Introducing Ollie Wride
Introducing Ollie Wride
Words by Michael Dickinson
Ollie Wride has come along at a very good time. With bands like Empire of the Sun and Lady Gaga bringing glam theatricality back to the mainstream charts people seem to be lapping up danceable tunes sung by people wearing increasingly outlandish clothing and questionable make up.
Gene Kelly once sang “Gotta Dance” and that’s what Ollie Wride’s music makes you want to do. Now, I’m not the kind of man who will easily get up to make a drunken fool of myself on the dance floor, but there is a something so fundamentally happy and smile making about this music that it is impossible not to attempt a bit of a knee shake.
‘Pop Music’ (which does exactly what it says on the tin) takes me right back to 1998 when Stardust were out with ‘Music Sounds Better With You’ mixed with a little Scissor Sisters it’s indicative of the musics mix of nostalgia with a modern mix. I cannot even begin to place all the different styles at work. Overall the music is well produced pop-dance but also there are elements of 80s power rock – the guitar fade out on ‘21st Century Love’ sounds like it could have appeared on a number of action soundtrack. ‘Thunder Kiss’ has the unmistakable sound of a glam rock bassline. At times Wride’s voice carries the androgynous tones that made Ziggy and Bolan so memorable.
Whether you want to dance in that ironic, “I’m too cool for school” way or dance because your a crazy bastard who likes to dance you will find much to enjoy. Wride has crafted a bevy of infectious, sing-a-long, footstompers. It comes as no great surprise that he has already been signed to Atlantic Records and penned songs for Justin Hawkins, Meat Loaf and Rob Cavallo. With the right backing Ollie Wride could become a major name on the charts. He is currently constructing his debut album, looking to fill it with “classic pop anthems” as he puts it.
Right now Wride is hitting the live venues, with a handful of dates in London this month. He has assembled the final line-up which will help in construct his potential classic pop album. James Cross (former live drummer for Alesha Dixon), Josh Dally on guitar and bassist Poppy Kavanagh will be backing up Wride power vocals and deliciously concocted synths.
It doesn’t matter what kind of music you like day to day. Everyone likes something happy, to put a smile on their face once in a while at least. Ollie Wride could be the name that starts filling dance floors and putting smiles on our faces in the very near future.
