Focus Your Audio
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2017 | AFM
Music
Press
"Focus Your Audio is one of Vancouver's best kept secrets, however it won't be long for the world to realize just how thoughtful & beautiful their songs are. Well done!!" Legendary Canadian Producer - Adam Hurstfield -
"Nice work guys! I thought the song (Over There) & the production were very imagined & suited for each other. Had a nice contemporary vibe."
Iconic Canadian Singer-songwriter, Ron Sexsmith -
"A gorgeous confection of vocal & instrumental, this very strong stylish song (Over There) is an indicator of the upward trajectory that Focus Your Audio are on. Shades of Hem, which is no bad thing, but this is all their own work. Beautiful production, where everything is allowed to breathe. Lovely indeed."
Hot Press Ireland, Oliver Sweeney - Hot Press Ireland
Comprised of Sarah McArthur and Bobby McAloney, @officialfyamusic is a duo that focuses heavily on the integrity of a song. Often compared to Fleetwood Mac and @ladya, the two musicians have an Americana/Roots/alt-country sound that can be hard to define but is easy to listen to.
The Vancouver-based duo recently celebrated 100,000 streams on their latest track “Shades” and have been coined “one of Vancouver's best kept secrets" by legendary Canadian producer, Adam Hurstfield.
Their music is stunning - honest, gritty, and warm. It connects to listeners and live audiences on an incredibly deep level, and there has yet to be a venue these two have performed at that hasn’t invited them back. - Bad Parade
The talented Focus Your Audio is presents the stunning music video for Shades. This lush and luscious music video was shot and directed by the talented Luke Bentlay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XSYckmjrSE&feature=emb_title - Citrus Magazine
“Shades” begins with delicate acoustic guitar stating the hook with electric guitar playing complementary lines. After the intimate vibe of the song is set, the expressive vocals by Sarah McArthur enter the first verse along with bass, and a four to the floor kick drum part while acoustic guitar continues playing the hook, and the electric guitar plays delicate fills in between vocal phrases.
The character of the song begins to change once the song hits the chorus and toms are added to the drum part. Adding energy, the acoustic guitar begins accenting the up beats to give the song motion. In addition, the electric guitar lingers in the background with a resonating drone; background vocals are added as well. This exquisite arrangement gives the song width.
Coming out the chorus, new colors and textures continue to develop. The groove continues to drive while the guitar moves into the mid ground and plays a staccato eighths part that travels through the verse and your soul. The song begins to open further, ramping up dynamically for the bridge. Although subtle, the tambourine part plays a small, yet mighty role in the overall arrangement on the bridge. After one final chorus, the song ends by stripping down to vocals, electric guitar, and a cymbal hit that trails off. Demonstrating the true meaning of artistic nuance, Focus Your Audio deliver a deeply moving and intelligent musical experience.
The lyrics in “Shades” are meaningful and tell a story. Working together with the melody, the lyrics evoke emotion, allowing listeners to connect with them. The lyrics “I come from, a million ways” and “I come from, shades away” are poignant and help craft a memorable chorus.
“Shades” by Focus Your Audio is a well written song performed by a high caliber musical duo. With their songwriting talents, Focus Your Audio has crafted a simple, yet powerful melody that serves as the perfect vehicle for the song’s lyrics. With a fantastic arrangement, this song has the complete package of what a listener needs to experience and enjoy this musical masterpiece.
About Focus Your Audio
Hailing from Vancouver, Focus Your Audio is the wildly talented duo made up of Bobby McAloney and Sarah McArthur. Their music encompasses and embraces the best parts of folk, Americana and rock and roll. Sarah’s rich and passionate vocal performance is perfectly supported by Bobby's stellar musicianship. Their undeniable chemistry is heard and felt throughout their songs.
Listen on Spotify.
Connect on Instagram. - Please Pass The Indie - Matt Wong & Staff
Once again, the guys of Focus Your Audio are delivering not only music but heart, soul and passion along the notes.
