00:00 /
00:00
Dust Between the Guns
Colt Mercer
Verified Artist
Colt Mercer
Colt Mercer is a mysterious country vocalist shaped by dusty border roads, old western stories, and the warm musical spirit of Mexico. Blending classic country storytelling with subtle Mexican melodies, he creates a cinematic sound filled with desert sunsets, lonely bars, long night drives, and unfinished goodbyes.
With “Dust Between the Guns,” Mercer introduces a world of warm acoustic guitars, light mariachi touches, raw vocal texture, and a rugged emotional tone. His music carries themes of love, pride, escape, regret, and personal reckoning always somewhere between a confession and a standoff.
Released with the support of not fm and Filodyo, Colt Mercer’s sound reflects a modern western atmosphere: timeless, dusty, dramatic, and deeply human. Away from the spotlight, he is said to draw inspiration from vintage tapes, old cowboy films, border-town legends, and the silence of the desert at sundown.
Dust Between the Guns
Colt Mercer
Slow wind on the empty street
Boots drag through the drifting heat
Shadows stretch across the town
One more sun is going down
Boardwalk creaks beneath my feet
Every sound repeats the beat
Windows closed and curtains drawn
Like this place has long been gone
Cards still lie upon the bar
Someone left a broken star
Dust is dancing in the light
Waiting for the coming night
Dust between the guns tonight
No one here to call it right
Every breath a loaded sound
Spinning slowly all around
Hands are steady hearts are slow
Every man already knows
When the silence starts to fall
No one leaves this street at all
Leather creaks across the lane
Every step repeats the same
Eyes are narrow time is thin
Like a clock about to spin
Old sign sways above the door
Scratching echoes on the floor
Somewhere far a trumpet cries
Like a warning in disguise
Dust between the guns tonight
No one here to call it right
Every breath a loaded sound
Spinning slowly all around
Hands are steady hearts are slow
Every man already knows
When the silence starts to fall
No one leaves this street at all
Wind moves softly through the town
One last figure lying down
Sun sinks red behind the plain
Only dust will stay again
CREDITS
Performer: Colt Mercer
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Albion
Erik Lindholm
Verified Artist
Erik Lindholm
Swedish born and dance-floor dominator, Erik Lindholm, boasts a temperament as lively as his pulsating bass lines. His sonic sensibilities, threaded through every groove in his heart-thumping dance maestro, are as intriguing as the tale of his journey to the top of the beat kingdom.
Raised in the heart of Gothenburg, Lindholm's coming-of-age could be likened to a groovy scandi-noir episode spiced with Abba tracks. His gruff but supportive Fishmonger father, Olaf, served up his son's first taste of rhythm with the flick of his filleting knife, while his samba-loving mother, Ingrid, nurtured his love for infectious cadence. Schooldays were filled with misadventures involving tin-can drum sets, impromptu corridor concerts, and confiscated mixtapes. Bet his bemused math teacher never guessed this rebel with a cause would rise as a dance music sovereign.
Advertising his outright refusal to be pigeonholed, Lindholm's "Albion" is more than an axiom of his sound, it's a representation of his relentless pursuit of reinvention. This dance-infused ode to joy, shimmers with synths, pulsates with kinetic beats and is as intoxicating as a round of round-the-clock-midsummer-Swedish-sunshine. It's a rollicking auditory journey aptly capturing his carpe diem approach to making people move and groove.
Erik Lindholm's music vividly paints a colorful backdrop of effervescent vibes and infectious enthusiasm. And while we could end this with something delightfully corny like, "this Scandinavian sensation is dancing to the beat of his own drum machine," let's leave it at this - Lindholm lives to make hearts thump in sync with his beats, and folks, he sure succeeds.
Albion
Erik Lindholm
Why do great times feel so silent
Why do doormen wear rags
Why do women in love
Feel so dead
In a dead world why do great times feel so silent
Over ripped sheet music why do doormen wear rags
On the Pavonia sewers why do women in love
Feel so dead in a dead world
Where Albion is silent where Albion is silent
Why do great times feel so silent
Why do doormen wear rags
Why do women in love
Feel so dead
Why is our pretty nurse standing there
Why that sorry expression on the face of her lover
So I spake to him of womankind
I said here council's floral it svours like the thyme
He said
How could you blame me when I told you it was her
I said
And we know the truth
You're a lover like your father
Later in the painting room as Ripper's painting light
Comes the lover placed by my hand
On the canvas of our wedding night
There a similitude derues your lover's blush tonight
As her florescent eyes explore mine
So remember even flowers are suseptible to night
CREDITS
Performer: Erik Lindholm
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Glass of Love
Harper Quinn
Verified Artist
Harper Quinn
Meet Harper Quinn, the embodiment of a Chinatown fairytale with a beats-filled twist. Born and raised amidst the flurry of noodle houses and dim sum joints in NYC's throbbing heartbeat, Harper is every bit a child of the Big Apple and the city’s ceaseless rhythm pulses through her music.
Harper is the oldest daughter of a Chinese immigrant family, her father a wizard of culinary arts in one of the busiest kitchens in Manhattan. Her music is a distinct fusion of her rich cultural heritage and the neon grit of New York - think Peking duck served with a side of just-spun electro. With catchy tracks like "Summer Romance", she’s setting the dance genre ablaze and, inadvertently, becoming the sovereign of store playlists nationwide, thanks to a serendipitous contract with Filodyo.
Infused with radiating positivity, Harper’s tunes have the power to transform even the dreariest grocery aisles into club-worthy catwalks. Expect a dose of her irreplaceable mirth in every single beat – the Harper Quinn experience is a joyride on a candy-colored dragon, soaring through the summer's neon haze!
Glass of Love
Harper Quinn
I'm feeling selfish
Seeing myself through your wreckage
Chivalry forgetting its relics
It's only confusing
Such dramatic illusion
You've got me making like Cupid
Your eyes are aiming at me
Baby
We're an endangered species
I can't do this to you
I can't bring you down too when I fall down there
I can't bring you down
I can't bring you down too with me when I feel this way
I mean
I don't know what's wrong with me
Like
I just have to do this
I don't know why
I just have to
Lead filled glass of love
It's gotta go
It's gotta go
Go slow
Way down
It's gonna go
On muddy waters
Drip out-ter
Be water
Oh
Blood of my mother's tears
Make seas of love on this ground
Through overwater
Bears doubt and fog
Where do we go?
Get up
Lead filled glass of love
It's gotta go
It's gotta go
Go slow
Way down
It's gonna go
If you are companion
It's R
Not safe where you're standing with me
You are one of the mansions of Mars
In a bar through the stars that I see
If you are companion
It's R
Not safe where you're standing with me
You are one of the mansions of Mars
In a bar through the stars that I see
CREDITS
Performer: Harper Quinn
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Fire in the Open Air
James Rolly
Verified Artist
James Rolly
Born in 1989 in Dayton, Ohio, James Rolly’s life was anything but straightforward. Growing up in a working-class neighborhood, he found himself drawn to music at an early age, learning his first guitar chords from an older cousin who played in local bars. But his teenage years spiraled into turbulence — run-ins with the law, school expulsions, and a revolving door of juvenile detention centers and rehabilitation programs marked his adolescence.
It was during a six-month stay at a rehab facility in Cleveland that James began writing his own songs, using music as a way to process his frustration and loneliness. The stark, confessional style of those early lyrics became the foundation of his artistic voice. He often says the rehab’s battered common-room piano was “the first place I ever told the truth.”
By his mid-20s, James was performing in small clubs across the Midwest, blending gritty Americana storytelling with modern soul and rock influences. His husky voice, commanding presence, and refusal to glamorize his troubled past earned him a loyal following. The shaved head, beard, and head tattoos became part of his unflinching image — a visual reminder of where he’s been and how far he’s come.
Today, James Rolly’s music reflects both the scars and the survival. From intimate acoustic sets to explosive full-band performances, he channels every ounce of his history into a sound that’s raw, magnetic, and unapologetically real.
