Beginning intimately before opening into a large, cathartic chorus, the track moves between vulnerability and release. Sonically, it may appeal to listeners of artists such as KALEO, Hozier and Highly Suspect, while retaining a deliberately raw and personal character.

“Ghosts at 3 AM” was born from a period of profound personal loss and pain. Rather than presenting grief as something that eventually disappears, the song explores what happens when life moves forward while the person you lost remains part of it — in memories, regrets and those sleepless hours when everything comes back.

⇒ Read our review for “Ghosts at 3 AM” here.

That connection followed the song into the recording process itself. Most of the track was recorded in Michael’s studio in Bavaria. Just a few metres from where the vocals were recorded rests his mother’s ashes.

“I was recording a song about being haunted by someone you’ve lost while my mother’s ashes were literally three metres away from me. There’s this little shrine of memories beside me — her perfume, jewellery, photographs, seashells, teeth and, of course, her ashes. At some point, ‘Ghosts at 3 AM’ stopped feeling like a metaphor.”

“The year after she died, I tattooed myself like a berserker. I even considered having a tiny amount of her ashes incorporated into the ink. I was in an incredible amount of pain and so much guilt. Then I entered this strange period of nostalgia — just remembering and writing. It became almost like a workout, like therapy. Looking back, the creative process was intense, but the song became a beautiful way of honouring someone I really, really love and miss — even if I couldn’t always show her how much she meant to me.”

The verses carry that intimacy before the song breaks into its central plea:

“Cut me free from the chains of yesterday / Free me from the ghosts at 3 AM.”

Yet the song is not ultimately about forgetting. Its central idea is almost the opposite: moving forward does not have to mean leaving someone behind.

⇒ Read our review for “Complicated” here.

“Complicated” was co-written by British songwriter and producer Frankmusik, whose extensive writing and production credits include work with Lady Gaga, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Ellie Goulding, and RuPaul. To achieve its specific sound, the production bypassed modern digital processes. The single was recorded using live instruments and routed through vintage analog equipment to capture a natural, lived-in tone that complements the track’s raw lead vocals.

“It’s a personal song about a relationship I was in many years ago with someone who just made every little thing difficult… for themselves and for us. And I chose to stay because it was easier to stay with something familiar even if it’s not right than leave and start all over again. ” — Bam Rigby on new single, “Complicated”

As the second single off of his upcoming debut album, Sometimes I Forget to Breathe, this track highlights the analog-focused direction of the project while giving listeners a glimpse of his own vulnerability.

“We Are” approaches worship from an unusual musical direction, particularly with its jazz influence and natural 5/4 time signature. Now that the song has been out for a while, what reactions from listeners have surprised or meant the most to you?

I’ve found that the song has been very easy for people to engage with. My hope was that, by allowing the Spirit to work through both the writing and recording process, the song would flow naturally. I never wanted the uncommon rhythm or extended harmony to become a distraction—or a hindrance—to the act of worship.

The Unveiling finds hope and compassion in the Book of Revelation, a text often associated with fear and judgment. Has creating this album permanently changed the way you personally read or understand Revelation?

It was actually just the opposite. The study I journeyed through inspired both the writing and the composing. It truly became an unveiling for me, and the song was simply my response to the truths that were opening up before me.

You’ve described “We Are” as a reminder that “we, together, are what God intended.” In a culture that often seems increasingly divided, what role do you believe musicians—and especially Christian artists—can play in encouraging unity without becoming preachy?

Well, it’s God’s Word that encourages us to live in harmony. As a singer-songwriter, I’m simply digesting that message, allowing it to reverberate within me, and then offering my personal understanding through my own voice. Whether something feels “preachy” is ultimately determined by the listener. I can be faithful to what I’m expressing, but I have little control over how someone chooses to receive it.

After more than three decades of songwriting and ministry, how has your definition of a “successful” song changed? Are charts, streams and radio play still meaningful, or do you measure a song’s impact differently today?

Success for me is measured by whether I’ve fulfilled God’s purpose for me. If I’m called to create, produce, and offer a worship song as a vehicle for leading God’s people into a place of worship, then ultimately only God knows whether I’ve succeeded. My prayer is simply that each song reaches those whom God intends it to reach.

https://open.spotify.com/track/754wadFOdJCBQTcDagp9Cg?si=0e958aeb1e894975

“I Will Never Know the Desert Again” and “We Are” reveal very different musical sides of The Unveiling, yet both ultimately point toward hope. When you look at the album as a complete work now, which songs feel most personal to you and why?

