Browsing Category

Pop Music Blog & Promotion

Pop Music

As the trends in music evolve, as does the definition of pop music. Pop started as an abbreviation for popular; since the mid-20th-century, it has become the go-to term to define the music currently holding the most favour with the public. The evolving nature of pop makes it hard to pinpoint the pioneers; some say it all started when performers needed a catchy and memorable song in the Victorian area, while others say that pop began with the original crooners in the 30s.

The introduction of the pop music charts in 1952 allowed a cultural shift to form around music. It was at this point in history that teenagers became a massive target for the media. Before this new social reconstruction, there had been no in-between for children and adults. Just as it is now in the TikTok age, where teenagers can make an unknown artist go viral in minutes, teenagers effectively ran the music industry in the 50s too!

After Elvis Presley reigned supreme in the late 50s and early 60s, the Beatles dominated the charts for eight years until they disbanded in 1970. Throughout the 80s, synthpop took the pop limelight until the Boy Band era was born in the 90s. The selling power of East 17, Take That, Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync gave Bob and Chris Herbert the idea to manufacture the world’s ultimate girl group; with the Spice Girls, they discernibly succeeded. After the Spice Girls topped the charts, more manufactured pop acts, such as Britney and Mariah Carey, started to surface. Manufacturing is still a massive part of the pop industry, but more and more pop artists are becoming brave enough to break the mould (think Billie Eilish, St. Vincent and Lorde).

Even though the pop charts are more diverse than ever, with Ed Sheeran sitting next to the Weeknd and Dua Lipa next to Tom Grennan, there are still common factors in their pop tracks. Today, most songs that fall into the pop category follow the extensively tried and tested pop formula. Generally speaking, pop tracks are 3 – 5 minutes in duration, use just one key, contains melodically lyrical soundbites that include the title, have a repeating chorus and keep to 4/4 time signatures. Repetition is quite literally key.

Unless it is a ballad or a stripped back acoustic number, pop tracks usually unfold to danceable tempos and rhythms to complement the lyrical hooks. Elements from every genre can be pulled into pop, the main ones being rock, RnB, hip hop, country, Latin and dance. Indie pop was a force to be reckoned with at the start of the millennium, but two decades in, it has lost its foothold to hip hop and RnB, which have become pop genres in of themselves.

your friend juniper: An Interview on Music, Love, and the Art of Feeling Everything

Posted on 26 February 2025

your friend juniper builds worlds where emotions are raw, love isn’t sugar-coated, and every note carries the weight of something real. With makesmehappy leading the charge for her next album, she’s taking listeners beyond the predictable highs and lows of love songs, exploring the in-between—the messy, unfiltered parts that make relationships human. In this interview, she opens up about crafting music designed to hit like a dopamine rush, the balance between creative freedom and self-promotion, and why Nashville’s storytelling tradition has shaped her lyricism in unexpected ways. From the way she assigns colours to her songs to her belief in slow, meaningful career growth over viral fame, Juniper’s perspective is as thought-provoking as it is refreshing. Read on to step into her world of sound, sonder, and sonic connection.


Juniper, welcome to A&R Factory! With makesmehappy kicking off the rollout for your upcoming album, there’s a lot to unpack about your creative vision and the way you approach music as a full-spectrum experience. makesmehappy offers a perspective on love that isn’t just about the highs but also embraces the messier, unpolished parts. What drew you to write a love song that challenges the typical narrative?

I know there are many songs out there that touch on so many aspects of love, but it tends to be in these certain worlds of either gaining it or losing it. There’s this whole middle area of navigating it that’s really the juicy bit. Love, in every kind of relationship, is really challenging, and sometimes it’s pure joy, and in others, it’s really putting aside your desires or expectations for the sake of another person, and it’s all driven by the same thing: love. I wanted a song that took me through that turbulent and wonderful journey of expectations and compromise and deep connection, almost like a simulator. I figured no one is ever alone, so there had to be other music lovers out there searching for that song as well. I think I honestly got too impatient and decided to make it myself.

You’ve described your music and visual content as designed to trigger a dopamine release, almost like an essential vitamin. How do you translate that idea into the way you produce and arrange your songs?

I desperately push for every second of my songs to inspire the listener to feel something. I’m a person with high expectations, and it for sure creeps into my music and content-making process. I had to really discover why I wanted to live this insane lifestyle and make music, and it came down to wanting to affect people in a positive way. Music and art are extremely powerful and I want someone who discovers me to have an experience from the second they go to my profile to the very end of the first song they hear and then have it just continue. I want my music and content to be like a good friend.

