Irish-born and Brighton-based artist Franklin Mansion is one of the most interesting newcomers to come across our radars this spring.
The exciting prospect has a distinct approach with the way he creates his songs. The tracks are brave and experimental, yet still maintain an emotive essence which allows them to feel relatable.
“‘You Were Never Really Here (Chloroform)’ is about that blurry place where a relationship ends emotionally before it ends physically. It’s the fourth version of this track. I kept re-recording it until it felt honest. Everything you hear was recorded in my bedroom in Brighton.”
While there’s still not much out there about Franklin Mansion, we think that it’ll only be a matter of time before he starts building momentum. A debut album titled ‘Speak with Your Limbs’ is on the way, so be sure to follow this artist on the socials!
“The song just flowed out of me and we knew straight away it was a hit. It’s a shame as I don’t have much of a following at all, I just spend all my time at home making music. Making music with your partner is also a very special unique experience. You get to write so quickly and honestly, mess around, not take yourself so seriously. It has really helped me grow as an artist in such a special way. As soon as Rndmbeats played the guitar loop the song just flowed out of me. It was so easy. It felt so nostalgic, so soft, so me, so silyla. At the time we were living in a small country town. I was going to the fields everyday and singing to the cows cause there was nothing else to do. Whenever I think of this song I think back to those fields. The nostalgia made me subconsciously reminisce about old relationships that had naturally, as life does, drifted away from me. all the love, and care, late nights, early mornings, memories and promises you make with people, just for them to become strangers. What was it all for? nothing in the end. but still this song has a sense of acceptance. I always write from a place for some sort of hope or acceptance. I am proud of the sonics and storytelling of this song, I feel it a pillar of my artistic journey.”
“I’ve always had a good gut feeling for scary people. While it helps me protect myself, it can also make me distant and guarded. It touches on a more honest part of my character—my instinct to avoid, even when it might not always be the best response.”
If you’re in the mood for some finessed R&B, then we’ve got a brilliant new talent to share with you today, going by the name of Anayka She.
This rising Brooklyn native has really impressed us not only with her songwriting but also with her silky smooth vocals and tight attention to detail in the making of her latest single, ‘Make it Me’.
“The song allows women to feel sexy while knowing exactly what they want and going after it.”
We’re quite sure this artist will grow in popularity over the coming months, and so she’s definitely one to watch. An exciting new addition to the R&B world who is deserving of the hype!
L’ESPIRAL create a style of sound that is really hard to pin down. And that’s why we love it so much.
Upon a first listen, you wouldn’t tell what decade ‘Mr. Babylon’ was recorded in. It’s classic and nostalgic but still feels relatable in this age.
“The song is about a woman mourning lost love and finding that, beyond the death of a relationship, her memories live on in the dream worlds she has built inside herself. The song reflects that, even in love’s afterlife, life continues to bloom in silent and unexpected ways.” – Zoë Bleu, L’ESPIRAL
This duo (consisting of Zoë Bleu and Reggie Debris) are currently building momentum in the US while also preparing for the release of their debut album, “SQUAWK!”, cried Love, which is out on the 24th of October.
Until then, you can catch these folks performing at London’s iconic Shacklewell Arms on the 11th of June.
“I wrote this song about how an event or person can come into your life and flip things around in either a positive or negative way. It’s a chance to reflect on all the emotions you felt during and after that period.”
Miranda Faul has to be one of the most interesting artists emerging from Ireland right now.
This hugely promising talent is already winning fans globally, thanks to her distinctive approach to music-making, which blends genres as diverse as folk, R&B and pop into cohesive sounds that are not only sonically captivating but also lyrically moving. Speaking on her new single, ‘Holding Me Back’, Faul says:
“‘Holding Me Back’ is a song about overwhelming, suffocating love. It’s about meaning too much to someone, to the point that you can’t give them what they expect of you. They’re also blurring your mind, so you can’t see the situation clearly. You know that they’re hurting you, but you can’t break free; you can’t unwind yourself from them.”
Faul has garnered praise from outlets as noted as BBC Introducing, Hot Press Magazine, and RTE 2FM. Listeners can enjoy the artist’s critically acclaimed debut EP, ‘Rise & Run’, here, or catch a live performance in Amsterdam on the 17th of May.
US-based musician and performer Julia DeTomaso has been an avid songwriter since the age of ten years old, which might explain how this artist is able to craft sincere songs like ‘Fake It’ with such flair.