The Canadian duo Focus Your Audio reaches for your heart and soul with pure emotion and passion. They always did, and their newest release called ‘Shades’ is no exception. It has a very captivating appeal, blending a very soft and defensive backing seamlessly with the heartfelt and passionate vocals. At first, the backing is kept quite minimal with mainly a guitar and a very defensive rhythm. This is really effective because it puts the focus on these addictive vocals while giving them all they need to shine like a diamond.
As the song progresses, there’s a certain kind of confidence rising, the expression of both vocals and backing slowly rises to give the track and the message more weight and meaning over time. This, along an ultra-well-polished mix (seriously guys – this is absolute pro work we’re talking about here), keeps the track exciting and happening in this playful but meaningful atmosphere at all times. If you pay attention, you can listen to the track mature, and in my opinion this is the core feeling that’s woven into the track from start to finish. There’s kind of an evolution taking place both for the emotional message and the music. - KMS Reviews - Florian Maier
“It’s crazy in my mind / It’s chaos most of the time.”
Be fearful, but stand up and own your fate. In Focus Your Audio’s new single “Shades,” it voices the complex lives we live – the need to accept, be bold and brave. The stark visualization of a burning home, an inevitable match to conclude a collapse or lapse in judgement. It pounds a pavement, emotional and taxing on the soul.
Sarah McArthur and Bobby McAloney are an excellent pair. Their music carries grit, intimacy and wields a power that urges for resolve. It’s folk rock/Americana for your evenings in or around a campfire, soothing and purposeful. You may not come out unscathed, but destruction is part of a larger story that can be yours to tell.
By Chole Hoy - the permanent rain press - Chole Hoy
Focus Your Audio, the Canadian songwriting duo with ties to the Pacific Northwest have struck sonic gold on an incredible new, self-entitled EP. The songs are relatable, moving, and brilliantly actualized by skillful musical performances.
The 4 song-strong EP is a powerful, compelling musical statement for this new duo. Focus Your Audio includes vocalist Sarah Stewart and Bobby McAloney. Seattleites might recognize McAloneys licks as the backbone of Modern Day Poets. The songs on the new EP were produced by Sheldon Zaharko (Geddy Lee, Jane Siberry, The New Pornographers) at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver. Guest musicians include some of the biggest names in the Canadian music scene including drummer Johnny Andrews (Hey Ocean), bassist Mike Young (Mother Mother), and keys and piano by Mark Gladstone (Prism). But despite the ambitious production and arrangements, the music remains anchored in stellar songwriting, memorable riffs, and a passionate vocal performance by Stewart.
Few bands can match recorded endeavors to energetic live performances so well. But the 4 songs showcase the bands brilliant, haunting, and emotive nuance with shimmering clarity and sparkling production. The production of the songs is warm and full, while preserving the intimate energy of Focus Your Audio's live sets. The EP is cinematic and ethereal, but at the same time lucidly representative of the live highlights of the band.
And perhaps the most important virtue of the new EP, beyond the musicianship and production, is that it's a truly moving emotional experience. The resonance of the melodies and lyrics will sit with you and speak to you in intimate secrets, the way great music should. Despite this being a 4-song EP, it's a quickly consuming sonic journey.
Focus Your Audio is a band that deserves your attention. The new EP will be out soon, but in the meantime, check them out at FocusYourAudio.ca. - Elijah Dhavvan
Hailing from Vancouver, Focus Your Audio is the wildly talented duo made up of Bobby McAloney and Sarah McArthur. Their music encompasses and embraces the best parts of folk, Americana and rock and roll. Sarah’s rich and passionate vocal performance is perfectly supported by Bobby's stellar musicianship. Their undeniable chemistry is heard and felt throughout their songs. The duo has released their debut self-titled EP. Off the EP, "Masquerade," is a great way to get acquainted with their appeal.
A vibrant medley of piano, guitar, strings, and percussion set the tone for this brilliantly adventurous, emotionally compelling piece of music. Focus Your Audio is a group that knows how to develop tension and build layers, and this is abundantly evident in “Masquerade.”
