Seattle-based artist Barrett Staples creates sounds that seamlessly fuse different genres together – from indie and alternative hip-hop through to pop, soul, R&B and funk.
In honour of Year of the Tiger, melodic new single ‘Evergreen’ is first to kick off monthly releases from Staples, and features background vocals from Vinslo.
Undoubtedly one of the stand-out releases of the week comes courtesy of Grammy-nominated songwriter Aldae.
‘Long Way From Texas’ is the artist’s stunningly raw debut, and it’s no wonder just how beautiful the track is when you consider that Aldae has also written songs for the likes of Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Machine Gun Kelly and Selena Gomez to name but a few.
“I wrote ‘Long Way From Texas’ during the beginning of the pandemic. I was living in Arizona at a friend’s guest house, trying to escape how wild LA was becoming. The song is a pure reflection of the world I was living in, and how I was experiencing it.”
Self-titled EP ‘Aldae Vol. 1’ is due to be released in later this year.
After spending the last year co-writing viral songs like ‘Somebody I F*cked Once’ for Zolita and producing for the likes of Dorian Electra, Nashville-based artist and writer Myylo unveils some exciting new solo material.
‘Being Born Kinda Sucks’ evokes the sounds of Y2K, as Myylo’s nostalgist lens reconsiders the aesthetics of Weezer and Sugar Ray to investigate problems plaguing us in 2022.
Taken from the debut album, which is out later this year.
Emerging form Nashville is newcomer FRONDE. Crafting music since the age of 12, this talent draws his inspiration from a variety of genres – ranging from lo-fi bedroom pop and indie, through to hip-hop and R&B.
Impressively, new single ‘Letters’ was written, recorded, produced and mixed by FRONDE himself in his bedroom studio.
“I don’t normally get letters in the mail from people I care about. I typically get phone calls or texts like a normal person. But I got a letter from someone in the mail and it really got me thinking about how things were before phones and how different and hard that it might’ve been to get good or bad news. I wrote this song from the perspective of me being broken up with via letters and the news of that coming as a shock. That shock then sends me on an emotional rollercoaster which I tried to convey both lyrically and dynamically.”
Still only 18-years old, Swedish singer and songwriter Paula Jivén creates spellbindingly original pop songs that are deeply captivating in the most beautiful ways.
Her dreamy yet subtly eccentric new single ‘Someone Always Knows’ touches upon loneliness and lingering emotions from her childhood.
“’Someone Always Knows’ is just a really sad song. I wrote it two years ago when I was going through a pretty tough time with myself, and I took to writing almost like a coping-mechanism. I wanted a truthful song, something that just stated how I felt. Not a fight song for when you want to move on, just a song for when all you want to do is linger in your emotions. The lyrics debate loneliness and fear of abandonment. I’m also reaching back into my childhood, I had trouble finding friends and I remember feeling very lonely. There’s a very raw sadness to being alone, but not understanding why. Honestly, I’m a bit scared to release this song. It’s very close to my heart, and in a sense it’s like giving away a piece of myself? But on the other hand I’m so happy about sharing it with anyone who needs a really sad song.”
Debut EP ‘The Duality In Me’ is out later this year.
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Hailing from the North-East is UK artist Sarah Johnsone. Having inherited her music taste from her dad, Sarah grew up listening to rock, blues, jazz, R&B and reggae.
‘Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl’ is an atmospheric piece of indie-rock that feels anthemic, raw and gutsy, yet still maintains a sense of emotion that is endearing to experience.
“I’ve found that my lyrics always tend towards the sombre side, so for this single I wanted to juxtapose it with energetic riffs and guitar solos. It’s the first recording I made with my band, which gave me way more scope and depth musically. The song is about falling for someone who you know is no good, but it isn’t a downcast tune at all.”
UK Tour Dates:
UK singer-songwriter Waves Rush In (aka Sam Branson) creates music that pays tribute to the human experience by taking inspiration from nature, mother earth and life experience on his travels.
Since launching early last year, this Oxford-based talent has released a debut EP alongside several singles and music videos, amassing 600k streams across all platforms and picking up media support from the likes of BBC Introducing and Alex Rain Bird.
Latest single ‘Intoxicated’ consists of two distinct parts, with tension-building verses that make way for relief-filled anthemic choruses – all tied together with an underlying guitar hook that serves as a bed for the story to build from.
“It’s written about lust and that burning desire for someone that you can’t really have in the way that you want and about the connection and release you feel when you finally get it. In the chorus’ there’s Vocoda to give a feminine and sensual sensation of being intoxicated that I’m sure many will identify with. I have my wife’s vocals subtly placed in the song to make sure she has a presence in it.”
Emerging UK singer and producer Moonkay constructs songs that are like none other.
With a distinctly unique blend of morose melodies that are layered on tense, crunchy bass tones, Moonkay’s sounds have earned him notable features from the likes of Earmilk, Onestowatch and Acidstag.
New single ‘Fell In The Deep’ focuses on the theme of isolation, and losing oneself within a never ending cycle.
“‘Fell In The Deep’ is an analysis on loneliness. I see the piece as an introspection on looking for purpose, and some of the negative emotions that can come with that. I think this is very visually clear in the contrast of the screaming vocals over the 808 bass and harsh percussion. The complexity of the sounds lends itself to the spontaneity of repeatedly hunting for purpose to no avail. This is in contrast to the more melodic sections, which can be seen as the sections of clarity, made more so obvious given the use of vocals and a clear message to the listener.”
Emerging from Austria is newcomer RUHMER, who’s style of indie-pop and alternative rock results in anthemic songs that command to be heard.
Empowering and inspirational new single ‘TO THE WILD’ tells us of the never-ending series of fall and rise – and how to always keep faith in oneself.
“Step into the wild – you will be alright”
Nashville-based songwriter, singer and producer Jeni Schapire crafts a cinematic style of folk-pop that is exceptionally stunning. This is a sound that is timelessly beautiful and ethereal in essence.
‘Loose Ends’ is a humble yet profound song that draws on the grief and experiences learned during the pandemic. Co-written with Julia Berrebi and produced by Daniel Markus and Matthew Young, the song started as a free form poem that was soon shaped and stretched into the contemplative song it is today.
“We were both dating people who were clearly wrong for us, but with all the loss we clung for dear life to these people – praying and hoping that at least we could have that joy. We imagined the lives we’d have, so vastly different from the circumstances around us.”
Emerging from Wisconsin is producer, singer and songwriter Restless Modern. With over 23 million Spotify streams under his belt, this talent has already picked up attention from the likes of Billboard, Lyrical Lemonade, MTV and Atwood.
In an interesting twist to new music, his new single ‘I Hate That I’m Addicted to the Internet’ is a 50’s inspired pop song that looks into our online traits and behaviours.
“The algorithms of today’s online world are a sleight of hand trick in which your personal agency of choice is cleverly replaced with a curated buffet of predetermined options. It’s easy to blame the machinations of well-known profit engines for preying on our most base instincts, but to what degree are we responsible for understanding and taming the rabid neural pleasure centres that we poke and prod, aimlessly searching for a satiation that never comes? ‘I Hate That I’m Addicted to the Internet’ highlights how our personalised desires, fears, and obsessions fuel the monster, desensitising the youngest among us and luring them into participating in a vapid cycle of desperate performance.”
Nigeria-born and Texas-raised duo KAIRO are identical twins who, at the age of 21 have taken TikTok by storm thanks to their infectious and engaging renditions as ‘Coverboys’.
Arguably the most charming song of the year so far, ‘Someone Like You’ is delightfully simple in tone, yet exudes a positive energy that is wonderfully captivating.
“‘Someone Like You,’ a love song that embodies the feeling of having that perfect someone who leaves you speechless, is the first peek into our world. This record holds a special place in our hearts because it is one of the first we wrote on our first writing trip to Los Angeles, which has now become our home.”
One of the most beautiful releases of the week comes courtesy of LA singer, songwriter and wellness advocate little luna.
Her timelessly elegant new single ‘under the wave’ is a subtly whimsical yet ethereal take on folk-pop that chronicles her fluctuating state of mind during meditation.
“This song, to me, is about how I feel in meditation. Sometimes my mind present and floating, Sometimes my thoughts tossing me around.”
Taken from the debut EP ‘through the self‘, which is out 29th April 2022 via AWAL Recordings.
Newcomer Congee constructs a melodic fusion of lo-fi pop, psychedelic indie and soul that is truly like no other sound you will have heard before. Eccentric yet accessible, this is a style of music which is impossible not feel some kind of connection with.
‘Be Alright’ is one of the most exciting releases that I have come across this month, and I predict this talent will pick up even more momentum as the weeks go by.
London-based, Palestinian/American artist Lana Lubany masterfully blends elements of dark pop with Middle Eastern influences to create sounds that are conceptual, impactful and thought-provoking.
Sultry and atmospheric in tone, new single ‘THE SNAKE’ showcases this emerging talent’s potential in the form of a melodic song written about losing one’s innocence.
Taken from the forthcoming project ‘THE HOLY LAND’, which is out soon.
Rising artist Xana is not only delivering some of the most empowering pop to emerge from Canada right now, but she does so while also incorporating themes of LGTBQ romance, female sexuality and self-discovery into her songwriting.
New single ‘My Therapist Told Me’ serves as an anthem of frustration, of letting go of a toxic infatuation and being brought back to reality by those around you.
“I was head over heels for this girl who would constantly flirt with me and then out of nowhere she’d say we were ‘just friends’ and apologised if I ‘got the wrong impression’. I refused to write another sad song about it and instead channelled all my confusion and frustration into this angsty, early 2000’s vibe, pop-rock song. Writing ‘My Therapist Told Me’ was therapy in itself and it pushed me down the path of healing.”
Track of the week. ‘iwoulddoanythingforyou’ came up on my Spotify randomly over the weekend, and I have been obsessed with the song ever since. This is likely to be my favourite release from a newcomer to date this year, thanks to its immersive and atmospheric tones.
The artist behind the song is elusive; all I know is that this is a producer, writer and singer from Boston who is currently based in LA. Somehow, I don’t think it will be long before we discover more about this huge talent.
Sometimes a song comes up on Spotify and you just know almost immediately that the talent behind it will rocket into the mainstream.
That was the case when I first stumbled across Allen Haley’s ‘TAKEN BACK’ earlier this week. Indie-pop at its most exciting, this is an artist who will inevitably win over a lot of new fans this year.
This is just about one of the most beautiful debuts to emerge from Scandinavia in quite some time.
Created by psychedelic pop-rock newcomers BEAR THE ANT, ‘Higher Times’ was recorded in a cabin in their native Iceland during the cold winter solstice – exposing listeners to a beautifully balanced sound between depression and hope.
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An eccentric yet charmingly playful blend of electronic pop and indie from American talent Sleepyhead.
“This song is about feeling vulnerable in a relationship but knowing that it is ok to feel vulnerable, and it doesn’t have to be scary.”
