Katrina Rees
After wowing with his debut EP Hopeless Romance last year, soul singer Sonny is pushing his musical boundaries with his second EP Northern Nights.
Made up of four tracks, Northern Nights was co-written by Sonny and mixed by Joe Zook. The EP includes the previously released ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’, ‘Lonely Man’, ‘Supernova’ and ‘Calm Down’.
Whilst the EP is laden with Sonny’s trademark compelling vocals, stylistically there is definitely a shift within Northern Nights. Among the soul stirring offerings are rockier guitar-driven tracks which showcase a different side to the Sonny we already know and love.
Northern Nights kicks off with the sincere ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’ which pulls at our heartstrings, before leading into the smooth ‘Lonely Man’. Whilst the track is rich in soul, there is also a rocky undertone which accompanies one of Sonny’s best vocals to date, making this a standout offering.
The penultimate track, ‘Supernova’, is Sonny’s most experimental yet and is without doubt a highlight of the EP. We love hearing how the singer-songwriter adapts his soulful style into a pop/rock laden track. Finally, we have ‘Calm Down’, a stripped down ballad which allows Sonny’s striking vocals to do the talking.
There’s no doubt that Sonny has truly stepped up his game, and Northern Nights proves why he is one of the most exciting emerging talents of 2018.
Speaking about the EP, Sonny said: “Northern Nights, to me, is the next chapter of my music. It was great experimenting stylistically and I went places I wouldn’t usually go. The writing process was natural and organic and was all written on guitar. My favourite moment was writing ‘Ain’t Too proud To Beg’ which took 45 minutes.”
Take a listen to Northern Nights below.
If you want to hear some of Sonny’s new material live, then we can expect some headline shows to be announced for later this year. In the meantime, Sonny has been confirmed for Barbour International’s summer campaign, ‘Barbour International Sessions’, which includes a performance at the Barbour International stage at Malle Mile festival on July 1. He will also be supporting Karima Francis at The Finsbury on July 10.