A soft, vulnerable confession seems to turn into a brave, powerful declaration in a matter of seconds, led by passionate vocals and supported by intelligent production.
Sarah McArthur’s voice is artistic and freely flowing in every way, and it is only enhanced by the masterful use of reverb and doubling that bring the vocals into the fourth dimension. By the last chorus, it’s impossible not to hum along with those memorable lyrics.
“I hope that things are going alright, I heard you made changes, moving on with your life.”
“Masquerade” is one of very few songs in the genre that go the extra mile to achieve a sense of utter completeness, not just in songwriting, but in the intricate use of melodic counterpoint and emotional undertones.
One only has to pay attention to the piano part, as an example, to discover the way in which the song truly earns the description of “catchy.” One can go back and listen hundreds of times, and discover new revelations in each sitting.
Listen on Spotify.
Connect on Instagram.
#FocusYourAudio #Masquerade #MusicReviews #MusicReviewBlog - Indie Spoonful - Ionas Finser & Staff
There are songs out there to just listen to on the go. The new release of Focus Your Audio doesn’t fall into this category. In my opinion this song aims for nothing less than letting the listener experience the feelings of the singer. And it hits the mark.
With a soft and defensive backing of piano, strings and a guitar, the stage is set for those awesome vocals of singer Sarah. This track has a special appeal to me since there’s a special feel attached to the vocals. You can feel the energy that lies hidden in them. Although this track being a soft and defensive ballad, there’s this undeniable energy waiting to break free like a caged bird. (That bird finally breaking free is one of the pictures “Masquerade” creates in my head, by the way.) For me, this reflects part of the unfiltered emotions the listener is allowed to hear.
As this track was written to describe the personal experience of watching a loved one go through mental illness and addiction, the track passes through several stages, there are small things placed in the song to make the song feelable. Those reverbed haunting vocals whispering like little voices in your head, for example. The mood change of the vocals and the music I talked about earlier. All these things allow the listener to really dive into the experience. Music like this isn’t just created and then consumed – it’s lived.
Follow/share the frequently updated spotify playlist “Alternative Gems” and listen to “Masquerade” and more awesome tracks featured on kms reviews! - KMS Reviews - Florian Maier
In this ballad, the sound of the powerful and emotive vocals is merged so exactly with the guitars and the drums in the back that the track invites you to close your eyes and swing along the music in an instant.
This track is constructed so carefully that the sound reminds me of these awesome ice sculptures. (With these sculptures it’s a bit different though, since I don’t have any clue of how someone is able to create such detailed art with a chainsaw. But I might know a thing or two about music.)
First things first, and needless to say, I’m in love with the vocals. They are done in an impressive vocal range, they feel honest and believable to me. And there is an awesome amount of passion delivered with them.
There’s also a lot of details happening within the track, be it partially reverbed vocals, a sleek unexpected drum fill here and there, or a break to shave off the build up tension. Listen closely, guys. Hear that bass line breaking out for that extra melody? What about that rotary effect with the guitar tracks? Those ghost notes on the drums? There are so many aspects in this sound, it actually feels like you were sitting in a park on a sunny day, watching all those people around you doing all those things. You’re surrounded by many facets you can’t take in all at once. For me, sounds like these never get old, they just get familiar.
The latest release of the canadian creatives Sarah and Bobby, better known as “Focus Your Audio”, proves that an effective sound doesn’t have to be compressed and mixed flat, it doesn’t have to be loud nor energetic, it has to be done honest. True. And in my opinion it doesn’t get more honest than this track.
Follow/share the frequently updated spotify playlist “Alternative Gems” and listen to “The Risk of You and Me” and more awesome tracks featured on kms reviews! - KMS Reviews - Florian Maier
Get ready to break out of this destructive relationship. For this release, the guys of Focus Your Audio decided to step on the pedal a bit.
