If you’re riding out the midweek blues today then we’ve got the perfect song to share with you, courtesy of American artist Hunter Metts.
‘Monochrome’ is a melancholic and heartfelt song that was inspired by the feelings associated with a dwindling romance, and delivers a production that thoughtfully fuses indie with alternative folk.
“I wanted ‘Monochrome’ to capture the feeling of a relationship’s end, where everything feels dull and lifeless. I tried to sonically mirror the gray, stagnant emotions of knowing you have to move on.”
Hunter’s music has brought solace to a huge number of listeners. To date, this acclaimed musician has amassed more than 4 million streams on Spotify alone. A new EP is scheduled for release in June, but in the meantime, fans can catch Hunter live on a select number of dates, for which tickets can be found here.
Rose Hotel is a musical project created by singer and songwriter Jordan Reynolds, who is already an accomplished musician hailing from Atlanta.
Today sees the release of a mesmerising new single, called ‘Fruit Tree’. This track has stood out to us, thanks to its refreshingly unique style of sound.
Serving as a taster to the artist’s upcoming debut album ‘A Pawn Surrender’ (out 7th June), the song treats listeners to a heady fusion of indie, rock and shoegaze. Elaborating further on the track, Jordan says:
“I wrote ‘Fruit Tree’ towards the end of the album writing process — a time where I was thinking very much about what I wanted from music and my ‘career’ and if that dream was even possible anymore. I wanted to personify the temptation of success in music as something sensual and lusted over, which brought up the image of the forbidden fruit. The lyrics are written from the perspective of the Fruit Tree, but with the tantalizing voice of an alluring woman. Sort of a ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ tune.’
Jordan has been steadily building a name for herself for some time now, and has performed alongside notable alt acts like Faye Webster and Neighbor Lady.
Scandinavian artist Aiida returns with a powerful new piece of pop music that deserves everyone’s attention.
‘Inches’ is a refreshingly honest song that addresses society’s obsession with beauty standards, and how it impacts our emotions and thoughts. Elaborating further, the artist says:
“I’ve never fit the beauty standard, and attempting too my whole life really took a toll on my self worth… it ended up bleeding into everything in my life, and really struck my mental and physical health. And this song wasn’t something I wanted to write … it’s something I had to.”
The track showcases Aiida’s strengths not only as a singer, but also a gifted songwriter who is never afraid to express her true feelings through music. We can’t wait to hear what comes next from this promising starlet!
It’s a big day for Hamburg’s Roast Apple, as they have just unveiled their highly anticipated (and frankly fabulous) mini-album, ‘Slowly Losing Ground’.
Among the collection of songs is ‘Crystal’, which treats listeners to a glistening fusion of uptempo pop and hazy indie.
The lyrics compare the sensations of departing on a hot air balloon to those of taking on new adventures… And if that doesn’t epitomise the essence of summer, then we don’t know what will!
Hailing from Ontario is rising talent Custie, who is rapidly gaining a name for himself as one of Canada’s most interesting newcomers.
The atmospheric new single ‘ON E, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN’ is one of the bravest releases of the week, in our opinion. The song masterfully incorporates downtempo indie with dark pop, while the lyrics covertly address the topic of addiction. The resulting sound feels haunting yet ethereal, and sets a beautiful scene for the artist’s captivating vocals to shine through.
“‘E’ is an attempt to stylize and leave much of the song up to listener interpretation. By giving things concrete names, it makes everything very topical. I always like to find a way to have my listeners move with me by presenting a song with a certain kind of allure in mystery. Hence the ‘E’ – it stands for anything you’d like.”
German artist Chris James is getting ready to take on one of his busiest and most exciting years yet.
Alongside the release of his infectiously catchy new single ‘Down Down Down Down’, the acclaimed musician is also about to embark on a tour across Asia, in anticipation of an album that drops in 2025. On the song, Chris says:
“it‘s def one of those songs that kinda just poured out of me and if you listen closely you‘ll realise it‘s not a song I wrote coming from the happiest of places (even tho it might sound like it) but I felt so relieved after writing it and I guess moral of the story here is that it‘s ok to admit to urself that your brain is playing tricks on you sometimes (as long as you make a bouncy banger out of it!!!)”
