VOLA release their new studio album 'Friend of a Phantom' today via Mascot Records. To celebrate they have revealed the Official Video for Bleed Out and Lyric Video for We Will Not Disband.
Talking about the album release the band say, "The anticipation for this day has been building for a long time, and finally, it has come. Our fourth album, "Friend Of A Phantom," is now in the world for you to listen to. To make this matter even more exciting, we will immediately start playing big portions of the new album on our European tour. With us, we bring our excellent crew and a literal ton of lights!"
VOLA will also be touring the UK in November, playing the following dates:
22 Nov - London, Heaven
23 Nov - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
24 Nov - Glasgow, G2
25 Nov - Manchester,Club Academy
26 Nov - Bristol, SWX
The hypnotically ethereal "We Will Not Disband." was the first song written for the album. Nicolai Mogensen says, "Asger had written a verse and intro, and we worked on creating a chorus to match. Although the chorus we created didn't quite fit the other parts, we liked it so much that we built an entirely new song around it." "Bleed Out" hits all of the VOLA trademarks; pulsating electronics and sky high melodies all cascading around Asger Mygind's vocals.
They recently released Cannibal ft. Anders Fridén (In Flames). Talking about the song, the band says, "VOLA's music is heavily shaped by melodic death metal, so having Anders Fridén from the legendary In Flames featured on 'Cannibal' is a dream come true for us. We feel truly fortunate and are enormously proud of the result."
Anders Fridén explains how he got involved with the song, saying, "I have been a fan of VOLA since their first album. They are constantly evolving and, to me, are one of the most interesting bands out right now." He continues, "During the recording of our last album, I had the opportunity to meet the band and witness an incredible show at The Troubadour in LA. Cut to a few months later, I was approached if I would be interested in being on a song for their next album. It was a yes without hesitation. It's an honor to be part of this monster of a song. Bang your head if you know what's good for you!"
VOLA elaborated on how the collaboration and song came about: " When we toured North America in the fall of 2023, Anders and Björn from In Flames attended our concert at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. They came backstage before the show to chat with us, and it turned out they were big fans of the band. Quite a surreal experience, given that In Flames have played a huge part in forming our musical DNA. When we came home from the tour, we dug deep into recording Friend Of A Phantom, and during that process, we began discussing whether Cannibal would benefit from having guest vocals. We all agreed that having some really powerful screams in there would elevate the song, and having just created a bond with Anders meant that it was the easiest decision in the world to ask him if he wanted to be a part of the track. Anders quickly said yes to participate, and eventually, he both recorded vocals and came to Denmark to shoot the video with us. We were thrilled, to say the least!"
The song marries the euphoric and epic but complex and crushing sound that has become distinctively VOLA with a visually stunning video to accompany the song. "Working with Vertigo and Riivata Visuals on the music video was incredible,” they add. “We filmed the video in a gigantic hall in Denmark, with plenty of big lights and lasers, including a large triangle light at the back of the hall. To top it all off, Anders came to Denmark to join us and be part of the video. It was a fantastic experience, and the footage captured the heavy side of VOLA in its essence."
Their headline 'Friend Of A Phantom' European tour will begin on 1 November and will call through Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the UK, and The Netherlands. Tickets are available HERE.
"We are thrilled to be returning on tour in Europe in November after two years," the band says." Europe is where we have toured the most, and it feels like we are reuniting with an old friend. At the same time, we always see and meet new people every time we play in Europe. That is the charm of it: returning home to warm festivities and embracing old and new faces. We want to bring the best possible show to honour that and show our gratitude. This is why we are working closely with our team to elevate our live show to an entirely new level in November, something to match the latest chapter, "Friend Of A Phantom."
They have already released three singles from the album. "Paper Wolf" sees an old-school metal atmosphere creep into their blend of sounds. "Break My Lying Tongue" offers a deep dive into themes of misalignment and emotional vulnerability, whereas the most recent single, “Don't Know How We Got Here”, interweaves stories about tragic events in society with a story about a relationship slowly dying out. "It seeks to portray the feeling of disbelief that follows when something valuable vanishes right in front of us," explains Asger Mygind.
It has been three years since the release of VOLA's defining album, 'Witness.' They've since wrapped up two tours of the US with several venues upgraded due to overwhelming demand, as well as sold-out shows in New York, L.A. and Chicago. Their first tour of Canada resulted in sold-out shows in Toronto and Montreal, and they rounded off the continent with triumphant South American shows in Mexico, Brazil, and a sold-out show in Chile. The Danish-Swedish quartet - Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar), Martin Werner (keys), Nicolai Mogensen (bass), and Adam Janzi (drums) - are now to set free their fourth studio album. Their strength has always been combining a multitude of ideas within a single song, packing it in with a grandiose power that can be as ferocious as it can be delicate.
Blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Joanne Shaw Taylor has just unveiled her latest single, “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?,” available on all major streaming platforms. Known for her powerful blend of emotive lyrics and soulful guitar work, Joanne’s new release delves into the complex emotions surrounding grief, love, and moving forward.
Written from a deeply personal place, the song reflects on recent experiences with family loss, drawing her back to the memories of her mother’s passing and the initial shock and heartache that accompanied it.
“This song was a way for me to process some of the emotions I’ve been feeling,” Joanne explains. “At the start of this year, I lost another family member, which brought me back to those early, raw days of grief after losing my mom. Writing ‘Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?’ has been part of my journey in working through that pain and moving forward.”
