by Fiona Golden

It was May of last year, while lockdown in full swing, when I was home in Southern California that I discovered Poolside FM. Lounging in the sun while searching around for new music, I came across the online radio station and self-proclaimed sunniest spot on the Internet. Its nostalgic interface and unique sounds make Poolside one of the best ventures to combat rainy days and isolation. I was fortunate enough to speak with Poolside FM’s founder, Marty Bell, about the creation and future of Poolside.

After stumbling across the subgenre of sunny-surf pop, Bell found himself transported somewhere much brighter than the dreary Scottish Highlands. He instantly began curating Soundcloud playlists, but felt this music needed its own space to be shared. Modeling this new space after “ridiculous 80’s beach movies”, Bell fused American nostalgia with uplifting pop to create the website Poolside FM.

Users can switch between five channels on the website and application, each embodying a distinct genre or feeling. The first channel is designed for, you guessed it, sitting around the pool with chill background music. Then there is Tokyo Disco, filled with fast-paced tracks from Japanese Soundcloud producers. Bell describes the third channel, Hangover Club, as “exactly what it sounds like” saying “it lifts you out of the depths of a brutal hangover”. The fourth channel, Indie Summer, composed of light, fun, alternative beach tunes. Finally there is Friday Nite Heat, arguably Poolside’s greatest nostalgia trip, consisting solely of tracks made in the 70’s or 80’s specifically for a raging disco.

The websites interface ties the theme together splendidly, with both the website and the computer application modeled off of very, VERY old operating systems. Bell described his difficult process of finding the perfect designer for emulating the original Macintosh interface. He credits his designer Niek Dekker and developer Lewis King for their passion and hard work in making Poolside the incredible station it is today. The accompanying mobile app, launched last month, is appropriately designed after the iconic Nokia 3310.

Poolside FM saw an incredible increase in traffic and interest as lockdown restrictions went into effect across the globe. Bell pinpoints that “everyone’s looking for positivity to spread and if Poolside is one of those links people put in their newsletter or Twitter, that’s great”. It certainly radiates good vibrations all around; no matter how dreary the weather one can hardly resist an upbeat synth.

Marty Bell’s ambition doesn’t stop here. Poolside FM is starting to expand to different platforms with new and exciting interfaces and its unique branding. Bell informed me of a new consumer product that will launch next year which promises to propel Poolside to the forefront as a distinct brand, and the concept is truly tubular. And though many of us here in Scotland have now bid the sun goodbye as we leave British Summer Time, Poolside FM is the perfect free, non-stop Happy Light to tide us over until summer.

Wanna join the pool party? Check out the site and prepare yourself for endless summer bangers.