RE:O

Metal / Dark Pop band based in London/Reading in the UK

My good friend James from the band RE:O approached me about writing with the band for their upcoming release. Rio, the band's vocalist and lead songwriter, had expertly arranged the foundation of this track but was looking for a guitarist’s touch, as the previous ideas had been created using MIDI. Our collaboration resulted in a more finalized version of this track.

I asked for the stems after hearing the initial (guitarless) demo, which in itself put a huge grin on my face during my drive to work. I decided to challenge myself not to listen to their original guitar ideas. Instead, I approached it with open ears, creating something that felt natural to me. Once my guitar parts were in place, I rewrote the drums and bass to match, making a few small arrangement tweaks to better suit the song’s flow. After finishing, I finally listened to their original guitar ideas and got the band's feedback on my approach for some minor edits. This turned into a fun, creative experiment in perspective and interpretation.

I had a fantastic time working with the band on this track, and I can’t wait to hear the final version in what I believe to be a very bright future for the band.