Grow - Felix Hill

Felix Hill has released his 3rd single, 'Grow', you can listen on Spotify and it can be found on all digital platforms. To hear all his songs, 'Pale Moons', 'Streetlight Panorama' and 'Grow', go to his Spotify page.

They are all very different and 'Grow' reflects another of Felix's many musical influences. The topic, concerning the break up of a relationship, is a familiar one to most people.

From a very early age, Felix has listened to many diverse styles. I'm as likely to hear Frank Sinatra blasting from his room as I am the Arctic Monkeys, Declan McKenna or Rex Orange County.

I feel that 'Grow' highlights this very well. It has an 'old school' feel, which reflects his interest in Sinatra, Chet Baker, Wayne Newton and more recent artists, Michael Bublé and Bruno Major. There's no hiding place in the vocals for a song like this and I feel the depth of emotion Felix has achieved is way beyond his mere 17 years.

As with his other recordings, Felix plays all the instruments except the drums. These were recorded by the wonderful Maurice Cheetham.

Grow has already been performed live a number of times, with Felix's excellent drummer Ewan McDonough and is always very well received. Their next gig is on Saturday 14th March, Off The Square, Manchester, and tickets are available here.

Streetlight Panorama - Felix Hill

Felix has released his second single, 'Streetlight Panorama', a fast-paced indie-rock song, which reflects the current struggles that many people face, and tries to highlight the often-overlooked details of our society. The driving drums and the layering of instruments show the gradual change in our lives, with memorable and hard-hitting lyrics. The timing coincides with his gig at the Deaf Institute in Manchester, an established and well-respected venue.

Felix also plays all the instruments on the single, apart from the drums which were recorded by the fantastic musician Maurice Cheetham.


Streetlight Panorama is very different from Felix's first single, 'Pale Moons', and this highlights his diverse musical influences. Having grown up surrounded by music it is no surprise that he regularly listens to artists as varied as the Arctic Monkeys, Sam Fender, Rex Orange County, Chet Baker, The Beatles, Bruno Major, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie and many more.

You can find Streetlight Panorama on all the usual digital outlets, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon etc.

Enjoy!

The Power of Music

I seem to be in a 'Sir Thomas Beecham' mode at the moment. (See yesterdays blog)
I found another quote from him that really struck a chord - no pun intended.
This is it:

"The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought. Music first and last should sound well, should allure and enchant the ear.
Never mind the inner significance."
Sir Thomas Beecham

This can of course apply to any style of music. As long as the listener is enjoying it then music has fulfilled its objective.
Music is a form of expression whether that be political, religious, emotional, stirring or angst ridden, some message is being passed on.
You can listen to music on many different levels. To study and learn, to relax and unwind, to enter the mood of an occasion etc.
Whatever the reason, music, should be enjoyed.

Throughout the day we are surrounded by music as Robin practices new and old pieces. But when he's not playing, he has a need to listen to it. Our house is very rarely quiet.
Robin has very eclectic tastes, which, is an essential part of understanding music in general. The ability to understand and apply techniques used in many genres of music is a valuable one.

So, what did we listen to yesterday. Well, during the day, at one point, it was, 'Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste', by Bela Bartok. (Leonard Bernstein: New York Philharmonic). Which also happens to feature in one of our favourite films, 'The Shining'.

We were both particularly busy yesterday, so it was quite late in the evening before we met up again, and then we watched/listened to the 'Arctic Monkeys' on the highlights of 'Glastonbury Festival'.

These are very different styles of music, but, both fulfilled a need of the moment, and were both extremely well delivered performances by the artists, albeit, very different.

What that all says about our state of mind yesterday, well, I'm not really sure.