It takes a lot of time and effort, but it’s just so worth it. I make all of my own visual content as well as my music, and right now I’m really diving into a new aesthetic of sondering, which is the realization that you’re one of many complex lives. It can make you feel small in the existential sense but also fill you with awe and curiosity. So, welcome to my little world where we wander, ponder and most of all, sonder! 

Since you write, record, and produce everything yourself, what’s your creative process like when you’re shaping a track from the ground up? Do you start with a sonic idea, a lyric, or something visual?

My songs often begin with lyrics or weird voice memos of me humming a melody. Song seeds honestly come to me at the most inconvenient times, like when I’m in the shower or driving or trying to fall asleep. All of a sudden, lyrics will just start flooding into my brain, often with a rhythm. I have to get them down immediately or literally just repeat them until I can. Sometimes, I feel like one of those characters in a movie who has visions and the world stops, and they seem to lose control and have to draw something or write something.

I’ll always finish the song acoustically before I record anything. It starts with the main instrument and a vocal demo and then I’ll produce the song fully and often record the final takes of the vocal last before I start mixing. The ideas come as I go with production. I often hear a rhythmic part or a melody in my head and then figure it out on whichever instrument I’m hearing and layer things in until I can’t hear any more parts. That’s when I’ll go in and really strip back and take things away until it’s only what the song really needs. Sometimes, a simple production is the most effective. You have to be willing to undo and go back and redo and all these really annoying things but refusing to compromise with your songs has to be the main goal.

Your upcoming album is your second full-length project. How does it build on or contrast with your debut in terms of themes, production, or the emotional weight behind it?

My first album was really an attempt for me to just get all these songs I had in my bank out. It varies so much from song to song, and I truly love it and think all of those songs deserved to be released, but it’s not a cohesive album by any means. This second full project was more intentionally put together as an album, and there is definitely a strong cohesiveness throughout it lyrically and sonically.

Haley Heynderickx was my big inspiration for the sound of the album. I love the intimacy and saturation of her music. For the lyrical content, the moral of the story is really to sonder and realize how crazy this world is that we live in and that we only get one weird little life on it. I think as a species, we focus on all the wrong things and separate ourselves from each other in all these ways that don’t matter. Spend less time thinking about yourself and way more time thinking about the world and the strange and beautiful people in it. It’s medicine for the brain and the heart without the long list of horrible side effects while a lady twirls on a beach.

What’s been the most effective way for you to reach listeners who truly connect with your music?

Slowly. I know it sounds like I am being cheeky but slow and steady wins the race. I want an authentic, grassroots fan base grown through actual engagement, and that just simply takes longer. I could really spend most of my time trying to go viral and rise to fame quickly, but it’s not a great long-term investment and I’m a musician, not an influencer. I’ve had friends go viral multiple times and it’s great for the views on that one video and the streams on that one song but I haven’t seen it curate a true fanbase who stays with you. I’d way rather spend my time making really good songs, putting together a great live set, making authentic content that’s easy because I actually enjoy making it and then travel the world and share my music in person with people.

There’s a strong visual element to everything you do, from colours to the way you present each track. What role do visuals play in shaping the way your audience experiences your music?

I think music and visual art are soulmates. They can exist without each other and still be extremely wonderful but they’re even better together. Color is a really strange thing because it doesn’t really exist, at least without light. We really only perceive color based on the wavelength and the object it’s bouncing off of and that’s just insane and amazing. I always wanted color to be a part of my brand because it’s a universal language. Every song of mine is attached to a color that not only visually represents the song but scientifically does as well. Our brains react to different colors in different ways and I want to utilize that to enhance my songs. It’s kind of my way of adding frosting to a piece of music.

Nashville is known for its rich musical landscape, but your style stands apart from the city’s more traditional sound. How has being in that environment influenced your work, if at all? 

Nashville is a great place to be if you want to really grow as a lyricist and songwriter. Country music is about storytelling above anything else. It stems from the structure of classic 12-bar blues where every song essentially has the same movements but it’s the story and the way the singer tells that story over those movements that makes it unique. There’s a depth of forethought in country lyrics that I love where a line at the end will finally tie together a phrase or idea from an earlier part of the song. It’s like the whole song is connected in these really clever ways, like a novel or a movie rather than just a good hook and who really cares what we’re saying in the song you know? Being in this environment has absolutely helped me grow as a musician. It’s also really about talent in Nashville instead of clout or connections and that’s why Nashville is quality over quantity. Country music is definitely what makes up a majority of the landscape here but so many artists these days are blending genres, as they should, so it doesn’t feel so important that I am not a country singer.

