Unusual Demont – COMPANY

Photo / Anastasia Velicescu

Since featuring American talent Unusual Demont back in 2021, we’ve gone on to see this massively talented kid amass millions of streams and tons of tastemaker support.

The artist is back today with an impressive new EP called ‘CHRYSALIS‘ (listen here), along with a fresh single called ‘COMPANY’.

As we’ve come to expect from this musician, the track is not only beautifully melodic, but the production is also polished to complete perfection. Elaborating further on the song’s creation, Unusual Demont says:

“‘COMPANY’ is the last song I made on ‘CHRYSALIS’. I met someone when I first got to LA, and during all the high and lows I was facing at that time they made things feel better for a bit. They made things feel better for a bit but the baggage that came with the feelings became too heavy for me to bear and we eventually split. I wrote this one very shortly after to vent. Even though it does stem from a sad experience, I wanted to make the song upbeat. Lending itself to the concept of CHRYSALIS; that dichotomy of seeming/ sounding fine, but below the surface there’s a lot more going on. I’ve found that contrast to be a bit of a staple in my music thus far and I love it. This relationship, like the rest of the project, was a fleeting but crucial part of this transitionary period of my life.”

Unusual Demont

Sultans Court – No Pressure

Photo / rebeccazet

Rising German outfit Sultans Court return with one of the most charming, albeit eccentric lo-fi pop releases of the season.

‘No Pressure’ finds the Berlin four-piece delivering a nostalgic style of sound that is somehow both timeless yet also current. The track feels warm and cozy, making it an ideal addition to your winter playlists. Speaking on the song’s theme, the band says:

“Thematically, ‘No Pressure’ reflects on the challenges of a drifting relationship, centred around the question of whether it’s possible to let go of worries and fears and experience better days together.”

The track follows on from the group’s hugely popular singles ‘Autopilot’ and ‘Endlessly’, which you can stream here. Fans can look forward to a new EP called ‘Everything’s Fine’, due next month.

Sultans Court

Yune – Cake

Photo / niklasadrianvindelev

One of Denmark’s most interesting alternative outfits in recent years has been Yune. Throughout their career, the acclaimed rock quintet from Aarhus have consistently delivered bold and experimental songs, and today’s release of ‘Cake’ is no exception.

This 90’s inspired indie masterpiece looks at the random moments in life when we get a sudden urge to break away from the mundane, and ‘want everything all at once’.

The track serves as a taster to the group’s forthcoming ‘Lemon Sweet Perfection‘ sophomore album, which is out soon. You can experience more of Yune’s music right here.

Yune

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Luna Bay – Video Star

British indie-rock quartet Luna Bay are back with a very special take on the classic 1979 hit ‘Video Star’ by The Buggles.

Lyrically inspired by the competitive nature of the music industry, the song features bold lyrics like ‘Radio’s dead and I killed the video star’, while the production delivers an energetic stadium-rock sound that is utterly captivating.

Luna Bay will headline London’s iconic Omeara on the 3rd February 2024, alongside a new EP which is scheduled for release around the same time. As a tastemaker favourite, the band have so far gained more than 12 million cumulative streams, and landed placements on playlists as prominent as Spotify’s New Music Friday.

Luna Bay

Swaine Delgado – Silly Old Dance

If you’re looking for a new piece of music to fall in love with, then we might just have the perfect song for you.

‘Silly Old Dance’ is Australian artist Swaine Delgado’s latest offering, and treats us to an experimental fusion of alternative pop and indie. This is a sound like none other, and pushes sonic boundaries in interesting and curious ways. Elaborating on the track’s inspiration, Swaine says:

“‘Silly Old Dance’ is an ode to the little dance between you and a romantic partner. Whether it be the blame game, leading someone on, or knowing you’re bad for each other – you still keep going back for more.”

Delgado first hit the Australian music scene in 2018 with his ‘Run Boy, Run’ project (listen here), and has since garnered more than five million catalogue streams. A new EP drops in February 2024, so be sure to follow this emerging artist.

Swaine Delgado

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New Music: Gamborg

Photo / Simen Bjerkeli

Track of the week. Gamborg is a rising Norwegian artist who looks certain to hit the Nordic mainstream in 2024.

