PROTAGONIST, the sophomore album by Eliza Spear, is a fitting one: the story may be hers, but anyone can imagine themselves in the role of the hero when they listen. Where other songwriters might settle for easy cliches, she reaches instead for the sorts of vulnerable truths that can bridge the divide between her and the listener. Her melodies have a way of drawing you in: first low and conversational, like a friend offering secrets into your ear, then soaring and triumphant, calling you to follow on the journey she’s started. 

All of PROTAGONIST stems from a particularly intense period of her life, and she interweaves them into a song cycle of sorts: an image or idea introduced on one track might surface again on another, given complex new resonance by its shifted surroundings and the passage of time.

The album is full of gleaming synthesizers, body-moving drum machine rhythms, and hooks big enough to shout in a stadium. Where some songwriters might sacrifice subtlety in favor of such big-tent appeal, Spear has retained all the writerly nuance of her earlier work and then some. She combines the intimacy of the singer-songwriter canon with the immediacy of the best pop.

Spear is fond of presenting her music in unconventional spaces where she can forge more powerful connections with listeners than the typical divide between artist and audience allows. The Protagonist Project, a concept created by Spear, invites curious passersby to experience the lost art of live music discovery through private, three-minute concerts in unexpected venues. Her weekly blog, An Artist’s Blog on Substack, is on the brutal and stunning truths that come with being an artist today. Spear brings listeners behind the scenes into a more intimate look at her setbacks and triumphs, all the while encouraging listeners to dig deeper into their own. 

The Protagonist Festival Series represents perhaps the largest of the album’s spin-off ventures. Happening monthly in diverse art spaces across New York, the festival features an eclectic mix of songwriters, poets, comics, and street vendors, all curated to reflect the same themes of truth, growth, and resilience that shape the album. A fierce advocate for both in-person experiences and the depth long-form content can offer in an era dominated by short-form consumption, Spear shares the stage with artists from all walks of life. These mini-festivals, marketed through affirmations placed around the city encouraging people to see themselves as protagonists, blend just the right amount of excitement to thrill a traveler while staying rooted in the album's ethos—grief that is vast enough to be set in an arena yet intimate enough to bring people together. 

Anything Everything

Don't Die In Me

Sweetheart

Lighthouse

Bikini Season

andover

Softer Kinder

The Songwriter

Find Someone Else

Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love (Remix by RYSE)

RYSE - Cosmic Love (Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love Remix by RYSE)

Florence + The Machine, Dawnlezz - You've Got The Love (Afro House Remix)

instagram.com/marcelopcamara

tiktok.com/@marcelopcamara

Florence + The Machine, Dawnlezz - You've Got The Love (Afro House Remix)

Florence And The Machine - Everybody Scream (FREDDIE SAWYER EDIT)

1AM Vegas Party Mix

Really enjoying playing around with Matt Corby vocals - blokes voice is IT. Pitched up +1 semitone for copyright.

Resolution x Dog Days Are Over (JAYMAK Edit) - Matt Corby x Florence and The Machine

Unimaginable hell exists in this world. Sometimes, life drags us down into the depths without our consent. But I believe we have a choice in how we let traumatic events affect us, our ability to live, our ability to love ourselves and others.

Do we live like a cornered wolf, snarling its teeth defensively, keeping everyone away at arm’s length in fear of being hurt again? Or do we turn our pain into strength, find the courage to be vulnerable once more, and learn how to live the life we owe to ourselves?

Let this song be your mantra to reclaim your strength and open your heart once again.

LYRICS
-----------------
I was born on a battlefield
Always on guard
The world broke my trust far too much
I knew I must defend my own skin

When the lone wolf was cornered
Her heart hardened like stone
She fought through blood and broken bones
Her soul was always so cold

Now I believe in kindness
Because I’m the one who will start it
Now my tears bring me release
I’ve set my anger free

My traumas don’t define me
Cannot bind me
Can’t confine me
My past is part of strength I find
My warrior battle cry

Le-le-le-hey
Le-le-le-le-hey-heya
Le-hey
Hey-hey-hey-hey-heya

Built the wall high up to the sky
Like a banner of pride
Hiding my pain inside
Hmm, the lies I’d tell myself

Said that I never needed any help
I was busy protecting myself
I’d forgotten to heal
Forgotten how to feel

Now I believe love exists
Because I owe it to my spirit
Now I’m learning how to live
I know I’m not alone

My traumas don’t define me
Cannot bind me
Can’t confine me
My past is part of strength I find
My warrior battle cry

My traumas don’t define me
Cannot bind me
Can’t confine me
My past is part of strength I find
My warrior battle cry

My traumas don’t define me
I am so much more
I’m so much more

My traumas don’t define me
I am so much more
I’m so much more

Le-le-le-hey
Le-le-le-le-hey-heya
Le-hey
Hey-hey-hey-hey-heya

CREDITS
-----------------------
Performer, Composer, & Producer: Tamlin.
Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Max Honsinger
Tagelharpa Cellist: Paul Johnson

Battle Cry

want to remix this track, work in progress

Sympathy Magic - Florence and the Machine

An intimate piano and vocal cover of Music by Men by Florence + The Machine. I recorded this live in one take; just wanting to share my version of one of my favourite songs on the new album.

I kept it very soft all the way through; slower than the original; with a few natural stops and pauses so it feels more like a quiet conversation than a big performance. The chords and melody stay quite close to Florence’s version; but some lines fall almost into spoken word and of course it sits in a male voice instead.

The artwork shows me at the piano wearing RayBats; my experimental listening device; a small nod to the way I am always mixing music with sound research.

Recorded in London as part of the Rita Road Sessions; sitting with the reflective and heartbroken side of the song.

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

Learn more about RayBats here:
https://www.raybats.com/

Rita Road Sessions
Music from the heart of London.

Music by Men – Florence + The Machine (Acoustic Cover by olliray)

For business inquiries email Mando7211@yahoo.com

https://www.youtube.com/@mandoball1980s

YouTube Mando Ball

French Dj / Producer
booking : rysemusic.ofc@gmail.com

Brisbane’s ‘Ultimate Party Conductor’ 

JAYMAK has been a dominant DJ figure in both local and domestic scenes over the last 13 years. 

A JAYMAK set is ENERGY. To unite the crowd into an absolute rager. No genre is off limits. It’s his unique style of open-format and scratching that’s helped him build an impressive list of residencies, including: The Met main stage, Prohibition, Kenjin and YOT Club Brisbane and Gold Coast. JAYMAK also specialises in more niche showcase nights at Sunday Service (Ling Ling’s) and Su Casa. There’s no stage too big or too small.

An exciting feature of JAYMAK’s performances is the use of his own mashups and edits. Over eight years he has created over 1,000 mashups and edits which gives audiences tunes they’ve heard before in a way they’ve NEVER heard it before. His ability to create mashups and edits was recognised early on – in 2015 – becoming the weekly mashup creator for Nova 106.9’s radio show. His edits are now enjoyed by thousands around the world via numerous DJ Pools, as well as featured on Diplo and Friends through BENZI’s Trap Series, and his latest mashup pack hit #1 on Hypeddit top 100.

JAYMAK has his sights firmly set on a big 2025 – look forward to his visit.

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.

Tamlin is a voice for those seeking purpose in a chaotic world. Inspired by her psychology studies, her music is a beacon of existential exploration. As an independent artist who produces music and directs award-winning music videos, Tamlin’s evocative work challenges listeners to confront their shadows and find meaning within.

New tracks tagged #Florence And The Machine