Stuck in Traffic is olliray’s first album. The story begins in 2017 with the release of BoxRox, a small electronic idea that became the spark for everything that followed. Over the next two years the music grew slowly and naturally in a small flat in South London. Most of the songs began as simple synth sketches that later opened into fuller pieces with piano, guitar and voice.

The title came from a real moment in late 2018. Olliray was waiting for his dad to arrive for lunch. His dad was stuck in traffic and the delay gave him an unexpected pocket of time. In that quiet stretch he recorded all the vocals for the title track in one take. When his dad finally arrived he played him the music and asked what he should call it. His dad smiled and gave the answer that became the name of the whole album.

Stuck in Traffic holds the feeling of that early period. Raw, instinctive and made by ear. A blend of electronic textures and intimate melodies shaped between 2017 and late 2018, and released in January 2019.

For fans of synthwave, retrowave and 80s inspired electronic music.

BoxRox

Stuck In Traffic Alternate Version

I Feel The Same

How They Communicate

Stuck In Traffic Instrumental

How Hard I Try

#DBMHA

Stuck In Traffic HN Mix

Love

A genre that blends a pop song built on a Latin-influenced drum beat, energetic electric guitar, and a nostalgic splash of 80s synth. The track features a catchy vocal performance, a hook designed to stay stuck in your head, and colorful piano melodies tying everything together. If you love pop with personality, rock solos, rhythmic grooves, and retro-modern production, hit play and let the vibe pull you in. Perfect for fans of Afrobeat, synthpop, pop-rock, Latin-pop fusion,  dancehall, and feel good summer vibes.

Lyrics

Verse 1: 

if you're feeling lonely baby come to me
early in the morning we can get freaky
I know you never felt a love so deep
it's the type of love that's gonna set you free


Pre Chorus:

so take it from me
I'll give it to you
laying you down is all I wanted to do
and now you got me trippin over all these little thoughts 
and memories of you


Chorus:

you say that I'm not tryin but I'm falling for your love
it's the way you're looking at me
like an angel from above
it was late night calling
really had me falling
now I don't know what to do
guess I never should've played these games with you


Verse 2:

never felt a feeling like this before
never thought I'd see you walking out the door
I keep on falling for you more and more
and if I'm being honest baby that's for sure


Pre Chorus:

so take it from me
I'll give it to you
laying you down is all I wanted to do
and now you got me trippin over all these little thoughts 
and memories of you


Chorus:

you say that I'm not tryin but I'm falling for your love
it's the way you're looking at me
like an angel from above
it was late night calling
really had me falling
now I don't know what to do
guess I never should've played these games with you


Bridge:

you say that I'm not tryin but I'm falling for your love
it's the way you're looking at me
like an angel from above
it was late night calling
really had me falling
now I don't know what to do
guess I never should've played these games with you


Outro:

all I ever wanted was your love
your like an angel from above
you are an angel from above

all I ever needed was your love
your like an angel from above
you are an angel from above

(I could never let you go)
late night calling
really had me falling
now I don't know what to do
(I could never let you go)
late night calling
really had me falling
now I don't know what to do
(I could never let you go)


Written by: Ryan Monaghan
Produced by: Greg Recchia and Ryan Monaghan
Bass: Ryan Monaghan
Guitar: Ryan Monaghan
Guitar Solo: John Swanhart
Keys: Danny Robinson
Recording, Mixing and Mastering: Greg Recchia


















Angel FM

olliray makes emotive, cinematic music that sits between intimate piano ballads and modern electronic soundscapes. A singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from London, he blends live piano and guitar with textured production to create songs that feel close and expansive at the same time.

Alongside his original work, he records stripped-back piano and guitar covers of songs he loves. These late-night performances sit naturally beside his own writing, shaped by the same focus on atmosphere, storytelling and emotional detail.

He had a short spell of violin lessons when he was younger; everything else on piano, guitar and production is self-taught. That instinctive path runs through his music; he writes, plays and shapes his songs by ear, chasing what feels honest rather than what follows the rulebook.

His debut single BoxRox and first album Stuck in Traffic captured a raw, lyric-driven phase where he produced and sang everything himself. Between followed, pushing further into experimental electronic textures. He then released Piano for Yoga, a live, meditative piano recording created in a single continuous flow for a yoga video soundtrack.

In 2024 he returned to his roots with Lost Romance, an album built from songs written 18 years earlier and revisited with a more reflective, nostalgic perspective. It moves between gentle piano pieces and fuller arrangements, tying his early ideas to the sound he has grown into now.

He is currently working on new music that continues to blur the lines between acoustic songwriting and electronic production, always searching for the balance between warmth, space and emotional weight.

For a first listen, start with Stuck in Traffic or How Long if you want reflective, cinematic songwriting, then explore the Covers Playlist to hear his take on songs by artists he loves. Fans of Bon Iver, Ben Howard, Nick Mulvey, Coldplay and M83 may feel at home in his world.

Explore the Covers playlist, then dive into the Originals.

You can also find my music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube through the profile links below.

New tracks tagged #80ssynth