With a quite energetic and driving guitar backing, the vocals transmit that certain uplifting vibe that, in my case, urge you to get up and get shit done. The somewhat raw, edgy energy merged in the song feels like waiting to break free during the whole song, and the female vocals blend into that scenery perfectly. With several added elements and breaks, “Mastermind” keeps you in the dark most of the time where it wants to lead you. With several effects added to the guitar, there’s also a mysterious, unknown element added to the tune.
With the song being about getting away from a controlling and possessive relationship, it really does magic in painting the picture in your head with music. Even without the lyrics, the song feels exactly like these relationships…you’re trapped between the its-not-so-bad calm feeling and the that’s-enough-I’m-outta-here distinctive/confident state of mind. Plus theres the uncertainity of what will happen next. So, in my opinion “Mastermind” perfectly portraits the topic.
Follow/share the frequently updated spotify playlist “Alternative Gems” and listen to “Mastermind” and more awesome tracks featured on kms reviews! - KMS Reviews - Florian Maier
Discography
*Shades (Single)
*Released: June 19, 2020
*Format: Digital
*Producer & Engineer: Mike Young
*Released: December 2019
*Format: Digital
*Producer & Engineer: Sheldon Zaharko
Broken (Single)
*Released: March 2019
*Format: Digital, CD
*Producer: Tommy MacDonald
*Engineer: Karl Decaire
Photos
Bio
Vancouver’s Focus Your Audio are truly a dynamic musical duo. The new band consists of the wildly talented Bobby McAloney and Sarah McArthur. They are impossibly well suited and illuminate one another’s generous skills. Their music seamlessly weaves together the best parts of folk, americana and rock and roll. Sarah’s voice is a sonic avalanche packed with passion and depth while Bobby provides the perfect musical landscape around it. Their chemistry together is palpable in their material. They emulate a natural passion that is impossible to fake.
Sarah grew up in small town Ontario then moved to the Maritimes and comes from a musical family, it’s in her blood and runs deep within her. Bobby grew up in Coquitlam and started playing music at a young age. He has played in an array of established bands such as the esteemed Modern Day Poets. They have both travelled the extensive and dusty road of the music industry before finding one another. Focus Your Audio is a celebration both of them discovering their sound, in all of it’s emotive and vulnerable glory. The east coast charm and west coast grit flawlessly fuse together in their music.
They released their debut self-titled EP in December 2019. These songs showcased their exquisitely intimate yet powerful sound. Sarah’s voice is tremendously passionate and raw. Their lyrics derive straight from the basements of their bleeding hearts. Their songs are beautifully emotive and tremendously moving. They embarked on a tour to celebrate the release of this marvel of a record.
June 2020 marked FYA's latest single release, Shades. Revealing the vulnerability of letting something burn and allowing regrowth to take root, this song is sensitive to the building of emotion with intricate harmonies and layers of instrumentation lush to the ears. With over 110,000 streams on Spotify this song continues to resonate powerfully.
Latest Single - "Over There"The much anticipated second release Over There, with producer/engineer Mike Young (Mother Mother, Devin Townsend Project, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jojo Mason), releases November 6th, 2020 as FYA's newest single. This band is truly digging into its rich Americana roots with Sarah's stylistic vocal performance, Bobby's intricate guitar playing backed by the Mike's instrumentation & Johnny Andrews (Hey Ocean, Tegan & Sara, Vince Vaccaro) percussion. With the added talents of iconic engineer Karl Dicaire (Big Wreck, Devin Townsend Project, 54-40, Mother Mother) at Hipposonic Studios the creative flow of this song exploded.
A song about letting love win every time even in the hardest of life's storms. Wondering how you are over there, when I'm over here.... You'll find your own story in the lyrics and your heart in the moving melodies.
Coined by legendary Canadian producer, Adam Hurstfield as "one of Vancouver's best kept secrets, however it won't be long for the world to realize just how thoughtful & beautiful their songs are. Well done!"
They are just getting started and are certainly one to watch. Their sincerity and relentless passion for music is contagious.
Band Members
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