Independent artists often have to balance the creative side of music with the reality of promoting it. How do you manage both without losing the heart of what you want to create?

Oh my gosh, I lose heart all the time! Musicians have to be so disciplined and work so hard and put so much of their own money into their careers without getting anything in return for a long time. I honestly don’t think anyone from any other field of study would accept the terms in their careers that artists are pretty much forced to accept. The music industry is broken…really broken so we have to support each other and really go back to basics. It really feels like every system is broken because nowadays pretty much everyone is working two or more full-time jobs and can’t afford basic essentials.

I’m still finding the balance and I think I always will be. I don’t think anyone ever fully gets it or finds the one true method because it’s so dependent on so many things. I had to find where the deficit was in my own process and make peace with the fact that I had to save up money to invest in marketing for my releases, tours and live shows. I’m still hoping to get a manager or a booking agent this year because it’s really overwhelming a lot of the time but I’m a big believer that nothing good comes easy and it proves to me every day how much this is my passion and my purpose because no matter how hopeless it seems, I just keep doing it.

You clearly believe in this album and its potential to connect with listeners. If people take away one thing from this record, what do you hope it is?

Sonder. Think about others way more than you think about yourself. Be beautiful in the ways that really matter. Forgive people as quickly as you can and for the love of Mary fight for a life where you’re spending most of your time doing something you love. If you let it, life will break your heart. Love yourself so much that you’re willing to sacrifice to be healthier and a better person. It’s not about indulging every feeling or thought like truly allow yourself to grow and change.

–

Find your preferred way to listen to your friend juniper’s latest single and connect with the artist via this link.

 

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Jenna Louise’s ‘Safe’ Opens Wounds Just to Show How They Can Heal

Posted on 26 February 2025

Jenna Louise strips back the glossy veneer of love songs in ‘Safe’, offering something far more valuable than sentimentality—understanding. The North East singer-songwriter, whose reputation has been cemented through BBC Introducing and international airplay, takes the worn-out phrase you have to love yourself before someone else can and reshapes it into something more compassionate. The standing ovation-worthy piano-led ballad explores the weight of past trauma in new relationships, showing gratitude for the kind of love that doesn’t demand perfection but instead cradles scars with care.

The classic pop stylings in Safe are pulled into the present by the sheer emotional intelligence in the lyrics and the affecting maturity in Jenna Louise’s expansive vocal range. Cinematically seraphic harmonies rise between honeyed verses steeped in introspection, turning a deeply personal reflection into a universally resonant moment. Every note is delivered with the kind of conviction that makes the difference between a song that’s heard and one that’s felt.

With her debut album My Journey already making waves, turning heads at HMV in Darlington, and featuring collaborations with Carl Pemberton (Journey South) and Sam Haynes, there’s never been a better time to affix Jenna Louise to your radar.

Safe was officially released on Valentine’s Day and is out now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘lowkey’ – Rhys Avery Turns Heartache into a Late-Night Confessional

Posted on 26 February 2025
Rhys Avery

Inch by inch, Rhys Avery is carving out a space where storytelling, vulnerability, and early 00s RnB nostalgia collide. The Fort Lauderdale-born singer-songwriter has been commanding stages from Off-Off Broadway to underground venues, bringing his background in musical theatre into the sonic sphere with a knack for raw emotional expression. After refining his craft through a year-long artist development programme, Avery has found his voice in a seamless fusion of pop, RnB, and hard-hitting lyrical introspection.

With lowkey, he paints candour in masterstrokes, unearthing the pain of secret love and the heartbreak of being someone’s hidden truth. The track pulses with euphoric resilience, but beneath the groove, there’s a gut-wrenching exposition of emotional taboo—of breaking your own heart by loving someone who isn’t ready to take that step out of the closet.

His soulful harmonies spill over polished production, igniting the tension between desire and guilt, all while tethering listeners to a reverb-soaked atmosphere where every progression reflects a flicker of light through the darkness.

lowkey is now available to stream on all major platforms, find your preferred way to listen via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rosemarie Albanese’s ‘Killjoy’ Paints Pensive Alienation in Theatrical Strokes

Posted on 25 February 2025

With each new release, Rosemarie Albanese allows her fanbase to hear the distinction between an artist and an enchantress. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, born to a Haitian mother and an Italian-American father, first found her voice in the world of opera, training at performing arts schools where music became a sanctuary.