New single ‘Burdens’ is a beautifully intense piece of music that not only features refreshingly raw lyricism, but also showcases an epic pop-rock production.

“This world feels so overwhelming. Feeling anxious like all the time. Wait, is it self-indulgent for me to talk about my problems when people obviously suffer much worse problems than I do? You know what, I’ll just carry on and not tell anyone. That usually makes things a lot better”

Gamborg’s music has amassed close to 100k Spotify streams, from just 4 songs. Be sure to keep this kid on your radars!

Gamborg

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Brimheim – Brand New Woman (feat. eee gee)

Photo / Andre Hansen

Two of our favourite Scandinavian artists have teamed up together on a powerful new release that deserves your attention.

‘Brand New Woman’ is a musical collaboration between Brimheim and eee gee, and questions the societal expectations of women – as well as the roles that they’re pressured to fulfil in life.

A glass of wine / Might calm me down / Am I foaming at the mouth? / Scratch marks on the bed frame / And tears in the new towels

“The song addresses the pressure of trying to live up to the myth of the perfect woman – a devoted and obedient dog who never complains. Tail wagging for attention. Unfortunately, I’ve been that woman in past relationships. Society’s expectations of women have definitely shaped that ideal, but ultimately I have only myself to blame. It is a violence I’ve inflicted on myself when I valued comfort over authenticity.” – Brimheim (aka Helena Rebensdorf)

The track serves as a taster to Brimheim’s upcoming sophomore ‘RATKING’ album, which is out on the 22nd March 2024. You can also catch the artist performing at various locations across Europe next spring – dates are listed below.

Brimheim | eee gee

Tour Dates 2024

  • Sat, Feb 17, 2024: Nordklang Festival, St. Gallen – CH 
  • Fri, May 17, 2024: Kantine Berghain, Berlin – DE 
  • Sat, May 18, 2024: Orange Blossom Special, Beverungen – DE 
  • Sun, May 19, 2024: V11, Rotterdam – NL
  • Tue, May 21, 2024: Merleyn, Nijmegen – NL
  • Wed, May 22, 2024: The Lexington, London – UK

tmdistant – grow into the blossoms

Alternative singer and songwriter tmdistant continues to impress us with the release of his latest single, ‘grow into the blossoms’.

The track was inspired by tmdistant’s feelings on the way that people behaved when they were around him, as he explains:

“With this song I had seen people close to me be a completely different person when we were around others or when I wasn’t there at all and it made me think, am I someone that makes them not be themselves, am I someone they’re not truly happy with? Or to be around? It sent me into a spiral and lowkey depression because it made me feel like I’m not a good person to be around when in fact it was them being disingenuous. It’s hard to tell whether you’re the issue or if it’s the other people involved sometimes. So I made this song to reflect on that thought. This song is a self reflection and contemplation of seeing people be so ‘happy’ without you. It’s something I’ve seen and witnessed countless times in my life with relationships and friendships. Regardless how many times I’ve experienced it, the pain never changes.” – tmdistant

Alongside its honest lyricism and impassioned vocals, the song’s production presents us with a dramatic mix of grunge-inspired pop and indie-rock.

Fans won’t have long to wait for more new music from this talented artist; his debut EP is finally scheduled for release early next year via iconic label Ninetone Records.

 tmdistant

New Music: Jorge.

We know very little about UK newcomer Jorge. – although if ‘Ruckus’ is anything to go by, we’ll be hearing a lot more from this hugely promising prospect.

The track is a bold, confident and arresting piece of music that blends elements of indie and rock with dark pop and alternative hip hop. The resulting sound is both intriguing and distinctly unique in tone.

If you’re interested to experience more of Jorge.’s music then he’s got two more singles out on Spotify – ‘SAME SH*T’ and the intriguingly named ‘Arlo Parks’. You can catch the artist performing live on the 8th December at London’s 93 Feet East – tickets here.

Jorge.

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BÉBE YANA – VROOM VROOM

Photo / Teo Guerinoni

Critically acclaimed Korean starlet BÉBE YANA is back with a gem of a new single called ‘VROOM VROOM’.

The melodic song was recorded in Paris by noted DJ and producer h4rdy, and treats listeners to a euphoric fusion of alternative pop and drum and bass.

