IN THE SPOTLIGHT
OLLIE RIDES HIGH DESPITE THE PANDEMIC
It was obvious from the moment he took to the stage in House Music all those years ago , that Ollie Wride ( 96-07 ) was a showman in the making . A natural performer with a mesmerising vocal and adept keyboard skills , it is no surprise to hear that he has since carved out a successful career in the music industry as a singer / songwriter .
From Pocklington to London and Los Angeles , Ollie ’ s journey has seen him signing two major record deals with Atlantic and Warner Bros , releasing two solo albums , song writing for A-list artists , touring internationally to sell-out audiences , and dealing with all the highs and lows in between .
After an exceptionally tough year for musicians and many others working in the arts sector , Ollie kindly took time out to catch up with us and share more about his exciting career journey to date .
Where did your love of music and performing come from ? I think it stems from the radio and in particular my Mum and Dad ’ s record collection . I can ’ t pretend that a decade of early morning school runs listening to CDs in rotation didn ’ t play a role in how I consumed music . We all have a treasured song or album that invokes a memory or a feeling . For me those moments laid the foundations of a profound curiosity to hear , learn and explore more .
As for performing , I was lucky to be part of school productions or function bands from an early age ; I did it for the love of it first and foremost – and did I love it ! I wasn ’ t good at sport , my friends and teachers would attest , so for kids like me , the fact that arts were encouraged , nurtured , and celebrated at school was a massive opportunity . The adrenaline rush had an allure that is as potent now as it was the first time I performed in front of an audience . It was a way to blow off steam , a way to be social with friends before social media , it was a real form of self-expression .
How did you develop your talents as a singer and musician ? Through a lot of trial and error …! I was “ strongly encouraged ” to take up the piano when I was very young and I had some wonderful teachers , but even with the best will in the world I wasn ’ t a Grade 8 student nor did I give it the attention required to become proficient ; I wanted to run before I could walk . I didn ’ t see the value in theory , I wanted to play “ Rocket Man ” and “ Hey Jude ” out the gate . I chose to stick at it on my own terms , by ear . Relentlessly mirroring the songs , I loved building up a gradual understanding of what I was doing , my method wasn ’ t perfect , but I gradually found voicings , keys and their mechanics . I became obsessive through school , slipping away at any opportunity to go and play on the Steinway and try writing chord sequences .
As far as becoming a vocalist , I performed extensively outside of school in a function band with my brother and friends to earn extra pocket money . I got a better understanding of performance , audience interaction and stretching my vocal abilities to the maximum . Moreover , it was fun . I had a high range from the outset , I just had no clue how to control it . I started to take my vocals seriously around 17 . I had a wonderful voice teacher in Krystina Meinardi , who possessed patience in abundance ; she stuck with me and so I wanted to prove I was worth her time . We have stayed in contact ever since .
Tell us about your journey into the music industry . My first break came from one of many auditions I attended at college ( Brighton Institute of Modern Music ). It was an open audition for a “ signed band ”, advertised on the student notice board as “ Major label seeks vocalists ”. The title alone was enough to entice hundreds of hopefuls , so I thought why not ? Unbeknownst to me though , this was for a girl band , so female applicants only !
Dressed in my signature ( back then !) glam rock style , long hair , and black nail polish , I walked in and was confronted with heads of A & R for EMI , Universal , Warner and college directors all looking somewhat bewildered . It was only when I saw the queue of my female peers that the penny dropped . By this stage , I was being ushered out by the college staff , but one of the A & R heads asked for my details and took a CD of my work that I had with me .
I thought my little display had scuppered my chances , but two months later , I received a call from that same A & R rep . He thought I had talent worth managing and developing , so we began working under a gentleman ’ s agreement ; I would continue to write songs and get into sessions to build up a more polished body of material and my then manager would shop me around to the labels . There was an element of blind faith on both sides , but by some miracle I soon had four offers from major record labels .
In the end , I signed with Atlantic Records , part of the Warner Music Group , home to artists such as Led Zeppelin , Beyonce and Ed Sheeran . I quietly bowed out of college during my second year and was immediately put to work in writing sessions . It was a whirlwind experience . Six months later they asked me if I would go to LA to work on Meat Loaf ’ s latest record . I bit their arm off , not knowing what I was getting myself into , but I wanted to seize every opportunity ( my advice in this kind of scenario is to say yes and figure out the how later !). I was both ecstatic and terrified in equal measure . I was flown there with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness ; I was the young kid with everything to prove and he had five million records under his belt . It was my first time out to the West Coast and I tried to enjoy the spoils of what was afforded without getting too awestruck that this was all happening to me .
Every subsequent trip came with new opportunities and challenges . I was working with different labels and teams throughout the years ; you can ’ t help but network and develop relationships . The pace of life and work out there is phenomenal . It took me a while to adjust . There is definitely an aura to the place ; I think provided you don ’ t buy too much into the rhetoric and veneer and remain true to your convictions , that is a formidable tool in what can be a fickle culture sometimes .
What has been your most successful project / challenge ? Mid 2016 was a real turning point after I was approached out of the blue by Scottish born , San Francisco based producer FM-84 . He had heard my work and voice on other records and wanted to collaborate on his debut album . It sat in the electronic , new wave , 80s revival genre , which was right up my street . He sent me snippets of instrumentals , I would then import them into my session and go back to the piano , write the melody and lyrics , maybe revoice some chords and arrangement here and there . Work was done entirely remotely , long before Zoom was commonplace . Whilst it was night on the US West Coast , I would work in the UK and vice versa until we had a batch of singles and an
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