ONR

ONR. (pronounced "honor") is the brainchild of Robert David Shields, a Scottish musician who writes driving, anthemic pop songs influenced by new wave and arena rock. Recalling groups like Arcade Fire, the Killers, and Depeche Mode, his songs blend upbeat electronic rhythms and guitar-based hooks with urgent lyrics that question the state of the world without getting explicitly political. ONR. 's debut single, "Jericho," appeared in 2017, and was followed by additional songs such as 2018's "American Gods" and "Love in Suburbia." Shields originally started releasing music during the 2000s, when he was a teenager. He signed a publishing deal in Los Angeles in 2005, and self-released an album. He performed at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas in 2007. Subsequently, he formed a band called Finding Albert and composed music for sports network Sky Sports. After he began making music as ONR., Los Angeles indie label Leftwing began releasing demos of his songs in 2016. Los Angeles modern rock radio stations KCRW and KCSN began playing his music, and Capitol Records signed him, releasing "Jericho" and "5 Years Time" in 2017. Rounded out by drummer Chris McHenry, bassist/keyboard player Sean McCole, and guitarists Mark Irving and Michael Devereaux, the ONR. Live band played gigs at several festivals and venues throughout the U.K., eventually traveling to the United States in 2018. Two additional singles, "American Gods" and "Love in Suburbia," arrived that year. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi