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Nostalgic Authenticity: “Big Time” by Rogue FX and Mayah Camara

“Big Time” by Rogue FX and Mayah Camara Today, we’re opening the gates to our blog in classic style – classic '80s synth-pop, to be precise. Whenever the words ‘80s’ and ‘synth-pop’ are mentioned, Rogue FX is never far behind. Drawn to the essence of that decade, he dives deep to retrieve a flawless pearl and then showcases it in his musical shop window.  His latest track is called “Big Time,” a collaborative project with Retrowave/Nu-Soul artist Mayah Camara . The story revolves around a relationship at a crossroads, caused by the success and fame of one partner who has reached the “big time” mentioned in the title. Jealousy and insecurity take hold, but there’s a shared hope that the relationship can survive and grow.  Rogue FX cleverly packages this story in the big-city vibe of the '80s, creating an emotional counterpoint to the relationship through his astute selection of sound and rhythm – the big-time lifestyle of that era. From the start, the listener experiences the

Nostalgic Pop with a contemporary aura: "Enemy" by Jimmy & Verona

Jimmy & Verona, London

Jimmy & Verona

Slovenian and Scottish fusion Jimmy & Verona brings you 80’s inspired Nostalgic Pop with a contemporary aura. Combining the experience of Eurovision stages and UK Rock'N'Roll venues, they continue to refine their sound with every new single.


I have read, Slovenian and Scottish fusion, what's the story behind Jimmy & Verona?

We are London based music and cat lovers, one coming from Scotland and the other from Slovenia. We both come from 2 very different backgrounds; one used to gritty Rock’N’Roll UK venues and the other used to Eurovision stages
We worked together on several projects, but after a while realised we were made to hide our love for POP for way too long, so we started this project. Jimmy & Verona are our alter egos, named after our 2 cats 🐱🐱


Your new release "Enemy", creates an amazing 80s atmosphere, what was your inspiration?

Thank you! We love creating nostalgic atmosphere with our songs/arrangements and since we both love 80s sound so much, it’s just a natural pull towards capturing that in our songs. We admire the attitude of that era “let’s see what happens when you put this wacky synth in this part”, the sounds that in their initial form seem out of place.. But we’re mainly inspired by the fact that artists just did what they loved and not cared what the world around them thought.


What are your favorite 80s artists?

I’m a fan of all the female powerful, yet gentle voices like Belinda Carlisle, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Bonnie Tyler, Marie Fredriksson (of Roxette) and Jimmy loves the soundscapes from The Cure to Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, Tears For Fears..


How would you describe your creative process?

We have different approaches to starting something new, but mainly it’s either a song in its rawest form - started on piano and vocals and then ready to create the sound around it OR a full on produced track, finished off with lyrics and vocal melodies on top. 
Both of us work from different directions aiming for the same result - a creation we’re both proud of and love (and maybe a few other people love it too) 🥰


Studio or stage ... what do you prefer?

We’re loners at heart, but thrive on performing live, so a good balance of both worlds is what would be ideal!


What can our readers expect from you in the near future?

We just finished writing a song that’s actually coming out very soon! I never thought I’d say this in my life, but it’s actually a Christmas song that we think a lot of people will relate to. 
The interpretation of it means something totally different to each of us, but both provoking an emotion that’s very real and sentimental. Hopefully we can share it with you and your readers very soon!


Photo credits: Dan Bridge

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