Amy Douglas is not a novice to the dance music business, having had dance hits of her own, as well as writing and singing for luminaries Horse Meat Disco and Roisín Murphy. Douglas’ most recent projects HARD FEELINGS (with Hot Chip‘s Joe Goddard) and Sunrise HWY opened the singer up to new audiences, so being the latest addition to the Razor-N-Tape family seems like a natural fit.
Her upcoming 7″ double A-side release “Freak At Night” and “Bit O’ Honey” was co-written with RnT co-honcho JKriv, so you can expect two naughty, party-starting disco tracks that are as New York as Amy is! Amy and I chatted about her new release, what brought her to this point in her career, and what the future has to hold.
“I’ve had my EP “The Kickback” for about a year now and “Nice Like Ouu” has definitely been one of my favorite songs. It makes me feel beautiful and confident even when I may not be in that mood and I hope it does the same for you. “Nice Like Ouu” is out now!
Dallas FortWorth emcee Da’Mont made quite the waves with his 2022 project, For the Funk, alongside his partner in rhyme C Young. Eager to build on his momentum, he’s since dropped two singles, “One of Those Days“, and his newest single “Rear View“.
Philly emcee Din Khary has been rapping for years posting music on his YouTube Channel. His new song No Pictures channels a healthy blend of nighttime vibes and opulence while keeping a street sound and edge.
Coming off the success of his two earlier singles, “One“, and “Motion“, Big Oomp artist CheekoFue is back with another monster single, Couple Racks. High tempo, and melodic, the song’s production allows Cheeko to show his lyricism while also inviting fans to dance and jig along to it.
Ever since Wix came on the scene with his groundbreaking single, “100 Miles“, he’s made it his goal to show his versatility and skill. His newest single covers familiar ground, but accompanied by producer Big Korey’s production, still manages to invoke a twinge of party vibes and love.
Labeled as an independent artist, Mac Tree’s Mind of Billionaires label moves like a powerhouse label. Six years into rap, Mac’s collaborated with everyone from Moneybagg Yo to Future and ATL Jacob. One of the first singles off his newest project, Out the Blue 2, the song introduces listeners to his personal struggles trying to make it out of the streets of Grenada, Mississippi and adds to his legacy.
Tell me about the new EP coming out. What was the inspiration for “Freak at Night”?
“The last five years have been the worst five of a 10-year stretch of perpetual darkness. Once I began to rehabilitate from the incident that nearly took me out five years ago, I decided to start going out at night again with a fervor not felt since my 20s. Combined with a new evolution in my image, no one understood the reason I really wanted to go out and see every single DJ friend I knew do their thing was because I was just so happy to not be dead and because I wanted to play catch-up! I had been away from New York City for close to a decade. I missed out on the greatest parts of Brooklyn life, and I missed out on loads of stuff. I wanted to hit the ground running and start getting a slice of everything I missed!! Whenever I would go do these things, it turned out I was always the person having the most fun! I would go and have a lot of great moments on the dancefloor with strangers, I would dance my feet into dust, and I would be excited for my friends when they would put on the songs that I loved. I was so present at that moment. That being said, nobody ever wants to create a story about you if it’s….good. I think the assumption was that people thought I was going to get my “trade-on” so to speak, and the jokes became something like, “Amy Douglas, hard-working, singer/ songwriter by day, but she’s a freak at night!!” Once I heard that getting back to me, aside from the fact that I started laughing so hard that I thought I was going to die, I just thought what a great sticky thing for a lyric! Not long after, I was fortunate enough to start writing music with Mr. J Kriv, and BAM.”
What can we expect next for you?
“Well, the great thing about this AA is that in fact, it is just that, and there’s another whole song that I believe you’re going to find bangs just as hard called “Bit O’ Honey”! It’s been incredibly rewarding to have a musical union with Mr. Kriv because of his sensibilities. When it comes to dance music, his tracks fall in 100% of my happy zone. Actually? Who the hell am I kidding, his sensibilities about all music fall in 100% of my happys, whether we are talking about Peter Gabriel or Cerrone! However, I must really denote the distinction between his contributions and the overall underlying theme. If you will, where Razor-n-Tape is concerned, this is a more authentic, rough, nasty, unsafe, don’t try this at home kids, real disco style. It’s what I personally want from disco records. I want them to sound like New York. I want them to be equal parts, nasty and elegant. I want them to be dripping with musicality and arrangement, and ATTITUDE. I truly believe Razor-n-Tape is poised to be one of the most important labels of the next 20 years! His music is punchier and laden with bass because he is so amazing on the instrument, and of course, that’s him holding it down on Escort’s golden moments! There is a remarkable homecoming every time you hear his work, so it felt like a great fit for me because we are disco and anything related to it on the boogie side of the pool. These are the hallmarks of greatness that are important to me personally. Also, forthcoming? It takes a lot for me to say this, but in addition to having an opportunity to write an incredible song with the gorgeous Sophie Lloyd and Darren Morris, the forthcoming single with Sophie on Classic called “Sweet Love” is my shining hour as a vocalist on a disco record. I have no idea what happened that day, what was in my breakfast, or if I was just a little extra that day, but oh my!!!!!”
Make sure to head over to Bandcamp to buy this instant disco classic release here!
If you love what you hear, check out Amy’s Spotify playlist and hear what else turns her on!
Dance music lover, Mid-Century Vintage Shop Owner, Magnetic Magazine Disco & Funk Chart Editor.
