Spotlighting the fantastic guests on this year's The Craft of Hitmaking panel at Abbey Road Amplify hosted by The Official Charts' Carl Smith.

Streaming for free on our YouTube channel (Day 1 | Day 2) on Saturday 11 November from 11:30AM-12:45PM, panellists include Lily Fontaine (English Teacher), Dan Priddy, Tom Rasmussen, Dylan Cartlidge & Matt Maltese.

Don't miss the panel as they share their expertise and help demystify the secrets to commercially successful songs and compositions, whether that be an original song, writing to a brief or for other artists.

English Teacher is Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar, synth), Douglas Frost (drums, vocals), Nicholas Eden (bass), Lewis Whiting (lead guitar).

With acclaimed debut EP Polyawkward heralding their extraordinary rise in 2022, English Teacher’s biting social commentary and unique musical soundscapes have certainly positioned the quartet as influential figures within the emerging indie elite. Critical praise throughout the broadsheets (The Guardian, The Times, The Independent) and key indie titans (NME, DIY, Dork, So Young, The FADER, Loud & Quiet, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, Gigwise), as well as on the BBC Radio 1 (Jack Saunders, Gemma Bradley) and BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq, Lauren Laverne, Craig Charles) airwaves has enhanced their profile significantly; whilst on the live front the group have already supported acts including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paolo Nutini, Parquet Courts and Yard Act, in addition to notable debut slots at SXSW and Glastonbury.

Dan Priddy started playing piano and singing at the age of six. Developing skills on drums, bass, guitar and singing, artists like Prince were an inspiration and his career started as Mannequin with his brother, Reuben where his songs and production were being developed by producer JR Rotem (Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj) and Zach Katz. Dan’s focus was on production and writing, which he pursued during his time at University.

Dan and Mark Crew (Bastille) met at University and realised quickly they were a killer combination with Dan’s quick creativity for melody and production and Mark’s aptitude for lyric, production and sound. Along with Mark, who went to school with Rory Graham (Rag’N’Bone Man) they worked together to develop Rory as Rag’N’Bone Man and the Wolves album was the outcome of this.

Along with Dan Smith (Bastille) the three of them started Best Laid Plans Records to release Wolves, before partnering with Columbia for Rag'N'Bone Man's next releases: Human and Life By Misadventure.

Dan’s releases include the Ashnikko single Deal With It feat. Kelis, Rag ‘N’Bone Man Anywhere Away From Here feat. Pink, Bastille songs Survivin, Goosebumps feat. Kenny Beats, production on Doom Days, Another Place, Million Pieces, Thelma + Louise and Joy.

Dan has credits on 10 songs on Rag’N’Bone Man's Human, eight songs on Wolves and four songs on 2021's Life By Misadventure. Dan also co-wrote and co-produced Mimi Webb I’ll Break My Heart Again, Finn Askew Egotism and Paranoia, Mika Cry and Stay High and James Blunt Champions.

Dan co-produced Tom Grennan Amen, Freya Ridings Castles, James Arthur Empty Space, Fall, If We Can Get Through This and Unconditionally, Love Fame Tragedy Wherever I Go I Want To Leave EP, Mika My Name is Michael Holbrook album, Louis Tomlinson Two Of Us, as well as many others.

Dan has written further releases lined up with the likes of Shania Twain, James Arthur, Bastille, Olivia Dean, Finn Askew, Flynn, Deyaz, and with his project Money For Nothing with Lawrie Martin and Broiler, with Dan co-writing and doing lead vocals on single The Way The Story Goes. Numerous other releases are lined up for the near future.

Born and raised in Lancashire, Tom Rasmussen (they/them) moved to London in 2013 where they spent a decade exploring their creative practices and becoming a figurehead of the LGBTQ+ community.

Tom’s debut album Body Building (Globe Town Records 2023) fuses dark dance music with an aesthetic and live performance that takes influence from their past life as a drag performer. Featuring influential voices from the international queer club scene, Body Building is fast becoming a cult classic.

Having supported both Rina Sawayama and Self Esteem on their UK tours, Tom Rasmussen has already made waves with audiences across the UK. They are about to hit the road for a 7-date headline tour, and have been selected to headline the BBC introducing stage at The Great Escape 2024 as part of the First Fifty.

Tom's debut musical, for which they have co-composed the music and lyrics, based on David Nicholls’s critically acclaimed book and film adaptation, Starter For Ten and in collaboration with HBO and Tom Hanks’ PlayTone, will debut at The Bristol Old Vic in Spring 2024.

Tom is also a published writer; Diary of a Drag Queen (Ebury and FSG 2019) and First Comes Love (Bloomsbury 2021) were both critical successes. Tom is a columnist for American Vogue, and their voice is regularly called upon for opinion pieces across The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, Dazed & Confused, and i-D.

Dylan Cartlidge is a rapper, multi-instrumentalist & producer. His music incorporates elements of funk, soul, hip hop, gospel rock, and R&B and he is known for his hopeful narratives. He was featured in the first episode of BBC documentary The Mighty Redcar, where he was seeking a record deal. He signed to Glassnote Records and released his deubt album Hope Above Adversity in 2021.

Currently working on this next project, he's been featured on US Hip Hop collaboration Cheat Codes by Dangermouse x Black Thought, Cartlidge's vocals we're on two tracks Because & Strangers featuring artists such as A$ap Rocky, Run The Jewels, Joey Bada$$ & Russ in 2023 as well as touring around Europe with Superorganism.

Cartlidge was named to NPR World Cafe's 30 Under 30 following his on air appearance in 2021. He has also appeared at Glastonbury Festival, SXSW, The Great Escape, and BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend at Middlesbrough.

Matt Maltese’s prolific songwriting has been winning admiring glances since his 2016 debut EP In A New Bed. Since then the trajectory of his success has been on a rapid incline.

British but born to Canadian parents, Maltese is an integral part of the South London music scene, whose witty songwriting has solidified his place in the UK music industry.

His debut album Bad Contestant (2018), recorded with Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, was the birth of the charismatic singer-songwriter. His second album Krystal received admiration from the likes of The Guardian and Frank Ocean (who featured Rom-Com Gone Wrong on Blonded).

Matt signed with Record Label Nettwerk in 2021. His first release with the label, ‘madhouse, had seen incredible growth primarily on social media driven by a viral moment on TikTok in 2021 which led his Spotify followers to triple. His song As The World Caves In was covered by Sarah Cothran, an artist from the United States, which grasped the attention of millions of Tiktok users and gave a new light to the already much-loved ballad. Over 250,000 videos have been made using the soundbite of Matt’s song and remixes of the song, which has wildly grown his fanbase and has propelled his career to the impressive stage it is at now.