LISTEN: Otto Aday Releases New Single + Announces Album
Agnostic of eras and genres, London-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Otto Aday’s music could be uncorked in any decade and still resonate. Blissfully nostalgic melodies, British rock ‘n’ roll energy, and cinematic scope spiked with a bit of sixties psychedelia anchor his debut LP, Persona, that’s set for release on October 6 via Bay Street Records.
After building buzz independently with his alternative spirit, the artist attracted international icon Dave Stewart, whose short list of accolades include being an inductee of the UK Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame®, four Ivor Novello Awards, four Brit Awards for “Best Producer,” and GRAMMY® Awards — to name a few.
“Each song on the album is about a moment or a person that left an impression on my life. These songs are the breadcrumbs of these moments that I’m leaving behind.” - Otto Aday
“I realized immediately he’s a very creative and interesting songwriter with a great voice,” says Stewart. “In the songwriting and singing world, he’s the whole package. His unique character, emotions, and storytelling are really embedded in the album. This is the moment it all came together for him artistically. He knows exactly what he can do.”
The album’s lead single, “Star Crossed Lovers” — co-written with Stewart and available everywhere now — evokes this spirit. Setting the scene, guitar wraps around luminous piano chords above a delicate beat. Big screen-worthy strings accent his swooning intonation as he observes, “The moon’s been out forever, makes us feel so small.”
Recalling the catalyst for penning single, Otto recalls: “On Halloween, I went to York dressed as Charlie Chaplin. I was in a hostel, and this young American lady came down the staircase and said, ‘Oh my God, I love Charlie Chaplin!’ It turned out she had traveled to England for a screenwriting internship. We hit it off from the word go and went on an adventure across the UK, we stumbled across an old cathedral, and I whisked her away to a fantasy-like village where every house is a bookstore. The moments we spent felt timeless and suspended in midair, maybe that’s why I liken her to the stars. It blossomed into a beautiful friendship; I definitely love her in some sense. I’m immortalizing the relationship in the song.”
OTTO ADAY
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