ONR

ONR., whose name is pronounced like “honor,” originated as the solo project of Scottish songwriter Robert David Shields. He crafts propulsive, anthemic pop that draws from new wave and arena rock, echoing the scale of Arcade Fire, the Killers, and Depeche Mode. His tracks pair buoyant electronic pulses and guitar-driven melodies with lyrics that scrutinize contemporary conditions while steering clear of overt political statements. The project’s first release, “Jericho,” surfaced in 2017, with “American Gods” and “Love in Suburbia” appearing the following year.

Shields first issued music as a teenager in the 2000s. In 2005 he secured a publishing agreement in Los Angeles and put out an album on his own. He played South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, in 2007, later assembling the group Finding Albert and scoring material for the sports broadcaster Sky Sports. Once he adopted the ONR. moniker, the Los Angeles indie imprint Leftwing started circulating early recordings in 2016. Los Angeles modern-rock outlets KCRW and KCSN soon added his songs to their playlists, prompting Capitol Records to sign him and issue both “Jericho” and “5 Years Time” in 2017.

The live lineup eventually expanded to include drummer Chris McHenry, bassist and keyboardist Sean McCole, and guitarists Mark Irving and Michael Devereaux. Together they performed across U.K. festivals and clubs before crossing to the United States in 2018, the same year the additional singles “American Gods” and “Love in Suburbia” arrived.