Phoenix Rise – The Album featuring original music from the coming of age drama series is commercially available as the programme this week returned for a second series to BBC Three.
This original soundtrack, out now, features music from the first series as well as sounds from the much anticipated second run of episodes. Phoenix Rise follows a group of young outsiders who have been excluded from school as they return to mainstream education, form unlikely friendships and learn to navigate school life.
The drama centres around friendship, first love and family, alongside the complex realities of school life, mental health struggles and never-ending outside pressures – from money problems to dealing with an uncertain future. All through the lens of the resilient, misfit heroes who tackle life with laughter, courage and a lot of attitude.
Tali Walters, Production Creative Director, Kids & Family Live Action:
“Music plays a vital role in this coming-of-age show, often mirroring the inner thoughts of characters on screen. In a uniquely collaborative process, we provided scripts and early cuts of the show to the local artists to allow them to create this completely original soundtrack, ”
The soundtrack reflects the musical heritage of Coventry, stemming from its rich history of immigration. It features a mixture of up and coming artists and contributors, including Danniella Dee (“Woman”), who has a strong musical background. Her father is Trevor, known as ET Rockers from The Specials. She recently played at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Coventry last year (BBC Introducing stage) and also sang in the Coventry Cathedral choir.
Junior NRB (“Star of The Show”), another contributor has already accumulated over 29’000 monthly Spotify listeners and his biggest hit ‘Canada Goose’ has over 10 million views.
Music Producer, Faron Forbes:
“Myself and the artists are all from Coventry and we produced the tracks from start to finish, which made the process that little more special, being able to enjoy it with the people I started this musical journey with was a wicked experience, it feels like we’ve all won.
“I believe there’s a lot of really talented artists in and around Coventry who need a lot more attention, the rap scene in Coventry is super diverse as well so there’s definitely an artist for everybody. The Phoenix Rise project has definitely been my proudest moment as a musician.”
The album is available to stream and download on all major music platforms. Phoenix Rise is created by lead writers Perrie Balthazar and Matt Evans and is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family and distributed by Sinking Ship Entertainment.
