Welcome to the third edition of TRi THIS Music magazine
We hope you’re having an amazing summer and we’re here to make it sound even better
This issue is packed with standout new music, exclusive artist interviews, and features that celebrate the best of what’s next and what’s timeless. Whether you're discovering your next favourite track or reconnecting with a classic, there's something here for you. As always, we’d love to hear what you want to see more of— we’re building this with you, for you.
Enjoy the music, The TRi THIS Music Team
A deal signed, streaming success already under his belt, and an eight-month release campaign kicking off this August, new singer-songwriter Charlie Aky is riding the wave of what looks like a defining breakout year During our interview Charlie opened up about self-doubt, songwriting, and how far he’s come not just musically, but personally
Charlie’s early love for music didn’t always feel welcome. “I was a ‘lads’ lad’ kind of kid,” he explains. “So singing didn’t really fit the mould. At school, it wasn’t cool It was seen as feminine, I guess You really have to fight through that noise But if you can push through it pays off” Push through he did Now with a label deal and tracks racking up over 200,000 streams, Charlie is proof that early resistance can lead to long-term reward
Being a musician becomes cool eventually,” he laughs “But at school, it can feel isolating You just have to persevere”
After a year of focused writing and recording, Charlie is ready to drop the next phase of his music beginning with a new single on August 1st
“This track’s a bit of a transition,” he explains. “It’s one I wrote two years ago, before signing. It’s that bridge between the older stuff and where we’re going now I wanted something anthemic — a big chorus, something people can sing along to” While he describes songwriting as something that becomes easier with time, there’s no formula “Some songs take five hours Others take one It depends on the emotion, the topic, the room It’s part skill, part instinct”
Like many young artists navigating today’s ever changing industry, Charlie speaks about the pressure that comes with visibility.
“There’s always self-doubt Always Especially when you’re constantly comparing yourself on social media But at the same time, it’s the most thrilling job You put a piece of your soul out there, and then you wait And when something connects that’s the best buzz”
“It’s that thought what if this works? What if someone hears this and it changes things? And then there’s the fact that I’ve put so much time in already. You don’t get this far just to walk away.” His words land with clarity a young artist who’s wrestled with the weight of ambition, and has came out the other end with clarity, further inspiration and determination Of course this is a career-long battle
“I’ve done a lot of self-evaluation these past three years I’m a completely different person now I had to make big life changes I wanted to become a better person not just a better musician And now, things are falling into place”
For Charlie, two moments stand out so far: “First time a song hit over 100K then 200K that was big. You can see it, feel it, it’s real. And then signing and going out to Berlin to write and record — being around world-class musicians, in that space it’s surreal”
“You’ll never stop caring what people think that’s normal. But the more you do what you love, the more it flips. Even the people who mocked me back in school? Now they come up and ask how it’s going”
“And that’s the shift but you have to earn it”
“What Can I Say”, sees Charlie returning to producer Jim White, who also worked with him on previous fan favourites “Better After All”, “No One To Call”, and “8 out of 10” As with these releases, Charlie doesn't shy away from vulnerability, often using songwriting as a space to unpack real emotional weight
“I wrote this song about the feeling someone seems to be becoming uninterested in you overnight,” he explains. “It’s about how you try to piece together what happened and how it came to end the way it did. I wanted this song to be very powerful — big vocals, strong resonating lyrics I think we achieved that”
Festival Season
Our Spotlight on Street Cred!
Few artists move with as much purpose, clarity, and quiet boldness as Silyla. Genre-fluid and emotionally intelligent, Silyla’s music carries the essence of future pop, the soul of classic R&B, and the storytelling instinct of someone who’s been writing songs for as long as they can remember Our interview with the London-based, producer, and creative powerhouse was a huge deep dive into her own identity and ambition
“My mum made me do classical,” she laughs “But it wasn’t until my piano teacher who moonlighted as a songwriter started sneaking Logic lessons into my sessions that things clicked.”
That early exposure to DAWs and composition planted seeds But it wasn’t until her teenage years, when she picked up one of her dad’s guitars after seeing Ed Sheeran play solo at an awards show, that her musical voice started to form
“I thought, I could do that,” she says “It felt accessible, like I didn’t need permission And that was the beginning.”
From there came early YouTube covers (“thankfully”, she says, long deleted), then university auditions, music school, and the beginnings of a unique path learning to coproduce, write prolifically, and eventually, work closely with her partner, a full-time producer
“He’s kind of like my Finneas,” she admits “I’ll guide the shape and mood, and he’ll bring it to life But I can make songs myself too that part’s important”
Though her current digital discography is just the tip of the iceberg, Silyla has written hundreds of songs across genres: R&B, dance, indie, acoustic, even country.
