Music - New Music

New Music: Newport

Track of the week. Hailing from the Australian city of Perth is alternative artist Newport, who’s latest release is one of the finest indie-pop cuts you’ll likely listen to this month.

Beautifully simple in its melody and production, ‘Two Friends’ was inspired by a fading friendship between two people.

“This is the first song I ever made with anyone else. I have ticked more off my bucket list this year than ever other year of my life. I took a huge leap by signing with Liberation Records and because of it, I have been to places I’ve never been before, worked with some of the best producers and artists in Australia. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity and I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Garnering close to a million catalogue streams on Spotify alone, this rising Aussie talent is likely to become one of the continent’s biggest musical exports in 2023.

Newport

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

Jonah Ward – GOOSE

Rising US talent Jonah Ward returns with a refreshingly original fusion of hazy alternative pop and indie-rock.

Co-produced and co-written by Ward himself, ‘GOOSE’ runs alongside sister single ‘SNOWBALL’, both of which are lifted from a new project entitled ‘MINUTEMAN’.

To date, Ward has received praise from respected tastemakers as diverse as Lyrical Lemonade, Early Rising and Fashionably Early.

Jonah Ward

John Keek – Not Nice

American talent John Keek has always been a musician unafraid to push boundaries with his work.

As an artist who has seamlessly blended genres as diverse as jazz, soul, R&B, synth and lo-fi pop together for more than half a decade, Keek has received acclaim from established outlets as noteworthy as FADER and Complex.

Lifted from new EP ‘Do You Love John Keek?’ (out now), ‘Not Nice’ is a melodic slice of bliss that deserves to be on everyone’s playlists this weekend.

John Keek

New Music: Sadie Fine

While pop newcomer Sadie Fine is still only 16-years of age, this promising starlet’s work has already received attention from noted tastemakers like A1234 and Lefuturewave, as well as landing spots on flagship Spotify playlists.

Melodic new single ‘Use Me’ continues to build on Fine’s momentum, and presents listeners with a gorgeously emotive and melancholic mix of indie and pop.

“I wrote ‘Use Me’ when I was only 14 years old. I was watching a TikTok where a girl was describing a relationship where the guy she liked just used her. The pain inspired me and you can hear it in the song. I hope you enjoy this beautiful yet painful song!”

The song follows on from Sadie’s first single, ‘Grow Up’, and will feature as part of her upcoming debut EP.

Sadie Fine

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

Òlah Bliss – Death Wish (EP)

Polish-born and London-based talent Òlah Bliss has been an Alfitude favourite for a good while now.

As an artist who has consistently delivered a high standard of songs, Bliss has proven herself to be one of the Capital’s most promising newcomers – and today’s release of genre-bending EP ‘Death Wish’ (out now) will only further affirm this.

Songs like ‘Run’ display Bliss’s diversity perfectly – this is a sound that weaves genres as diverse as alternative pop with soul and R&B into a track that feels cohesive, emotive and finessed.

Check out the rest of the EP, as well as it’s story below.

Òlah Bliss

The story begins with “It Ain’t My Fault’, an insight to a severely damaged long term relationship between two artists who spent their lives chasing their careers and money, instead of holding onto something more tangible – each other. This current reflection forces them to go down the memory lane and discover what went wrong.

This takes us to the second track, “Crazy Love”. Two individuals meeting up in a downtown bar for the sole purpose of having a good time, yet somehow they fall in love that same night and end up having an unforgettable, party fuelled week as a result. Star crossed-lovers meet at last, they know they could never work, but sill decide to go on this adventure together to see how it plays out.

The story quickly progresses into “Run”. Their relationship has bloomed into the most beautiful ghetto love story. Bonnie and Clyde on the run, it’s them against the world. Living like there’s no tomorrow and nothing else matters.

As we enter “Fun And Games”, it is clear that something isn’t quite right. They’re facing difficulties, but no one is addressing the problems. The intrusive thoughts of other lovers start to kick in and someone new, more exciting comes around. The temptation is unbearable, but when your other half is a “Liability”, betrayal becomes the only way out.

A split of a moment can decide on the course of your life and open your eyes to things you were previously shutting out. When one finally sees true colours of their loved ones, there’s only one thing left to do – live your life like there’s no tomorrow, live it “To The Full”. We can blame our upbringing, developing unhealthy habits, but the truth is it all comes down to our decisions. Having a “Death Wish” is the definition of self sabotaging your own happiness. We settle for broken people, because we feel unworthy of real love and somewhere on the way, we stop loving ourselves. “Hate Me” is a realisation of what we truly want and deserve – it’s okay to put ourselves first. It’s only when we’re whole, we can be loved the way we want to.
Death Wish Story

Sam Hudgens – Limit

Chicago-based singer, songwriter and producer Sam Hudgens is back with a sensational new release that is sure to become one of your favourites this weekend.