Fire in the Open Air
James Rolly
I’m walking through the noise and color
Every face feels like a secret sign
My heart’s a drum that won’t keep quiet
Every beat says “Boy this ain’t your time”
But I move I move with the rhythm
Even when the words don’t fit in
I got this fire burning in the open air
Every step says I belong somewhere
Don’t need a map I’ll find my line
Turning every street into my design
There’s laughter rolling out of doorways
Music pouring from a midnight band
I don’t know the song but I’m singing
Clapping to the beat like I understand
And I move I move with the rhythm
Even when the words don’t fit in
I got this fire burning in the open air
Every step says I belong somewhere
Don’t need a map I’ll find my line
Turning every street into my design
Maybe I’m lost but it feels like winning
Every wrong turn keeps my story spinning
If this is the game then I’m all in
Every note’s a place I’ve never been
I got this fire burning in the open air
Every step says I belong somewhere
Don’t need a map I’ll find my line
Turning every street into my design
And I move…
I move with the rhythm
CREDITS
Performer: James Rolly
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Old Good Days
Calvin Ray Monroe
Verified Artist
Calvin Ray Monroe
Say hello to Calvin Ray Monroe, Manhattan's disco dynamo and independent music's best kept secret. He's a man turning his flat into a vibrant vortex of vinyl, vintage beats and vivacious zest.
Calvin's music is a love letter to brighter, cheerier and simpler times. Tucked away in his cosy, compact Manhattan studio, he's crafting sparkling dance tunes that taste like sunshine straight from an 8-track. Layers of lush, lighthearted beats laid with a playful, witty flair that gives his music a delightful "Happy Hour" allure all day long.
"Old Good Days", his juggernaut track, is the kind of song that'll huff, puff, and blow your cobwebs away. It tiptoes the line between nostalgic and novel - a dance-off with the past, in the present. Monroe's sound will make you groove, throw your hands up, and boogie - loving life even in your living room.
So, ladies and gentlemen, bring out your disco shoes and shine up your bright moods—the dance-floor awaits you with Calvin Ray Monroe's tunes. Whisked up on a whirlwind of happiness, we guarantee you'll forget all about yesterday and probably tomorrow too. Such is the magic of Calvin—the kind that's rare, real, and quite remarkably his own.
Old Good Days
Calvin Ray Monroe
I was on the block
With my people every day
Tryna get a dollar in a hundred different ways
Tell 'em I was hot
I just had to get away
And they tell me
"Brother
What about the old good days?"
I was on the block
With my people every day
Tryna get a dollar in a hundred different ways
Tell 'em I was hot
I just had to get away
And they tell me
"Brother
What about the old good days?"
They want that old me back
Now that version in the past
When I was a young kid
I just wanted me a bag
On the corner with my people
In the middle of the night
Everybody moving careful
Just trying to make it right
Man I been hot
I been on my own thing
Riding with a Taurus
I was on some horoscope thing
All my people winning
Man we don't ever forfeit
Me and my people never moving on no weak stuff
I'm in this place with my woadies
I'm in this place with my homies
I'm in this place with the people
That really been down
And the ones that really been knowing me
I'm in this place with the people
That said they would ride for me
And the ones that would've stood with me
I'm in this place with the people
That told me I couldn't do it
But now I be doing me
I'm on a different type time
Girl you know I been on my grind
Tryna move all of my people up out the hood
Get 'em out of the bind
I know that all of my people got demons
But that's why I keep all my angels around
I told all my people
"If you hold me down
Then I'ma hold you down"
I was on the block
With my people every day
Tryna get a dollar in a hundred different ways
Tell 'em I was hot
I just had to get away
And they tell me
"Brother
What about the old good days?"
I was on the block
With my people every day
Tryna get a dollar in a hundred different ways
Tell 'em I was hot
I just had to get away
And they tell me
"Brother
What about the old good days?"
I was on the block
I was on the block
Tell 'em I was hot
And they tell me
"Brother
What about the old good days?"
I was on the block
Tell 'em I was hot
And they tell me
"Brother
What about the old good days?"
CREDITS
Performer: Calvin Ray Monroe
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Velvet Switch
Celeste Raye
Verified Artist
Celeste Raye
There’s a certain stillness in Celeste Raye’s voice — the kind that turns crowded rooms quiet and late-night drives cinematic. Born and raised in South London, she grew up mimicking the elegance of old soul singers and the cool detachment of ‘90s club divas. On stage, Celeste doesn’t reach for the spotlight — it finds her.
