A favorite here at EARMILK, the Bristol-based quartet The Ramona Flowers are back with a killer new indie-pop single in collaboration with none other than Chic legend Nile Rodgers titled, “Up All Night,” out now via Distiller Records. This latest single features a densely packed electro-pop production full of dynamic synth melodies, unabating vocals, stadium-size horn elements, and of course Nile Rodgers' signature funky guitar strums.
“Essentially, it’s a song about my love of good party and the fact I seem to somehow always be the last one to want to leave. Have there been occasions where I should have gone home for an early night? Absolutely! But that’s just not in my make up and life’s too short to worry about tomorrow too much…” comments the band's vocalist, Steve Bird.
Bright colorful synth elements found throughout The Ramona Flowers' previous work come through in this latest release. But we are also seeing a whole new level of multi-dimensional pop elements that signals a maturity in their overall production techniques and songwriting that truly makes this latest single so exciting. TRF are masters at creating these all-encompassing synth and percussion builds that lead up to these evocative downtempo climaxes. While "Up All Night" carries all of these previously mentioned trademark sounds, it's Bird's powerful vocal performance that also demonstrates this band is palying on a whole new level. Subdued croons switch effortlessly to passionate falsetto wales as Bird manages to make sure every lyric is inescapably memorable.
Steve continues: “Dave and Sam started putting different guitar tracks down, one was labelled ‘Nile’ as it was reminiscent of that classic Nile Rodgers guitar sound. We managed to get the song over to Nile to see if he wanted to play it for himself. He got back to us, saying he loved the track and would love to do it! So unbelievably, that guitar track actually became the real Nile Rodgers guitar track”.
On the collaboration, Nile Rodgers said: “It’s possible that I’ve made more music during the pandemic than at any other time in my life and almost all of it remotely. In the early dark days of this crisis this song made me feel good and put a smile on my face so when the band asked me to play and produce on it, it was a delight to say yes.”
"Up All Night" is the first new release we've seen from the band in over three years. But it's also a follow up release to a sold out show they've recently played at London's Oslo. Thankfully, this latest single is also the first release off an upcoming record not currently set for release yet but promising news for fans.
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“We’re still hungry,” Steve states. “This band is still why I get up every day, what I think about every day. I live and breathe it every day and I refuse to go through the motions.” The new music’s a celebration of sorts, he adds. “A celebration of still existing, still being alive, still making music and still having something to say.”
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