Sultry and dreamy in tone, ‘Limit’ treats listeners to a perfected mix of mellow indie-pop, soul and R&B – showcasing Hudgens’s exceptional talent for crafting songs.

The track is lifted from a forthcoming EP by Hudgens, which is scheduled for release soon. In the meantime, fans can experience other songs by the artist on his Spotify here.

Sam Hudgens

New Music: Big Society

Hailing from the musical mecca that is Manchester, rising four-piece outfit Big Society unveil their new release today.

‘Fading Fast’ is taken from the group’s ‘A Quick One, While We’re Waiting’ EP (out now), and showcases some of the most promising indie-rock to emerge from England in quite some time.

“‘Fading Fast’ regards deep infatuation and a willingness to wonder long into the night with someone you adore.”

Already garnering support from prominent national outlets like Radio X, BBC Radio 1 and Introducing, this is one band to watch for next year.

Big Society

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

ONBC – Ghost Town

ONBC have been a staple within Denmark’s indie-pop scene ever since the release of their 2015 debut project, ‘Crash, Burn & Cry’.

Lifted from their upcoming ‘Dark Matter’ album (out next year), new single ‘Ghost Town’ is a dark, haunting, mysterious and melancholic song that’s all about growing up in a small and quiet town.

With a trademark sound that blends alternative and cinematic music together, ONBC have amassed a loyal fanbase throughout the years and amassed hundreds of thousands of cumulative streams across digital players.

ONBC

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

The Collection – Rose Colored Glasses

Acclaimed band The Collection end the year with a superb slice of indie-pop through the release of their new single, ‘Rose Colored Glasses’.

The track serves as another taster to the group’s forthcoming ‘How to Survive an Ending’ EP, which is scheduled for release on the 27th January 2023. Explaining the inspiration behind the song, lead singer David Wimbish elaborates:

“It’s so easy in a breakup to only remember the bad things about the other person. I wrote ‘Rose Colored Glasses’ because I didn’t want to forget the love, and the reasons that that love existed in the first place. It’s a song about the choice to remember the best in someone I’ve loved even after that relationship ended.”

The Collection look set to take on their biggest year to date in 2023, with a nation-wide headline tour planned (dates below), as well as a performance at the iconic SXSW Festival.

The Collection

The Collection Tour Dates 2023

3/2/23 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
3/3/23 – Grand Rapids, MI – Stache @ Intersection
3/4/23 – Milwaukee, WI – Back Room @ Collectivo
3/8/23 – Columbia, MO – Rose Music Hall
3/9/23 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
3/10/23 – Omaha, NE – Reverb
3/11/23 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Other-side
3/12/23 – Greeley, CO – Moxi Theater
3/16/23-3/18/23 – Austin, TX – SXSW*
3/22/23 – Tampa, FL
3/23/23 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
3/24/23 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom
3/29/23 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
3/30/21 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
3/31/21 – Birmingham, Al – Saturn
4/1/23 – Panama City Beach, FL – UNwineD Music Festival*

* festival shows

Ari Abdul – Fallen Angel (EP)

While still only twenty years of age, Ari Abdul has already solidified herself as pop-noir’s newest star.

Lifted from Abdul’s debut ‘Fallen Angel’ EP (out now), ‘BABYDOLL’ and its sister Speed release were the first singles to propel Ari’s name into the spotlight – consequently garnering more than 38 million streams on Spotify alone.

Elaborating further on her EP, Abdul explains:

“You have like these nice, lovely, innocent sounding songs. And by the end of the EP, the songs get really distorted and heavier, and the lyrics get darker. Maybe there’ll be an emotion or a little something that happens in my life in a song, but the EP is completely storytelling. We keep pretty melodies, but still have production and lyrics that completely contradict those pretty melodies.”

Garnering more than 75 million career streams to date, Abdul is most certainly one artist who is likely to hit the global mainstream over the next twelve months.

Ari Abdul

Sim Fane – like you (with MEYY)

Sim Fane has marked himself as one of the most prominent new producers to emerge from Europe over the last two years

Garnering acclaim from fellow artists like Cashmere Cat, Baauer, Hudson Mohawke, Flume and RL Grime, this Amsterdam-based talent has created works for global icons as prominent as Drake and DJ Khaled.

Collaborating alongside Belgian starlet MEYY, new single ‘like you’ is lifted from Sim Fane’s forthcoming EP, and encapsulates the feelings that we experience at the start of a romance.

“’Like You’ is about those first moments of falling in love. Where you are just completely happy and in awe of a person.” – MEYY

Sim Fane | MEYY

Paul Spring – Queen Gohma

While you may not be aware of Paul Spring’s work, this accomplished musician is already a noted assistant studio engineer, co-writer and session guitarist who has worked with the likes of Mary Lattimore, Sasami and Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes).