Both of the songs you mentioned, along with “Hallelujah” and “I’m Coming,” immediately come to mind. All four have been experienced in live worship and have proven their ability to engage people, which is always the ultimate goal. Interestingly, I’ve only just noticed how evenly they’re spread throughout the album from beginning to end. That wasn’t intentional, but in hindsight, I think they serve as the glue that holds the album together as a whole.

Your music draws from worship, folk, jazz and the classic singer-songwriter tradition rather than staying inside one clearly defined genre. Which artists or records had the greatest influence on the way you learned to tell a story through a song?

I was brought up listening to all kinds of music. Nothing was really off the table—traditional, historical, or popular music from cultures around the world. So it was only natural that, over time, those influences would find their way into my writing, recording, and performing.

You’ve often encouraged younger Christian musicians to discover their own voices instead of becoming replicas of successful artists. Was there a particular moment in your own career when you stopped worrying about what you were “supposed” to sound like and became comfortable simply sounding like Eddy Mann?

Sure, though it wasn’t so much a particular person as it was a particular moment—one in which I heard God’s voice very clearly, guiding me and transforming me into who He intended me to be. It was quite an epiphany, and at the same time, a deeply comforting revelation.

You’ve mentioned that your next project, Dreaming with God, is being developed with an eye toward a yearlong release in 2027. What can you tell us about the concept, sound and songwriting behind the project, and how will it take listeners somewhere different from The Unveiling?

My vision, which continues to evolve each day, prayerfully embraces a lifelong journey with God accompanying me through it all—present in both the highs and the lows. I don’t want to simply dream of God; I want to dream with Him, exploring the possibilities together.

From the shared invitation of “We Are” to the personal vision behind Dreaming with God, Mann’s songs return to the same hope: that music can help people feel God’s presence in their lives and in one another. As he looks toward 2027, he remains open to where that journey—and the songs it inspires—will lead.

Your father introduced you to music by teaching you guitar and singing you lullabies. What is your earliest musical memory with him?

To me, the music world looked like a safe, wonderful place. We learned children’s songs together, and those moments were always filled with positivity, laughter, and joy. I will cherish them forever.

You’ve said “Dad” came to you soon after his passing, but it took six months to record. What helped you finally step into the studio?

I kept trying to find a way to get myself back to music. I tried various emotional techniques and cognitive exercises, but they didn’t work. You simply can’t talk yourself out of grief. I was just about to give up when, all of a sudden, I remembered what my dad used to tell me in difficult situations: “You’re smart, courageous, and strong. You can handle it. Don’t let any circumstance discourage you.” His advice was what finally helped me. Even though he’s gone, he continues to guide and help me.

You kept the sighs, caught breaths, and other imperfections in the final recording. What did those moments express that a polished take couldn’t?

How do you explain a scent, the wind, a touch, or a sound? You can only feel it. Raw emotion is deeply profound. It belongs to a single moment, and moments never repeat. Polished things often lose their life, just like refined sugar loses its real taste. Removing the true emotions from this song would strip away the authentic, real-time moments that come with a breath. Breathing is the very essence of life. Sometimes, a subtle sigh can speak much louder than a technically perfect, steady vocal performance.

Your father trusted you to solve problems on your own while always being there when you needed him. How has that shaped the way you approach your life and art?

It taught me to trust my intuition, build confidence, take risks, go the extra mile, and live without a fear of making mistakes. I learned that failure doesn’t exist in reality; it only lives in our minds when we think we’ve failed. Life is a process, and like any task, it is alive in that process. The biggest mistake we can make is to always wait for results. Outcomes will come no matter what, but when we focus entirely on them, we can’t truly live in the moment or enjoy the journey. What’s the point then? So, I made it my goal to focus on the process and enjoy it as much as possible. My dad used to say: “Will be what will be, and will be what is supposed to be. Just do it. Try again. You can do better. It’s just a matter of time. As long as you keep going, it means you didn’t fail.”

You remember him as an avid reader with a remarkable library. Is there a book, story, or idea he shared that has stayed with you?

My dad was truly a walking well of wisdom. He was a man of few words, with a very calm and powerful personality. His grounding, yet innocent, childlike energy could light up an entire room. He carried a healing presence; just by being there, he could calm everyone around him. Because of that, I learned from him mostly through nonverbal language—through his inner freedom, natural wisdom, and a deep soul connection. We could understand each other without words. There is a kind of wisdom that can’t be taught because it goes beyond logic; it’s about the emotional intelligence and unconditional love that a parent passes to a child. He was someone who would never betray you. I trusted him more than myself because his sense of fairness and emotional intelligence were unmatched, and he taught me that simply by his example.

You’ve worked across music, fashion, and performance. Did your experience in those fields influence how you created the lyric video for “Dad”?

I feel like this project marks a completely new chapter in my creativity. I intuitively turned off my internal “judge”—the part of me that thinks it knows how things “should” look based on past experience—and just let the video unfold on its own. My dad had a rare gift of never trying to be perfect, because he knew perfectionism is meaningless. In fact, true perfection doesn’t exist. Ironically, we think that polishing everything makes it better, but the opposite is true. When you take a whole grain and remove its germ to polish it, you actually make it incomplete. Everything is perfect as it is. You will never find a perfectly straight line in nature, or a forest growing in neat rows. Nature has its own complex order, full of different frequencies, colors, and endless sounds. I feel like I am just starting to rediscover myself as an artist.

What was the hardest part of sharing such a personal tribute with other people, and what do you hope they take from it?

Interestingly, it was much harder to keep this song to myself than it was to share it with the world. Every person has a story worthy of a book or a movie. I truly believe my father deserves this tribute. He was incredibly humble, selfless, and generous, always helping his friends, and even strangers, without a second thought. He was also deeply talented in music, acting, and art, and he used to create amazing art pieces out of wood. He was rich inside and out, with a beautiful soul, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had him as my father.

I wish I had spent more time with him, because now I feel like there are so many questions that I didn’t ask him, so many things that I didn’t tell him, and now it’s too late, as every question is met with loud silence. It’s an unexplainable feeling that I’ve never experienced before. It feels like infinite stillness, like another dimension that can’t be perceived by the logical mind. As I sing in the song, my phone is silent because he can no longer call, and I cry out to him across that distance. All I can tell people is to take time from your busy schedules and spend it with your parents while you still have the chance.

Has making “Dad” changed your relationship with music or the way you feel your father’s presence in it today?

There is a line in the song: “Because I am a part of you, and a part of me is gone with you.” I feel my father’s presence not just in my music, but in everything. I’ve realized so clearly how much of him lives on in me—the way I think, the way I perceive this world, and the way I create are all deeply influenced by him. He saw beauty in everything and truly loved life, even though he left this world far too soon. So yes, I absolutely feel his presence. He lives in my heart and my memories forever.

In “Dad,” Kalnik shares a loss that remains difficult to put into words, along with the love and guidance that have endured beyond it. Her message to listeners is simple: make time for the people you love while you can.

“Dad” is set for release on October 9th, 2026.

That weight comes through clearly in how the song is put together. Harmonically, it’s fairly simple, but it’s still genuinely powerful because of how effectively the dynamics are used: the huge guitar sound pairs perfectly with the higher-register vocals in the chorus, while the verses sit in a lower, more baritone range that adds real narrative weight throughout. That contrast mirrors the song’s emotional arc, moving from something quiet and internal to something bigger and more released.

The central idea running through the track isn’t about forgetting; it’s closer to the opposite, the notion that moving forward doesn’t have to mean leaving someone behind. For a debut single built on such personal ground, “Ghosts at 3 AM” backs up its comparisons to artists like Kaleo and Hozier without leaning on those references, delivering a genuinely affecting alternative rock song that earns its catharsis honestly.

The track blends rock, blues, Americana and R&B into a warm, guitar-driven reflection on memory and everything carried forward. As Newman puts it, “Some memories bring comfort, others bring pain, but they all become part of who you are.” It is a simple idea, but one that feels instantly relatable.

What makes “Ghosts” work is that it never pushes the emotion too hard. The arrangement has plenty of room to breathe, allowing Newman’s seasoned vocals and expressive guitar work to remain at the center. Naomi Margolin’s guitar and vocals add another layer to the performance, while John Cardone on bass and Shawn Murray on drums and percussion give the track an organic, cohesive foundation.

There is also something refreshingly mature about the way the song approaches memory. It doesn’t romanticize the past or suggest that every ghost needs to be confronted or forgotten. Some simply remain with us; as reminders of people, places, mistakes, joys, and versions of ourselves that helped shape who we are.

Written by Mark Newman and Michael Mills and produced by Newman and Fred Guarino, the recording has a rich, lived-in quality that suits its uplifting reflective mood. It feels honest without becoming overly sentimental, allowing the songwriting to do most of the emotional work.

Mark Newman’s “Ghosts” is less about what haunts us than what remains; and sometimes, the ghosts carried forward are simply proof that something, actually, once mattered!

The track sits between folky indie rock and pop, with a distinctly 70s-inspired warmth. Live instrumentation, layered harmonies, and vintage analog equipment give the production a natural, lived-in quality, while Rigby’s raw vocals keep the emotional center of the song exposed. There’s something deliberately unpolished about it, but never unfinished. That contrast is what makes “Complicated” work. The music feels relaxed; the relationship at its center is anything but that!

“Why are you complicated? / Gotta complicate it all” captures the immediate frustration, but the song gradually reveals something more complicated underneath. “It’s always something / But I keep coming back for more” shifts the focus from blaming the other person to recognizing the cycle itself. There’s a certain honesty in admitting that sometimes familiarity can be easier to hold onto than the uncertainty of leaving.

Rigby has described the song as being inspired by a relationship where even the smallest things became difficult, yet staying felt easier than starting over. That sentiment comes through in the repetition of the lyrics, which mirrors the circular nature of the relationship. Even “I drown in you / I was never really good at swimming” keeps the writing direct and relatable rather than overly dramatic.

The analog production adds another layer to that familiarity. Rather than simply functioning as a nostalgic aesthetic, the warmth of the recording makes the track feel almost like a memory being replayed: comfortable, recognizable, and perhaps not entirely healthy.

As the second single from his upcoming debut album Sometimes I Forget to Breathe, “Complicated” gives us a glimpse into an artist finding a balance between contemporary indie pop and older sonic textures. Its steady rhythm, warm production, and restless lyrics make for an interesting contradiction: a song about being caught in a loop that never feels musically stuck; and maybe that’s where Bam Rigby’s “Complicated” finds its charm: turning a familiar emotional mess into something warm enough to comfortably stay with us for a while..

We publish these accounts because silence protects the wrong people.

Italian band Antiquus Infestus reached out to Rock Era Magazine with a direct and significant update. After taking matters into their own hands and presenting their case with documented evidence, Spotify has removed their music from the platform — it is no longer searchable and no longer appearing on their artist page. The platform read their message, evaluated their proofs, and acted in their favour.

In their own words to us:

“We managed to have our music removed from Spotify. It would be great if you talked about it, helping us to spread this.”

They added:

“Other bands will follow. We must make sure Saïd Chebacheb and Darkside Records cannot exploit anyone else in the future.”

And finally:

“Thank you guys! I appreciate your support in keeping the attention on the scammers.”

Their official statement, published across their social media platforms, reads:

“We are working in silence to get back what is rightfully ours. Spotify is the first platform to take down our music. The album is no longer searchable nor is it showing on our page. They read our message, heard our reasons, evaluated our proofs and decided to act in our favour. Other platforms will follow. If you want to listen to our music, please visit our Bandcamp page, which has always been managed by us. Thanks to those who are sharing the path with us and their support in gathering all the proofs.”

This is a meaningful step — and a signal to every other affected band that pursuing these claims through platform channels, with documented evidence, can yield results. Other platforms are expected to follow.

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Rock Era Magazine has also heard again from Imane, bassist of Moroccan metal bands Nexus 7.17 and Tombstone, whose account puts the current wave of disclosures into a longer, more troubling context.

Imane attempted to warn the Arab metal community about Darkside Records and Saïd Chebacheb before many of the most recent accounts came to light. The response she received was not gratitude — it was legal intimidation.

In her own words:

“In late last year I tried to warn Arab metal society under one of their posts endorsing DSR’s presence in Egypt. My goal was to spread the word on what happened to Sakadoya and some bands in Tunisia before 2022. Instead, I was met with harassment from Said and his friend, who happens to own a law firm in Morocco. I was asked to publicly apologise to Said and take back my claims in video format on all my social media — or they were going to sue me. I did not care about their threat, but I was definitely shocked by what he can do to silence people.”

She added:

“He tried to sign my band back in 2019, but luckily we’ve always had a bad gut feeling about DSR and Said. Thank you for sharing Sakadoya’s evidence — spreading DSR’s legal status is going to save a lot of bands moving forward.”

Imane also directed our attention to a Tunisian band whose suffering began earlier than almost anyone else in this story — and has lasted longer.

Tunisian metal band CARTHAGODS have been dealing with the consequences of their relationship with Darkside Records since October 2019 — when, by their account, Saïd Chebacheb left Tunisia, blocked all communication channels, and settled in Morocco. Their 2024 statement, which Rock Era Magazine republishes here in full, documents the scale of what was left behind:

“Hi everybody. As many of you have mentioned, ‘The Monster In Me’ album has been taken down from all the platforms. This was after Darkside Records decided that we owe him €100,000 for the recording and the promotion costs of the album.

The Darkside Records chapter was a tough one for the band — not only did it cause us multiple problems as a band and as artists, but also as humans. It literally destroyed many relationships and partnerships around us because of the huge amounts of unpaid money left under our names — recording, mixing, flight tickets, video making, merch — after Darkside Records escaped from Tunisia in October 2019 and blocked all communication.

Today, after almost five long years, during which we worked hard to stay together and go forward with our art and our passion — to connect with the people who always believed in us — we are still dealing with the consequences.

On the other hand, Darkside Records got in contact with us several times asking for another chance. Our position was clear: the dues need to be paid. He even reached out to several of our partners. Some were paid and never worked with him again. Others are still waiting for payment until today.

We would like to express our gratitude for your messages and support. Our current label Flying Dolphins is in search of a solution. We will provide updates as soon as we hear from them.

Stay true. Stay metal.”

An entire album removed. Five years of damage to relationships, finances, and creative momentum. A claim of €100,000 owed — levelled at the very band that was left unpaid. And an ongoing search for resolution that continues to this day.

The picture being assembled here — across Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, and beyond — is consistent, documented, and growing. Bands are reclaiming their music. Platforms are listening. Legal threats are being made against those who speak up. And the timeline of harm stretches back to at least 2019.

Rock Era Magazine will continue to publish every verified account we receive. We stand in complete solidarity with every other artist who has been affected — named in our coverage or not.

To every band still hesitant to come forward: the evidence is working. The platforms are listening. And you are not alone.

• You’re about to release “Bump N Grime” on October 25th. Before we get into the details — are you considering any collaborations or guest features connected to this release or in the near future?

My style is quite different, and I think every artist has their own vision. If another artist wants to sing or collaborate with me, they have to really feel the song and the vibe. Their vision may be different from mine, and that doesn’t make either of us wrong — that difference is part of what makes us artists.

For me, a collaboration has to create something special. Whoever I work with, whether they’re an up-and-coming independent artist or someone already well known, I want us to make magic and bring creativity to its highest level.

I’m open to working with both. What matters to me isn’t how famous someone is, it’s whether we connect creatively and whether the music comes from the heart.

That’s always been important to me because I write from things I’ve seen, lived and felt. I want to make music that people can hear and say, “I understand that — I’ve been there too.”

If a collaboration can create that kind of connection with people around the world, then I’m interested.

• “Swagger. Rhythm. Character. No rules.” That’s your campaign line for “Bump N Grime.” How did the concept for this single — including the cat mascot — come together, and what feeling did you want it to leave with listeners?

The first version of “Bump N Grime” started in 2025 as a funky groove, inspired by the feeling of having a good night out and enjoying yourself. But I wanted to take it somewhere different.

I started playing the guitar and working through the chords, and that’s when I realised the track had real swagger, rhythm and character. It had its own personality, and I wanted the whole release to reflect that.

The cat came from my imagination and my love of creating a strong visual identity. I wanted “Bump N Grime” to have a character people could recognise straight away, not just as part of the music video but as part of the branding and marketing around the song.

So I created this cool cat character to live alongside the track and give the whole campaign a fun, stylish personality.

At the heart of it, “Bump N Grime” is a feel-good dance song. I want people to smile, move, dance, enjoy themselves and feel comfortable being who they are.

That’s the feeling I wanted from the beginning — confidence, fun, freedom and good energy.

• “Mangal Gel” is currently ranked #3 in the Timbaland Global Search powered by Orbiit. What has that experience been like, and what has it meant for your visibility and momentum as an independent artist?

Being part of the Timbaland competition has been an honour and a privilege. Timbaland is one of the biggest producers in the world, so just being part of that environment means a lot to me.

At first, I was actually undecided about whether I should enter. There are some big artists in the competition and people with much bigger budgets behind them, so I thought to myself, “Should I really do this?” Then I decided, let’s have fun with it.

I wanted to be different. I wanted to put forward something fresh and something that really represented my roots. I have so many songs that I believe in, so choosing one was difficult, but in the end I went with “Mangal Gel.”

The whole journey has been amazing — from the BBQ, to the studio, to the world, to the Timbaland competition, and then into the London press.

To see the song reach Rank #3 and connect with people has given me real momentum as an independent artist. It’s brought more attention to the music, more people discovering who I am, and more confidence to keep pushing forward.

It’s been an amazing experience, and I’m enjoying every part of the journey.

• You launched your solo career in 2025 after more than 25 years dedicated to music. What led you to that decision, and what changed when you finally stepped out as a solo artist?

Over the years, I learned a lot as a songwriter, producer and artist, and from working with professionals in the music industry. All of those experiences helped me understand not only how music is made, but also what I wanted to say with my own music.

Eventually, I reached a point where I wanted to express myself fully and show my own creativity and passion.

Music has always been my escapism. When I’m creating, I enter a completely different world. My imagination runs wild and free, and for that moment there are no limits on where a song can take me.

As life changes, you also start to find more space for yourself. My children have grown up, and I realised I finally had the time to really follow something I had carried with me for many years.

Everyone has a dream somewhere inside them. When the opportunity comes, I believe you should give yourself permission to follow it.

This is the beauty of my dream — and this one is mine.

• Your catalogue spans more than 330 original songs across an extraordinary range of genres — R&B, Afrobeat, Hip Hop, Reggae, Latin, cinematic music, and more. How do you manage such a wide creative range without losing a coherent artistic identity?

Most of my songs come from real life. What your eyes have seen, what your ears have heard, what you’ve lived through and what you can relate to — all of that finds its way into the music.

Then my roots naturally come into it as well. That’s why I can move between different genres without feeling like I’m losing myself, because the foundation is still coming from the same place.

For me, the most important thing is the feeling. If I’m not feeling the vibe, then I know the listener probably won’t either. I’m quite ruthless with myself in that way — if a track doesn’t connect with me emotionally, I’ll bin it there and then.

That’s probably how you know a song is Omer Ahmet. The genre might change, the rhythm might change, the language might change, but the emotion has to be real.

• “AZIZEM” has crossed 1.2 million streams and clearly resonated far beyond what many independent releases achieve. Looking back, what do you think made that song connect the way it did?

“AZIZEM” actually goes back to 2019. I was in the studio with Everett Peters, known as Soundbwoy Entertainment, who sang “Never Wanna Say Bye Bye.” At the time, my partner’s name was Azizem, and we had met in Şanlıurfa, Türkiye.

The very first version of the song had more of a Latin feel. I wrote and produced it, but I remember telling Everett, “I’m still going to work on this.” I knew there was another version of the song inside me.

So I went back to my roots. I brought in Afro-inspired drums, Turkish and Middle Eastern influences, and an authentic instrumental break that gave the track its own identity.

I finally released “AZIZEM” in March 2025 as something personal for my beloved partner. That emotion is probably one of the reasons people connected with it. It wasn’t just a song I made for the sake of releasing music — there was a real person and a real story behind it.

For me, what makes “AZIZEM” special is that it carries love, history and different cultures in one song. I think listeners felt that honesty, and seeing it go beyond 1.2 million streams has been incredible.

• You draw creative inspiration from Cyprus, Türkiye, Greece, Italy, the Middle East, and East Africa. How do those cultural roots show up in your music — and does it change depending on which genre you’re working in?

Wow Mena, that’s another interesting question.

When a song first comes into existence, I honestly don’t always know what genre it will become. Sometimes the lyrics come first, sometimes the beat, sometimes the chords. A lot depends on how I’m feeling that day — whether I’m happy, sad, reflective, excited, or going through something emotionally.

From there I start asking myself: how does this connect with me? What feels natural? What represents who I am?

That’s when my roots and culture begin to come through — in the rhythm, the soul, the sound, the melodies, and sometimes the language.

I don’t like to force a song into one box. I prefer to think of myself as a global songwriter. I love experimenting, exploring different sounds, and letting each song find its own identity.

And sometimes we get things wrong. It might be the lyrics, the sound, the mix, too much reverb, or simply a creative decision that doesn’t quite work. But that’s part of being an artist. What makes us unique is that we can change, adapt and learn from it.

That’s how music works for me — you keep creating, listening, learning and improving. The genre can change, but the emotion and the connection to who I am always stay at the centre.

• You’ve had airplay on Rhondda Radio for “I Wanna Be Your Man,” with “Mangal Gel” also confirmed for October 3, as well as press coverage from London to Brazil and features in outlets including Rock Era Magazine. How important has that international press and radio support been to building what you’re building?

When I hear my music on the radio, I get emotional because I know how much hard work, dedication, time and love has gone into creating it.

What means the most to me is when a listener or fan appreciates the music, connects with it, relates to it and understands where I’m coming from. That’s what makes all the work worthwhile.

I’m truly grateful to everyone who has given me an opportunity along the way — radio presenters, journalists, press outlets, curators, creators, fans, family and friends. Every person who has listened, shared, played or supported the music has become part of the journey.

To see something that started in the studio travelling to different countries and reaching people around the world is something I never take for granted.

From the studio to the whole world, I’m honestly honoured. Peace and love to all — always be well.

• You’re developing a 31-album project — 30 in English and one in Turkish. That is an extraordinarily ambitious long-term vision. How do you think about sequencing and pacing a project of that scale while also releasing music regularly?

🤣🤣🤣 Mena has definitely done his homework on me!

For me, songwriting comes very naturally. Some artists need a full team around them — songwriters, musicians and producers — and that’s how a lot of major-label projects are built. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. But for me, I can sit down with some chords, an idea or a feeling, and a song can start forming very quickly.

A lot of that comes from age, mindset and life experience. I’ve seen a lot, lived through a lot and met people from many different backgrounds. That gives me stories, emotions and perspectives to draw from.

If you ask someone to write about struggle, soul, the streets, family, love, loss or real life, not everyone will know where to begin. It depends on your roots, what you’ve seen, what you know and what you believe.

I honestly believe everyone has a story and everyone has a melody somewhere inside them. I seem to pick up on those stories and turn them into songs.

That’s why the 31-album vision doesn’t feel impossible to me. The songs are already coming. The important thing is not rushing them. I want to group them properly, let each album have its own character, and keep releasing singles along the way so every song has a chance to breathe.

I’ve also taken that storytelling into musical theatre and film. I’ve written “Torn,” a musical story with ten original songs about two brothers who fall in love with the same woman, blending opera, rap, R&B, soul and pop.

I’ve also written “Cleopatra,” another ten-song musical project with a full story built around time travel — a traveller goes back in time, falls in love with Cleopatra, and by doing so changes the course of history.

Those are projects I’d love to take further with the right directors, producers and creative team.

For me, it’s not about putting out 31 albums as quickly as possible. It’s about building a body of work that reflects different parts of life, culture, emotion and experience — music and stories that people can listen to, relate to and hopefully see a part of themselves in.

• Alongside your music career, you’ve worked in ambulance transportation helping vulnerable people, cared for both parents through cancer, and supported Comic Relief and cancer research campaigns. How much of that lived experience feeds directly into your songwriting?

Life is like the game Snakes and Ladders. None of us really knows what is going to happen next, what life will throw at us, or who we will become along the way. All we can do is keep trying, keep learning and keep going.

I’ve seen and heard a lot in my life, and those experiences stay with you. Helping vulnerable people, supporting charities, caring for my parents and seeing people go through fear, pain and illness taught me a lot about humanity.

There is something very powerful about being able to help someone, support someone, put a smile on someone’s face or simply understand what they are going through. Those moments change you.

A lot of that naturally feeds into my songwriting because real life gives you real emotion. Love, pain, fear, hope, family, loss and resilience — those things are part of all of us.

One of my songs, “There’s Only Me and You,” really reflects that belief. It’s about standing beside someone when life gets difficult, giving them strength when they’ve lost hope, and believing that love can carry people through hard times.

“When times are hard, we gotta be strong

Love will carry us on.”

We are living in a time where so many people are suffering and where humanity can sometimes feel divided. I believe we need more compassion, more understanding and more unity. We should always stand against suffering and anything that takes away from our humanity.

If my music can make someone feel understood, less alone, or even just bring them a little peace, then that means something to me.

That’s the kind of message I want my music to carry — support, hope, strength and humanity.

• You produce your own music videos and handle much of your own creative direction. In a world where visual identity is increasingly central to an artist’s success, how do you approach the visual side of your releases?

Oh my God, I love this question because this is where I really feel like I shine. I get genuinely excited talking about the visual side because creativity is one of my greatest passions.

When I write and produce a song, I normally start getting ideas for the video almost straight away. Sometimes the direction comes from the lyrics, sometimes the beat, and sometimes an image just appears in my mind and I know exactly where I want to take it.

That could be anything — futuristic worlds, studio scenes, boxing, Bollywood influences, robots, cinematic sci-fi or even something with a space-opera feeling. I love experimenting and creating a different world around each song.

When I’m working on the visuals, I honestly become like a little child again. My imagination runs free and there are no limits. That’s when I feel most alive creatively.

For me, the video isn’t just something you add after the song. It’s another part of the storytelling. The music gives you the emotion, and the visuals let you bring that emotion to life.

I also think about how the visual can become part of the identity of the release — something people recognise instantly on social media, artwork or video. That’s why characters, styling, colours and concepts matter to me.

I want each song to have its own world, but still feel like part of the Omer Ahmet journey.

That’s where my passion and creativity really shine.

• Your music is being positioned for sync licensing across film, television, advertising, gaming, and branded content. Is sync a strategic priority for you right now, and what opportunities are you actively pursuing in that space?

Absolutely. This is one of the areas I want to develop the most.

I have more than 330 original tracks, covering many different genres, moods and cultural influences, and I would love to see that catalogue licensed and used across film, television, advertising, gaming, trailers and branded content.

I’d love to have my music placed with major studios, streamers and production companies, but I’m equally interested in working with independent filmmakers, producers, music supervisors and creative companies. For me, it’s about finding the right home for the right piece of music.

I also have my two musical theatre and film concepts, “Torn” and “Cleopatra,” which I would love to develop with the right producers, directors, investors and creative teams. These are not just collections of songs — they have stories and characters behind them, so I see them as complete creative projects that could potentially grow into stage or screen productions.

I’ve also recently started developing another project that is very close to my heart called “Zeynep,” inspired by my daughter. It follows her adventures and life through original songs and stories.

I’ve already started creating music around things such as the alphabet, numbers and fruit, with the idea of developing it further into children’s videos, educational content, colouring books and other creative material.

I want “Zeynep” to keep growing into its own little world — something colourful, musical, educational and fun that children and families can connect with.

So when I think about sync and the future, I’m thinking much bigger than one placement. I want to open up my 330-plus-song catalogue, develop “Torn” and “Cleopatra,” and continue building “Zeynep” into something that could live across music, film, television, theatre and children’s entertainment.

I’ve created a lot of music and a lot of ideas. Now I want to connect with the right people who can help take those ideas from the studio to the world.

• What does the rest of 2026 and early 2027 look like for you beyond “Bump N Grime”? Are there more singles, album projects, or live opportunities on the horizon that you can share?

The plan first is to continue releasing the singles I’ve been working on, and then bring them together into my first full album, “Omer The Maestro.”

That journey should take me through to around May 2027, and after that I want to give myself a couple of months to recharge, reflect and come back with fresh energy.

But the next chapter is already taking shape. I’ve also prepared my second album, called “Words of Wisdom.”

That project is very personal to me. It reflects me as a child, discovering and showing my talent, but the journey develops into something much deeper. It takes me back to my roots, where I meet Aphrodite, and she becomes almost like a guide through the story — leading me through time, reflection and the journey still to come.

Through that concept, I want to send a message to the world about life, identity, wisdom, where we come from and where we are going.

There aren’t any live dates I can announce just yet, but I’m absolutely open to the right live performances, showcases and festival opportunities as the releases develop.

So although I’ll take some time to recharge after “Omer The Maestro,” creatively I’m already looking ahead. I’ve got more music, more stories and more ideas ready to grow.

After that, I’ll see what opportunities come my way — whether that’s live performances, collaborations, sync, film, theatre or something completely unexpected.

For me, every project is another chapter of the same journey — and “Words of Wisdom” will take that journey somewhere very different.

Built around Omer and the instantly recognisable Bump N Grime cat mascot, the release carries a distinctive visual identity designed for streaming, short-form video, press, radio, and visual marketing. It is a record with attitude — and the artistic track record to back it up.

“Bump N Grime” does not arrive in a vacuum. It arrives as the next move from an artist who is visibly, measurably gaining ground across every front simultaneously.

His breakthrough single AZIZEM has surpassed 1.2 million streams, attracted international press coverage, and generated enough heat to spawn AZIZEM Dance — an extension of the original into a Mediterranean dance setting. “I Wanna Be Your Man” earned confirmed breakfast show airplay on Rhondda Radio on September 26, 2026. “Mangal Gel” followed on October 3rd on the same station, within the prestigious Rhondda Radio Introduces segment.

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And “Mangal Gel” is doing something else entirely right now: it is currently ranked #3 in the Timbaland Global Search powered by Orbiit, a culture-led, high-energy release built around audience participation, streaming, voting, and international discovery. That placement has added significant momentum to Omer’s ongoing press and radio activity — and signals the kind of international attention that his catalogue has long deserved.

Press coverage has accumulated from London Post Daily, Music-News.com, Plastic Magazine, Doppio Magazine, Rock Era Magazine, Repeat Fanzine, Broken Color Music, Quiet Coast, and Radio Armazém in Brazil. A feature interview aired on Stereo Heart Radio USA / The Culture News with David Serero, available on Spotify.

What makes Omer Ahmet’s current momentum all the more striking is the depth of catalogue sitting beneath it.

Since launching his solo career in 2025, Omer has released music from a body of work that spans more than 330 original songs and a long-term 31-album project — 30 in English and one in Turkish. His range is genuinely extraordinary: R&B, Hip Hop, Rap, Afrobeat, Reggae, Pop, Dance, Rock, Country, Latin, Hindi-inspired, and cinematic music — all drawing from a life shaped by Cyprus, Türkiye, Greece, Italy, the Middle East, and East Africa.

“Real music. Real emotion. Global connection.” That is his mission statement, and his catalogue is its proof.

The creative approach behind all of it is rooted in lived experience. Omer has supported cancer research campaigns and Comic Relief, worked in ambulance transportation helping vulnerable people, and cared for both parents through their battles with cancer. He is a proud father and grandfather. Those experiences — of resilience, of compassion, of love tested by real hardship — shape the honesty that runs through everything he makes.

His music is being developed for streaming, radio, film, television, advertising, gaming, and branded content, with broadcast-ready masters, instrumentals, clean edits, and curated selections available for sync and licensing briefs.