Best gigs, playing on a no 1 hit, and those suits – catching up with Anthony Strong

I first came across super-talented jazz singer and pianist Anthony Strong at the 2013 Brecon Jazz Festival. I loved the performance, describing it as “as sharp as his suit”, and since then we’ve kept in touch on social media. If you’re not familiar with Anthony’s work, you can check his website here. But I wanted … Continue reading

Inventive touches for a new video on the ‘Magic’ of love
Film / Lyrics / Music / R&B / Songwriting / Soul

Inventive touches for a new video on the ‘Magic’ of love

The latest R&B video from my transatlantic friends and near-namesakes at True Weltch Media was recently released (or ‘dropped’ as I need to start saying). Magic is a romantic song, featuring a trio of New Jersey artists – two of whom I’ve featured before, Jo Rivers and Mytus, along with Raq, all from the city … Continue reading