Alexander McKay Becomes the Newest BEAT100 Ultimate Musician!

Congratulations to London based singer/songwriter Alexander McKay, who has become the latest BEAT100 member to receive an Ultimate Musician Award! Alexander has caught the eye of the A&R team with his latest single 'Chasing Fires' which is currently climbing the World Music Video Chart. It seems that Alexander has music in his blood, he tells BEAT100 'My grandmother was a pianist and I was fascinated how sounds would fill the room and bring a joy of silence and appreciation to an audience. I then set about scratching my Dads record collection as I obsessively studied the greats.' Inspired by music from childhood the young Alexander begged his parents for a drum kit, after being refused he decided to take up guitar which quickly cemented his passion for singing and songwriting. He started performing as soon as he could in various bands and groups throughout his teen years and gradually developed the musical tastes that create his signature sound today.

Playing a mix of Blues, Rock, Country and Folk, Alexander takes inspiration from a variety of established artists. Naming some of his idols as Led Zeppelin, John Mayer, The Black Crowes and many in between, Alexander uses his far ranging tastes when creating his own unique brand of Country Rock music. The talented singer has certainly been making an impression on the BEAT100 community with his latest track 'Chasing Fires'. Recently named Video of the Day, the rustic country feel to the 'Chasing Fires' music video perfectly compliments Alexander's warm and soulful vocals while the catchy chorus has the listener humming along all day. Speaking about his BEAT100 experience so far, Alexander says 'I have had a great experience with BEAT100. It's been invaluable to testing new songs and videos and seeing what another audiences think of my music and helping to grow a following.'

Alexander is currently recording a full length album for a film soundtrack set for production in 2015! This follows his successful debut album 'Brings Us Together' which was released in July this year. It seems 2015 will be a hugely successful one for Alexander, as well as a new album, he is also getting set for brand new live shows and a trip to Nashville for the festival season. BEAT100 wishes him all the best of luck and can't wait to see what is next from Alexander McKay!

Written for www.BEAT100.com

Congratulations to Orlando Seale and the Swell, BEAT100's Newest Ultimate Musicians!

Orlando Seale and the Swell have caught the eye of the BEAT100 A&R team and become the newest artists to receive an Ultimate Musician Award! Fronted by lead singer/songwriter Orlando, the musical collective is currently making it big on the London indie music scene. Orlando has always been musically inclined and finds that, for him, listening to music also has a strong family connection. As well as regularly listening to Edith Piaf and Om Kalsoum records with his aunt, (the British fashion designer Thea Porter) the young singer also loves listening to his late mother's records as a way of connecting to her. Heavily influenced by a variety of music as a teenager, Orlando especially found a connection with the eclectic tastes of David Bowie, he tells BEAT100 'I poured over the songs, thrilled by the range of subjects they dealt with, the inventiveness of the lyrics. Of course I wanted to be like him but sadly I was your typical hairy, carbuncular teenager, a million miles from the androgyny of the Thin White Duke.'

Moving on to play in cover bands throughout his teenage years, the music lover didn't even think about writing songs until years later when he was living in LA pursuing an acting career. Inspired by artists such as P J Harvey, Leonard Cohen and The Cure, Orlando soon discovered that he had a lyrical talent. Talking about his time in LA, he says 'The hours alone in my car crossing the sprawling city to auditions became a sort of musical education...Melodies and lyrics of my own started appearing and spilling out as I drove...but at the time I couldn't play any instruments.' His girlfriend at the time provided him with a guitar to accompany his new found love for lyrics, a guitar once owned by famed US musician Elliot Smith that became a great source of inspiration for the budding lyricist. After this cross roads in his career path, Orlando decided to pursue music and made the move back to London.

Struck by the changing extremes of London life, Orlando found a new musical influence in the natural movement of the city. A movement that can still be heard in the music that he currently creates, a sound both hectic but reassuring, a reflection of the busy city lives that move around him as he writes. A collaboration with an orchestra for The Old Vic Tunnels gave birth to the Swell; with Orlando at the helm, together the group create energetic and captivating tracks filled with their vibrant signature sound. That sound is definitely gaining them popularity on BEAT100 and beyond; the group has currently gained Gold Awards for Video, Favourite and Song as well as steadily climbing the World Music Video Chart with their track 'Hyde'. Orlando, accompanied by the Swell work hard on creating their own unique sound as well as performing style. Currently they have performed everywhere from stripped back intimate living room tours to big festival stages with up to 20 members on stage at once. Constantly writing new tracks and reworking old ones, the group love to challenge themselves with different spaces and arrangements to enhance their performances. Orlando says 'Our biggest achievement is sticking at it, trying to keep developing and challenging ourselves, making each show special.'

Currently Orlando Seale and the Swell are writing and recording new material in preparation for their upcoming EP, as well as looking forward to collaborating with a variety of different artists and performers in the near future. Check out BEAT100's favourite track 'Dance Little Man' below!

Written for BEAT100.com