'Chemical Rush' is nominated for the Dance Work of the Year 2011

In a former incarnation, Brian McFadden was part of the million selling Irish pop sensation Westlife.  "Chemical Rush" is the second single released from McFadden's third solo album, Wall Of Soundz. The track came in at Number 26 on the end of year Top 50 Dance Singles of 2010 and Number 36 on the Top 50 Australian Singles of 2010.

The album began life as a side-project cooked up when McFadden met American songwriter/producer Rob Conley, the secret weapon behind hits for Darren Hayes and Axle Whitehead. Conley’s specialty is synthesized soundscapes, dance beats and electro pop and he soon had McFadden leaving his acoustic guitar at home as they met in the middle of their respective talents to create their new direction.

“I’d never considered working like that before,” McFadden says. “In the old days it was always sit down with a guitar, work out the chord, sing some melodies. On Wall of Soundz only one song, “Mr Alien”, started from being written on acoustic guitar, the rest we’d sit down with synths and work out beats or loops and build the song up from there.”

For a man best known for tender ballads and acoustic-driven love songs it was a musical revelation.  After tip-toeing into the electronic genre with the hit “Twisted”,Wall of Soundz sees Brian McFadden pushing new personal and musical boundaries. While he’s dabbled in production in the past, it’s also the first time McFadden has shared a producer’s credit.

McFadden has a few friends along for the ride. First single “Just Say So” features US star Kevin Rudolf. The song debuted at Number 1 on the ARIA singles chart and stayed there for three weeks and has achieved Platinum sales status in Australia. The track was also nominated for Most Popular Australian Single at the 2010 ARIAs.  “Not Now” is a collaboration with up and coming Australian band Amy Meredith – another act Conley is producing. Amy Meredith frontman Christian Lo Russo shares vocals with McFadden – his first male duet since Bryan Adams, while Amy Meredith’s Joel Christian also co-wrote the track.

From the catchy and autotune heavy Chemical Rush (“I’ve done enough live shows that people know I can sing, it’s just an effect make the vocal a sound not a voice”) to the haunting “Mr Alien”, the album also features its own ``mini-symphony” with “When You Coming Home”.