With haunting lyrics like “I’ve called your name in every room in this house / Until my tears dried up and my breath gave out,” the track captures the anguish of unresolved goodbyes and the search for peace. Joanne’s powerful vocal delivery, mesmerizing guitar playing, and introspective songwriting are complemented by Kevin Shirley’s masterful production, blending contemporary blues elements with a timeless, soulful resonance.
“Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?” follows Joanne’s previous single “All The Things I Said,” a reflective look back at past relationships, “Hold Of My Heart” as well as her celebrated cover of “Black & Gold,” showcasing her versatility and dedication to exploring new musical territory. Praised by industry icons like Stevie Wonder and Annie Lennox, Joanne’s growing catalogue continues to solidify her reputation as one of today’s leading voices in blues-rock.
Produced at Studio 606 in Los Angeles, “Hanging on a String” is the title track and third single from Steve Hill’s highly anticipated, upcoming album Hanging On A String. Both the single and album are released worldwide today via No Label Records.
Like the album bearing the same name, the title track “Hanging on a String” is about resilience in the face of adversity, cheating death, and moving on no matter what. Accompanied by an eye-catching music video, it is a great introduction to what Powerplay Magazine calls “This year’s must have Blues album.’’
“I’ve been a touring musician for thirty years,” reflects Hill. “I have experienced too many accidents and bumps in the road to remember all of them, but I remember a few. Car crashes, waking up in a house on fire, a plane crash, broken ribs, a broken hand and a broken heart. So far, it’s been quite the trip and I’m looking forward to the rest of it because it’s all worth it. For two hours when I’m on stage I can make the crowd forget about their worries and that makes me happy. That’s my job and I love it to death.”
Recorded and produced by 10 X Grammy Winner Darrell Thorp (Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Paul McCartney) and mastered by 6 X Grammy Winner Michael Romanowski, Steve Hill’s latest album is as close to the heart as you can get. Decades of dedication to the lifestyle of a working musician have shaped him and his craft, and Steve's new batch of songs are based on his own successes and failures and the life lessons he's learned from them.
Photo by Anik Jean
Steve has always loved concept albums. Even though the songs on Hanging on A String weren’t written with a concept in mind, when you put them all together, it feels like a concept album, set in a dystopian world where music is the only salvation.
The funny thing is that it's not set in the distant future, it's right here and now, and the hero is not a made-up character, it's just Steve doing what he's been doing for decades. Its themes are both very personal and universal. It's about a one-man blues-rock band trying to make a living and dealing with accidents and bumps in the road and forging ahead no matter what, it's about the life of a musician as it gets harder to tour in these post-pandemic times, having to deal with new challenges like being replaced by artificial intelligence.
The album starts with the line "Woke up in a house on fire" and the conception of the album started with that line. Steve had just finished a tour in Western Canada and was sleeping in a friend's basement when he woke up surrounded by smoke.
Like the song says, “I got my buddy out of there. Good thing I generally have a hard time sleeping…”
He then went to the airport and before taking off, posted a photo of him on his socials, with these words: Woke up in a house on fire. His buddy Brian Laudenslager who owns the Lauten Audio microphone company wrote back, "Man, that's a good line for a song!" to which Steve agreed! Brian had been telling Steve to record in Los Angeles for years.
“He had hired me in the past to do demos of his microphones at events like the NAMM show and other industry events,” says Steve. “His good friend, 10X Grammy winner Darrell Thorp, was the sound engineer whenever I did those shows.”
A few days and conversations later, Brian had booked Darrell and the Foo Fighter's Studio 606 (yes, the one with the classic Neve console that used to be at Sound City) to record his next album. He then had 90 days to write an album's worth of material and learn how to play it live (he recorded every instrument at the same time in the studio).
He spent five days a week in his home studio for three months crafting the songs and was ready to nail it all down. He flew to LA where his friend and songwriting partner Johnny Pilgrim picked him up at the airport and 20 minutes later, they were hit by another car that ran a red light. This was his second car accident in less than a year, as he had previously totalled his van, fallen asleep at the wheel coming home from a gig nine months earlier, and miraculously survived a massive wreck that all witnesses said should have killed him…
He did his best to record with some broken ribs, but his injuries got the best of him and the producers decided to postpone the recording. He healed and perfected the songs for another three months and finally came back to 606 in January 2024, and this time nothing could stop him... He had six days to record the album, and he did it in 5! Never were more than 3 takes needed and most of what you hear are first or second takes.
Says Steve, “I’ve never been prouder of anything I’ve done in all my life. This is the music I’ve been wanting to do and never thought I could ever perform that as a one-man band. Raw, in your face and straight to the point. This record is about perseverance, resilience in the face of adversity and my never-ending love for guitar music.”
“I truly believe this to be my best work so far and I hope you enjoy it, too.”
We've heard a lot about Steve Hill over the past 30 years, and we're about to hear a lot more. From backing up some of the biggest acts in his native Quebec as a teenager, to becoming a bandleader in his 20s, to solo artist, to writer, performer, producer, multi-instrumentalist,
to one-man band extraordinaire, Steve has followed his own path for most of his life.
That path has brought him Juno Awards and Maple Blues Awards along with accolades from the biggest guitar magazines on the planet. The man has had an incredibly busy life and more than his share of ups and downs, but you haven't heard the best of it yet…
His latest album is as close to the heart as you can get. Decades of dedication to the lifestyle of a working musician have shaped him and his craft, and Steve's new batch of songs are based on his own successes and failures and the life lessons he's learned from them.
His latest album, Hanging on a String, a true "concept album by accident", shows this one-man orchestra at its best, on an extraordinary recording that is undoubtedly the finest of his career.
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