Lola Scott teams up with Evan Klar and Abby Bella May for a charmingly catchy reworking of her single ‘jogging shoes’.
Lola Scott – jogging shoes (the rerun)
Category: Listen
Zuzu – Lie To Myself
Liverpool’s acclaimed singer songwriter Zuzu is back with an anthemic new track that comes in the form of ‘Lie To Myself’. Written as a song in which someone searches for comfort in ignorance, Zuzu says:
“‘Lie To Myself’ is about the process of coming out of denial, about that fragile state in-between a breakup where you’re strong enough to leave but not quite yet strong enough to face the full truth. The realisation that you’ve been living through a toxic relationship whether that be romantic or even professional and the impact that has on your mental health. It can be emotionally crippling leaving something behind that you’ve leaned on for so many years. It can feel like learning to breathe again. The song is about those times you hear their name or see a picture, whatever it might be that triggers that knot in your stomach. It’s about not wanting to hear the details about what happened, having no control over your emotional reaction to other people’s actions past, present and future. I’m still learning how to set boundaries in life, for myself more than anyone. Trying to stop my anxieties from spiralling out of control and not letting outside influences affect me. Protect your magic, it’s precious!”
Catch Zuzu on her 2021 headline UK tour – tickets here.
DBMK – Tough
Nashville-based alt-pop project DBMK return today with one of the best tracks of the week so far (in my humble view).
With each new release, this duo continue to push the boundaries of their sound, crafting songs that explore humanity: change, love, loss, joy, misery, triumph, and disappointment – with compassion and curiosity.
“‘Tough’ is a song about feeling utterly stuck in the place you’re at in life and being constantly overlooked by a world that seems to be moving faster and faster around you. This place that you’re stuck in could be school, a job, a relationship, or a state of mine. Do you have the confidence to get up and change your circumstances?”
Brett Castro – movies in the backyard
‘movies in the backyard’ is that kind of indie-pop song that immediately casts a spell on you, leaving you totally mesmerised and in love with it.
Written in Castro’s childhood bedroom, the song is a nostalgic cut that paints romantic vignettes of his life – “every bruise a badge of honour when we’re flying up the trees” – that feel like you’re watching an A24 film.
“‘movies in the backyard’ was written on a challenge from my childhood friends to write a song about growing up together in Ohio. We were always running through the woods, singing around the piano, or shooting YouTube videos in their backyard. They were my escape out of my own world and into one that we made fantastical. Sometimes I feel like I never left that backyard, and I’m still foraging around for that feeling. And so that’s what I ended up writing.”
Joya Mooi – You Know Me Well By Now
Amsterdam-based singer songwriter Joya Mooi shares her hypnotising new release ‘You Know Me Well By Now’, reuniting with producer Sim Fane for another supreme cut of modern R&B.
“I think as people we do many things, sending out mixed messages, avoiding difficult questions or having ”off days” – so it only makes sense that most people don’t get to meet the ‘real’ you. Society is changing a lot, and it looks like people are becoming more hesitant to learn something themselves. I don’t know if it’s fear of trying or if it just seems easier to be detached by default. But it is something that has been on my mind lately.”
DYLAN – Someone Else
Consistently serving us with premium pop bangers, London-based artist DYLAN returns with an angsty offering in the form of new single ‘Someone Else’. This song is sure to hit the hearts of listeners who fall for somebody who’s already in love with somebody else.
“’Someone Else’ is very straight to the point song. There are no hidden meanings, it is simply about falling in love with someone that is in love with someone else, which obviously is a tad heartbreaking. The song started way sadder than it is now, and slowly the inner disbelief and anger seemed to take over the lyrics.”
You can catch Dylan at her newly added London headline date on 22nd February 2022.
Ash Olsen – VIBE KILLER
Hailing from Norway, 21-year old independent artist Ash Olsen has already been picking up attention since the release of her 2020 single ‘KITKAT’, with praise coming from the likes of NRK P3 and P3X.
With a highly unique approach to rap, this artist is one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Nordic region of late, and well worth keeping an eye out for. On new song ‘VIBE KILLER’ she says:
“My girl killed my vibe right before I hit the studio, so I went in with good inspiration. PS. don’t be a vibe killer.”
Keiynan Lonsdale – Rhythm & Music
Track of the week. It’s hard to get nostalgia right when it comes to producing new music, yet Keiynan Lonsdale has managed to construct one of sharpest blends of pop and R&B that I have come across over the last few days.
“I finally feel in harmony with myself as a man, at peace with both my feminine and my masculine. Sometimes, there are still demons to face, there’s still fear, but… I’ve stopped running, so I can continue growing with strength.”
Keiynan plays his first ever headline show at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre – tickets here.
ROLE MODEL – death wish
She’s lethal, I don’t feel safe around her
I heard that she killed a man out in Hollywood
Now we’re holding hands, pray to god she’s good
But she’s evil, that’s all I know about her
Sola – Feels Like a War
South London based artist Sola really is crafting some of the most sensational R&B sounds to emerge from the UK of late.
New single ‘Feels Like a War’ is solid proof of this, featuring her beautifully distinctive vocals flowing over an indulgent production that fuses elements of jazz and soul into the mix masterfully.
Tanisako – White Skies
Tanisako’s ‘White Skies’ sees a beautifully constructed fusion of genres coming together to form a sound that feels almost timeless in it’s essence. This is a piece of music that feels raw, industrial and intense yet also mysterious and intriguing to listeners.
Kasra – Guilty (feat. Catching Cairo)
Soulful vocals by the hugely talented Catching Cairo glide over a sleek drum and bass composition on Kasra’s latest release, ‘Guilty’.
Gustaf – on n off
Emerging Danish talent Gustaf returns with a charming and melancholic fusion of indie pop and synth. ‘on n off’ was mixed and mastered by Gustaf himself, along with fellow artist Daniel Joy who helped write and produce the song.
“It’s about having an on and off relationship with someone, and although you know that it’s probably for the best if you would let it go it’s difficult when you have the same friend group or go to the same school – and all your friends keep saying: ‘they are on and off’, like: ‘they can’t figure it out’. It is that feeling of being at a party, only aware of how you look, or what they were doing, what signals they are giving, but then at one point you might encounter the inevitable realisation: we’re running out of lies, this can’t go on, and then it just goes in circles.”
Gustaf was recently featured on one of Germany’s largest radio stations, bigFM as a newcomer to watch. With traction picking up across Europe, this may well be one of Denmark’s next pop exports.
Leah Kate – F U Anthem
Currently one of music’s most versatile and adaptable talents, Leah Kate is back with a bang today! New release ‘F U Anthem’ is a bold and rousing rock-pop anthem that is sure to make an impact upon any listener.
“No matter what kind of song I’m releasing, whether it’s a disco dance pop song or just me on guitar, the lyrics have to matter and be very truthful to my life.”
Taken from the new EP ‘What Just Happened’ which is out now.
Everyone You Know – Just For The Times (EP)
Ones-to-watch sibling duo Everyone You Know dropped their highly anticipated EP ‘Just For The Times’ today through Sony RCA UK.
The project provides a soundtrack to the highs, the lows, the nostalgia and the pent-up energy over lockdown. On the record, they say:
“‘Just for the Times’ is not just an ‘EP’ but it’s a representation of the lives we and our loved ones have all lived throughout the past two years. It’s a project where we’ve really delved deep, thought about carefully and made as honest as possible. We wanted this project to represent our fans too, something everyone can relate to and connect with. It’s ten tracks of emotions that vary from high to low, hope to hopelessness and joy to sadness. It’s a project we’re really proud of, and can’t wait for you all to hear. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it.”
Elephant Castle – Rocket To The Moon
LA-based mega talent Elephant Castle returns with a true slice of escapism through new single ‘Rocket To The Moon’. This eccentric and retro-inspired track is just about the most unique piece of indie you’ll likely listen to all week.
“Sometimes Earth is hard. ‘Rocket To The Moon’ is a spacey fantasy about leaving gravity behind for a more harmonious existence on the moon.”
EYJAA – The Wrecking Crew
Danish-Icelandic sister duo EYJAA (Sara and Brynja) return today with wonderfully moving new pop single ‘The Wrecking Crew’.
With subtle hints of folk and country added for good measure, this song is sure to touch a few hearts across Europe over the coming weeks.
“Going through life we all experience challenges that we tend to overthink or simply misunderstand within ourselves. ‘The Wrecking Crew’ is about how you are never alone with your thoughts. Really, it can be just as beautiful to be sad as it can to be happy. It’s just human emotions, and they are not unknown to any of us.”
girlhouse – boundary issues
Fast-rising indie bedroom-pop artist girlhouse (aka Lauren Luiz) returns today with ‘boundary issues’. The song was inspired by her self-described lack of boundaries with strangers, and delivers a power punch of euphoric hooks that sees her in a far more adventurous guise than most.
“‘boundary issues’ was inspired by my lack of boundaries with strangers. Keke Palmer made a TikTok about how she doesn’t know how to get out of a conversation if someone starts making her feel uncomfortable and I had never related to internet content more. She says ‘please don’t because I have boundary issues and I need you to help me help myself, so please go away now’. She was the biggest inspiration for this song. Love her a ton for helping me feel seen.”
Taken from the new record ‘the second ep’ which is out now.
clide – come over
German talent clide has been an Alfitude favourite for a good while now, and it’s amazing to see that this artist now commands over 400k monthly listeners on Spotify alone. When you press play on ‘come over’ you’ll realise why; this is beautifully constructed and emotive music that is sure to connect with all of us.
“I remember writing ‘come over’ in my bedroom almost two years ago, sitting there and thinking about that girl I used to see, that sadly wasn’t part of my life anymore. To me it’s just a song that’s really honest and pure, trying to say out loud what my feelings and the thoughts running through my head were telling me. I think I like the song so much, because it is so honest and real and I hope others can hear and feel that too…”
Taken from the beautiful new EP ‘feelings’ which is out now.
Pink Milk – Everything Must Die
Acclaimed Swedish darkwave duo Pink Milk return today with a haunting and ethereal sound in the form of new single ‘Everything Must Die’. The song is about lovers reaching the point of no return, where everything must simply just die.
Since returning to Sweden from packed shows at Iceland Airwaves and the Reeperbahn Festival in 2019 (just before the pandemic broke loose) Pink Milk have been hard at work finishing their upcoming album ‘Ultraviolet’.