Chris James has undoubtedly become Germany’s newest pop export. To date, he’s amassed more than 70 million streams while also attracting more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify.
EĐĐIE is the musical project of American singer and songwriter Eddie Tamanini. The artist recently released a powerful new album called‘Grieving Hour’, of which ‘Wish I Hated You’ is lifted from.
The song presents listeners with an energising blend of classic rock, indie, and pop and is inspired by feelings of pain and tolerance. The track is intense, heartfelt, and incredibly moving to experience.
“‘Wish I Hated You’ is about the feeling of wanting to let go of someone who hurt you, but you just can’t because they meant so much to you.”
You can catch EĐĐIE performing live across several locations in Pennsylvania in the coming months – dates and tickets can be found here.
Rinjin is an exciting electronic project from Norway, consisting of musicians Christoffer “Chris Le Pop” and Frøy.
The duo has just released a charming disco-pop bop called ‘Just us’, which we’re quite sure you’ll fall in love with.
Sonically, the production serves as a reflection of Rinjin’s admiration for genre-bending Scandinavian outfits like Røyksopp, Todd Terje and Annie. Lyrically, the song encapsulates the feeling of wanting to be loved and our desires to escape our troubles.
With such a strong debut under their belts, it’s likely that Rinjin will garner a lot of fans very quickly!
French-Cameroonian musician and producer YAOUNDÉBOXINGCLUB is back with an anthemic indie-pop banger called ‘Self-Care 101’ – and we’re living for it!
If you’re going through a tough time right now and feeling hard on yourself, then this song should serve as a wake-up call to you. It’s a track that reminds us to embrace ourselves and to realise that life is to be enjoyed.
“I spent way too many years picking on every single little thing about me, worrying about what I didn’t like about myself, and feeling so hopeless about it all instead of living and enjoying my time here. At some point last year, after an eye-opening talk with my mom who’s mentioned in the song, I literally realised I couldn’t go on like this any longer. So I did some work. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m hopeful. This song is my testimony.”
The song is lifted from the artist’s upcoming ‘We’re all gonna die anyway’ EP, which is scheduled for release this June. In the meantime, you can enjoy more of YAOUNDÉBOXINGCLUB’s music over on her Spotify.
British artist Eden Rain has just unveiled one of her most moving releases, called ‘Great Nothing’.
Inspired by a friendship falling apart, the song is not only lyrically powerful, but also beautifully produced. In equal measures, the track is epic and cinematic, yet also feels fragile and vulnerable. Rain explains:
“I wrote ‘Great Nothing’, about the rise and fall of a frienduationship – which is a word I’ve (maybe?) made up to describe the experience of a friend confess feelings for you and everything gets all weird and messy and tangly. I feel like when Conway and I wrote this song it was like putting all my frustrations of every friendship that went off-piste or person I had liked that hadn’t liked me back, or had but at the wrong time, into a meat grinder and … out came Great Nothing. It’s like the opposite of a great love, it’s the mourning of the potential of a relationship and the confusion and the angst to put everything back where it was.. and all the sinking feelings that come with it.”
To date, Rain’s music has amassed more than half a million streams on Spotify. We expect this artist to evolve into one of the UK’s biggest indie-pop newcomers, so keep her on your radars.
One of America’s most interesting punk-pop artists right now is Zoe Ko, who already earned herself a ‘Track of the Week’ with a previous song here at Alfitude.
This promising starlet returns today with another punchy new single called ‘EAT’. As to be expected, the track is bold, confident, and, of course, very playful.
“I wrote this song with Jonny [Shorr] right after I moved to Los Angeles from New York City. It was a culture shock to say the least. I missed my best friends and our crazy nights out, and the shameless confidence the city infused into me. My friends and I would always use some variation of the word ‘eat’ as slang. Like after a wild girls’ night out we might say, ‘We totally ate tonight!’ I wanted to write a song about going out, getting crazy, and dancing all night. I hope this song ends up on every hot girl dance playlist out there.”
