ONR (singer)
{{redirect|ONR.|other uses|ONR (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = ONR
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| birth_name = Robert David Shields
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| origin = Renfrewshire, Scotland
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| label = Warner Records, Capitol Records (former)
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| website = [http://www.onrhq.com/ Official website]
}}
Robert David Shields, known professionally as ONR,{{cite news | last1=Furniss| first1=Olaf|last2=MacKinnon |first2=Derick | title =Under the Radar: ONR.| newspaper =The Scotsman| date =August 30, 2017 | url =https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/music/under-the-radar-onr-1-4546087| access-date =March 3, 2018}} is a Scottish musician, songwriter and producer currently signed to Seeker Music.
Early life and career
ONR is originally from Renfrewshire, but has spent most of his life living in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. As a teenager, he signed a publishing deal in Los Angeles, set up his own record label, and released an album. He would later form a band called Finding Albert, and composed music for various film and television projects including Sky Sports. In mid-2016, he began releasing music under the ONR. moniker through the Los Angeles indie label, Leftwing. Soon after, he signed a record deal with Capitol Records.{{cite news | last=Mckinney| first=Kelsey| title =Scotland's Newest Export, ONR., Is Pop Music With a Purpose| newspaper =Village Voice| date =February 27, 2018 | url =https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/02/27/scotlands-newest-export-onr-is-pop-music-with-a-purpose/| access-date =March 3, 2018}}
Influences on ONR. include David Bowie, Kate Bush, Echo & the Bunnymen, Arcade Fire, OMD, Simple Minds and Interpol.{{cite web|url=https://www.musicglue.com/beyond/events/2017-12-02-onr-the-arch-inn|title=ONR at The Arch Inn, Ullapool on 02 Dec 2017|date=2 December 2017 |publisher=Music Glue|access-date=3 April 2024}} Early on, he received support from LA radio stations, KCRW and KCSN.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} He released his first major label single, "Jericho," in August 2017 and played the main stage at the Electric Fields Festival soon after.{{cite news | last=Murray| first=Robin| title =Premiere: ONR - 'Jericho'| website =Clash| date =August 11, 2017 | url =http://www.clashmusic.com/videos/premiere-onr-jericho| access-date =March 3, 2018}}
He released his second single "5 Years Time" in November 2017.{{cite news | last=Radic| first=Randy| title =Music Review: "5 Years Time" – ONR Delivers Towering Alternative Music| work =HuffPost| date =November 29, 2017 | url =https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/music-review-5-years-time-onr-delivers-towering_us_5a1db1c4e4b0e6631c44bbe1| access-date =March 3, 2018}}{{cite magazine | last=Funk| first=Joel| title =PREMIERE: Onr's lyric video for "Five Years Time" shows they're on the pulse of something huge| magazine =Substream Magazine| date = December 7, 2017| url =https://substreammagazine.com/2017/12/premiere-onr-five-years-time-lyric-video/| access-date =March 3, 2018}} He followed that with the release of "American Gods" in February 2018.{{cite news | last=Spruch| first=Kirsten| title =BAEBLE FIRST PLAY: 'AMERICAN GODS' by ONR.| publisher =Baeble| date =February 15, 2018 | url =https://www.baeblemusic.com/musicblog/2-15-2018/baeble-first-play-american-gods-by-onr.html| access-date =March 3, 2018}}
He signed to Warner Records in 2019. In August 2020, ONR released "Kill TV" on Warner Records which featured guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers. The two struck up a friendship after meeting at Abbey Road Studios. Rodgers said of working with ONR "it was almost like Daft Punk, I played one song and after they were like, 'well, here's another one and here's another one'... I said, ‘wow, this guy has really got something.'"{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2020/09/27/behind-the-onr-and-nile-rodgers-teaming-on-infectious-kill-tv-single/#1509d0eb7b75|title = Behind the ONR and Nile Rodgers Teaming on Infectious 'Kill Tv' Single|website = Forbes}}
ONR has toured across Europe with artists including Bastille, Jake Bugg, Lewis Capaldi and Mondo Cozmo.
In 2023 Shields was given the PRS Foundation "Hitmaker Award", the organisation's award for rising songwriters and producers.
Shields is a keen environmentalist and conservationist. In 2024, in collaboration with world-renowned nature sound recordist Martyn Stewart, Shields wrote and produced the album "Imperfect Cadence", capturing the natural soundscapes of Scotland over fifty-years.{{Cite web |last=Bain |first=Katie |date=2024-12-12 |title=He Spent 50 Years Recording 30,000 Hours of Nature Sounds Around the World. Now, It's the Basis of a New Album |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/nature-sounds-album-imperfect-cadence-martyn-stewart-robert-shields-scotland/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} The album was praised worldwide, receiving positive reviews from Billboard, NPR and Esquire. Lead single "You & I" was remixed and released through Brian Eno’s EarthPercent foundation.
Shields was a guest contributor at the renowned Cooper Union Great Hall at New York Climate Week 2024 and has worked with organisations including The Museum of The United Nations.
Discography
=EPs=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ ONR EPs |
| scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:22em;"| Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Live in Scotland
|
|
= Singles =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles showing chart positions, year released and album name ! rowspan="2" | Single ! rowspan="2"| Year ! colspan="2"| Peak chart ! rowspan="2"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| US Alt. {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/alternative-airplay/2020-11-28|title=Alternative Airplay Chart - November 28, 2020|magazine=Billboard}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| US |
|---|
| scope="row"|"Jericho"
| rowspan="2"|2017 |— |— | rowspan="11" {{n/a|Non-album singles}} |
| scope="row"|"5 Years Time"
|— |— |
| scope="row"|"American Gods"
| rowspan="2"|2018 |— |— |
| scope="row"|"Love in Suburbia"
|— |— |
| scope="row"|"Sober" (featuring Carina Jade) | rowspan="6"|2020 |— |— |
| scope="row"|"Human Enough"
|— |— |
| scope="row"|"Crash Landing"
|— |— |
| scope="row"|"Kill TV" (featuring Nile Rodgers) |— |— |
| scope="row"|"Must Stop (Falling in Love)" (featuring Sarah Barthel) |23 |39 |
| scope="row"|"Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy"
|— |— |
| scope="row"|"It Gets to a Point"
|2021 |— |— |
| scope="row"|"Cold In My Shadow"
|2023 |— |— |
| scope="row"|"Chemical"
|2024 |— |— |
| scope="row"|"A Life"
|2024 |— |— |
=As featured artist=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of singles showing year released and album name ! Single ! Year ! Album |
| scope="row"|"Temper Temper" (with Sander van Doorn) | 2020 |{{n/a|Non-album single}} |
|---|
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.onrhq.com/ Official website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:ONR}}
Category:Warner Records artists
Category:21st-century Scottish male singers
Category:Scottish singer-songwriters