Her latest release, Velvet Switch, is a slow-burning club anthem soaked in longing. Produced by NOT FM and available exclusively on Filodyo, the track pulses with quiet intensity — as if it’s remembering something you forgot you missed. Celeste’s voice doesn’t cry out. It hovers, suspended above the beat, tracing the shape of absence with each note.
People don’t come to her sets just to dance. They come to feel understood — in dim lights, with their eyes closed, mouthing words they’ve never said out loud. Velvet Switch captures that moment between stillness and surrender, when the music takes over and you stop pretending you’re fine.
Celeste Raye isn’t trying to be timeless. She already is — not because she sounds like someone else, but because she sounds like a feeling you’ve had before, but never named.
Velvet Switch
Celeste Raye
You touched my name with a fingertip lie
Then vanished like sugar in red wine
I didn’t chase I didn’t speak
But I rewrote you in every beat
You blink I break
You breathe I ache
You move I wait
(I wait I wait)
Come turn me on like a velvet switch
No promises just static twitch
Don’t love me—just circle back
One more loop then fade to black
(Ahh…)
Circle back
(Ahh…)
Fade to black
Your silence talks in Morse to me
I hum it back unconsciously
No need for vows no names to curse
We orbit pain—but in reverse
You blink I float
You breathe I choke
You move I glow
(You know you know)
Come turn me on like a velvet switch
Forget the rules forget the glitch
Don’t stay long—just mark the track
One more loop then no way back
(Hmm…)
Mark the track…
(Hmm…)
No way back…
It’s not love—
Just beautiful damage
A signal you sent
But never managed
(And I… tuned in anyway)
Come turn me on like a velvet switch
Whisper sweet in a foreign pitch
Don’t need truth—just feedback hum
One more loop—then I’ll come undone
(Undone…)
(Undone…)
CREDITS
Performer: Celeste Raye
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Fire When You Move
Rina
Verified Artist
Rina
Rina is a Colombian singer whose sound blends tropical pop, Latin soul, and effortless beachside energy. Raised around rhythm, color, and movement, she turns sun-soaked emotion into songs that feel intimate, bold, and unforgettable.
Known for her magnetic presence and warm, expressive voice, Rina creates music that celebrates freedom, friendship, and feminine confidence. Her image is vibrant and modern, yet grounded in the spirit of the coast, where joy and storytelling meet in every performance.
Now featured on Filodyo, Rina represents a fresh wave of Latin artistry with global appeal. Whether she is performing on stage or captured in moments like this by the sea, she brings charisma, authenticity, and a sense of escape to everything she does.
Fire When You Move
Rina
Boy you come around like you own the scene
Talking like you know what my body means
You play the trouble like a sweet routine
Acting like a king with a lost crown dream
Every time you step you distort my plan
But you disappear when I reach your hand
I won’t fall just ’cause you say my name
If you want more show me you can claim
I’m not a prize for your little game
Give me something real or stay in your lane
If you want my fire light it with truth
I don’t dance for someone who hides the proof
If you want my rhythm move with no fear
I can give you something you’ll keep for years
If you want my fire light it with truth
Don’t come closer if you’re gonna dilute
You keep staring like you want the cue
But you lose your courage when I look at you
You say you’re ready but you hesitate
Talking pretty words that evaporate
You push the story but you lose the plot
Boy I know your type and I know what’s not
I won’t fall just ’cause you say my name
If you want more show me you can claim
I’m not a prize for your little game
Give me something real or stay in your lane
If you want my fire light it with truth
I don’t dance for someone who hides the proof
If you want my rhythm move with no fear
I can give you something you’ll keep for years
If you want my fire light it with truth
Don’t come closer if you’re gonna dilute
You keep staring like you want the cue
But you lose your courage when I look at you
I’m not here to bend for a fragile vow
If you want a chance better take it now
I won’t chase the words that you rearrange
If you want my spark then you gotta change
If you want my fire choose what you do
’Cause the moment’s burning — and it’s up to you
CREDITS
Performer: Rina
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Brave New World
Clara
Verified Artist
Clara
Clara, a Toronto-based artist, has carved out a space in the contemporary music scene with her captivating blend of alternative, electronic, and pop sounds. With roots steeped in the city’s vibrant club culture, she emerged from obscurity by transforming personal demos into polished tracks infused with emotion and resonance. Her latest offering, “Brave New World,” showcases her ability to weave poignant narratives through immersive soundscapes, resonating with themes of vulnerability and resilience that echo throughout her catalog.