Zoe also unveiled some fun visuals for the track, which perfectly encapsulate the essence of the song. Elaborating on the concept behind the music video, she says:
“‘EAT’, the song and music video, to me is about emulating what it means to eat! And to eat is to be hot, confident, care free, have fun, and give zero f*cks!!! I think this video show cases that perfectly. Somehow we are all serving even while being covered in food by the end of the video. And to that I say werk! My vision was to have a bunch of stuffy people loosen up and end up being crazy with me by the end of the video. In the music video I wake up find myself at snooty dinner party. I’ve had enough and start bringing some needed crazy energy to the party. Eventually I end up crawling on the table and starting a food fight. Finally at the end you see the guests having fun smiling while finally letting loose. A food fight is one of the funnest and messiest things one could do besides crawling in mud so it felt fitting.”
If you’re in North America then be sure to catch the artist on her current tour – dates and cities are listed down below.
Track of the week. Rising American artist SAINT KID continues to showcase his natural flair for songwriting through his latest release, titled ‘Shooting Range’.
The track presents us with a refreshingly alternative approach to the classic love song, by blending elements of indie and rock with dark pop. The sound feels haunting, but also sincere in tone.
Bleeding out in the rain
This time I’m gonna stand my ground I’ll do whatever it takes
I don’t wanna live without
You know I want you to stay
Now we’re face to face, at the shooting range
Ever since I met you it’s been hunting me down
To date, SAINT KID has amassed more than 1.2 million streams on Spotify, while also commanding 36k monthly listeners on the platform. This kid is one to watch, so be sure to keep him on your radars.
Newcastle’s Jodie Nicholson returns today with a mesmerising new single that deserves your attention.
‘You Wanted This’ is a beautifully sincere and introspective song that tells of Nicholson’s passion for her craft as a musician. She explains:
“To me, ‘You Wanted This’ is about remembering why I fell in love with music in the first place. As a kid, I was obsessed with Avril Lavigne, wished I was one of Roger Waters’ backing vocalists, always searching for cool music that no-one else was listening to, wanting to be on Stars In Their Eyes and sitting in the back of the car pretending I was in a music video, singing all moody through the window… It’s thinking back to how I viewed music then and regaining that child-like excitement for the music I make now as an artist. I’d like to think that if I ever have a wobble, this track will serve as a personal reminder of why I love being an artist and what I can be capable of. Unintentional, but it’s a pretty nice feeling.”
Nicholson has solidified her status as one of Northern England’s most promising starlets, having garnered praise from outlets as noted as BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, Earmilk and Apple Music.
‘You Wanted This’ serves as a taster to the artist’s upcoming ‘Safe Hands’ album, which is scheduled for release on May 10th 2024.
We’ve made no secret in the past of our love for Indigo Eyes, but this new collaboration featuring ANDREWBATES has really elevated our obsession with the UK-based electronic artist to another level.
The song treats listeners to an energising yet finessed style of sound that seamlessly blends pop with dance and house music.
In the past I’ve often aimed to deliver a production that neatly fits around the vocals, not challenging them in a way that I think could really explode in a club setting. I’m planning on spending the next year changing that, bringing my style of songwriting and emotional chords into a much darker and more club-driven space, starting with ‘Back 2 U’ – Indigo Eyes
There’s no doubt in our minds that this track will find its way onto some of the biggest playlists globally by the end of the week. Find out more about both artists using the links below.
M Wagner (aka Matthew Wagner) is an electronic music artist currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
New single ‘Never Gone’ is already one of our favourite songs this spring, thanks to its captivating beat structure and mesmerising soundscape. While electronic music might not be to everyone’s taste, this track presents listeners with a hypnotic charm that is impossible to ignore.
M Wagner is preparing the release of an album, which is scheduled for release soon. In the meantime, you can explore more of the musician’s sounds on Spotify.
If you’re in a mellow mood this afternoon (it is Tuesday, after all…) then we’ve got the perfect song for you.
‘Bright Spot II’ is a dreamy new collaboration between American artists Blue Canopy and A Beacon School. Inspired by the challenges of being in love, this pensive track contrasts feelings of melancholy with hopefulness.
