"Late Night Dancing" by Project Overload

I have long felt that in addition to good fortune, artists with obvious talent also require a certain amount of career momentum to build on early successes & to break through successive barriers. Often life & other interests/commitments make that easier said than done & not only are there ones with long gaps between articles in here but sadly a few have apparently slipped off our radar despite very promising beginnings.

Thankfully you can't say that about Project Overload: if anything their momentum is accelerating and Friday sees the launch of  their third single of 2025 in the shape of "Late Night Dancing".

I was lucky enough to hear its live debut (in the week it was written: which at the time I was not aware of) in April at Just Dropped In for their Record Store Day gig and it certainly caught my attention enough to warrant a specific mention in my review "…of the new songs (in true Project Overload style the titles have yet to be decided) one sounds like a really great potential single & the closer is potentially their "Heart of Glass": a disco orientated groove which shows yet another facet to what they can do. It's appropriately about dancing."

Well it has a name now but it won my heart on first acquaintance: it will do the same to yours I have little doubt.

There seem (roughly) to be two schools of eclecticism around in music. The one you won't catch me writing about are those whose pursuit of fame & fortune leads them to adopt any & every style in the hope that one will work: yet each of which reeks of insincerity. The other (and this one crops up so much amongst my articles) is of course inquisitive creative artists with wide interests & a desire not to be pigeonholed

Given the equality of quality but breadth of style amongst the three recent singles (and they'll be on the band's sophomore album in due course), Project Overload have clearly indicated that you label them at your peril.

And it features their first (and hopefully not last) bass solo. Given the spontaneity of its composition (a rehearsal jam "..with new effects pedals, YouTube clips of Nile Rodgers, cowbells, water-glass chimes, ‘50s B-movies and the "Atomic" beats of Blondie..") , "Late Night Dancing" has consequently retained its charm & one should not lightly overlook that part of Project Overload's appeal: nor should one overlook the subtle skill of producer Mason Le Long in ensuring that this comes across. In fact that is one really important factor in the releases of all the "Live On Stage" bands he's produced: he ensures that they retain their unique character.

Equally, it seems that the easy way it came together has endeared it to the band (which in turn must affect how they play it). To quote Tom Male on the matter "It doesn't sound much like the rest of the album but we knew it was a banger immediately, so it had to be a single. I wrote the chords as a bit of fun but it seemed to work because we all really like this one."

We can tell.

I should however in fairness state that although I see three attractively diverse songs, the band however manage to link them into a three part narrative "…from starry-eyed new romance, to love breaking down, to dancing the blues away.." so maybe the new album is going to be partially at least a concept one?

The three tasters to date though are in my opinion crackers on their merits. I went for "Heart of Glass" as the Blondie inspiration: the group have gone for "Atomic" but regardless, it strikes me that the new album may end up like ‘Parallel Lines' on which the former first appeared and not only was that a collection of very varied styles of songs but it was the one which moved Blondie into the musical stratosphere. May history repeat itself here.

Now off you go & dance: I defy you not to.