SongByte Records

08/04/2023

For those who didn’t hear the BBC Radio Derby ‘Rogue Nation Featuring Charla May’ Radio Sessions (recorded live on October 6th 2022) and want to take a listen, here are the links to the four shows broadcast this week. I’ve put the exact times we’re on: twice (trailer then live) on Monday, once on Tuesday and Wednesday, and twice (two songs) on Thursday:

MONDAY: Song NUMBER ONE
Trailer starts at 21:30 (Please listen to this - it's really great what Martyn Williams compiled)
Interview and Song Performance Starts at 1:15:30
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f92d5c

TUESDAY: Song TEARS ON TEARS
Interview then song starts at 1:19:10, i.e. 1 hour 19 mins in
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f92dk9

WEDNESDAY: Song THE WAY I FEEL (The ballad)
Starts at 1:18:28
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f92fc0

THURSDAY: Song HEART OF ME (Starts at 1:17:10)
& I’LL BE THERE (Starts at 1:45:10)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f92ghp

DISCLAIMER:
I spoke to Tris yesterday and he certainly didn’t like the live sound/mixes (that’s putting it mildly!). I must admit, the mix from the live desk is all over the place, but some tracks are better than others. Also, we didn’t get a chance to do a proper soundcheck. We were flustered as none of the cables they supplied worked, then we couldn’t get sound out of Mainstage for a while, again a BBC cable issue. Luckily, I'd brought a bag of my own leads and cables (thank God!) and we finally got things sorted. But when we played live, we’re totally reliant on the guy behind the glass doing the mixing. (BTW, none of us have heard these tracks played back until the broadcasts this week!)

So, the drum samples and bass are very low, and the keys and guitar too low as well in most songs. Charla’s voice is very high in the mix (but she did a fantastic job and sounds great), but the power of these tracks was lost by poor EQing and, let’s just say, not optimal mixing in most cases. Half the time my guitar sounds like an electric ukulele (but remember it's also playing synth parts: most of the synth pads and those long, sustained washes you hear at the end of some tracks are actually played on the guitar routed into a GE300 guitar synth). Tris’s piano and synths are often lost in the mix too. And as for the backing vocals, mine are non-existent in the final track though I was singing like crazy in those end choruses! In complete contrast on track four, as there was no microphone foldback in my headphones, I was powering the backing vocals out so loud (maybe I was hoping Charla’s mic might pick some of them up!) and the result is I sounded more like Lemmy from Motorhead! 🤣

Anyway, it was still an incredible opportunity and despite the disappointment with the mix/sound at times, I’m still amazingly proud of what we did. First gig, and the first time we'd all met.

Martyn Williams celebrates Derbyshire and East Staffordshire's arts and entertainment.

07/04/2023

This picture sums up how I feel. (Warning, long, heartfelt and brutally honest post following…)

This week has been extremely difficult, even painful at times, but I had to listen to (and advertise) the BBC Radio Derby sessions: 6 interviews and 5 songs played live on October 6th, 2022, because I’m actually extremely proud of what we achieved.

We’d never even all physically met until that day. And yet within an hour of Tris and Charl meeting, we played live for the first time… with no proper sound check, on a one go, no second takes, radio session!! I mean, that’s crazy right?!!!

We’d worked remotely for two years, the exception being Charl/Charla May coming round to my studio to record 5 times and then rehearse maybe 8 or so times, with Tris 113 miles away connected online (with us hearing slap-back, or at times a quaver, even a crotchet, time delay)! OMG, how did we actually pull this off?!!

Like I say, I’m hugely proud of what all three of us did. We’d had two singles from the 5 songs we submitted picked up by BBC Music Introducing, one going on to be Track of the Week on Radio Derby. Soon after that, we were invited in to do these radio sessions. And that’s when things became a challenge… If you’ve listened to the radio sessions and the interviews (interview number 5, I think), I don’t think you need to be a psychologist to hear the doubts, the tensions and the divergent aims. So, finally, the punchline…

Sadly, 12 days after recording the radio session we split up and two of us haven’t spoken or communicated since. There, I bet you weren’t expecting that, were you?!

Music is about conveying emotions and also, at least one hopes, giving a home for other people’s emotions (happy or sad) when they hear what you’ve poured your heart into creating. Because of this, musicians can, quite naturally, be very emotional people. And there were a LOT of emotions pulling us in all directions in the weeks running up to the radio session. I suspect, some of the resulting wounds have been reopened for at least a couple of us this week. I don’t know. Because none of us have been speaking during this week and, apart from me doing these posts, and two likes and a share from Charla (thank you), none of us have even communicated at all. And that’s sad, really sad.

So, I think I finish this week in a similar position to where Charlotte was six months ago: wanting to take time to reflect on things and work out what I really want to do in music. This week has made me feel empty and lost. Though my head is like that cluttered room of unopened boxes and tangled cables, and, from where I am, I just can’t see much daylight through the glass. (You can tell I’m the lyricist, can’t you?)

