The posters on these walls are not made of paper. They are fragments of a life lived through changing times, changing sounds and changing generations. They exist in memory — fading at the edges perhaps, but never truly gone.
I watched the journey from skinhead to punk, from punk to post-punk, from post-punk to indie, and from indie into the Manchester years that would define a generation. These weren’t chapters in a music book; they were the soundtrack to real lives, real streets, real people and real dreams.
Long before The Rola Colas, creativity was already part of who I was. Art, design, photography, music and storytelling were never separate paths — they were all part of the same road. In 2007, I managed The New Antics, a band whose six original songs remain part of that journey and whose rights I still own today.
Every poster in this room represents more than a band. It represents a moment, a memory, a spark of inspiration. Together they form a map of influences, experiences and creative instincts gathered over decades. The Rola Colas are not an attempt to recreate the past. They are the result of carrying that past forward and turning it into something new.
Along the way there were always the doubters, the begrudgers and the self-appointed gatekeepers. The ones who stood on the sidelines explaining why something couldn’t be done while others were busy creating. Some became experts in criticism without ever risking failure themselves. They measured success by their own limitations and projected them onto everyone around them.
I’ve learned that creation is an act of courage. Every song written, every design produced, every idea brought to life carries the risk of rejection. The people who create will always be judged by those who don’t. But history is rarely written by the spectators. It is written by the people willing to step forward, take the chance and leave something behind.
The posters in my mind remind me of that. Not of fame or fortune, but of people who had the courage to create something from nothing and put it into the world regardless of what anyone else thought.
How It’s
Done…
The Rola Colas –
Songwriting & Production Workflow
Many people ask how The Rola Colas create music and what role AI plays in the process. The answer is simple: every song begins with a human creator.
The songwriting process starts with an idea, theme, observation, social commentary, satire, personal experience, or story that I want to tell. I usually write the chorus first, as it is the emotional and memorable centre of the song. Once the chorus is established, I develop the verses, rhymes, narrative, and overall message.
Each song is then given its own musical identity. I decide the BPM (tempo), key, mood, instrumentation, vocal character, arrangement, and production style before any production tools are used. Whether a song becomes a dark indie noir story, a cinematic gangster satire, a social commentary piece, or an atmospheric ballad is determined at this stage.
Two good examples of this process can be found on the album “Better Than Guy Ritchie.”
The title track, “Better Than Guy Ritchie,” uses the imagery and language of British gangster films as a form of satire and storytelling. While inspired by the style, humour, and larger-than-life characters associated with gangster cinema, the song is ultimately a creative work designed to entertain while offering observations about ambition, identity, ego, and modern culture.
By contrast, “Smoke and Mirrors” comes from a very different place. Unlike fictional storytelling, “Smoke and Mirrors” is based on events that actually happened. The song was written to document and reflect on life experiences ( in Manchester, The Hacienda), observations, and truths as seen through the songwriter’s eyes. The lyrics, themes, and message originate from real-life events, making the song as much a personal record as it is a piece of music. While artistic licence may be used in the telling of the story, the underlying experiences and inspiration are genuine.
These two songs demonstrate the range of the songwriting process. Some songs begin with satire, characters, and creative storytelling. Others begin with real experiences, personal observations, and documented events. In every case, the idea originates with the songwriter.
Once the songwriting and creative direction are complete, detailed production instructions are created. These instructions cover vocal style, instrumentation, atmosphere, arrangement, pacing, sonic textures, and overall feel. The purpose is to translate a human creative vision into a finished musical work.
AI-assisted tools may be used during the production stage, much like a recording studio, synthesizer, drum machine, or digital audio workstation. These tools help generate performances and audio based on the instructions and artistic direction provided.
The creative ownership remains human-led throughout the entire process. The concepts, lyrics, choruses, themes, structures, vocal direction, artistic choices, revisions, and final approval all originate from and are controlled by the songwriter.
A REAL –
RECORDED VOICE
The voice heard on The Rola Colas recordings is a real recorded voice, a developed artistic vocal character known as “Rola Cola Ray,” created and directed by Raymond P. Doherty as part of the project’s distinctive identity and storytelling style. (c)
The Rola Colas embraces technology in the same way previous generations embraced electric guitars, synthesisers, multitrack recording, samplers, and digital studios. Technology evolves. Songwriting remains human.
Every released track follows a simple principle:
Human Created. AI Assisted. Artist Directed.
The Rola Colas™
Songs written and creatively directed by Raymond P. Doherty.
© 2026 Raymond P. Doherty. All rights reserved.