​Fly the Nest (aka Stephen Cooper) started playing music at a young age, performing in various bands. He started his solo project Fly the Nest two years ago, inspired by a life of moving from place to place. When not writing music for an advertising company in LA, he may be found working on his unique blend of film-inspired anthems, which he calls “cinematic rock.” 

“I wrote this quite a long time ago.” So says Stephen Cooper, the mind behind Fly the Nest, of his latest single, ‘Say Hello’. “Now just seemed like the right time for this song.” 

Featuring a blend of Fly the Nest’s signature cinematic rock, and a newly intimate subject matter, Cooper explains that this song sees him writing purely from the heart, a departure from some of the more global themes of his discography to date. This song permits a certain sentimentality for both Cooper and listeners. “Something doesn’t work out, and you’re waiting for that person to come back - you could nearly be waiting till you’re an old man. It gets into that.”

The track is built out of a haunting atmosphere, and a fascinating coupling with what Cooper describes as a “90s oasis vibe”. “I like to keep that cinematic vibe going through my songs. The emptiness of the start, by the end, it’s all built up. And yet this song is simple - it’s about the power of someone just saying hello.”

‘Say Hello’ was written by Stephen Cooper, and produced by Pete Doherty. Its artwork was created by Julien Jensen, and seeks to evoke a sense of idleness, and a longing for contact.

Over the course of their two albums to date, Klangstof have earned tastemaker tips from Clash, Complex, The FADER, The Line of Best Fit and Wonderland while also enjoying landmark moments such as becoming the first Dutch band to play Coachella and winning Best Alternative Act at the Edison Awards (the nation’s equivalent to the Grammys).

Fuelled by a rush of creativity, they spent 2021 away from the public eye. It resulted in not one, but two new projects: their eagerly anticipated third album which will follow later this year, plus the new ‘Ocean View’ EP which will be released on March 4th. Klangstof today share the first taste of the EP in the shape of its title track and lead single.

The ‘Ocean View’ single provides that the wait has been worthwhile. Downtempo beats and foreboding beats dictate the initial atmosphere, but the ambience then breaks like sunrise with a dreamy soundscape topped by Koen van de Wardt’s elegantly ethereal vocals. It possesses everything that fans have come to adore from Klangstof, but again evolves their sound in a forward-thinking and streamlined direction.

The song’s roots emerged a few years back during sessions in Los Angeles between Koen and bandmate Wannes Salomé. Initially titled ‘We Tried, They Failed’ - an inside joke referencing how unproductive that session was - it later morphed into ‘Ocean View’ with the help of fellow bandmate Erik Buschmann. Lyrically, it finds Klangstof relishing the uninhibited freedom of creating back music at home in the Netherlands without expectations from outside influences.

As Koen explains, “The feeling of being trapped that we had in LA is now completely gone. ‘Ocean View’ is like looking into an open world, a mirror of ultimate freedom. The song’s story is now the complete opposite of what it was originally about.” Wannes adds, “Where the verses used to be cynical, now they are now sincere.”
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The rest of the four-song ‘Ocean View’ EP offers an exciting and candid glimpse into the band’s current direction. It’s informed as much by open-ended experimentalism as it is by the inspiring connection of simply being able to again perform together as a band. The result is a natural, almost laid-back approach which allowed the album’s sonics and emotions to fully flourish.

The entire ‘Ocean View’ EP was quickly put together after their next album had been completed. The songs were written in two months, and then recorded in just five days with producer Thijs van der Klugt in Studio Kabaal in Haarlem. It was subsequently mixed by Sam Petts-Davies (Radiohead, Frank Ocean) and mastered by Heba Kadry (Björk, Big Thief, Deerhunter).

Koen recalls, “Since we hadn’t been able to play live together for a while, we felt the need to record these tracks sitting in a room together, playing the songs from start to finish as a group. Most of the tracks have been recorded in just one or a few takes. The whole process was very refreshing, the energy in the room was incredible. We honestly think we’ve never sounded as much as a band as on this recording.”

Klangstof will follow the EP’s release by embarking upon an extensive European headline tour, which commences with a London gig at The Lexington. They are also confirmed to play a series of summer shows with the legendary Pixies. Find out about their upcoming tour dates here https://www.facebook.com/klngstf/events

Cork (Ireland) based singer/songwriter/producer Fintan McKahey has just releases a new single “Amber” on 11 February 2022. The delicate indie/folk song features Fintan’s signature sincere, brooding vocals, panned wide for an intimate listener experience, as well as slick production and reflective ambient sounds. 

Fintan describes it as, “A love song through & through.” He says, “I was stuck in a rut for months, until my partner and I got the unexpected news that we’re going to have a baby.” He goes on to say, “After that everything just started flowing, it felt like I finally had something to say again, intensely inspired by awaiting our baby boy and writing this song for the woman I love.” 

The song features Kealan Kenny on pedal steel and Fintan himself on drums, giving it a more folk feel than his recent releases. The song was recorded and produced by Fintan in his newly built space, Ivy Hill Studios. 

Fintan McKahey is a low-fi indie singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Cork, Ireland. His EPs and several singles have achieved national radio play and press acclaim. He has performed headlines and showcases in major venues across the country. Though Fintan loves performing, his true passion lies with creating in the studio. He creates music that is spacey, chill, and at times experimental and psychedelic.

Since the onset of COVID, he has been busy building Ivy Hill Studios. He was named a Hot Press Magazine “Hot for 2021” artist, performed at the Hot Press Y&E Series, and did some successful ticketed live streams. Recently, Fintan made it to the final five of Hot Press’ radio initiative, ‘Irish Music Month.’ Out of 125 artists shortlisted, he was selected by Cork’s 96fm, which resulted in an outstanding performance at the final showcase in the Academy.