Alongside the release of the single, YANA has unveiled visuals which were also shot in Paris, offering fans a glimpse into the rising artist’s life.

With praise from noted tastemakers like NYLON, as well as an ever-growing fanbase, we anticipate that YANA will be an artist to watch in 2024.

BÉBE YANA (베이비야나)

Future Husband – Good Company

One of our favourite releases this week comes courtesy of Dutch outfit Future Husband.

‘Good Company’ is a fabulously energising slice of indie-pop that also features elements of psychedelica and rock. Lyrically, the song looks at the power of self, and deserves to be on everyone’s playlists for the weekend ahead.

“This song has been our little anthem for a while, and now it’s yours, we hope you love it.”

Future Husband have received praise from the likes of Atwood Magazine, Earmilk and Dansende Beren, while their songs have cumulatively garnered more than 350k streams on Spotify alone.

Future Husband

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New Music: Maddie Regent

If you’re in the mood for some fresh pop today then we’ve got a banger for you! NY-based Maddie Regent is an emerging Canadian artist who is steadily gaining momentum – thanks to her infectiously memorable melodies and sharp productions.

Regent’s new single is called ‘Hiding place’, and is lifted from the musician’s debut ‘Girl of Your Dreams’ EP (out now). Elaborating on the track’s inspiration, she says:

“‘Hiding place’’ is about that toxic love that is so hard to escape because you know it too well. You know what the person is thinking and how they must be coping. You know where they play and where they hide. And when you’re still attached it’s hard not to be drawn to those places.” 

The song was created alongside fellow artist (and boyfriend) Cade Hoppe. To date, Regent’s music has amassed more than a million streams on Spotify alone. We’re excited to see what this talent comes out with next!

Maddie Regent

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Indi Star – Hurt A Little

Track of the week. Indi Star is one of those emerging names that will almost certainly hit the global mainstream in 2024.

Despite being only 16-years of age, this multi-talented artist is already an acclaimed singer, songwriter, actor and performer, as well as a social media star with legions of followers across platforms.

‘Hurt A Little’ is a finessed song that weaves a memorable melody into a dark-pop production, and has been one of our favourite bops of the month.

Indi Star

New Music: bail bonds

Singer-songwriter bail bonds has to be one of the of the most interesting indie artists to have emerged from Brooklyn in recent times.

This talent crafts a very special style of lo-fi music that is refreshingly raw, intriguing, distinctive in character. New single ‘CALIFORNIA KING’ was written as a commentary to society’s relationship with capitalism, and also reminds us that money can never substitute the happiness that comes from love.

“The song is about surviving late-Capitalism in America by draping yourself in a coat of spiritual armour made of LOVE. Its dropping everywhere on November 27th aka Cyber Monday because in late-Capitalist America, we’re all selling something whether we like it or not. The song explores the question, ‘How many compromises can you make before you’re fundamentally compromised?’ In America, all the money is blood money. We’re forced to play a game we don’t want to win by rules we don’t agree with. The only thing that can make it all OK is the only thing that makes anything OK—we find LOVE and we cultivate it like our life depends on it (because it does). The song is ultimately a love letter to my girl—I’ll play the game, I’ll chase the money, I’ll dance with the darkness and run the rat race to create this life for us. I’ll do it all because the only thing I know for sure is that with you by my side, that darkness will never become us.”

The track is taken from the artist’s upcoming 3-track collection, which is called ‘Triptych 001: The Bluebird’.

bail bonds

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Richard Orofino – All The Umbrellas In London (The Magnetic Fields Cover)

We don’t often post covers on this site (we prefer to focus on new music), but this release by New York indie artist Richard Orofino is just too gorgeous not to share with you.

In contrast to the original 1995 hit by The Magnetic Fields, Orofino creates a stripped-down and more intimate version that allows for the song’s lyricism to shine through.

“I like when something is just very straightforward lyrically. This song in particular has just such funny and dark moments. I love the over dramatic dreadfulness that somehow goes hand in hand with a super fun catchy chorus melody.”

Orofino currently commands an audience of over 20k monthly listeners on Spotify. He has also worked with noted musicians like girlhouse, CARR, Ryn Weaver, carpetgarden, and Gabe Wax. The artist plays NYC’s TV Eye on the 25th January 2024 – more info here.

