Nadia Sheikh exists somewhere in the grey area between indie and pop, with an earnest style of songwriting that creates thoughtful indie-rock anthems. Journos from underground radio stations to BBC Introducing have been singing her praises, particularly as a live artist, and it’s this aspect of her career that she’s drawn from on her latest single ‘Fire Away’.
While the song’s lyrics are deliberately ambiguous, fitting the rush of love as much as they’d fit the rush of performing music live, there’s something about ‘Fire Away’’s passionate performances and lightly pop-tinged choruses that feel like a love letter to the gigs at which so many people fell in love with Sheikh’s music. It just gives off main character energy; passionate and dramatic in the best possible way.
"an explosion of joy that makes you want to throw your hands up in the air"
The buildup before the choruses is genuinely masterful, perfectly capturing the anticipation and excitement that live music can bring. You can practically see the flashing strobes with every strum of the guitar and with every soaring note of Sheikh’s delicate yet crowd-pleasing voice. Sheikh has stated that she wants the song to represent that euphoric communal experience that so many of us miss about gigs, “an explosion of joy that makes you want to throw your hands up in the air”. The way that this track immediately charmed me, I’ve gotta say she’s succeeded.
Drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins during the band’s set at New Orleans Jazz Festival, after replacing the Foo Fighters headline slot.
Finally, after two years of us all sitting around our computers, watching live streams, desperately trying to recreate that festival feeling, The Great Escape is back and ready to take over Brighton. For 4 days in May, music lovers, industry experts, and artists from all around the world will decent on the seaside town, ready to explore the 30+ walkable venues and discover some incredible new bands.
Today, Abbey Road Studios, the world’s most famous recording studio, announces the inaugural Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards 2022 in association with Hennessy – the first-ever awards to celebrate the art of music photography.
