Rising Soul Star Oliver Simpson Drops Captivating Single 'Better Off'

*London, September 1st, 2023* - Today marks a pivotal moment for Soul sensation Oliver Simpson as he unveils his mesmerizing new single, 'Better Off.' Co-produced at London's Holywell Studios, this release promises to captivate global audiences.

'Better Off' is now available via Made With Purpose and Canvas Music, along with an enticing music video you won't want to miss. In the song, Simpson explores the power dynamics in a relationship, where one person realizes they hold the potential to break the other's heart.

Oliver Simpson's burgeoning career has gained substantial recognition, with support from BBC Introducing and fans among BBC Radio London, BBC Radio 1 presenters, and music executives. With over 50,000 combined streams on Spotify and Apple Music, his music has made its mark worldwide, earning spots on playlists in the US, Australia, Scandinavia, and the UK. As he continues to shape his musical journey, 'Better Off' represents an exciting milestone, and fans can anticipate news about his upcoming London performance as this talented artist continues to rise. We spoke to him about the tracks that shaped his sound:

Kanye West – Touch The Sky

I was 12 years old when I first remember hearing the Late Registration album, Kanye’s flawless production and use of samples tied with the modern hip-hop elements was enough to make me an instant fan. I’d grown up on Motown and Soul and combining these brass elements with HipHop was exactly what I and probably millions of other people connected with when Kanye burst onto the scene. I’m still a huge admirer of his musicality and production abilities; he should go down as one of the greatest producers of our generation and taught people it’s ok to be experimental again. With ‘Better Off’ I love swirling horns and tried to emulate the energy Kanye captures when he produces.

Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come

If I could pick one song to call my favourite of all time this would be it. Sam’s vocals, songwriting ability, the musicality of the composition is to me, arguably, is the greatest soul record ever. What he did was capture not only the emotion of a beautiful song but also in his lyrics and voice, he highlighted the pain and tribulations the black community in America was going through in the 1960’s with class and consideration. Every singer should take note of his delivery and effortless conviction – The greatest ever to do it. I can’t compare myself to Sam but in ‘Better Off’ I try to make my vocal the focus point of the song and give the best performance I can and put all my emotion into it.

Let It Be – The Beatles

Another seminal classic. The Beatles are the best band of all time, they wrote many of the greatest pop songs ever. This one is centred around a driving piano with rising guitars and vocal harmonies and an anthemic chorus, I don’t think I need to explain anymore. There’s beauty in the simplicity of the songwriting too, 4 chords repeated and built upon. When something’s right you don’t need to overdo it. I try to take this learning with me when I go to the studio and not get over-excited with overproducing a record. ‘Better Off’ was written to an acoustic guitar before taking it into the studio; I wanted the songwriting to shine as much as the production.

Amy Winehouse – Back To Black

Once again, another seminal song, I put Amy Winehouse up there amongst the top 20 Jazz/ Soul singers ever. What she achieved in sadly such a short timespan is and was remarkable. Her storytelling and vocals are unique and the production of the music is timeless. Mark Ronson, also another brilliant producer; I think made his best work with Amy and ‘Back To Black’ is a perfect song. She captured the essence of her inspirations the Jazz and Soul legends but modernised the sound without it being pastiche and set the world on fire with her talent. A real artist. With ‘Better Of’ we went ambitious with the production and wanted to bring in some of those epic strings, reminiscent of the Motown greats so Amy’s influence can be heard here.

RAYE, 070 Shake – Escapism

This is one of best records of the last year and RAYE is a fantastic artist, singer and songwriter. The production is modern and anthemic and brought together a perfect mix of electronic, hip hop, rnb and pop. The lyrics also have meaning and RAYE delivers them with honesty and puts herself into the song. With ‘Better Off’ the purpose of the record was to create something new and exciting, and I certainly took inspiration from this track to blend the modern 808’s and sirens with the old school production elements.

Listen to Oliver's single below: