Ask The DJ: Born Stranger – Top 10 Songs That Inspire David Maddox-Jones to Write Music

Today, sees the release of ‘Fire & The Flame‘ by Northampton’s synth pop duo, Born Stranger.

Frontman, David Maddox-Jones, started writing songs when he was just seven years of age, “We didn’t have a TV or radio in the house as I was brought up in a Christian Community where music was meant only for Christian Worship. Pop music was a form of escapism for me at first, I used to go to my friend’s house and listen to his CDs and make copies to take home to listen to and try to emulate.

“Here are 10 tracks that as soon as I heard them I just had to get on the piano and write, they just have that certain something… It’s hard to limit this list to just ten – and I’ll probably have to miss some out but here goes…”

1. Depeche Mode – ‘Enjoy The Silence’

“So simple, so catchy, so uplifting – and here’s how it connects with their fans live.”

2. The Weeknd – ‘Can’t Feel My Face’

“The ultimate anti-chorus – and the arrangement is so simple but the dynamics in the production make it interesting.”

3. Coldplay – ‘Trouble’

“What a classic riff and great melody – a heart-breaking ballad. I hope I write a riff as good as that one day.”

4. Daft Punk – ‘Get Lucky’

“This tune connected with everyone when it came out – Nile Rodgers has such a distinctive sound and Pharrell Williams nails the topline.”

5. Blur – ‘Beetlebum’

“What a great guitar riff and chord structure – and the vocal is so cool and lazy – Damon Albarn is just effortlessly cool isn’t he.”

6. Human League – ‘Don’t You Want Me’

“The karaoke classic – and we’ve all been at a club where the DJ turns the song down for the chorus and everyone drunkenly sings it back…”

7. Pulp – ‘Common People’

“Witty, clever and quintessentially British…”

8. Kylie Minogue – ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’

“Cathy Dennis wrote this, she’s great – it’s like three sentences, the whole song, so simple – killer pop!”

9. Erasure – ‘A Little Respect’

“I used to DJ at a bar in Stoke Newington, London and whenever I dropped this beast it was stand on tables moment – a great sing-a-long pop tune.”

10. M83 – ‘Midnight City’

“The Ultimate Modern Synth Pop Riff!”

‘Fire & The Flame’ is the first single from Born Stranger’s upcoming debut album, and is available to purchase HERE.

Live Debut Show

September
30 – KOKO, London

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Photo: Gualtiero F