Though she briefly detoured into working with major bands like Hinge, her need for deeper self-expression pulled her back into songwriting, where she reclaimed her voice with lyrical candour and evocative vocal performances.

Her latest single, Killjoy, is a session in soul awakening wrapped in her romantically wistful vocal register, which crafts evocative panoramas as she relays her intimately confessional lyrics. The timeless chanteuse has a voice that could just as easily command the grandeur of a West End stage as it could seamlessly fit into the soundtrack of a Hollywood blockbuster. There’s no artifice here—just raw emotion, delicately balanced between vulnerability and power.

Prepare to be theatrically spellbound by Killjoy and swarmed with resonance if you find that you err on the side of melancholy and can’t quite relate to those who walk through life with more answers than questions. Forget Lorde and Lana Del Rey—2025 is the year for Rosemarie Albanese to shine in the spotlight.

Killjoy is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Daizie Darker’s ‘SHADOWS’ Bleeds Through the Cracks of Dark Pop-Rock Alchemy

Posted on 25 February 2025

The most spectral force in contemporary pop-rock, Daizie Darker, is no stranger to crafting songs that cut deep and leave a lingering mark. Raised in San Antonio, Texas, before making her way through Berklee College of Music and eventually relocating to Utah, she’s spent years refining a sound that merges raw emotion with sonic precision. With a voice sharpened by musical theatre techniques, courtesy of her vocal coach Darrin Newhardt, and an affinity for the powerhouse vocalists of the 90s and 2000s, Daizie possesses with her vocal range.

Her latest single, SHADOWS, is a testament to that intensity. Melodic 90s rock guitars angularly blossom through the moody atmosphere in the intro, building into a blistering chorus where Daizie’s voice mesmerises, whether tempered in quiet reflection or unleashed in impassioned melancholic catharsis. The track is a raw confrontation with scars, one that allows listeners to reframe their pain through Daizie’s poetically meta lyricism.

With one of the most affecting voices in the alternative scene in 2025, Daizie Darker is a siren in the form of a powerhouse, a poet in the guise of an unreckonable force. The momentum behind her is bound to catch up with the fervour she pours into her viscerally raw yet sonically cultivated sound.

SHADOWS is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Collier Randall’s RnB Pop Aphrodisiac ‘Be Mine’ Drips with Lust and Luxury

Posted on 25 February 2025

Collier Randall thrives on reinvention. The Maryland-born artist built his foundation in theatre before stepping into the world of rap, songwriting, and production. After earning a BFA in Contemporary Theatre from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, he sharpened his ability to merge storytelling with music. His latest single, Be Mine, released on February 7th alongside a cinematically shot music video, is a testament to his hot and heavy genre-fluid alchemy.

The track lands squarely in the heat of pop, rap, and RnB, finding room for afrobeat influences and sculpting a sound that feels decadent from the first beat. The production is thick with atmosphere, while the instrumental progressions shift like a lover’s mood—always in-flux but never losing their ability to put you under their spell. Randall’s vocals are just as mercurial. His RnB harmonies pull close, his rap cadences cut through with precision, and his pop crescendos lift the track into hypnotic territory. Every listen is a lustfully sticky-sweet revelation.

Timed for Valentine’s Day, Be Mine holds its weight as both a love song and an aphrodisiac. Randall’s background in theatre seeps through every detail, from the arrangement to the lyrical delivery, creating a track that commands attention without ever feeling forced.

Be Mine is available on all major streaming platforms. For the full experience, stream the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kenny Schafer Interview: The Classical Composer Steering into the Fast Lane

Posted on 24 February 2025

Kenny Schafer’s Road Racer is a glimpse into the mind of an artist who refuses to be confined by expectation. With a background in classical composition and a deep appreciation for jazz, Schafer builds his songs with the precision of a craftsman and the instinct of a storyteller. In this interview, he touches on the unexpected inspiration behind Road Racer, how his orchestral training feeds into his songwriting, and why the song’s reckless, free-spirited protagonist represents more of himself than he first realised. From layering intricate instrumental interludes to ensuring every lyric carries weight, Schafer offers a rare look into the thought process of a songwriter who isn’t afraid to let his music take unexpected turns.

