Otto Aday Announces Debut LP 'Persona' Via Bay Street Records Due Oct 6

OTTO ADAY
ANNOUNCES DEBUT LP
PERSONA
OUT OCTOBER 6 VIA BAY STREET RECORDS

NOSTALGIC MELODIES, BRITISH ROCK ‘N ROLL ENERGY
AND CINEMATIC PRODUCTION 
ANCHORS FORTHCOMING 12-TRACK ALBUM

LEAD SINGLE
“STAR CROSSED LOVERS” 
CO-WRITTEN WITH ICON DAVE STEWART 
OUT TODAY, AUGUST 16 WITH STRIKINGLY SCENIC MUSIC VIDEO

Above: single artwork for “Star Crossed Lovers”

NASHVILLE, TN (August 16, 2023) — Agnostic of eras and genres, London-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Otto Aday’s music could be uncorked in any decade and still resonate. Blissfully nostalgic melodies, British rock ‘n’ roll energy, and cinematic scope spiked with a bit of sixties psychedelia anchor his debut LP, Persona, that’s set for release on October 6 via Bay Street Records. 

After building buzz independently with his alternative spirit, Otto Aday attracted international icon Dave Stewart, whose short list of accolades include being an inductee of the UK Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame®, four Ivor Novello Awards, four Brit Awards for “Best Producer,” and GRAMMY® Awards — to name a few. 

“Each song on the album is about a moment or a person that left an impression on my life,” Otto affirms. “These songs are the breadcrumbs of these moments that I’m leaving behind.”

“I realized immediately he’s a very creative and interesting songwriter with a great voice,” says Stewart. “In the songwriting and singing world, he’s the whole package. His unique character, emotions, and storytelling are really embedded in the album. This is the moment it all came together for him artistically. He knows exactly what he can do.”

The album’s lead single, “Star Crossed Lovers” — co-written with Stewart and available everywhere today — evokes this spirit. Setting the scene, guitar wraps around luminous piano chords above a delicate beat. Big screen-worthy strings accent his swooning intonation as he observes, “The moon’s been out forever, makes us feel so small.”

LISTEN TO “STAR CROSSED LOVERS” HERE.
PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE PERSONA HERE. 

Recalling the catalyst for penning “Star Crossed Lovers,” Otto recalls: “On Halloween, I went to York dressed as Charlie Chaplin. I was in a hostel, and this young American lady came down the staircase and said, ‘Oh my God, I love Charlie Chaplin!’ It turned out she had traveled to England for a screenwriting internship. We hit it off from the word go and went on an adventure across the UK, we stumbled across an old cathedral, and I whisked her away to a fantasy-like village where every house is a bookstore. The moments we spent felt timeless and suspended in midair, maybe that’s why I liken her to the stars. It blossomed into a beautiful friendship; I definitely love her in some sense. I’m immortalizing the relationship in the song.”

Above: Otto Aday; credit: Tyler Lee Aubrey

Under watch of the rolling hills of Wales, Otto grew up in the tiny valley town of Ferndale. As an experienced builder, his dad converted an old Post Office into the family’s home “with two basements and three upper floors.” Otto’s grandfather showed him various records, and he picked up a guitar at just nine-years-old before eventually “taking it seriously” in high school. After penning his first songs, he busked around town and soon caught the attention of local venues, cutting his teeth through countless performances. Simultaneously, he transformed his small bedroom in the post office into a de facto studio, writing and recording at a prolific pace. 

In 2019, he delivered the independent four-track Post EP inspired by sending letters to his neighbors and using their responses as songwriting fodder. In the midst of the global pandemic, he participated in a songwriting competition on the social recording app Trackd, catching the attention of Stewart who promptly signed him to Bay Street Records. During 2022, Otto decamped to Nashville, TN where he recorded the bulk of Persona in the span of a week. Together, Otto Aday and Dave Stewart co-produced a 12-song collection that ultimately finds Otto’s optimism infusing the music with light. 

“I’m so fucking happy,” Otto leaves off. “I can’t wait to share this with everyone. I’m also excited to see where it leads me. I’ve got bright eyes for the future.”

Persona tracklisting:
“Dancing Round The Morning Sun” 
“Fall Apart” 
“Star Crossed Lovers” 
“Cast Away” 
“Realign”
“Boy All In Blue” 
“Stay Awhile” 
“-STOP-”
“Hate My Mind” 
“Hearts” 
“Heard You’re Leaving” 
“Blue Moon” 

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