“I approached my friend and ex-bandmate Patrick of A Beacon School about remixing ‘Bright Spot’ shortly after its release (in December 2022) and it quickly evolved into a collaboration that we’re extremely proud of, putting a moody electronic spin on what was a sunny, guitar pop tune. The lyrics refer to a rough patch in my relationship with my long term partner. I just wanted everything to be OK between us and this song sorts through my feelings throughout that time, hoping for a resolution.” – Alex Schiff, Blue Canopy
Blue Canopy (aka Alex Schiff) is a musician who has garnered support from the likes of John Moses at KCRW and mustered more than 800k career streams on Spotify, while A Beacon School (aka Patrick J. Smith) has been praised by outlets as noted as PASTE Magazine and PopMatters.
Track of the week. Gabriela Bee’s rise has been meteoric, to say the least. With more than ten million followers on TikTok alone, it was always going to be inevitable that this star would hit the mainstream.
What makes Bee’s music extra special is the fact that she always writes from the heart – exposing her thoughts and emotions in their truest form, as is the case with her new single ‘IT GETS OLD’. Explaining the meaning behind its lyrics, the artist says:
“I wrote ‘IT GETS OLD’ about the stuff I hate feeling, and the stuff I hate talking about even more. But I figured if I sang about it, I could look at these emotions the face and even find the beauty in them. It’s a song about how I approach my vulnerability, and often suppress it.
Growing up, I always felt like everything I did had to be perfect (which I put onto myself), and honestly I still feel that way about most things, adding this level of pressure to everything I do. It’s like there’s this Divine voice (that sounds like my own) that I am constantly trying to impress, and I just end up feeling dissatisfied with myself. It’s like no matter how many times people tell me how much I’m doing for my age, I never really see it, and the feeling started to get old.
I wanted to let it go. Not allowing myself to be proud of where I was in life led me to even avoid the emotions that surrounded that incomplete feeling.
Near the end of the song, the story turns gentle, where I discover a lot about myself. “Just wanna find my place” was a lyric that felt good to write. Just a little line like that can mean so much. It’s the ultimate answer to feelings of self-doubt as a teenager.
It even felt good recording it as the last line as the song ends. Almost like a little ‘the end’ to the song. I’m proud of myself and where I am, and it takes shutting out your own voices in your head, telling you you’re not enough, to finally find that affection you really have for yourself.”
Alongside her huge online following, Bee’s work has also found love from noted tastemakers like Wonderland, Clash, Ones To Watch and Rolling Stone Magazine.
American starlet Peyton Shay returns with an impressively bold new single called ‘Savior Complex’.
Written as a statement of self-sufficiency, the song challenges the listener to consider themes like dependability and autonomy. Alongside its controversial lyricism, the track’s production presents us with a raw and gritty mix of indie and dark pop.
“All I am is an empty hand. If you tell me when to breathe I’ll hold it, hold it. I don’t need your CPR, honest, honest. Savior complex, savior complex, savior complex.”
Shay has been considered a rising star for a couple of years now. The artist has already charted on the US Billboard, amassed millions of TikTok views and found her songs featured on shows like The Big Bang Theory and All American.
Young Franco has graced our pages for almost a decade and yet he still manages to impress us to this day.
‘Wake Up’ was created alongside UK artist Master Peace, and playfully fuses elements of hip hop with dance, pop and punk. The sound is eccentric and refreshingly fun, and deserves to be on everyone’s playlists this weekend.
“Working with Master Peace has been an amazing experience. I found out about his project via his record ‘Eyes on You’ and wanted to work with him since that moment. I was writing a bunch of tracks in 2020. One of them being an early version of ‘Wake Up’, which I wrote with Elliot from Delta Riggs. I connected with Master Peace online and once I got to London last year, we smashed this in a couple of hours. His new record is fantastic, and I’m super excited about how this one turned out. Special mention to Danio from Husky Loops for some added production too.” – Young Franco
Young Franco is one of Australia’s most prominent electronic producers, and has recently collaborated with the likes of S1mba, Franc Moody and Theophilus London.
Rising Amsterdam-based talent Joshua J is rapidly marking himself as one of Europe’s most promising newcomers.
The artist has just released a stunning new single called ‘Left Of Me’. Lyrically inspired by themes of self-discovery and personal identity, the track presents listeners with a beautifully introspective and sincere sound.
This acclaimed musician has garnered praise from noted tastemakers like Pitchfork, Complex UK, Wonderland and Vice. He currently commands more than 50k monthly listeners on Spotify, and has amassed over ten million catalogue streams.