Kenny Schafer, welcome to A&R Factory! Your latest single, Road Racer, marks a pivotal chapter in your work, and with your background as a classical pianist and composer, there’s plenty to explore about how that shapes your songwriting and lyrical approach. What was the spark behind this track, and what story or feeling were you trying to capture when you wrote it?

At the time I wrote Road Racer, I was working on a Latin jazz album called Ocean Breeze. I had been developing a deeper appreciation of Latin music especially of Horace Silver and Chick Corea. The Latin style suits me well as a composer—non-sentimental, non-Romantic, humorous, fun, rhythmically driven, melodic. I heard in my head a 6/4 bass groove and began developing it thinking I was onto another jazz combo work. But as it developed, it soon became evident that I was writing a pop song with a female lead vocal. The title and lyrics were suggested to me by the music, which seemed to depict a fun-loving, reckless, young girl. The music of Road Racer is at once wild and unpredictable while also hip and refined much like the character. No specific life experience directly influenced this song, but today I view the road racer (who I once considered to be a foil of myself) to be a representation of my own character. It is a side of me that stays hidden in day-to-day life, but comes out frequently my music. The central traits of this character are passion, impatience with menial aspects of life, independence, and risk-taking.

Your background as a classical pianist and composer brings a different dimension to your songwriting. How does that influence the way you structure a song compared to more traditional songwriting methods?

Most of the songs that I write use traditional song structures: verse, chorus or ABA. But what’s different is the freedom with which they are used. My background as a classical composer means I can invent my own forms if I want to; I am not tied to a formulaic groundwork to structure a piece of music. Often in my songs you will find variation between the verses, unexpected deviations from the song form, extended intros, outros, or interludes, and sometimes new forms all together. But I only do those things if the music calls for it; I do not break the rules just to break the rules. Road Racer is on the more conventional side of my songs, but the instrumental interludes in it could only have been written by someone with some classical in their background.

Classical composition often follows a different set of rules than contemporary songwriting. Do you find yourself intentionally breaking those rules, or do they naturally shape your approach to writing?

First of all, this is a misguiding question because there are no rules in either genre. We attach genre titles to pieces as a convenience to prepare the listener for the sound world they are going to hear. I would call Road Racer a pop song because if I called it a classical composition, the piece would not match the idea put in the listener’s head by that genre. However, in the case of songwriting there are patterns that are so commonly used in the idiom that they can almost be considered “rules” (things like song form, tonal harmony etc.). In the classical realm though, every rule has been broken. There exists atonal classical music, music without meter, music without melody, and in one case even music without sound (John Cage 4’33). The point is people who are deeply acquainted with the area of music we typically call “classical” are open to a vast myriad of possibilities that a pop music listener may never be exposed to. To answer the question, no I do not have to intentionally think about breaking rules because the way I write is a natural consequence of the music I’ve listened to and studied.

Some songwriters prioritize storytelling, while others focus on imagery or mood. Where does Road Racer sit within that spectrum, and do you see lyrics as a structural element or something more fluid?

Road Racer is all about story and to tell a good story, one must have imagery and mood. The imagery of Road Racer is one of the primary things that makes it unique. Throughout the song, the arrangement is constantly commenting and depicting elements of the text. For instance, when the road racer says “shut the door” we hear a symbol crash immediately after imitating a door slam. A perceptive listener can also hear imitations of windshield wipers, countdowns, and engines spread throughout the piece. The lyrics are absolutely a structural element in this song. One hears a completely different arrangement in the second verse than in the first verse and that is because I am adjustment the arrangement to depict the two different story segments.

How do you balance technical composition with raw emotion when you’re working on a track like this?

I believe that technique and emotion go hand in hand and to create a truly emotional experience, a superior technique is required. The technique comes first. Not many composers are in a state of great excitement for a track when imputing the very first notes. We honestly don’t know what will happen, if it’s the next big hit, or just another failed attempt. But as the piece builds and unique identity takes shape our excitement for that identity grows and if it is a truly special work, an overwhelming state of emotion and creative energy can ensue. But to reach that stage, we must have the technique to develop that idea and bring out its inner genius. Early on technique is key, but later in the process, emotion takes over.

Do you feel that having a classical background gives you an advantage when it comes to songwriting, or do you ever find it challenging to translate those skills into the modern music landscape?

I feel that it does (give me an advantage). Most songwriters probably have no idea how limited the world of music they live in really is. Imagine if you could use any chord, any form, any instrument, any meter. I write down every note in my songs and have complete control over every element. The modern music landscape is not important to me because I write music to please myself not others. Because of what I’ve listened to and my own natural abilities, I am the one best prepared to write the music that I have always most wanted to hear.