The track showcases a finessed indie-pop production and is lyrically inspired by the aftermaths that ensue after relationships break down. The song is introspective and heartfelt, allowing us a glimpse into DeTomaso’s innermost feelings.
“Deeply caring for someone + a fear of commitment = heartbreak—the thread that runs through ‘Fake It’. With journal entry-level honesty and introspective lyrics, this song was written for the 20-something navigating her relationships.”
‘Fake It’ serves as a taster to DeTomaso’s solo work, with more songs appearing on the horizon soon.
Photo / Fanny-Alba Bang Jönsson & Mathilde Ferro Fransen
“‘Can’t Find You’ is a song about searching for someone, or something, who literally disappears in front of your eyes. The person shows up in very strange places and keeps leaving weird clues, like in the pages your notebook.”
Today marks a very exciting debut from Dubai-based singer and songwriter Dana Naidu. This talent’s approach to soul is really quite something special, as you’ll experience when you play ‘SOMETIMES’.
Alongside the buttery smooth vocals, the track treats us to a sublime production that feels timeless in style. The sound is seductive, dreamy and playful at the same time and leaves listeners yearning for more. Elaborating on the lyrics, Dana says:
“On the surface, it’s a story about the moment I realised I had feelings for someone. But as I worked through it, something shifted. This song wasn’t just about that person anymore… It was about me. It became a reflection of me finding my sound.”
With such a powerful introduction, we have no doubt in our minds that Dana will evolve into one of soul music’s most exciting newcomers.
Memphis-born Jack Fargo is one of those artists who makes songs that are pretty much impossible not to find some kind of enjoyment in. If you’ve got a taste for musicians like Dominic Fike and Anderson .Paak, then it’s quite likely you’ll feel an appreciation for Fargo.
This promising talent is making a name for himself thanks to his feel-good bops that blend bedroom pop with rap and R&B. Speaking on his melodic new single, ‘Drugs on the Weekend’, Jack says:
“The song captures the feeling of being with someone who naturally gets you high. What started as a long rap verse turned into one of my favourite tracks on the project.”
You can explore more of Jack’s music on Spotify right here.
Kingston-born and Toronto-based artist CLENNON is a very, very exciting newcomer. His debut single, ‘No Pain’, dropped today, and it’s really quite something to behold.
Bold, unique and avant-garde in style, this track takes mysterious vocals and hard-hitting lyrics (inspired by queer love) and infuses them into a dark-pop production that features elements of electronica and dancehall.
“I wanted to write a song that was equal parts Jamaican and equal parts CLENNON. I sometimes feel that I have to compartmentalise who I am as a person because it’s not always safe to be me everywhere I go. This song represents the merger of the most important parts of who I am and does so in a way that is unapologetic and reaffirming.”
This is the type of artist we love discovering – someone who’s unafraid to push boundaries while still crafting sounds that feel accessible and easy to form connections with. We’re excited to hear what comes next!
Your pop bop for the weekend comes courtesy of independent US artist savannah, and her mesmerising song ‘on again’.
If you love your early 00s electronic pop (think The Knife, Imogen Heap and Robyn), then you’ll probably enjoy this track a lot – it’s a gorgeous style of sound which feels nostalgic yet also subtly experimental.
The song evolves from a dreamy state to something more energising and raw, all the while maintaining a sense of emotion that mirrors the state of being in relationships.
“My partner and I wrote and produced this track to capture the emotional push and pull of a relationship on the brink, where boundaries blur and tensions resolve into something beautifully uncertain.”
Hailing from Vancouver in British Columbia, David July (aka Trevor Donohoe) is a Canadian artist who we’re very excited to be sharing with you today.
Already a prominent name in the Canadian new-music scene, this talent’s momentum has grown substantially in recent months, with songs like ‘One More Time’ only further boosting his popularity. This track blends dark pop with hip hop in a captivating way, leaving listeners craving for more.
“One More Time” is a song about a failed relationship and being stuck in a loop of wanting to try again and again, saying, Let’s do this” one more time.”
With more than 500k career streams to date, as well as praise from the likes of Hip Hop Canada and Sidedoor Magazine, we anticipate July’s music to hit the North American mainstream very soon!
MUANH is a rising Vietnamese-German musician who spent much of her childhood living between the US and Germany.
Growing up while also moving homes can take quite the toll on any young person, and so, ‘Ever Since’ is a song addressing the loneliness and feelings of not belonging.
