Premiere: Bristol's The Degrees Light a Burning Fire in Smoldering & Soulful "Nothing Else"

Love is overwhelming and all-consuming, and on “Nothing Else,” Bristol’s The Degrees pay homage to that unquenchable thirst through a soulful, smoldering serenade that radiates with smooth tones and stirring emotion.

Stream: “Nothing Else” – The Degrees

A smoldering embrace of intimacy, The Degrees’ third single burns with a fiery passion. Love is overwhelming and undeniable, all-consuming and enveloping, and on “Nothing Else,” the Bristol duo pay homage to that unquenchable thirst through a tender and soulful serenade that radiates with smooth tones and stirring emotion – provided, they get love in the first place.

I don’t need nothing else
You’re underneath my skin
It doesn’t take you long
To give me what I need
Give me love, not a cheap illusion
I don’t need no – nothing
don’t need no – nothing

Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Nothing Else,” the impassioned third single from Bristol, UK newcomers The Degrees. Comprised of Isha Campbell and Charlie Bierman, The Degrees introduced their expressive soul-pop sound just last November with “All Said and Done,” released via British music producer Goldie’s Fallen Tree 1Hundred label. Following this past March’s sweetly intoxicating single “Need You,” “Nothing Else” finds the pair dwelling in deep moods and equally compelling grooves.

Thick bass guitars bustle and pulse under nuanced keys and six-string guitar work, but the undeniable star of the show is Isha Campbell’s golden voice. “With you here with me, there’s nothing I don’t need,” she sings in a heavy, tantalizing chorus, further emphasizing the immersive qualities of her love: “Nothing I don’t need…“

Of course, this song’s title is slightly deceptive – as Campbell suggests in the first verse, “Give me love, not a cheap illusion.” It’s great to have love, but it’s nothing if your loved one isn’t present with you.

“‘Nothing Else’ is about wanting more from your significant other than they are willing to give,” The Degrees tell Atwood Magazine. “At times we can sometimes feel trapped in a relationship that isn’t progressing and where the ‘give and take’ is massively out of proportion. The lyrics are about identifying how little the other person is giving on a personal level and voicing that.”

“We went for a ’90s neo soul vibe on this track, crate digging at a local record shop for samples. This track virtually wrote itself, as it was completed in an afternoon. We were half way through writing the album and wanted to get back to some of the original flavours of the band, with influence from artists such as The Brand New Heavies and D’Angelo. The track features Mason Wilkins on guitar.”

Ill timed fear and regret
Seduce you to retreat
No I crave desire
render me at will
Give me love, not a cheap illusion
I don’t need no, nothing
don’t need no – nothing

With you here with me
there’s nothing I don’t need
Nothing I don’t need

That romantic flame may be only half-lit in the story, but it’s burning bright in The Degrees’ music. “Nothing Else” is soul-stirring and charged, an emotional roar full of inner yearning and intimate desires. Stream the group’s third single exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more from this exciting up-and-coming group over the months to come!

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