Looking at your wider body of work, do you feel like Road Racer is a one-off stylistic venture, or does it represent a shift in the way you want to approach songwriting moving forward?

It was a shift at the time but not anymore. It’s not that writing a pop song was anything new for me, but I had never written a song quite like this one. I had written songs about my own life from my own perspective. This song was about a made-up character in a made-up story and I had never written like that before. I decided I wanted to write more songs with this non-personal approach and that led to my 10 song album School Days.

If someone listening to Road Racer could take away one thing—whether it’s a feeling, a message, or an appreciation for a different approach to songwriting—what would you want it to be?

What I appreciate most about Road Racer is the character. She’s a confident, sassy, naïve, unreserved, unjaded young girl who wants nothing more than to make life exciting for herself and the people around her. We musicians can be very snobbish and sometimes quite stupid in the way we judge lyrics. We all want to hear something that tells our story, the depicts the person we would like to be. There was a time when hearing a lyric such as “cause’ I’m the road racin’ kind of a girl” would have led me to thumb my nose up. I’m not such a person and therefore the song isn’t deep to me. But now I see that this is not the point of lyrics. I appreciate Road Racer because it is about someone different from me. And unlike some who have critiqued this song, I don’t think she is a shallow character. I think she has a special trait that many of us could learn something from—the confidence to do what she loves despite the rules and to be who she is despite the norms. If there are some who judge her as shallow and naïve, she certainly wouldn’t mind . . . and I don’t either.

–

Stream Road Racer on Spotify now.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Noah Meadors Stakes His Claim with His Emotionally Raw, Euphonically Polished Earworm, ‘I Want It All’

Posted on 24 February 2025

I Want It All bleeds synth pop and R&B over a trap beat as Noah Meadors shape-shifts through his vocal delivery, slipping between honeyed low reverberant harmonies and pseudo-rap verses that slap just as hard as the beats cutting through the wavy, delay-saturated production. Lyrically, it’s a straight-from-the-soul confession—an unfiltered declaration of desire for a life and love without compromise. If one of the things Meadors wants is a revered career, this hypnotically aphrodisiacal track proves he’s already well on his way.

Born in Tennessee in 1998, Meadors has been writing songs since he was twelve. Releasing music under the moniker Only Lonely, he built a foundation before deciding to step into the spotlight under his given name, embracing a more personal and uninhibited creative approach. With I Want It All, he distils his most primal pop sensibilities into a release that leaves no doubt about his versatility as a singer, rapper, and producer.

The track pulses with urgency yet never loses its smooth magnetism; if this is your first introduction to Noah Meadors, it will be an unforgettable one.

I Want It All is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lensky’s ‘Valentine’s Day’: A Bittersweet Serenade Straight From A Scorned Soul

Posted on 24 February 2025

With the intimacy of an overheard confession and the weight of a longing left to decay, Lensky delivers a serenade steeped in vulnerability with ‘Valentine’s Day’. His sophomore single, mixed and engineered by Montreal producer Chris Kengard with guidance from Grammy-winning sound engineer Richard King, drifts through jazz-tinged alternative rock, soaking up the influence of Jeff Buckley, Wilco, and Lana Del Rey. Yet, for all the ghosts of past inspirations, ‘Valentine’s Day’ is wholly his own—an ode to the aching disconnect between love and reality.

Lensky’s vocals resist unnecessary inflections, reverberating with the same contemplative stillness heard in Father John Misty’s quieter moments. Wrapped in the ambience of warm guitar tones from Antoine Tousignant, supported by a rhythm section that mirrors the pulse of a restless heart, the instrumental arrangement pulls listeners into a meditative quietude. The track moves from soft introspection to a stirring, full-bodied climax, capped with a guitar solo that burns like a last flicker of hope before the flame dies out.

‘Valentine’s Day’ is out on all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stephan Folkes: The Visionist Unveiled – An Interview

Posted on 23 February 2025

Stephan isn’t interested in fitting into the mould—he’s here to break it. With a commitment to artistic individuality and an outright rejection of industry trends, the self-proclaimed “King of Fantasy” brings a fearless perspective to music. From his early experiences as a performer to shaping a sound that refuses to be boxed into a single genre, he discusses the influences that fuel his creativity, the industry’s pitfalls, and the unwavering philosophy that guides his career. In this interview, Stephan opens up about the challenges he’s faced, the lessons learned from working with industry veterans, and his vision for the future—both in the studio and on stage. If you’re looking for an artist with conviction and a refusal to play by the rules, you’ll want to hear what he has to say.

