We Speak Music
ONRA releases immersive new track ‘Lap of Luxury’
‘AFTER DARK’ is the latest project from French producer Onra, conceived as the soundtrack to an imagined late-night film. Entirely self-produced, the album continues the sophisticated R&B and Modern Soul direction explored since his 2010 classic ‘Long Distance’ and 2018’s accomplished ‘Nobody Has To Know’, focusing on late 80’s / early 90’s inspirations.
Structured like a film unfolding between dusk and dawn, ‘After Dark’ moves through themes of intimacy, urban solitude, distance, and quiet indulgence. Analog synthesizers, tight drum programming, understated basslines, and selective live saxophone textures shape a cohesive body of work that favors mood and narrative over excess. The sequencing reinforces its cinematic intent, opening and closing with intro and outro pieces that frame the record as a cohesive night-time narrative album.
Over 20 years since emerging in the mid-2000s from the beat scene, Onra has steadily evolved from sample-based Hip-Hop production toward polished, song-oriented projects rooted in contemporary R&B and Funk. With ’After Dark’, he delivers one of his most focused and refined statements to date: a mature, immersive album built for late hours, and attentive listening.
‘After Dark’ is set to be released on 28th April via All City Records, who’s recent alumni include Flying Lotus, Mike Slott and Hudson Mohawke, amongst others. The first taster of the album to drop is the slick nostalgic ’Lap of Luxury’, on which ONRA said, “Lap Of Luxury sets the tone for the project, a blend between Instrumental Hip-Hop, late 80’s R&B and 90’s Smooth Jazz.”
We Speak Music
Mark Winters and Son Co-Write New Single “Can I Rise” — A Song About Roots, Identity, and Becoming (out on June 5, 2026)
A reflective new release exploring the balance between inheritance and choice, written across generations.
Texas-based singer-songwriter Mark Winters returns with “Can I Rise,” a thoughtful and emotionally resonant new single co-written with his son. Together, they explore one of life’s most enduring questions: Are we defined by the lives we inherit, or by the paths we choose to create?
Built around the refrain “Can I rise / Will my roots hold me down,” the song lives in the tension between earth and sky, past and possibility. It reflects on family, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to step forward while carrying the weight of where we come from.
“This song started as a personal reflection,” says Mark Winters. “But writing it with my son gave it a completely new dimension. It became a conversation between generations — not just about where we come from, but about what we do with that inheritance.”
That generational lens runs through the song’s imagery: a father’s discipline, a mother’s restless spirit, a grandmother’s poetic skies, and a grandfather’s steady hands. Through it all, “Can I Rise” becomes not just a question of identity, but a shared exploration — how each generation both carries and reshapes the one before it.
Musically, the track blends Winters’ signature elements — poetry, science, and positivity — with a grounded, open-air sound rooted in Americana and rock. His background as an aerospace engineer continues to shape the language of motion, lift, and trajectory, while the songwriting partnership adds a fresh emotional perspective.
The result is a sound that feels both timeless and evolving — echoing the storytelling clarity of Tom Petty, the introspective guitar work of John Mayer, and the uplifting spirit of Jason Mraz.
Winters also credits his grandmother, Dean C. Winters, as his lifelong poetry pal and muse, whose influence can be felt in the song’s imagery and emotional depth.
Rather than offering answers, “Can I Rise” invites listeners into the question itself. Can we honor our roots without being held down by them? Can we carry forward what matters while still choosing our own direction?
With this release, Mark Winters and his son deliver a song that is both deeply personal and widely relatable — a reminder that the journey of becoming is something we don’t take alone.
“Can I Rise” will be available on all major streaming platforms on June 5.
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