Kevin Silvester shares five tracks that influenced her vulnerable new release, “Bullet for Your Valentine”
Britney Spears, “(You Drive Me) Crazy“
I was randomly going through Britney’s discography and listened to this song after so many years. I didn’t realise back then how rock this song actually is. The distorted guitars, live drums, and solo are pure rock elements wrapped in glossy pop. That seamless blend of girly pop and rock energy became a huge reference point for my production choices on this album.
This track inspired me to lean into the heavier elements of my rock sound. There’s something so unapologetic and physical about the riff-driven instrumentation. It also pushed me to write something that would take my live shows to the next level in terms of energy and spectacle.
This song reminded me how powerful narrative songwriting can be in pop-rock. Its clear structure and character-driven storyline influenced how I approached storytelling across this album.
This song represents the peak of my teenage music taste. The way it smashed heavy electronic production with massive pop vocals rewired my brain. People don’t talk enough about how similar drum & bass and pop-punk actually are. They live in that same BPM world and are both equally intense in different ways. That crossover really influenced the high-energy moments on this album.
This is just one of my favourite songs ever. If I’m a few drinks in at a party, this is probably getting sung at some point. It’s so conversational, loose, and ironic. It definitely influenced the way I approached some of my vocal cadences on this album. I started leaning into phrasing that feels more rhythmic and groove-based, almost hip-hop in its delivery. It also effortlessly blends rock instrumentation with hip-hop and an infectious pop hook.
You can hear Kevin Silvester’s new single, “Bullet for Your Valentine”, now on all streaming platforms.
