Blair Davie, a singer-songwriter born and raised in Perth and now based in London, released their new single “Prague” on the 24th of April. The song highlights Davie’s songwriting, vocal, and emotional capabilities, reminiscent of the likes of Lewis Capaldi, James Bay, and Dermot Kennedy. The production on the track has found a satisfying middle ground between their most recent EP release in November 2023, Piano Sessions, and their prior, more upbeat, EP It’ll Be Lovely.
The track begins as a slow piano ballad, opening with Davie’s smooth voice singing We could go to Prague – such a tantalising offer. As the track moves into the chorus, a guitar is introduced and Davie displays their vocal prowess by shifting their pitch on certain words, creating an enticing vocal sound. The progressive layering of instruments continues on the second chorus with the addition of drums, before suspending the bridge over just piano and strings. This masterful production is a credit to David Green, responsible for many of Coldplay’s hits, but Davie’s lyrics and voice are equally significant.
Davie wrote that they “wanted to start chasing magic and joy this year,” and this is finely reflected in the song. Overall the track describes both the comfort and the excitement that a relationship has the potential to offer with lyrics like: It doesn’t matter where we’d go, anywhere will feel like home if you’re all in … No one else could lift me up this high, who needs planes to fly? Combined with the effective production, the song is able to fully immerse you in this relationship Davie is describing: Travelling without moving, fell in love without choosing.
Davie has experienced a collection of successes in the past few weeks prior to the release of their single, prophesying an exciting career in popular music. They have been nominated for the 2024 Ivor Novello Rising Star Award, presented by the Ivors Academy, a professional association for UK musicians. They also have recently sold out a show at the Slaughtered Lamb venue in London and the Zermatt Unplugged Festival in Switzerland. With this new, upbeat, and vibrant track added to their catalogue, they are assuredly a rising star to keep an eye on.