(Just to say, in case you’re reading this, Melissa, Molly, and Layla, I’m very happy I’ve found you and the studio doors are definitely still open to record more songs. Between you, we have 7 songs recorded in three months and, I hope over the next few months, 7 amazing sounding tracks to produce up and release. Keep the faith. We’ll get those songs finished and out there!)

And the offer that we talked about on air in interview 5 is still there for another amazing singer, but, as we discussed, the ball is in your court. I feel it was left in such a way that I’m utterly unable to climb over the net to retrieve it… if you want to speak/message, you know where I am. And that applies to you as well, Tris. STOP PRESS: Tris has been phoning my previous company mobile which I haven't had since 2018.)

This has been very difficult and painful to write. I tend to do light-hearted, self-effacing, even comedic, posts. But there’s no laughter here, just sadness and regret.

Yet through the wall of silence, as said, I’m immensely proud of what we pulled off here, guys. What we achieved, having never all met, was amazing. Absolutely bloody amazing!!!

OK, I’m done. Emotionally and, through tiredness, physically. I’m typing this into ‘Notes’ on my iPhone in the middle of the night as, once again, I can’t sleep. Thanks to AstraZeneca for that and my crazily overthinking mind. (And I'll re-read it, no doubt 20 times, before posting... )

If people haven’t heard the radio sessions, I’ll add the links below to the five songs later. They’ll be active for three weeks or so and then the BBC will take them down. (Which, ironically, is exactly what they did to the three of us by offering us the radio sessions… who knew?!)

06/04/2023

Can’t quite believe it was 6 months today when we recorded these radio sessions! Tonight it’s two Rogue Nation (featuring Charla) tracks for the price of one: ‘Heart Of Me’ (8:15 PM), Charla May’s first (and last single - as it was re-released) then the former BBC Radio Derby track of the week, ‘I’ll Be There’ (8:45 PM). These are taking the tempo back up again and, embarrassingly, I’ll be on backing vocals for these two… luckily, I keep it to a minimum whilst Charla powers out the lead part or does her adlibs. Take a listen if you can: usual link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_derby

Oh, and I’ve thrown in a ‘Spot the Difference’ competition too. I’m short of photos of the day, so have gone for a variation on Monday’s pic. Again, please share the post if you can. Thanks!

05/04/2023

It's the ballad tonight: 'The Way I Feel'. Rogue Nation featuring the vocals of Charla May will again be broadcast in session at 8:15 PM on BBC Radio Derby's Evening Show hosted by Martyn Williams. This track was, I think, a highpoint and one that Martyn particularly liked. Take a listen if you can. Usual link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_derby

Oh, and as I'm running out of photos to use, here's Charla and Tris having a pre-radio session drink. I'm not in this shot (as I took the pic). 'Hurray' I hear you all say! 😉

04/04/2023

Rogue Nation featuring Charla May on vocals will be back on Martyn William's Radio Derby Evening Show at 8:15 PM tonight. I guess it will be us performing 'Tears On Tears' (as I think the tracks are being broadcast in the order we recorded them).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_derby

03/04/2023

Rogue Nation (featuring our original singer, Charla May) are in session tonight at 8:15 PM on BBC Radio Derby. You'll hear us performing EDM & some catchy pop songs this week:
Mon: 8.15pm, Tues: 8.15pm; Weds: 8.15pm; Thurs 8.15 & 8.45pm.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0f92d5c

Rogue Nation are the EDM Songwriting and Production team of Tris Spencer Owens & Chris Breen and can be reached via SongByte Records

28/12/2022

Female Singer(s) wanted by EDM/Dance Music Production Team & Indie Record Label. Must be Reliable, Ambitious & Confident

21/10/2022

SongByte Records are looking for ambitious, talented Female Singers (18-30 ideally) to work with the Writing/Production Team & Label. SongByte have studios in the U.K. (in North Wales & North Derbyshire). We’re not necessarily looking for songwriting experience, but ideally artists that can interpret and put their stamp on commercial up-tempo EDM/pop/ dance songs (with occasional ballads, pop-rock & RnB tracks as well). Recordings and videos will be released on download & streaming platforms globally.
The ability to harmonise and dance would certainly be a bonus, but it’s not essential. Ambition and reliability are a must, as is the desire to promote the material on social media, help build a following, and also, should the opportunities arise, perform at gigs/support slots at festivals, and do radio and TV sessions.
Please contact us via [email protected] with links to your audio demos and/or a video showreel. If attaching files, please just one or two MP3s only. We look forward to speaking to you and, who knows, maybe working together. Thanks!

20/05/2022

Charla May's latest single "Tears On Tears" is out TODAY on SongByte Records and released on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer (etc. etc.). Click the image to Preview the song and if you'd like to, of course, buy the single! We'll be doing some radio sessions (thank you BBC!) over the summer where you can hear this song and the back catalogue played live.

Album · 2022 · 1 Song

10/05/2022

Charla May’s forthcoming single "Tears On Tears" is out on Friday May 20th and is available to preview now on Apple Music by clicking the photo below. If you (hopefully!) like what you hear, you can always preorder it on iTunes from that page. Enjoy!

Album · 2022 · 1 Song