“I love anything that has soul or nostalgia in it,” she says Her inspirations shift from early 2000s niches; we laughed and reminisced about the vibe even H2O: Just Add Water bought, all the way to the genre freedom vibe Sabrina Carpenter is currently exploring “I write like a songwriter first,” she says “I’m not just building tracks I’m expressing something The genre follows the feeling”
What keeps everything cohesive? What’s her signature. Her voice. “I think I’ll evolve over time, definitely,” she says when asked about her future sound “But it won’t be jarring My voice ties it all together I’ll take my listeners with me”
She brings up Sabrina Carpenter again “She evolved, but stayed herself” For Silyla, the goal is to grow in phases, to never compromise her essence just to fit a moment “My job is to introduce myself in the most authentic way,” she explains “Then everything else builds from that”
“Songwriting shouldn’t be hard,” she says. “If I’m stuck, I move on. The best songs come quickly it’s like catching a wave. You wait for it, you feel it, and then it just flows” Some songs are free-styled entirely in one take over a loop Others are polished across weeks “But the magic,” she says, “always starts when you stop overthinking” She compares it to Harry Styles' metaphor of surfing “You’re just waiting to catch that creative wave Once you’re on it, you don’t force it you ride it”
As an emerging artist, Silyla still juggles freelance work, a part-time job, and the relentless selfmanagement it takes to stay in the game.
“I work three jobs,” she says bluntly. “I wish I could live at home with my parents, but they live in Canada. I’ve had to take big risks — going freelance, learning how to build a sustainable life” Her realism is sharp but never bitter “Yes, there are privileged people in the industry But there’s also space for people like me It just takes longer You have to be strategic Entrepreneurial Resilient” And what keeps her going? “I genuinely love making music If I sit down and something works I light up It’s joy It’s therapy It reminds me why I do this”
Her proudest moments so far? “There have been moments behind closed doors where big artists or producers heard something I made and said, ‘Yes’ Those moments changed something for me They reminded me I’m meant to do this”
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In a sun-drenched corner of Scotland, Stuart “Woody” Wood is still doing what he loves most making music, sharing stories, and carrying the flame of a legacy that has defined generations. Best known as the guitarist and heart of the Bay City Rollers, Woody is a living thread of pop culture, woven through decades of tartan fandom, stadium screams, and now, fresh creative rebirth
With the recent release of Mania a book three decades in the making and a new single “Rollers Forever” on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better to catch up with Woody and talk about the past, the present, and what keeps the Roller spirit alive.
“Believe it or not, I started writing the book in 1990,” Woody laughs “It began as diary notes funny stories, personal memories, band moments It evolved from scribbles in a notepad to Word docs to finally teaming up with Peter Stoneman, who treated it like a jigsaw puzzle He helped me shape all these fragments into something that really captures the spirit of it all” The result is Mania, a rich, emotional rollercoaster ride through Woody’s life in and out of the spotlight, including a foreword from none other than Rod Stewart. “We’ve seen so much,” he reflects, “and the book gave me a way to honour it all — the highs, the lows, and the laughs in between”
The Bay City Rollers aren’t done not by a long shot With their re-energised lineup, the band continues to perform, drawing in lifelong fans and new audiences discovering the joy for the first time
“We’ve got 60-year-olds next to 20-somethings at our gigs, all waving tartan scarves, dancing and singing along. That connection... it’s magic,” Woody beams. “There was a time in the '90s I fell out of love with the songs playing the same ones over and over — but something shifted We reunited in 2015 and I remembered how great they really are That spark came back” Their 2024 album Keep on Rollin’ blends rerecordings of iconic hits with brand new material “Twelve notes,” Woody grins “That’s all we’ve got to work with, and it still blows my mind how many ways you can spin them”
When asked what it’s like to be a Bay City Roller now, Woody smiles. “It’s calmer, for sure. But it still has that buzz Back then, it was manic — we were locked in hotel rooms, mobbed everywhere Lockdown almost felt familiar! But now, it’s about joy, connection It’s about playing great songs to crowds that genuinely care”
The band’s newest single, “Rollers Forever” (out July 19), takes that spirit to another level “We recorded it live with the audience at a festival in Elgin,” he shares. “They sing the chant ‘We want the Rollers!’ and we answer back, ‘Rollers Forever!’ It’s the first time a single includes both us and our fans singing together. That’s special.”
“My dog gets me up,” he says with a laugh, “and my wife Denise is an artist, so we’ve always got something creative going on at home Whether we’re walking on the beach or bouncing ideas around, it all feeds into the music” He speaks openly about the ups and downs “You’re not always up But if you hang in there, the wave will come again Whether it’s a new riff on the computer or an old track with fresh energy it’s all part of the journey.”
Woody’s pride in Scotland and its music scene runs deep. “We didn’t have the internet. Everything was built from the ground up — hundreds of gigs a year, Top of the Pops, magazine clippings Now anyone can just stream a track, and that’s amazing But back then, you had to go out and earn it”
He still sees a lot of passion in younger musicians today. “The scene’s evolving. The talent’s out there, no doubt And if someone picks up a guitar because of us, that’s incredible”
With upcoming gigs in Guildford, Ireland, and Canada plus the Rollers Forever musical in the works the story of the Bay City Rollers is still being written
“Just do it for the right reasons,” Woody says “Don’t chase fame. Do it because you love it. That passion will see you through.”