This introspective track tells of the insecurities that MUANH has had to tackle, all for the sake of ‘fitting in’ to her surroundings, while also finding ways to accept and embrace those thoughts. As she explains:
“Growing up between the U.S. and Germany as child, with a Vietnamese mother and a German father, I learned early on how to adapt – how to blend in just enough, to not take up too much space. I spent most of my childhood in the Southwest German countryside in spaces where no one really looked like me, where I felt like I had to leave parts of myself behind just to be accepted. That feeling never really left.
It followed me into everything, into my choices, into the way I carry myself, into the constant push and pull between doing what’s expected and doing what actually feels like me. I took the safe path, became a teacher, but music has always been the thing that keeps pulling me back. Still, no matter how much I do, I never feel like I’m fully present in either world. Like I’m stretched too thin, juggling too much, and still feeling like I’m falling short.
‘Ever Since’ came from that place. From the exhaustion of constantly trying to fit in, from second-guessing myself every time I walk into a room. From that quiet, lingering voice asking, Did I say something wrong? Did I act weird? It’s about how easy it is to lose yourself in expectations, whether they come from other people or from yourself.”
Despite MUANH being a recent discovery to us, we’re pleased to see that this talent has already racked up thousands of streams on Spotify from previous singles – all of which you can explore here.
Hailing from Miami, Simón is a promising newcomer who blends rap with trap and dark pop to create powerful and captivating sounds.
New single ‘ROSES’ is a great taster of this artist’s work. The track highlights the frustrations and strong feelings of pain that are triggered from having your heart broken.
But more so, Simón explains that the song is “about calling out the façade of love when it’s really just another game. It’s about knowing when to walk away and realizing that sometimes, the best thing you can do is save your roses for another time.”
You can explore more of Simón’s music on Spotify here.
Emma Tea is a London-based singer and songwriter who came across our radars this week with a catchy pop bop that we’re excited to share with you.
‘so sick’ looks at the moments when we find ourselves falling in love, despite our intentions not to. The track mirrors Emma’s style of work, which takes her raw emotions and thoughts and applies them to interesting alt-pop productions. Elaborating further on the new single, Emma says:
“It captures the messy spiral of liking someone you wish you didn’t — a chaotic blend of obsession, frustration, and self-sabotage. It’s an upbeat, danceable track for anyone who’s ever battled with feelings they wish they didn’t have. Sinking deep, whilst desperately trying to stay afloat.”
This self-taught multi-instrumentalist is enjoying some great momentum right now, garnering more than 100k career streams to date on Spotify alone.
Jammy is one of the most exciting discoveries of the month. This US-based talent has already amassed well over two million career streams to date, and when you play his new single, ‘say nun’, you might understand why.
This artist is not afraid to experiment with genres. This track infuses electronic pop with UK jungle and adds an odd yet genius twist through an organ sample. The song is lifted from an upcoming visual EP called ‘CRASHDUMMIE’, which touches on a range of subjects, from politics to our own internal struggles with doubt.
Jammy’s work has already been covered by outlets like White Crate, EARMILK and more, so this is definitely a name to watch for in the coming months.
Ava McCoy is an emerging singer and songwriter who has a unique perspective, as someone who has experienced both the rural life of Oregon and the bustling world of New York.
McCoy creates sounds that fuse indie with folk and rock in thoughtfully considered ways. ‘Dragonfly’ is sonically gentle and balanced, but its lyrics are powerful. The song was inspired by the artist after finding a dead dragonfly in her kitchen:
“At that time in my life, I wasn’t eating, and I was the smallest I had ever been. I went to the doctor weekly out of concern for my well-being, but I was being praised by the person I loved for the drastic changes in my body.”
So if you’re someone who feels lost and is trying to find your true self again, then this song might resonate with you.
‘Dragonfly’ serves as the title track to McCoy’s upcoming album, which is out on the 30th of May via Acrophase Records.
We’ve got a very exciting UK-based newcomer to share with you today, called MICAH. Originally hailing from South Africa, this promising musician crafts a very special style of sound that fuses indie-pop with soft rock.
New single ‘Glimmer’ showcases the artist’s work in a beautiful way. The track’s lyrics are inspired by the small moments in our days when we feel happiness:
“‘Glimmer’ represents a micro-moment of joy—the subtle, yet powerful experiences that bring comfort, safety, and a renewed sense of hope.”
The song is lifted from the singer’s upcoming ‘Psyche’ EP, which is out soon. Until then, we’d encourage you to visit MICAH’s Spotify, where you can also listen to her previous single, the equally brilliant ‘MIRROR’.
