Author: Alfitude

New Music: Still Searching

Hailing from Belfast is rising alt-pop musician Still Searching, who has just released a stunning new single called ‘My Therapist Says’.

If you’re into artists like Jeremy Zucker and LANY then you’ll probably fall in love with this song hard.

Through its refreshingly honest lyricism, the track is sure to resonate with many listeners who are currently going through a tough time with love.

“‘My Therapist Says’ brings up themes of self-imposed isolation and mental struggles with long distance. The lyrics are sourced from concepts taken from my own therapy sessions. It’s quite an open book of a song, I always try to be honest in my writing but this marked a change for me in revealing very authentic life struggles quite blatantly.”

Still Searching has already garnered more than 300k streams on Spotify, making him one of Belfast’s most exciting newcomers, and an artist to watch.

Still Searching

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Ivytide – vacant

Photo / Alif Bayzid

Canadian indie-pop kids Ivytide are back with a superb new album called ‘portable darkroom’, and along with it comes the single ‘vacant’.

The track presents listeners with a perfected production that feels uplifting in tone, while the pensive lyrics address themes of self-reflection. Through this juxtaposition, the song mimics the conflicting emotions that humans can experience.

If you love ‘vacant’ as much as we do, then we strongly suggest you check out the rest of ‘portable darkroom’ right here. To date, this hugely popular band have amassed more than 5.5 million cumulative streams on Spotify.

Ivytide

Libby Whitehouse – Fired

Just in time for the weekend comes Libby Whitehouse with a massive new single called ‘Fired’.

Despite the song’s lyrics focusing on break-ups, the upbeat production and catchy melody makes this one of our favourite pop releases so far this month. In equal parts, the track is both empowering lyrically and sonically energising… and we’re here for it!

“‘Fired’ is a feel good break up song, I wrote this with my best friend in mind. She was going through a break up at the time. I didn’t want it to be a typical sad break up song, I want anyone who’s experiencing that to feel in control of their situation and empowered to keep pushing. If you’re going to cry over a boy, at least dance around the kitchen looking hot whilst doing it???!! That’s what this song is for.” 

Libby’s momentum continues to grow with each release. Her last single, ‘OMG‘, has already hit more than 250k streams – and even picked up support from BBC Radio 1.

Libby Whitehouse

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New Music: Tom Fleur

There’s something very special about Tom Fleur’s style of work, and once you press play to ‘Be Still My Beating Heart’ you’ll realise why.

Despite being a relatively new artist, this gifted singer and songwriter creates songs that feel almost timeless in character.

‘Be Still My Beating Heart’ is a beautifully constructed piece of music, and treats listeners to a balanced fusion of surf rock and dreamy indie-pop. Fleur explains:

“This song is for anyone who remembers the euphoria of falling in love and the honeymoon period. It’s a pretty straightforward pop song, centred around feelings of innocence and youthful exuberance.”

Fleur’s inspirations are varied – from Camera Obscura and The Drums through to 60’s girl groups. His songs have already picked up praise from heavyweight tastemakers as noted as BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio.

Tom Fleur

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Holding Hour – Parallel Lines

Des Moines outfit Holding Hour (formerly known as Elison) return today with a mesmerising and emotive new single called ‘Parallel Lines’.

As we’ve come to expect from this duo (consisting of multi-instrumentalist/ producer Scott Yoshimura and lead vocalist/ guitarist Marissa Kephart) the song expertly blends melancholic pop with indie-rock and shoegaze in a thoughtful and considered way.

Lyrically, the track was inspired by a romance between two people that begins to dissolve. Kephart explains:

“‘Parallel Lines’ is about the push and pull of relationships, the tension between two people who are close but over time slowly grow distant.”

An upcoming EP is scheduled for release later this year. In the meantime, you can experience more music from Holding Hour here.

Holding Hour

New Music: ANTi

Artwork / Sean McGee

American artist ANTi might be a new name to most of us, but he is already an accomplished and sought-after producer who has garnered a solid reputation within Nashville’s emerging pop scene. In fact, ANTi was credited as a producer and/ or songwriter on no less than 17 songs in 2023 alone, which is pretty impressive.

He steps out of the shadows today to treat us all to his own take on the genre, with the release of ‘Glass House’. An expertly crafted electro-pop anthem, this single sets the tone for an upcoming debut album which listeners can expect to enjoy in the near future. We can’t wait to see what’s next for this hugely talented musician!

You can stream more of ANTi’s music here.

ANTi

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New Music: Tyler Meacham

Photo / Joey Wharton

Sometimes the most impactful pop songs can also happen to be the simplest in style, and this can be said of Tyler Meacham’s new single, ‘dream house’.

The song was inspired by all the hopes and dreams that we accumulate throughout our lifetimes, and ponders on the thought that some may never come to fruition. Explaining further, Tyler says:

“‘dream house’ is a song about the dreams we don’t realize we have until they’re gone. Sometimes it’s little things, like who might be in the crowd on your wedding day, or how many kids you’ll have, or if you’ll have kids at all, how long your parents will be around. We keep these big little dreams tucked away somewhere out of mind until we either find ourselves in them or find ourselves without them.”

The track showcases Tyler’s natural flair for songwriting, which centres around the human experience. Her work has resonated with thousands of listeners across the world, and found praise through publications like PopWrapped and CLOUT magazine.

Tyler Meacham

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New Music: Grace Smiles

Nashville-based artist Grace Smiles caught our attention this week, thanks to her bold yet heartfelt approach to alt-pop.

New single ‘Fever Dream’ is dark, intense and captivating in tone. It encapsulates the true essence of a love lost, and serves as an ideal anthem for those currently nursing a broken heart.

“‘Fever Dream’ is not your average indie pop breakup song. It encapsulates the rawness and unsettling nature that occurs with mourning the loss of love.”

In a sign of her growing popularity, Grace’s music has been playlisted by curators like Mellifluous and more. An upcoming EP called ‘Just A Dream’ is scheduled for release on the 19th April, so be sure to follow her on Spotify here.

Grace Smiles

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Takykardia – You Got Me Feeling Bad

Photo / Tue Blichfeldt

It might still be Thursday but Danish trio Takykardia have already unleashed the week’s biggest banger.

‘You Got Me Feeling Bad’ is sonically reminiscent to the breakbeat productions that took over radio stations all across Europe in the late 90s, and treats today’s listeners to the full Y2K experience.

“There is an urge between the three of us to channel out unexplored energies. The only limit is our imagination, and as an act, we strive to evolve and to stay curious about the past, the now and the future. ‘You Got Me Feeling Bad’ is a celebration of being single rather than being with someone who makes me feel bad and insecure about myself!” – Luna Matz, Takykardia

Takykardia are steadily marking themselves as one of Denmark’s hottest prospects, and have found praise from the likes of Earmilk, Kaltblut, DMY and VICE, as well as BBC Radio and Rinse FM.

Takykardia

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New Music: brooke

NY-based Bostonian artist brooke might just be one of our favourite newcomers. At only 20-years of age, this promising musician is already impressing us with her bold and punchy style of alt-pop.

Energising new single ‘All I Ever Wanted’ serves as a taster to the singer’s upcoming debut ‘Away Today’ EP, which is out later in the summer. Elaborating on the song’s message, brooke says:

“This single is for artists that don’t fit the mold of industry expectations, but knowing that we never wanted what they did in the first place. We were never them. That’s a scary realization at first, going against the grain and charting your own path, but this single tackles that in a really playful way. It makes me realize a lot of the ‘career advice’ I’ve been given isn’t relevant to my goals as an artist at all. So I’m like, why tf am I even listening to you right now? And so making this single was about toying with that. Knowing that you have something really valuable, acknowledging that other people don’t see it yet, but not waiting for them to catch up. And that’s something I think a lot of Gen-Z artists can relate to.”

In a testament to her talents, the song was written, arranged and produced entirely by brook herself. Listeners can enjoy more releases from the artist on Spotify here.

brooke

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Public Order – HELLO

Track of the week. Welsh indie-rockers Public Order are back with one of their biggest releases to date. If you’re craving some raw, powerful sounds then we’ve got a treat in store for you.

‘HELLO’ is almost cinematic in style, and showcases the band’s immense potential. With each release, Public Order seem to be one step closer to becoming a global name. On their new single, they say:

“It’s been a while but we’re buzzing to be back with new music! The last 18-months have been a bit of a roller coaster for us but we took some time out to work on new music and even managed to sign a new record deal. ‘HELLO’, produced by fellow Welsh residents Damon Minchella and Tom Manning, is the first track to be taken from a forthcoming EP. It’s a pulsing, guitar driven indie banger which we love and have been champing at the bit to get out into the world.”

Since 2022, Public Order have gone from strength to strength. Their music has been featured on the FIFA 22 soundtrack, and has also been hyped on prominent outlets like BBC Radio 1.

Public Order

Madeline – Lie Back

At this point, we’ve lost of the number of times that we’ve featured American artist Madeline – but the simple truth is that we just can’t get enough!

The musician is back today with a sublime new single called ‘Lie Back’, which tastefully fuses alternative pop with indie in a style that is reminiscent to modern-day icons like MUNA and Caroline Polachek.

“I spent the end of last year experimenting with my sound and I found some things I’m really excited about. Since I’m gonna poke around a bit this year, I wanted to start this string of releases with a song that felt like a true progression from the sound of my first and second project.”

The track follows on from Madeline’s critically acclaimed  ‘Gut Tag’ EP, which was praised by outlets as noted as The Line of Best Fit, MTV, NYLON, and Paper Magazine. Madeline has also picked up support through countless Spotify flagship playlists, as well as prominent TikTok playlisters like Ari Elkins .

Madeline

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New Music: BOKO

BOKO might be a new name for most, but this artist is already a seasoned musician who has been practicing the drums from the age of 9.

Inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson and Ed Sheeran, the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has an ability to create songs that have mainstream appeal while also maintaining a sincere and soulful essence.

Inspiring new single ‘HUH?’ centres around BOKO’s views on his artistry, and encourages fellow musicians to follow their true creative visions.

“This new single not only symbolizes the necessity of staying true to your art but also the importance of allowing it to lead the way and not the other way around.”

To date, BOKO’s music has garnered more than 500k cumulative streams, while also landing features on prominent platforms like Cloudkid’s YouTube channel.

BOKO

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Fig Tape – Holy Ponies

One of our favourite Norwegian artists of late has been Fig Tape, who returns today with a new single called ‘Holy Ponies’.

As we’ve come to expect from this talent, the song presents listeners with a euphoric and polished fusion of techno and alternative pop. This is a sound that makes you crave for a night out in a sweaty underground club, and we’re living for it.

Living in Berlin heavily inspired me musically. I made a lot of up-tempo, techno-inspired music when living there. It was a good feeling to go back last year and visit your old hometown. I had such a great time there, and it was so nice to meet up with BAUGRUPPE90 and do the session we did when we made ‘Holy Ponies’.

In a nod to his ever-growing popularity, Fig Tape’s music was recently featured on the iconic Netflix series ‘Young Royals’. Fans can expect more singles to be released in the coming months.

Fig Tape

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Queen Drie – Woman

If you’ve yet to come across Ghanaian-American talent Queen Drie then get prepared to fall in love with a very special new artist.

By blending elements of poetry with hip hop, alt-R&B and Afrobeats, this musician creates music that is not only lyrically intelligent, but also sonically captivating.

New single ‘WOMAN’ serves as an empowering anthem for women worldwide, and inspires its listeners to embrace their inner strengths – and be confident in who they are.

Alongside her work as a rising musician, Queen Drie is also a Psychology student at the University of Chicago. You can explore her previous singles on Spotify here.

Queen Drie

New Music: June

The first thing that caught our attention when we played June’s ‘Not The Guy Of My Dreams’ was the sheer elegance of the artist’s vocal.

Hailing from Houston in Texas, this rising starlet’s distinctive style sound has already seen her amass a committed and ever-growing fanbase across Spotify and social media.

The music is heartfelt, pure and sincere in tone, allowing for the artist’s beautiful vocals and lyrics to shine through. On her new single, June says:

“‘Not The Guy Of My Dreams’ crafts a hazy, dreamy atmosphere that can really transport listeners on a journey. That was my goal creating this record, to showcase my vulnerability through my lyrics/ vocals.”

June

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New Music: john hugo

We’re very excited to be sharing with you a bright new indie talent from Sweden called john hugo.

This promising singer and songwriter creates an impressive pop-rock sound that feels classic yet fresh in style – which makes sense when we learn that his work is influenced by the likes of The 1975 and Alexander 23, as well as Fleetwood Mac and even Prince.

Anthemic new single ‘Friends’ has just been released, and showcases the artist’s brilliant potential. Speaking on the track, hugo explains:

‘Friends’ is a deeply personal song about the uncertainty and confusion that develops when a relationship ends and you lie to yourself and to the other person that ‘we can still be friends’.

While still early in his career (hugo has only released two other singles on Spotify), we think this is a talent to watch for. More music can be found here.

john hugo

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EEVAH – Heartbeat Is Missing

UK-based duo EEVAH are back with an energising new single that deserves your immediate attention.

‘Heartbeat Is Missing’ treats listeners to a bold mix of indie, rock and pop, while the lyrics address moments in our lives when we feel the need to become people-pleasers.

“It’s about pleasing people, changing yourself to fit in and losing who you really are. Becoming desensitised to peoples apparent lack of boundaries or empathy, weaving together negative attention into a protective armour that keeps away the darkness but also blocks out the light, realising that then lashing out”. – Nicole Smith, EEVAH

EEVAH’s music has picked up praise from national outlets as respected as BBC Radio 1, 6Music and Radio X. Their songs have amassed more than 400k streams on Spotify alone, with that figure certain to spike up even more as their momentum grows.

An upcoming EP titled ‘Simply Life’ is scheduled for release soon. You can catch the band live on tour across the UK soon – dates can be found here.

EEVAH

A/S/L – Candy

Acclaimed LA-based producer A/S/L returns today with a sublime fusion of electronica and retro-inspired disco.

‘Candy’ brims with nostalgic charm, and is certain to bring a smile to any listener’s face. Alongside its polished production, the track continues to showcase A/S/L’s extraordinary skills at crafting finessed sounds.

The track serves as a taster to the artist’s freshly-released mini EP of the same name, which you can enjoy here.

A/S/L’s music has been featured on playlists as prominent as Spotify’s Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Dance. Fans can expect more new music later in the year, in the form of an upcoming project titled ‘Live From Selby’.

A/S/L

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New Music: Jessiqa Jones

With praise from the likes of Conan Gray already under her belt, it’s safe to assume that American singer-songwriter Jessiqa Jones will become a household name in the near future.

Haunting new single ‘it’s milk, DON’T CRY!’ showcases a style of alternative pop that is bold and confident in tone, while still maintaining an essence of vulnerability. Explaining the song’s meaning, Jones says:

“The track ‘it’s milk, DON’T CRY!’ emphasizes on the feeling of adolescence and consoling oneself by minimizing and downplaying the conflicts one faces in life. This song was one of the most meaningful songs I’ve ever written and most seemingly effortless to write. Going through so many changes in the time I wrote this, switching jobs, moving, and leaving everything that felt comfortable to me, I ended up writing a song in a genre I had grown up loving, but always felt dismissive of creating in. It wasn’t ‘comfortable’ for me. Always hearing the phrase ‘Don’t cry over spilt milk.’ has made it a super interesting quote to me just because I cry over everything, but also the Importance of turning your cheek to things that aren’t worth your time. But on the other side of things, it’s incredibly easy to do the same and substitute or push past roadblocks in life to keep moving forward. This song helped me learn a lot about myself and deal with things of the past, head on. To also make a song that I feel represents so much insecurity, it’s just brought a lot of sense of self.”

To date, this rising starlet has amassed more than 8 million TikTok views, and also landed placements on prestigious playlists as noted as Spotify’s ‘Young and Free’ and Apple Music’s ‘New In Pop’.

Jessiqa Jones

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