Her music delves into the bittersweet and dreamy realms of human experience, often reflecting feelings of isolation and self-discovery. The lyrical intensity in her work invites listeners into her world, where she grapples with expectations and identity amidst the chaos of modern life. Tracks like “Brave New World” capture the essence of feeling exposed “in the center of the ring,” embodying a sense of defiance wrapped in vulnerability. The production style draws on EDM and dance influences, creating infectious beats that both uplift and evoke introspection.
Clara’s artistic identity continues to evolve as she embraces new collaborations and dives deeper into experimental sounds. Each song is a chapter in her ongoing exploration of self, inviting fans to join her in navigating the complexities of existence. With a growing repertoire that reflects her journey, Clara stands poised to redefine the boundaries of pop-infused electronic music, capturing hearts with every note she shares.
Brave New World
Clara
All eyes on me in the center of the ring
Like a criminal with a smoking gun
Like a boy with a thorn in his side
I'm like a fish out of water
All eyes on me
Like a gun to the head
Like a head on a plate
Like a lamb to the slaughter
But they don't know what I've seen
The coldest winter in twenty-three
Don't know what I've seen
But I don't wanna die
But I don't wanna die
But I don't wanna die
But I don't wanna die
In this brave new world
In this brave new world
In this brave new world
In this brave new world
CREDITS
Performer: Clara
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Waves Don’t Ask Why
Wires and Petals
Verified Artist
Wires and Petals
Formed in the late 2010s, Wires and Petals is a producer duo that blends intricate electronic sound design with emotional songwriting. Hailing from Lyon, France, the two longtime friends—Julien Moreau and Armand Lefèvre—first bonded over a shared obsession with underground house records and modular synthesizers.
Their name, Wires and Petals, reflects the duality in their music: wires for the technical, machine-driven side of production, and petals for the organic, poetic sensitivity they bring into their melodies and lyrics. The result is progressive house that feels both intimate and expansive—ideal for quiet headphone journeys or sunrise festival moments.
Known for their reflective male vocals processed into lush vocal chops, their tracks slowly evolve through layered arpeggios, textured pads, and deep, hypnotic grooves. They’ve been described as “emotional architects of the dancefloor,” carefully crafting transitions that build tension and release with elegance.
Beyond the studio, Julien and Armand are known for their warm personalities and playful approach to collaboration. Whether they’re joking around in the studio or testing new tracks in front of small club crowds, Wires and Petals carry an authenticity that sets them apart from many of their contemporaries. With each release, they aim to push the boundaries of progressive house while staying true to their philosophy: music that moves both the body and the heart.
Waves Don’t Ask Why
Wires and Petals
I walked too far to start again
But too close to turn away
The sky didn't open —
But I moved anyway
Heartbeat aligned with the sound
Footsteps lost never found
I don’t speak to the wind anymore
It never stayed to listen
But you —
You stayed quiet…
And I heard everything
Time doesn’t fold like a map
We stretch with every turn
The world spins without asking
But we — we learn
And if the tide forgets my name
Let it
I only needed the pull
CREDITS
Performer: Wires and Petals
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
When You Hold Me
Theo Kingsley
Verified Artist
Theo Kingsley
**Theo Kingsley** is a spirited, independent artist hailing from the colorfully eclectic streets of Manhattan. Known for his vibrant soundscapes and captivating lyrical prowess, Kingsley stands as a fresh beacon of musical innovation in the often repetitive sound waves of the modern music industry.
Kingsley's journey into the pulsating heart of music began at a tender age when he traded the traditional toys of childhood for a small, hand-me-down guitar. His fingers found their voice on that six-string stage, and soon, Kingsley, much like his favorite pair of black, worn-out jeans, fit comfortably and inextricably into the music world. His knack for crafting heart-stirring melodies and witty bars eventually culminated in his most well-recognized piece yet, "Gentle Whisper", a deeply evocative track that tackles complexity concealed in simplicity.