Stephan, welcome to A&R Factory! It’s a pleasure to connect with you and meet the artist behind your upcoming releases, which carry a fearless sense of individuality and a refusal to conform to expectations. Going back to the start, you started performing at 11 and writing music by 13. How did those early experiences shape your approach to songwriting and performance today?

Hello Amelia, thank you for your warm welcoming!!!. First of all, performing at the age of 11 was nerve-racking and an amazing experience. I had the best performance at the show. From that day, I knew I wanted to do something musically like performing, eventually dancing & Music production. I started writing my songs from 13 & the first song I wrote is called Incomplete, which is on my upcoming debut Album Hazard!! During my early musical journey, I did have some professional direction, but not as much as I wanted.

Long story short, more than half the time, especially as a Special needs individual, I was trying to discover who I am, who I want to be & where am I going? Consequentially, I decided to just be myself, find those that won’t try to influence me away from my identity/brand & stand out as much as I can, as most people have to follow others because they’re conditioned to do so. I’m usually seen as the odd one out, I love it!! Some people think I’m weird & strange, which is fine because it shows that I’m not like them & I go by my instincts.

You describe yourself as “The Visionist” and “King of Fantasy.” What do those titles mean to you, and how do they manifest in your music?

For me, these slogans are not only a part of my brand as this further enhances & conveys my non-sheep mentality towards people. There are people out there right now who have heard my music & they always say it’s “different”. Whenever I hear that, I know I’m on the right track because that’s what I want!! I’m not stupid to make generic music because to me, it shows little to no creativity & it’s overly safe. This is one of the reasons why I despise Major record labels as they demand their artists to follow trends that the Label themselves typically creates.

Major labels love to use marketing & promotional strategies to tell people what to like & not introduce music to the masses and see whether customers/consumers like it for themselves. This helps me grow & develop into the artist that I want to be!!

Your music rejects societal pressures and encourages self-investment. Was there a particular moment or realisation in your life that solidified this ethos?

Great question, Amelia!! By being alive long enough & realizing there’s too much negativity in this world. This yet again solidifies my non-sheep mentality because there’s too much conditioning from the powers that be. Hence, I strongly advise people to self-invest in themselves to grow & develop. When people do this, they will realize a lot of predicaments are by design. How are we as people supposed to make this world a better place when too many people are following lies & garbage? I don’t want to sound too political; I’m not a perfect Human being as everyone makes mistakes. However, I’ve been putting my actions where my Mouth is especially, in my music.

You’ve worked with industry veterans like Nick Michaels and Phil Curran. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve taken from these collaborations?

Working with Nick & Phil has taught me a lot of things & it also keeps me humble. Because there are skills I either lack or need improving on, honestly, everyone has or at least should have a team behind them. No one truly makes it by themselves, even great artists like Prince, MJ, George Michael & Freddie Mercury, etc. It’s also important to have a team that resonates with oneself as this can further enhance a harmonical professional relationship, environment & better music.

I remember when I first worked with Nick & Phil, the Production owner Nick gave me about 2 hours for free to show me what they could do to my track: It’s all within time (travelling through the stars) (which is also on my debut Album Hazard). What I’m about to reveal is very personal, so here goes. I had tears in my eyes that I quickly wiped so they wouldn’t see how overwhelmed I was. It was truly amazing & I knew from that moment this would work out.

With influences ranging from Prince and Stevie Wonder to Billie Eilish, how do you merge classic inspiration with a modern sound while keeping your music distinct?

I’m glad you’ve asked this question because for me, the best artists & music for the most part, came from around the 60s to the 80s. Not to put too much emphasis on my age, those eras were before my time & even I realise the greatness of those eras & how much inspiration that has continued to inspire artists like myself to this very day. Those great artists took chances to express themselves & went by instinct, which is exactly what I do. I don’t care if I’ll never be on their level; I’ll be ecstatic if I was 25% of their level. As a result, because I’m different to what is currently being produced & released. This helps me keep my music & my brand more distinct.