Richard Orofino

Kahone Concept – Hey, Have It Your Way

American artist Kahone Concept returns with a charming new single that addresses the complexities of human relationships.

‘Hey, Have It Your Way’ is one of those songs that you instantly fall in love with. In addition to it’s witty lyricism, the song’s production is equally impressive.

By fusing elements of nostalgic, 80’s-tinged pop with indie, the sound feels retro and familiar while still maintaining a sense of freshness. Elaborating on the track’s inspiration, he says:

“Relationships can be hard. Whether it’s a romantic, friendly, or family relationship, we all at some point have felt like we are constantly giving up what we want to make someone else happy. The irony of it is the person we feel we give so much too, often times feels the same way about us. Yeah, yeah, we shouldn’t be keeping score but sometimes it just feels great to complain. We do things for those we love, because we love them, but it doesn’t mean we can’t give them a hard time along the way. This song is part of my plan to write, produce and release a song a month for twelve months. At the end it will be released as a collective debut album called ‘The Greatest Hits’. Turns out it’s a lot like pizza places that says ‘Best Pizza In Town’, nobody is going around verifying.”

Kahone Concept has garnered more than a million career streams to date. Keep this kid on your radars over the next year!

Kahone Concept

EMI WIDE x Jaydev – Feels

Photo / Karoline Stensen

Danish pop really has had one of its finest years in a very long time. And with that in mind, we’ve got one more bop to share with you today from the Nordic nation, called ‘Feels’.

Created as a collaboration between rising talents EMI WIDE and Jaydev, this song delivers a style of sound that effortlessly blends R&B and pop with rap.

While sonically the track gathers its inspiration from the Y2K era, it still feels fresh and exciting to listen to. Elaborating on the lyricism, the artists say:

“‘Feels’ is about the longing and frustrations that can easily arise in a relationship in 2023; a time when it’s never been easier to communicate with each other – and yet it can often be extremely difficult, even though you may ultimately want the same thing.” – EMI WIDE

“It’s so easy to misunderstand each other. ‘Feels’ depicts how, even in the most challenging moments of love, there’s always a way back to each other if you’re willing to give it a try.” – Jaydev

EMI WIDE | Jaydev

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yergurl – ripe n sweet

Photo / jamesdrydenstudio

Track of the week. Multi-talented Australian artist yergurl is back with another impressive piece of music that deserves your attention.

Serving as the fourth song from her upcoming mixtape, ‘ripe n sweet’ treats us with an ethereal blend of indie and dreamy pop. The track was written by yergurl while she was abroad in Thailand, and showcases the musician’s flirtier side.

“in this song I am essentially building a case around why someone should commit to me, what I can offer as a lover and how ripe, sweet & delicious I am lol. however the song warns not to take one’s time “or baby I’ll rot, turn sour and clot, dry up like a weed when it’s too hot”

yergurl’s work continues to grow in momentum, with the artist currently attracting close to 30k listeners on Spotify. Her songs have also accumulated more than a million streams to date, proving that this is a talent to watch.

yergurl

Morning Silk – Which Side Are You On

One of our favourite talents to have emerged from New York this year has been Morning Silk, and once you press play on their new single ‘Which Side Are You On’ you’ll understand why.

Lifted from the artist’s ‘Dark City Silence’ EP (out now), the track showcases a mesmerising fusion of indie and pop. The sound is melancholic and forlorn – mirroring lyrics that address themes of distrust.

To date, Morning Silk has accumulated more than 350k career streams on Spotify, representing the musicians’s ever-growing popularity.

Morning Silk

Avara – BABY BLUE BEAMER

This isn’t the first time that we’ve featured rising Indian-American talent Avara, and we’re pretty sure it won’t be the last either.

Labelled by the artist as a ‘bad-bitch anthem’, new single ‘BABY BLUE BEAMER’ presents listeners with a heady yet seductive mix of alternative R&B, rock and pop.

Self-produced by Avara herself, the song bravely pushes sonic boundaries in refreshingly original ways. We honestly can’t get enough of this track, and we think you’ll fall in love with it just as much.

Avara