Over the years, Kingsley continually defies the boundaries of genre by fusing alternative rock, pop, and velvety hints of blues into his sonic concoctions. His music, much like the delicious bagel at a corner bodega, offers something for every taste. A regular performer at local Manhattan venues, Kingsley utilizes the intimate settings as a canvas to refine his musical flair and keep his connection with his audience personal. He may not be a superstar (yet), but to underestimate Theo Kingsley would be like dismissing a New York slice - a regrettably big mistake.
When You Hold Me
Theo Kingsley
When you hold me
It's paradise (paradise)
I feel so free (la-la-la)
Body moves slow to the melody
Mhm-mm
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
And everything stops
Mmm-mmm
Mmm-mm
Every time when you hold me
(It's the place where I go)
Every time when you hold me
(Every time it's the place where I go)
Every time when you hold me
(It's the place where I go)
When you hold me
Ooh
The sun shines bright
I can see it in your eyes
But I just can't burn daylight
'Cause the thought of you gets me so high
A perfect combination
I'm locked in my flirtation
Don't need a grand occasion
Just meet me in the sunlight
Baby
When you hold me
It's paradise
I feel so free
La-la-la-la-la-la
When you hold me
It feels like paradise
CREDITS
Performer: Theo Kingsley
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
00:00 /
00:00
Long Distance Line ...
Eli Varnish
Verified Artist
Eli Varnish
Eli Varnish spent most of his life drawing straight lines for crooked cities. As an architect, he designed libraries, train stations, and far too many gray, forgettable office buildings. He was always more interested in light than concrete — the way it moved through windows, shifted on floors, or disappeared behind closed doors. But deadlines piled up, and inspiration gave way to invoices. When he retired at 62, he didn’t throw a party. He just handed in his keys, took the long way home, and listened to the silence.
That’s when the music came back.
In his youth, Eli had played piano quietly — always in private, never in public. Now, with no blueprints to chase, he returned to the keys. Slowly. Gently. A few friends joined him — a bassist who used to drive a bus, a trombonist who sold insurance, and a drummer who once taught math. They started meeting weekly above an old bookstore. No gigs, no names. Just music.
Eventually, they found their way into a small jazz bar — dim, warm, and half-forgotten. That’s where Eli plays now. No spotlight, no talk. Just a glass of red wine, a crooked hat, and a piano that creaks in all the right places. The audience doesn’t clap much. They just nod, like they recognize something they forgot they knew.
Eli doesn’t miss architecture. “Buildings are meant to last,” he says, “but songs... songs are meant to leave.” And so he plays — not to impress, but to remember. To trace old lines in the air. To build something no one can own, but everyone can feel.
Long Distance Line from the Bosphorus
Eli Varnish
I’m calling from a room with peeling paint
A radio coughing out the truth
The kettle screams like it knows my name
Coins on the table none of them are you
The line is bad the night is worse
Somewhere a ferry cuts the dark in two
I got your number on a matchbook
And a voice that still remembers you
The operator’s half asleep
She says “Sir you still there?”
I say “Yeah I’m breathing smoke and prayers
Trying to get through anywhere”
This is a long distance line from the Bosphorus
I got one minute maybe less
If the city don’t swallow my words whole
You’ll hear me say I did my best
Yeah it’s a long distance line from the Bosphorus
The signal shakes the past comes through
If this call drops into the water
Just know I was calling you
There’s a man downstairs selling broken watches
Says time owes him money too
Every streetlight flickers like a bad idea
Every bar knows something I won’t tell you
I saw your face in a cracked mirror
Right next to a stain on the wall
I tried to hang up three times already
But this phone just won’t let me fall
This is a long distance line from the Bosphorus
The clock’s got a loaded gun
If I disappear between the numbers
Just say I was almost done
Hello?
Yeah… it’s me
Listen don’t say my name
The walls here got ears
And the night’s taking notes
It’s a long distance line from the Bosphorus
Static dancing in my head
If you hear silence after this
That’s just the things I never said
The operator counts me down
Five… four… the river wins
Click
CREDITS
Performer: Eli Varnish
Written by: filodyo.
Arranged & Produced by: filodyo / Hakan E.
Distribution: notFM — notfm.com
© 2026 filodyo. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
HEAT MUSIC UNIVERSE