Ross Harmon chats with us about his latest single “Starting Again.”
Hailed as ‘music that lights you up from the inside out’, Ross Harmon’s music will make you smile, dance or both. A born performer, Ross’s captivating high-energy, party-like show is the culmination of an entire lifetime of practice. This is reflected in his anthemic music: a powerful vocal and an infectious beat.
Being influenced by a rich melting pot of genres and artists including Dance Pop icon Lady Gaga, Vocal House legends Livin’ Joy and Barbara Tucker and Trad Folk-Pop group The Corrs means Ross’s melodies are catchy, his lyrics feature whimsical graphic imagery and the production uses a mixture of cutting-edge electronic sounds and traditional acoustic instruments. His specialty gospel-style harmonies are a distinct feature in his music – these are the result of growing up singing harmonies in choirs and being exposed to harmony-driven music such as The Four Seasons and ABBA.
Born and raised in Northamptonshire, Ross started writing songs at the age of 13 and self-produced his first EP (‘Enter’) at age 15. Since then, he has honed his skills as a songwriter and performer. He is a professional Musical Theatre actor and has featured in musicals such as Mamma Mia. His vocal skills and performing experience give him a special edge in the studio and on stage, allowing him to let loose and form a special, unique connection with the audience.
We chatted with Ross back in April about his debut single “Lonely World,” check it out here.
The song starts off with a wavy instrumental accompanied by soft vocals from Ross that make us feel like we’re floating through the clouds. As the song builds, it starts to give us more energy that leads directly to the strong and catchy chorus. At this point, the song had me dancing in my bedroom. I feel like this song would be perfect to hear in a gay club anywhere. The vocal melodies and lyrics are quite addicting, making this such an awesome dance track that’s a must add to all your house music playlists.
What is your favorite part about this song?
I love the way that the song is a journey of discovery, both in terms of the story and the production. It starts off very light and ethereal, with minimal instrumental and vocal arrangement, in line with the lyrics being about the past struggles. Then as the lyrics become brighter and the feeling of love re-emerges within the relationship, the instrumental production starts to lift too with more drums & synths. This gradually builds throughout the song until we get to the full breakdown at the end with harmonies & ad libs from the vocal and a big wide instrumental production, done masterfully by Roberto Panovski the producer & co-writer.
Where did you record this song, and what are the vibes like in the studio with you?
I recorded this in South West London with Roberto, and he always pushes me for the most authentic writing & performance, encouraging me to really establish the truest emotion & feeling. He has a great way of getting me to try things vocally which I would never have done by myself, but end up loving! I’m a pretty chilled performer, so there are a lot of laughs in the studio – I think this always makes the delivery more present and authentic.
Was this release cathartic for you?
Totally – both of the songs on the single, Starting Again and the B-side, Battles, are two of my favourite songs I’ve written. Hearing the positive comments from friends & fans makes it all worth the while.
What keeps you inspired and motivated?
The way that writing songs encapsulates how you are feeling at a certain moment in time means that every writing session is different. This means writing never gets stale for me – there is always some new emotion to surface, or maybe an event that is playing on my mind – writing is almost like therapy, seeing it all written down in front of you and really finding the words to describe it.
What can we expect next from you?
My next release, Price You Could Pay, is a departure from my dance-pop inspired sound and a shift towards more of a synthwave/synth-pop vibe – still maintaining the story-telling driven lyrics and big harmony-heavy vocal arrangements. This comes out Friday 12th November and will be my final release of 2021!
What other artists are you listening to right now?
I love Yebba’s new album – I think she is the most unbelievable vocalist on the planet at the moment. I can literally feel every single note she sings, and I’m a big fan of her songwriting style. Sometimes songwriters can shoehaun a billion metaphors or similes in to their writing and it feels a little pushed or inauthentic – but Yebba somehow manages to use imagery and metaphor in a super visual yet subtle way.
Thank you for taking the time to answer those questions for us, Ross!
Be sure to stream “Starting Again” by Ross Harmon on all platforms now, and follow him on social media below!
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Written By: Bryce Quartz
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