Category: New Music

New Music: Sleeping Together

Formed during lockdown over FaceTime, British indie rockers Sleeping Together unleash their sound to the world today with the release of debut single ‘Summer Girl’.

“’Summer Girl’ was inspired by a short and sweet summer romance. At the end of summer, the couple agreed to go their separate ways. Like the romance, Summer Girl is short, bright and sweet, capturing the highs of a British summer in its emphatic chorus. However, much like the British summer, this romance was rained off too soon. These fleeting glimpses of a love, destined for rapidly approaching heartbreak, are conveyed perfectly through Summer Girl’s climbing vocals.” –  Alexander Lloyd-Jones, Sleeping Together

Hailing from the North West of England, this hugely promising four-piece create indie anthems that are inspired by a wide range of topics – from love and heartbreak, through to toxic masculinity and nights out.

Sleeping Together have already received support from the likes of Amazing Radio, and are scheduled for further airplay on XS Manchester and Radio X. Fans can look forward to five further releases between now and the spring months of next year.

Sleeping Together

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New Music: ANTICALM

One of the most exciting debuts to emerge from the UK this week comes courtesy of British rapper ANTICALM.

Fearlessly blending elements of hip hop with electronica, grime and punk, this talent creates energising sounds that are distinctly unique in character and tone. Speaking on his future-forward release ‘Bobs n’ Bits’, he says:

“I walked past a discount shop called bits n bobs when I was living in Manny! Walked home, flipped the chorus and recorded the track that day. Everyone talks about doing bits round here, me, I don’t do bits, I do bobs and bits. Simple!”

Through his mould-breaking style of music-making, there is no doubt in our minds that ANTICALM will make a significant mark on the UK rap scene within the next year.

ANTICALM

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New Music: Guy Margalit

A master of many talents, Guy Margalit is a singer, songwriter and producer who was raised in Colorado.

While Margalit’s sound is inspired by the sounds of 70’s funk, indie and alternative R&B, this artist has had also had rich history in performing and working on projects that have varied from classical to jazz musical styles.

New single ‘BE2GETHER’ is a playful twist on indie-pop, and features one of the catchiest melodies that you’re likely to experience all weekend. Keep an eye out for this kid – he may well be one to watch.

Guy Margalit

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New Music: Anna Thoresen

Hailing from New York is rising singer, songwriter and producer Anna Thoresen. Still only 20-years of age, this artist is rapidly garnering traction thanks to her beautiful blends of bedroom pop, indie and alternative R&B.

New single ‘party girl’s lament’ presents listeners with a gorgeously stripped-back production, while Thoresen opens up on her past struggles with addiction:

“It comes from a very vulnerable, personal place that I don’t speak about often, but screams through my music. It’s about addiction, anxiety, and being in a dark place, and everyone around you is not too different, yet no one really talks about it. Addiction is way more common than we think, especially with underage high school and college kids, and nobody talks about it without feeling shame or guilt. I’d like to break the stigma by speaking on my own experiences”.

Fans of this emerging starlet can look forward to an upcoming debut EP, which is scheduled for release later this year.

Anna Thoresen

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New Music: LONG ISLAND

Emerging from the British town of Huddersfield are newcomers LONG ISLAND, who launch their debut today with the release of shimmering new single, ‘blissful satisfaction’.

Inspired by the happiness that love can bring, the song presents listeners with a thoughtfully constructed production that blends indie with dreamy pop, resulting in a sound that feels uplifting and joyous.

With support from the likes of BBC Introducing already under their belt, this UK outfit are most certainly ones to watch.

LONG ISLAND

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New Music: Jei-Rynn

Photo / Aubree Estrella

For fans of the 00’s punk-pop sound, LA-based talent Jei-Rynn might well be one of your favourite new artists.

By blending elements of alternative music with pop, rock, indie and punk, Jei-Rynn creates sounds that feel unique and fresh, while still maintaining strong essences of nostalgia.

Inspired by feelings of escapism, new single ‘sleeping (all day)’ is taken from Jei-Rynn’s forthcoming ‘overreacting’ EP, and was produced by Alex Arias – famed for his work with the likes of The Mowgli’s and Matchbox Twenty.

Jei-Rynn

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New Music: Nat Slater

Hailing from London is singer and songwriter Nat Slater. Through her distinctively honeyed vocals and sleek productions, this rising newcomer is crafting some of the most impressive cuts of R&B-pop to emerge from the capital.

Featuring the talents of Finn Matthews, melodic new single ‘Ride The Wave’ encapsulates those euphoric moments of feeling care-free, as Slater explains:

“’Ride The Wave’ is about being in the moment with someone and not caring what happens next. I wrote it while I was in LA making music, the sun was shining everything felt very blissful, I just wanted to capture that feeling.”

With support from the likes of Kiss FM and Wonderland Magazine, Slater’s ascent into the musical mainstream is imminent. Be sure to keep this rising starlet on your radars.

Nat Slater | Finn Matthews

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New Music: Fuzzy Sun

Photo / Sara Carpenteri

In recent decades, the North of England has come to be known as the birthplace of British indie talent, and today’s introduction of Stockport’s Fuzzy Sun continues the tradition.

Taken from the group’s forthcoming EP, new single ‘Money’ presents listeners with a sound that carries dark and thoughtful lyrics over an electrifying mix of indie, rock and pop.

“‘Hey Sonny yeah money’s gonna kill your soul’ is the key line which inspired the song. We all seem to be chasing money and material things. And I think it leaves us empty and unfulfilled. Despite that, it’s just so ingrained in us as a society and it prevails.” – Kyle Ross, Fuzzy Sun

To date, Fuzzy Sun have received praise from the likes of Clash and Dork magazines, Earmilk and BBC Radio 1, as well as achieving placements on Spotify’s New Music Friday UK and Hot New Bands playlists.

Fuzzy Sun

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New Music: Lucy McWilliams

Hailing from Dublin is 22-year old singer and songwriter Lucy McWilliams. Already a buzz-worthy talent with over 13 million catalogue streams on Spotify, McWilliams is rapidly gaining traction thanks to her captivating style of music-making.

With its perfected fusion of dreamy pop and indie, today’s release of new single ‘Break My Own Heart’ will continue to propel this hugely promising artist’s momentum even further.

Inspired by the insecurities that arise when romantic relationships start to get serious, the song’s lyrics are powerfully raw and relatable.

“‘Break My Own Heart’ is about self-sabotage within a relationship; being scared of being close to someone so you intentionally push them away before they can cause heartbreak to you. It’s that fear of rejection and preparing yourself for the hurt before they can hurt you.”

Garnering support from respected outlets like Official Charts, Songwriting Magazine, Blogtheque and Record of the Day, this is one Irish starlet to keep on your radars.

Lucy McWilliams

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Upcoming Shows

  • 2nd Sep – Electric Picnic, Ireland
  • 4th – 7th Oct – Ireland Music Week

New Music: insha

Photo / Gennelle Cruz
– Flash Warning –

One of the most impressive introductions of the week comes courtesy of 19-year old indie artist insha.

Compelling new single ‘DGMTS’ was produced by Samir Alikhanizadeh (who has worked alongside the likes of FKA Twigs, Shygirl and Chloe & Halle), and provides listeners with a soundscape feels sparse and minimal – yet deeply emotive.

“I first started writing ‘DGMTS’ ages ago, in late 2020. I wrote it in a dark time in the middle of the night. It wasn’t completely done when Samir [Alikhanizadeh, producer] first went at it – it had a whole missing verse, and honestly I think it was really depressing. I write by letting random things come out of my mouth and sometimes being shocked at what comes spilling out. But that is music and that is art. Simply snippets of time. I meant every word. Up until a month ago, I really debated on whether I should soften some of the darker lyrics. It never felt right to do so – it didn’t feel honest. ‘DGMTS’ captures everything I was feeling at the time in music – I couldn’t be happier with it. Everything always gets better.”

The song serves as a follow-up to insha’s 2020 debut release ‘she’s watching’, which was praised by Billboard Magazine and achieved over 90k streams on Spotify alone.

insha

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New Music: Edie Bens

Edie Bens is a Welsh singer and songwriter who, at 21-years of age, is releasing some of the most promising indie-pop sounds to emerge from the UK.

‘Therapist’ is only Bens’ second single, yet the track showcases an artist who has the ability to pair beautifully melodic songs with thoughtfully written lyricism.

“’Therapist’ is about my uni boyfriend. We started seeing each other mainly because of the convenience and the familiarity of being housemates. It didn’t last very long as we were a terrible fit. And he was quite controlling. I was so scared to end things at first for fear of hurting his feelings despite knowing it was making me deeply unhappy. Writing this song was a way of me taking back my own narrative and happiness.”

To date, this rising starlet has collaborated with the likes of Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Flyte, while also touring alongside COIN and Felice Brothers among others.

Edie Bens

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New Music: Shady Baby

Photo / Julia Nala

We are kicking the week off with a huge new release from British indie-rock newcomers Shady Baby.

Inspired by the iconic sounds of Madchester and Britpop, anthemic new single ‘Lonely Town’ makes an immediate impact from the moment you press play – and showcases this Brighton-based outfit’s immense potential.

“‘Lonely Town’ is about the creeping sense that you’re becoming detached from yourself and the people around you, whilst trying to keep a lid on it and act normal.” – Sam Leaver, Shady Baby

Having recently signed with iconic indie label Nice Swan, as well as picking up early support from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Radio X, Shady Baby are rapidly marking themselves as one of the UK’s most promising indie groups.

Shady Baby

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Shady Baby – Upcoming Shows

  • 24th August – Supersonic, Paris
  • 24th/ 25th September – 234 Fest, Green Door Store, Brighton
  • 29th September – Bermondsey Social Club, London

New Music: notfortheo

Photo / Luis Mora

Track of the week. Undoubtedly one of the most exciting debuts of the month, Canadian outfit notfortheo create a style of hazy, psychedelic synth-pop that is utterly mesmerising to experience.

New single ‘just a little bit’ was co-produced alongside CAMP.30, and showcases the trio’s skills at crafting sounds that are truly unique in style.

Inspired by the hardships that the group encountered during the pandemic, the song presents deep lyricism over a lo-fi production that feels dreamy, and almost playful in tone.

“(the song) is a powerful declaration of entering a hedonistic lifestyle to combat the mundane loneliness of days spent in isolation during the pandemic.” 

notfortheo

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New Music: Sötnos

Photo / Christian Tammi

As you may know, Scandinavians take their summer vacations very seriously. Around this time every year, the volume of new releases from the region dips, which is why we haven’t been featuring much Scandi music lately.

But that’s all about to change today, with the release of ‘Pancakes’ by Swedish newcomers Sötnos.

Thanks to it’s charming and playful blend of garage pop, indie and rock, the track serves as an immediate mood-booster and a perfect anthem for the weekend ahead.

Sötnos consists of Stockholm-based bandmates Albin Eidhagen and Tore Bojsten, who proudly self-produce all their work. Fans can look forward to the duo’s forthcoming ‘Care About Nothing’ debut album, which is released in September.

Sötnos

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* And for those of you wondering, Sötnos roughly translates to ‘cutie pie’, and is pronounced sœ:t.n:ous!

New Music: Westerner

Photo / Nikki Neumann

With an irresistible blend of psychedelic indie-rock, electronica and synth-pop, Californian outfit Westerner could well be one of the most interesting newcomers to emerge this month.

‘Hell is Dull’ perfectly demonstrates this trio’s skill at crafting sounds that feel eccentric and underground while still maintaining some pop sensibilities.

“This song is about the tendency to overindulge in something to the degree that the sensation diminishes and you have to keep piling on the intensity to feel anything. I noticed that I got bored of my ‘vices’ if I did them the same way over again. So I found ways to make the experience more intense. After a while I started to feel a sort of ironic melancholy over the things I could no longer enjoy. Yeah, I was enjoying myself, but I couldn’t really go back. I tried to capture that irony in the music.”

Westerner currently command an army of over 90k followers on TikTok alone, while also picking up tastemaker support from the likes of BuzzBandsLA and American Pancake.

‘Kali Yuga Kama Sutra’ album is out now | Westerner

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New Music: Sylvie

Hailing from London is singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Sylvie. As an artist who is unafraid to bare their true thoughts and emotions onto music, this pop talent is already gaining admiration from the likes of BBC Introducing and The Line of Best Fit, who recently remarked that ‘Sylvie’s clarity of expression is second to none.’

Through its intricately structured production and brutally honest lyrics, new single ‘Dull The Shimmer’ tells of Sylvie’s experience with anti-depressants, and the related feelings of numbness that come along with it.

“We should up the dose and keep the girl’s mouth shut, let’s all raise a toast until she’s all fired up”

SYLVIE – Dull The Shimmer

Sylvie readies the release of her debut ‘Particles of Paranoia‘ EP later this year, which was entirely written and produced by the artist herself.

Sylvie

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New Music: AYAKO

AYAKO could well be the next Japanese musical artist that has the potential to successfully captivate English-speaking nations.

This California-based talent fuses Japanese elements into her work – both sonically and visually, to create enthralling pieces of art.

New single ‘Something About You’ is a beautifully melodic slice of downtempo-pop that feels minimal and stripped-back, yet carries a darker undertone that leaves listeners hooked for more.

AYAKO

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New Music: Feinte

If there’s one song that’s certain to put a smile on your faces today, it’ll be ‘baby tee’ by Feinte.

Hailing from New York, this promising newcomer creates infectious blends of alt-pop and rock that are irresistibly charming to experience.

The song was inspired by the emerging American fashion trend of wearing undersized t-shirts, and its universality in appealing to people from all backgrounds, body shapes and sexualities.

Be sure to check out Feinte’s other releases – including his debut ‘Sloan’ and ‘SOS’.

Feinte

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New Music: Ed Staal

Photo / Ed Mason

Hailing from Hertfordshire is promising British newcomer Ed Staal. Through an interesting fusion of old-school soul and classic pop, this talent crafts sounds that feel both timeless and cool in equal measures.

Self-recorded and produced, Staal’s sleek new single ‘Baby Blue’ is lifted from his upcoming ‘Battle Scars & Broken Hearts’ EP, and reminisces over an old relationship:

“The track is about looking back on a past relationship with hindsight and seeing how immature myself and the actual relationship became. Touching on how meeting new people has felt meaningless since the end of us.”

To date, Staal has picked up support from BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 1, while his catalogue of releases has accumulated over 150k on Spotify alone.

Ed Staal

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New Music: Len

Hailing from South London is much-acclaimed rapper and singer Len. Since the release of his debut project ‘DEAD END’ earlier this year, this newcomer has picked up praise from the likes of Complex, TRENCH and GRM Daily.

A familiar theme across Len’s work is the desire to push musical boundaries, and challenge people’s perceptions of how genres should sound.

This is a talent who is unafraid to experiment, and in doing so is crafting a catalogue of songs that are refreshingly bold and exciting.

Hypnotic new single ‘SOLACE’ presents listeners with heady fusion of club sounds – ranging from jungle to drum & bass, and showcases this emerging talent’s exceptional artistry.

Len

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