Also, when people listen to my music, especially my vocals, they usually mention Prince, Bee Gees, MJ & George Michael. Mentioning Billie Eilish is very crucial not only because I’ve listened to some of her music previously & I do quite like her sound. Billie is also a contemporary artist & generally, when people discover an artist they’re interested in, they want to know as much information about that artist, including their inspirations, because it can illustrate to the assessor whether the artist is worth their time & investment. If the assessor likes the artist’s inspirations (& other aspects) like myself, the assessor will more likely give me a chance because we have something in common. Unfortunately, most of the artists that I’m heavily inspired by are no longer alive. At times, when I make my music, it feels like I’m paying tribute to the greats who have impacted me not only musically but also overall.

Your debut single, Say it like you mean it, digs into the pain of unreciprocated love. How personal was this track for you, and what do you hope listeners take from it?

Yes, Say it like you mean it is my debut Single & my song clarifies the importance of valuing one’s time and energy while delivering a message about self-worth as well as learning to read between the lines by not always expecting or wanting someone to be direct & honest about any circumstances. About 90% of communication is nonverbal or indirect. I’m a man & men generally make the first move on a potential love interest. I’ve wrongly chased women in the past; I didn’t realize they were not interested & I got my feelings hurt. I’m confident my song will resonate with a lot of people. I would like my listeners to know that a smart person learns from their mistakes but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others.

Genre constraints clearly don’t interest you, with your music spanning everything from funk and soft rock to trance and metal. Do you think audiences are becoming more open to fluid genre-crossing, or do you still feel resistance?

I think people are probably more open to different genres of music. There still is/always will be a bias towards certain genres, which is Human nature & that’s not really an issue. For me, I would find it limiting if I was to focus on one, two or even three genres because I look at music like MMA. Why should I use a few elements when I can use as many as I want? Music is an art, art is an expression & that expression will mean different things to different people. All I have to do is market and promote my stuff towards the right people who resonate with my art.

Growing up with special needs, you faced and overcame significant hurdles. Has that shaped the way you navigate the music industry, and do you feel a responsibility to represent those with similar experiences?

Growing up with Special needs was an extremely difficult experience that I still struggle with to this very day. However, I’m dealing with it; I’ll have my bad days & I’ll have my good days. I have personally learnt to embrace this because it helps me overall keep my sanity & no one is perfect. I’m not a machine, I’m a Human being & nothing in life is always perfect. My Special needs have greatly shaped my outlook in life. I have decided to channel this energy for the most part in my music, not only to blow off steam but also to musically help people even though at times I struggle to help myself. Not only is this a message to myself, but it’s also a message to other people that you’re not alone!! Music to me is like therapy; I really love the euphoric feeling music gives me from Writing, Singing, Producing & Sound engineering, etc. Music, at times, makes me feel so alive. Everything I’ve mentioned in this interview is a part of my brand, hence why I NEED to manifest this.

You’ve got your sights set on touring globally. What’s the ultimate vision for your live shows, and what can audiences expect when they see you on stage?

I really can’t wait for this to happen. In short, my brand will physically reflect what I’m going to do on stage. The same way I listen to other artists, I watch other artists perform & anything that’s treading, I either won’t be doing it or I’ll do my own alteration of it. I don’t necessarily need to have the best performances. I’ll have performances that people will be compelled to engage with. Watch this space.

Tell me a little bit about your cousin Deyaz (UK artist).

No problem. I’ll quickly go over a few things. Deyaz is my cousin who’s in the Music industry as an Indie artist. Even though we no longer speak as he has stupidly cut off the vast majority of his family members in his life, apart from his mother. I like to call this, I’ve made it syndrome. It’s good for him that he has got to where he’s at initially, with no Music buzz; however, I’d say it’s very sad how he has dealt with this situation. Because some people like myself who did help him out got cut off. Deyaz was never taught to be like this; he has or got a drink & drugs addiction. It’s natural selection. When my name starts getting out there more, I’ve promised myself I’d never stupidly lose my identity/brand. I’ve heard of these things happening to other artists. Me & Deyaz were supposed to collaborate but that never materialised.

I remember I took Deyaz to the Hospital when he asked me to, when he showed up late to my mum’s place. I thought something had happened to him. I was thinking of the worst-case scenario. Deyaz even got punched by his own brother for being “ungrateful” & all the things that were done for him. It seems more like a personality trait. If there are any setbacks in my life, I’ll try very hard to look at things as positive to grow, develop, remain determined, take courage & persevere. On a lighter note, I was recently in talks with Nines’s (UK Rapper) Music manager. Only time will tell if anything comes out of that.

Stream Say It Like You Mean It on Spotify now.

Stay tuned for Stephan Folkes new releases on Instagram and TikTok.

Discover more ways to listen and connect with Stephan via this link.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast