We Speak Music
Shannon Smith drops infectious earworm ‘Dance The Night Away’
“Dance the Night Away” is an upbeat and energetic pop-soul / pop-rock song that’s infectiously catchy and toe tappingly satisfying. Hailing from Fremantle WA, this first single from his debut solo album finds Shannon Smith in a melodic pop-soul frame of mind, sounding something like Van Morrison in an especially good mood. Its well-crafted lyrics and emotive vocals create an engaging narrative, whilst the joyful melody and chorus make it a guaranteed listener favourite and one all mighty earworm!
“Dance The Night Away” is a toast to the first flush of romance. It’s the giddy feeling that comes with newfound love – ‘Let’s go driving down the freeway/Feel the wind blow through our hair/Leave our worries all behind us/We can dance the night away’. Spring is in the air and in his step and you can just feel the energy in the recording studio as the band vibes on the groove and the keyboards and horns flavour the song with soulful flourishes. Ain’t love grand? Sure sounds like it here.
Although this is Shannon’s debut single, he has been performing for many many years. Raised within a musical family amidst an atmosphere of creativity and live performance, Shannon is a born and bred musician. He has played thousands of shows in all manner of formats – including acclaimed tributes to the likes of Fleetwood Mac, ABBA and Beach Boys.
His ‘70s sensibilities are in the blood and bones of this multi-instrumentalist’s songs, which evoke the soulful climes of inspirational artists such as Steely Dan, The Beatles, The Eagles and 10cc, complemented by his deep love of Americana and alt-country music.
We Speak Music
Christian Balvig releases gorgeous new album ‘Find And You Will Seek’ in collaboration with Ensemble Hermes.
Acclaimed composer and arranger Christian Balvig is known for his work with an array of artists and bands like Jade, Efterklang, Lowly, When Saints Go Machine and Mew, as well as his work with some of the most acclaimed orchestras like Royal Northern Sinfonia (BBC Proms), The Royal Danish Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, London Contemporary Orchestra, The Danish Radio Broadcast Orchestra and The Norwegian Wind Ensemble.
The cinematic sound on his new album might echo Balvig’s work in the world of film and TV music. Scoring the 2025 Oscar shortlisted short movie ‘Eternal Father’ and the Danish hit series ‘Cry Wolf’ (Ulven Kommer), which has been shown on television in more than 30 countries around the globe, including Channel 4 in the UK. He was also nominated for a Harpa award for ‘Best score’ last year at the Berlinale for ‘The Son and the Moon (Min Arv Bor I Dig)’.
Balvig’s new album, ‘Find And You Will Seek’, backed by Danish string group Ensemble Hermes, grew organically out of this background of experiences and is music that appeals to listeners seeking original, immersive music with space for reflection and contemplation.
‘Find And You Will Seek’ is a collection of chamber works that explore the combination of piano and strings in new ways. Recent single ‘The BirdSuite II – Praesentia’ is part of a 3-part Suite running throughout the record, written and performed on a custom made “Keybird” piano, which is an una-corda (one string pr note) piano that gives a more subtle and intimate sound. On top of it is a lush and emotional string ensemble arrangement with Ensemble Hermes in multiple layers fluctuating in and out of the keybird piano.
Balvig’s second single from the record is ‘What Happened To The World’, an ultra transparent neo-classical inspired piece, with slow melodic structures, a simple chord progression and emotional performance starting with a floating viola solo. It is written from the feeling that the world sometimes goes backwards, and you feel left on the platform wanting to take the train in a different direction.
From film music inspired pieces to experimental chamber music over piano concerto inspired movements, to more neo-classical productions with almost orchestral sounding dubs of strings, ‘Find And You Will Seek’ flows with emotions and lush sound worlds, always with a tangible organic texture.
Find Christian Balvig and Ensemble Hermes on tour in Denmark:
27.5 Ansgars Kirke (Odense)
28.5 Folkegaarden Festival (Aalborg)
29.5 Gnisten (Ry)
30.5 Musikhuset (Aarhus)
1.6 Basement (Copenhagen)
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