by The Alchemist
Vanela is a UK singer/songwriter with a sweet yet edgy pop sound. Her versatility has also found her working with an array of other genres, from hip hop to drum and bass. She grew up in Bedford, UK, but many of her musical influences come from Italy, a result of being born into a music-filled Italian household.
Her music has appeared in The Sims 4 and ITV’s Ladies of London. She has also written for RAM Records. Vanela is currently working with the American band RDGLDGRN, their collaboration is set for release this summer. She recently accompanied Stamina MC during his live set at Sun and Bass festival in Sardinia.
RDGLDGRN is a band from Washington D.C that has gained a ton of attention lately. They initially gained widespread recognition after self-releasing the song, “I Love Lamp,” on YouTube, a song that landed them in the studio with Dave Grohl and Pharrell Williams, with whom they collaborated on their debut album, RDGLDGRN LP. Williams co-wrote and co-produced the standout track “ Doing the Most ,” which showcases the breadth of the group’s capabilities and their willingness to defy convention.
However, while the singularity of their music demands attention, it is their live performance that has boosted the band’s reputation and built them a diverse and loyal following. The band’s ability to engage with their audience—combining audience participation and irreverent ad-libs and mash-ups to accompany their high-energy performances—has established RDGLDGRN as a must-see live act, sharing stages alongside Outkast, The Killers, The Foo Fighters, 311, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, and AWOLNation and currently on tour with The Dirty Heads. With each performance, RDGLDGRN delivers the kind of energy that could jump-start a stadium, as they did opening for (Foo Fighters July show), with the kind of audience connection one would expect at a private club.
RDGLDGRN proved they have and will continue to evolve in their sound, as the group fuses its genre-bending musicality with a sly wit, honesty, and truly global worldview. On, “No Pixar,” the group confronted the trials of forging their own path and establishing their own sense of identity and morality—a move that not only has The Source calling them “the rap game’s Disney,” but signals the band’s willingness to step into the void. Then, “Runnin Away” earned spots on the Spotify New Music Playlist, garnered nearly a half a million Spotify streams and landed on EA Games, UFC 2016. Now, In preparation for their next album, they have released a new song, ” Karnival ” along with a Pledge campaign that is nearly 100% funded just one month after its launch date. Not content to be the product of their myriad influences, RDGLDGRN continues to stake their claim as the new musical vanguard.
The newest collaboration between the two is titled, “Good Life.” They originally recorded the track for the video game The Sims 4 and were asked to sing in “simlish” which is the language the characters speak in the game. The shazams racked up so much attention from the game, that they decided to record the song in real English, and it has gained a ton of anticipation regarding the release. The song starts with a memorable piano melody, adding in some catchy synth elements with the hook singing, “I’ve been dreaming bout the good life, now I live that good life, living for the good life yeah.” “Good Life” is a great song to play during a long drive on your way to the beach or a camping trip. Check out the track below.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
