A news cycle lament.

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Written and performed by Never the Bridle

Mixed and mastered by flakebelly @ Flaming Jangle Studios

Feebling

Buy/download

Slow news day

Milenci

Mashup of “Fallin’” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” arranged back in my college days at Temple. Vocal perc throughout and tight rhythmic lines. A chart that really needs stagger breathing when performed by a full ensemble.

Fallin'/It's a Man's Man's Man's World- Alicia Keys/James Brown Mash-Up SATbB A Cappella Scratch Cover w/Vocal Perc

Avantgarde android vibes. Yo, this is the scene.
Original concept, vocals, prpts, mix/mast/prod: duudleDreamz
Creative collaborator, vocals: Kezuki Nova

Heart Beats Remix

Breathe In - Breathe Out - Remix

One of the most early run-throughs of this song, performed by Griffin Murphy ('24)
Original song by Gavin Degraw (2003)

"I Don’t Wanna Be" - September 21st, 2023

From the second rehearsal of the Fall '21 semester
Original song by Gavin Degraw (2003)

"Chariot" - September 2, 2021

Reaction to seeing someone sitting outside a cafe and falling in love

Can You Imagine

A song about Canadian PM Mark Carney globe trotting so much that no one knows where he’ll end up next.

Where in the World is Carney Sandiego?

Sparks and Fire

Chordettes - Lollipop (Cover)

Avantgarde, Mock Opera, Art/Symphonic Rock android vibes. Yo, this is the scene.
Original concept, vocals, prpts, mix/mast/prod: duudleDreamz
Creative collaborator, vocals: Kezuki Nova

Breathe In - Breathe Out - Remix 2

A cappella vocal recording of the Ṛg Veda chant Saṅghacchadhvam, repeated three times. Peaceful, calm, centering.

Sangacchadhvam

Cure For Me

An intimate almost-a-cappella cover of The Scientist by Coldplay.
I recorded this live in one take; mostly just voice with a very minimal backing; keeping it raw and close up so it feels more like someone singing right next to you than a big studio version.

It is a little slower and softer than the original; with space left between phrases so the lyrics can really land. If you are looking for The Scientist covers; a cappella versions; stripped back Coldplay covers or vocal-led arrangements; I hope this one gives you that quiet; late-night feeling.

Recorded in London as part of the Rita Road Sessions.

Listen to more of my music and collaborations here:
https://on.soundcloud.com/8c5UO64MEz22HWpIlM

Rita Road Sessions
Music from the heart of London.

The Scientist – Coldplay (A cappella-ish Cover by olliray) (Live)

Lord, I Need You – Lane Branch, Arr. Ivan Costa & Haden A. Ayers

“Snowed In With You” blends cozy Christmas pop with smooth R&B, capturing the magic of being wrapped in love while the world freezes over. It’s a romantic winter escape filled with firelight, slow dancing, and the kind of closeness that makes the cold disappear.

Snowed In With You (A Cappella)

Snowed In With You - Stripped

I’ve always been a writer in various forms, but I’ve recently returned to writing lyrics and constructing songs. I enjoy tinkering with stems and tracks in GarageBand (yep, still rocking it) and exploring various facets of AI.

Weaving moods, sounds, harmonies, emotions, rhythms into tunes. Inspired by life, moments and everything in between.

All my links: linktr.ee/neverthebridle

Say hi on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/neverthebridle.bsky.social

Never the Bridle in interview with Mark Watkins: tinyurl.com/5n7frwf6

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'Lessons' was a November 2024 Fresh on the Net 'Fresh Fave'.

Never the Bridle has been played on Exile FM, Amazing Radio, Radio Wigwam, Untidy Radio, North Manchester FM, and more.

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Solo singer-guitarist-bassist writing upbeat indie songs about anxiety and postpartum life. Keen to write for other artists.

I record vocals, guitars, bass, keys (and whatever else I can get my hands on) at home.

The album 'Feebling' was mixed and mastered by Flakebelly @ Flaming Jangle Studio. The albums 'Eldest Daughter Energy' and 'Bin Night Again' feature guest drums and production by Martyn James.

The artist name is a reference to the scold's bridle, an archaic instrument of punishment primarily used on women.

https://linktr.ee/neverthebridle

Elon University’s premier all-male a cappella group.

Songwriter
Songs demoed A Capella
Songs for sale

Executive Director of a vocal music group: Noteworthy Philadelphia. I'm just putting up some "proof of concept" scratch recordings of some of my arrangements. These are not meant to show off vocal prowess because I am recording them with no intentionality and often lazily singing while sight reading my own arrangement from weeks prior. But if you're ever interested in hearing some of my actually well-put together arrangements, head over to https://www.noteworthyphila.com/ or our YouTube where all of our music videos live!

"I'm genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow."

Transplanted from California to the UK in 2005, interested in Early Buddhism, climate change, and forestry.

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.

I’m obsessed with turning emotion into sound — from late-night heartbreak anthems to timeless covers of the classics. Follow me to catch the next drop… the best songs of my life are coming soon.

New tracks tagged #A Cappella