If you’re unfamiliar with LA-based artist Foxfrd, then playing his new single ‘Passionfruit’ should serve as a fabulous introduction.
Lyrically inspired by the importance of having a strong support system around you, the song treats listeners to an uplifting a style of sound that blends summery pop with hip hop.
In addition to his career as a musician, Foxfrd is also a multimedia artist and accomplished video game animator who helped create award-winning game Where Cards Fall.
British rockers Casino Havana are back in epic fashion today with the release of a new banger called ‘All For Nothing’.
The track marks somewhat of a comeback for the Halifax five-piece, who took some time out to work on a new collection of songs, which will culminate in the release of their debut EP. Explaining the production process behind the new single, they say:
“We’ve incorporated our own sound and taken bits from other artists to produce what we think defines ‘Casino Havana’ in this track.”
You can catch the band performing live tomorrow (30th September) at HMV Huddersfield from 3pm.
Going strong since 2016 (and with no signs of slowing down), Lone Wild returns today with the biggest indie-rock release of the weekend.
‘Knockdown Dragout’ is an energetic and rousing anthem that was inspired by the raw realities of being in love.
“It’s a song about the messy, complicated, and beautiful reality of true love.”
The track follows on from Lone Wild’s ‘Free Yourself’ album, which was released earlier this year and can be heard here.
🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist
American singer-songwriter DYAN (aka Alexis Dyan Marsh) unveils a beautifully emotive new single today, called ‘Steady Hand’.
Lifted from the artist’s forthcoming sophomore album, the track fuses dark indie tones with lo-fi rock, and presents listeners with sonic elements like woodwinds and choral voices.
Alongside her work as a rising indie starlet, DYAN is also an accomplished film composer, who has worked on projects as noted as TNT drama Animal Kingdom and movies like The Unknown Country and NextGen.
🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist
Rising British musician Kimani (aka Stefan Morgan) is back with a sublime slice of R&B through his new single, ‘Obsessed’.
As we’ve come to expect from Morgan, the track effortlessly fuses silky vocals with a dreamy production, resulting in a sound that is as mesmerising as it is entrancing.
Despite knowing very little about this promising talent, we think that he’s one of the UK’s most interesting newcomers and an artist to watch for.
If you’ve had a tough week and you’re looking for a punchy slice of pop-rock to vibe with then we’ve got the perfect anthem from you.
‘Therapy Bills’ is American artist Makena’s latest single, and is both lyrically and melodically captivating to experience.
Written as a revenge song, the track showcases Makena’s ability to craft sounds that are both bold and also relatable. Elaborating further, she says:
“‘Therapy Bills’ tells a story of personal growth and empowerment in the aftermath of a tumultuous relationship.”
The song was co-written alongside Brooke Daye, and produced by Alex Strahle. Makena has amassed more than 200k cumulative career streams to date on Spotify alone, making her one of LA’s most exciting new pop prospects and one to watch.
Danish-Faroese musician and songwriter Brimheim (aka Helena Rebensdorf) returns with her first release since 2022’s debut record, ‘can’t hate myself into a different shape’.
The wait has been long – but worth it, as the artist’s new single ‘Literally Everything’ showcases Scandinavian alt-pop at its very finest. Explaining the inspiration behind the track, Brimheim says:
“Throughout my life, I’ve behaved in a lot of self destructive ways, attempting to fill this deep, barren void inside of me with everything from drugs to self-harm. But more than anything else, I’ve had to reckon with an unquenchable desire for other people’s approval and adoration, both as a human being and as an artist. That’s what ‘Literally Everything’ is about – the overwhelming impulse to sacrifice everything, including my self respect, in exchange for a moment of admiration.”
“When I started receiving a lot of attention for my music on my local scene, it was a pivotal time for me. My lifelong dream of being a successful artist was becoming a reality, but I felt more insecure than ever. That small glimmer of fame was so enticing, I foolishly attached my entire sense of self to it. I remember reading a single negative review of my debut album, amidst an array of positive media coverage and heartfelt fan messages, and it completely obliterated me. It was brutal to confront how brittle my self-esteem actually was.”
Brimheim is rapidly marking her name as one of Denmark’s brightest newcomers. To date, this musician has picked up four Faroese Music Awards, and was a nominated entry for 2021’s Hope of the Year at the Danish Music Critics Award. The artist has also received support from the established outlets as prominent as BBC, The Line of Best Fit, KEXP, NRK and DR.
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One of the most interesting releases of the week comes courtesy of rising UK singer-songwriter Duskbloom (aka Jack Osborne), with his new single ‘Disappoint’.
By blending elements of indie and pop with alternative hip hop, this refreshingly original track delivers on a sound that is distinctive and captivating in character. Elaborating on the song’s lyricism, Osborne says:
“The track came out of a crushing realisation that I couldn’t stand up for myself when I most needed to. I’d push my own voice down to placate others, bending over backwards to accommodate others when I really didn’t need to. I’ll never be one for confrontation, but eventually you have to realise that your feelings are just as valid as anyone else’s. The world still spins.”
‘Disappoint’ serves as the follow-up to Osborne’s debut single ‘Glow’ (listen here), which was released earlier in the summer. Learn more about this exciting British prospect by visiting his website right here.
Track of the week. While this is the first time that we’ve featured Californian outfit Asiatica, this four-piece have been crafting sounds in different shapes and forms since 2017.
”Oh Darlin” is lifted from the group’s new ‘When We Were’ EP (listen here), and is simply sublime to experience.
With elements of mellow soul, pop and indie, the track feels smooth and timeless, while still maintaining a sense of charm and relatability.
It’s been a big week for Sudanese-American artist Dua Saleh. Not only are they back on our screens as part of Netflix series Sex Education, but they have also just released a stunning new single called ‘daylight falls’.
As we’ve come to expect from this future-forward talent, the song pushes sonic boundaries in unexpected ways, and showcases a new edge to the singer-songwriter’s style sound.
“I was thinking about a point when I was at my lowest, and being a friend for kids who might be feeling the same, at the brink of it, especially with all that’s going on with trans and abortion legislation. Everyone’s going through it.”
Saleh’s work has been praised by iconic outlets like The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Complex, Nylon, Billboard and PAPER magazine. Impressively, the artist’s work has amassed more than 81 million streams to date.
Kenyan newcomer IkeN is one of the reasons why we enjoy new-music discovery so much.
At only 19-years of age, this talented musician is already crafting some of the most captivating R&B sounds to come out of Africa in quite some time.
New single ‘Miss Me’ treats listeners to a sublime production that is dreamy, mellow and utterly mesmerising to experience.
“‘Miss Me’ is a soul-stirring ballad exploring the intricacies of a two-sided love that ultimately fades away.”
The song is lifted from the artist’s upcoming ‘Galatea’ album, which is out soon. In the meantime, you can check out more of IkeN’s music here.
🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist
Canadian singer, songwriter and artist Becca Tg has teamed up with acclaimed producer Lowgo on her new single, ‘Just My Type’.
From the moment you press play, you’ll experience a blissful fusion of dance, pop and R&B. This is a song that uplifting and joyful in tone, and serves as the perfect anthem for the weekend ahead.
“Prepare to embark on a musical journey that celebrates love, rhythm, and the art of dance.”
Hailing from Montreal, Becca Tg is an emerging artist who is already building solid traction across the globe, and frequently garners more than 40k streams per release on Spotify alone. One to watch!
Her friends might call her the ‘queen of the sad song’, but emerging Nashville starlet Eliza Harrison Smith has just unveiled one of the sweetest songs that we’ve come across all week.
‘Back Of My Mind’ was produced by fellow Nashville musician Tyler Skye, and treats listeners to a shimmering mix of indie, pop and soft rock.
“It’s a nostalgic, breezy, upbeat indie-pop song, perfect for the end of the summer.”
Impressively, Eliza’s songs have so far amassed more than 200k cumulative streams – with momentum continuing to rise for this hugely promising artist upon each release.
One of the catchiest songs released today comes courtesy of synth-rock outfit Death Valley Dreams, and their new Brandon Yeagley collaboration, ‘Leave Me Alone’.
Aside from its refreshingly bold and energising style of production, this song’s anthemic melody is certain to stick in your minds all day. Explaining the track’s creation, vocalist Nick Coyle says:
“Originally we had a certain a singer with a higher voice of a well know band from the UK in mind for this song. When that ended up falling through, I thought who do I know whose voice would fit what we were hearing? Instantly I thought of my old friend Brandon Yeagley of Crobot. I called him up and he came down to my home studio and absolutely killed it.”
Having already found its way onto editorial Apple Music playlists, it seems likely that this will be one of the most prominent rock releases of the weekend – and we’re not surprised!
Scottish outfit Cloud House are back with an emotional new single called ‘Don’t Wanna Talk’.
The song contrasts a rousing production and anthemic melody with vulnerable and honest lyrics, resulting a track that is not only bold and energising, but also moving and sincere.
“This song is inspired by a journey I used to take as a young boy. My mum was ill throughout my childhood and I cared for her since I was old enough to remember. I always felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders as it was just Mum and I on our own. I used to put on a brave face for her but deep down it was a struggle for me. I wanted to be a kid. I wanted her to get better. I used to get the bus home and go past my stop as I didn’t want to go home quite just yet. I would go through phases of being okay and just getting on with it.” Conor McCarry – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Cloud House will embark on a short tour from the 29th September, and release their next EP, ‘Still Here’, on the 1st November. To date, the group have accumulated more than 100k Spotify streams, and received support from outlets as iconic as Clash Magazine.
Tour Dates 2023:
Hailing from Seattle is I Wish I Was A Punk Band (aka Phil Hamilton), who has just unveiled a refreshingly unique new single called ‘Ash’.
By blending elements of dreamy indie with alternative pop, the track showcases a style of sound that is distinctly original in character. Elaborating on the song’s intriguing title, Hamilton says:
“In the height of the pandemic, summer of 2020, Seattle was hit with it’s worst wildfire smoke of my adult life. For 4 days, the air quality was so bad that I wasn’t able to spend time outside for any extended periods, and the sense of the world getting smaller and more isolated kept growing. All while feeling cabin fever, social media was full of people posting pictures of beautiful sunsets caused by these wildfires. This song is a tongue-in-cheek retort to those posts.”
If this this your first taste of I Wish I Was A Punk Band, then you’ll be pleased to know that Hamilton already released an album back in 2020 called Takeda Bleach – listen here. A new EP is out soon.
🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist
Track of the week. Acclaimed Swedish singer-songwriter, producer and artist Dajana has just released one of the most breathtaking singles of the year, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Written as an ode to life, ‘I Say Yes’ presents listeners with a spellbinding fusion of gospel, soul and hip hop.
The sound is bold, joyful and cinematic, and reminds us of the transformative powers that music possesses. If you have time to play only one song today, make it this one.
‘I Say Yes’ is lifted from Dajana’s inspiring new EP of the same name, which is out now.
We’ve got the perfect song for you to play on this mellow Sunday.
Chinese-American singer and songwriter Emei’s ‘Don’t Know About The World’ is a beautifully dreamy slice of alternative pop that is not only melodically memorable, but also lyrically moving.
“A song about feeling safe and finding solace in that one person (or space or thing). I don’t often write about love, so finding a way to create a sappy authentic love song that still could live on this project was more difficult than you’d think. I wanted this single to be a bit of a left turn from my previous singles. I wanted the song to be a window into my emotional world.”
If you can’t get enough of Emei’s music then you’ll be pleased to know that she’s planning to release two more singles and an EP later this year.
Exciting times for a hugely talented musician who has already amassed more than 50 million career streams to date.
This isn’t the first time we’ve featured US-based artist benten – he was our Track of the Week earlier in the summer.
The emerging musician is back with another impressive new single, called ‘wasting time’. As we’ve come to expect from benten, the track treats us with to effortlessly smooth sound that blends indie with pop in the most charming way imaginable.
With placements on prominent indie playlists like indie dream club and Spotify’s Fresh Finds, it’s so nice to see this promising talent beginning to gain the traction he deserves!
If you’re in the mood for some punchy punk-pop then we’ve got the perfect song for you.
Canadian rockers NOBRO have just unveiled an anthemic new single called ‘Where My Girls At’, and it’s our favourite release from the Montreal-based band so far.
“‘Where My Girls At’ is an upbeat anthem where heartbreak takes a back seat to girl power and rock’n’roll. Instead of wallowing in love’s disappointment you can pick up a guitar and call on your girls. This celebration of sisterhood and female empowerment is a reminder that with friends by our side, anything is possible – even starting a band on a whim.”
As one of Canada’s most prominent rock outfits, NOBRO have played shows with the likes of Blink-182 , PUP, Fidlar and The OBGMs.
The group has also amassed millions of catalogue streams to date, and currently command more than 54k monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
Upcoming LP ‘Set Your Pussy Free’ is out on the 27th October 2023.
