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Aqualung, Building on a Commercial Success

Aqualung, a nearly one-man band driven by frontman Matt Hales' songwriting, piano playing and vocals, has already had what can only be called a "commercial" success.

The breakthrough was "Strange & Beautiful," a song first heard as a car commercial in Britain. It's also the title of Aqualung's latest CD.

Hales had hoped for discovery by a record label or radio station, but now says his non-traditional route was "even better... because it was kind of democratic." People who heard the car ad pestered radio stations to play the whole song.

Now Hales is turning his sights on America, where his work already graces rock radio and TV series with younger audiences, such as The O.C. and Smallville. The song "Brighter than Sunshine" is featured in the new movie A Lot Like Love.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Elizabeth Blair is a Peabody Award-winning senior producer/reporter on the Arts Desk of NPR News.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.