New collaborative solo project appropriately named Team Solo debuted their single ‘It Only Makes Me Love You More’ on Friday 25th of September. The track exudes energy and blends influences from indie, pop and ska to create a sound that’s instantly appealing. Team Solo is the moniker from Hackney based recording artist Scuta Salamanca, previously of The Dallas Guild and Social Skills. Recorded in Scuta’s “old, ramshackle studio in a factory in North London” the track features Nick Crofts (Heart Years, The Title Sequence) on piano and also Alex Reeves (Elbow, Dizzee Rascal) on percussion.
‘It Only Makes Me Love You More’ is a light-hearted play on feeling “under the thumb in a relationship”, Scuta explained, adding, “I’m trapped in love – but perhaps I like it that way.” Echoes of Madness and The Clash can be heard in the familiar ska-infused rhythms but this track merges electronic synths with heavy guitar licks that will only make you love it more. A melancholic section at the halfway point floats along before revving up for the last minute of percussive energetic goodness.
The musical mantra of Team Solo is minimalism. Each song needs to be simple enough that a bag could be packed at a moment’s notice, ready to perform anywhere in the world. The oxymoron in the name is a giveaway but Team Solo isn’t going to be a solo project, with different guests being invited to perform on each song during the process of recording. These might be familiar or unfamiliar faces and allowing his guests to do what they please gives a greater colour to each track whilst still remaining distinctly Team Solo.
Words by Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall
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