Alongside his technical work, Spring has also released a series of solo albums, with a new collection of songs out soon. ‘Queen Gohma’ serves as a taster to Spring’s self-produced & engineered ‘Thunderhead’ album (out 16th December), which will feature an eccentric fusion of medieval, electronica, tropical and Celtic sonic styles.

Paul Spring

New Music: EVÎN

Hailing from Berlin is promising singer, songwriter and producer Evin Kücükali, who goes by the name of EVÎN.

Luxurious new single ‘Yarê’ is lifted from EVÎN’s ‘It Wasn’t Even For You’ EP (out now), and presents listeners with a finessed blend of mellow soul and alternative R&B.

With support from heavyweight tastemakers as notable as Wonderland and KALTBLUT magazines, EVÎN is one artist worth keeping on your radars.

EVÎN

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

Gloomer – One More Time

LA-based musician Gloomer (aka Elliott Kozel) has delivered a consistently high calibre of lo-fi and alternative releases since his debut earlier in the year.

Now on his fourth solo single, this accomplished producer unveils another powerful new piece of music, entitled ‘One More Time’.

Explaining the inspiration behind the song’s incredible composition and lyricism, Kozel remarks:

“This is a song about trying to help drug addicts and feeling the burden of constantly caring for another human being. I wanted to combine Connan Mockasin jazz chords with Prodigy-esque breakbeats and psyche rock fuzz guitars into a refreshing combination of sounds. I like the surprising change to the string sample and the tabla samples. I love trying to jam two things together that don’t seem like they might fit at first and was inspired by Jai Paul’s wild unhinged sampling techniques. The whammy bar on my Stratocaster was used to great effect on the guitar solo at the end.”

Gloomer’s debut ‘One More Time’ EP is out now, and can be found here.

Gloomer

L E A – FTS (Sick of This)

Rising Los Angeles-based alternative artist L E A is back with an energising anthem through the release of her new single, ‘FTS (Sick of This)’.

Created alongside emerging artist and producer Bemo Rouge, the track showcases a perfected fusion of nostalgic pop-punk and alternative rock, and treats listeners to a sound that feels both classic and current in equal measures.

Lyrically, the song was inspired by the struggles and hardships that L E A faces in her career as an independent artist:

“This song is about knowing you’re about to break into the scene as an alternative artist, getting ready to prove to people who told you you wouldn’t make it while struggling financially and mentally to balance it all alone.”

L E A | Bemo Rouge

Izza Gara – You’ve Done / Came To Dance

We recently came across Swedish-Turkish artist Izza Gara’s new single, ‘You’ve Done’, and realised that we’ve never actually featured this emerging starlet before… so now we are!

A talent of many crafts, Gara is not only a singer and songwriter but also a dancer and painter.

Songs like ‘You’ve Done’ demonstrate Gara’s unique approach to music production, which fuses elements of alternative pop with R&B, resulting in sounds that are distinctly unique yet still carry mainstream appeal.

Speaking on previous single ‘Come To Dance’, Gara eplains:

“Everything started with a jam after a pause from a session. We had so much energy and no one could focus. We programmed the beat and composed the chords and the bass through an old analog synth. After that we recorded it through the voice memo on the phone, so every instrument sound is from the iPhone mic.”

Gara aims to tour across Europe in 2023. In the meantime, fans can enjoy debut album ‘Lonely Too’, which is out now.

Izza Gara

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

New Music: Diego Gonzalez

A name to watch for in the coming year will be Seattle-based artist Diego Gonzalez, who is already achieving significant buzz on platforms like TikTok – where his work currently garners millions of views.

New single ‘You & I’ fuses elements of lo-fi indie-pop with R&B and soul – treating listeners to a sound that is fresh and future-forward while still feeling sweet and endearing in tone.

With a universally likeable style of music-making, it seems almost certain that Gonzalez will be one of 2023’s most promising US indie newcomers.

Diego Gonzalez

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

John Alone – indira

London-based alternative artist John Alone returns with an endearing new single, entitled ‘indira’.

Eccentric and experimental as it is emotive and vulnerable, the song’s lyrics tell of falling back in love with an old flame.

“‘indira’ is about backsliding, going back to familiar routines because you know them so well. Happens to the best of us.”

John Alone’s genre-bending style of sound has marked him as one of the UK’s most interesting rising stars, with support from the likes of BBC Radio 1Xtra, Ones To Watch and Dummy Mag.

John Alone

SASH – biscayne

One of New York’s most interesting newcomers of late has been self-taught musician and ex-model SASH.

This emerging talent has gained significant traction (and millions of streams) since the release of his 2021 project, ‘FOR THE TIME BEING…’ (available here).

Today sees SASH unveil a new single entitled ‘biscayne’, which is lifted from his freshly-released ‘Bittersweet’ EP (out now).

“’Bittersweet’ is a batch of songs about finding beauty in darkness. It points to the dualities of there being no pleasure without pain, no virtue without vice, and no sweet without sour. We’re going to be dropping a project every few months – we’re getting into a cycle.”

SASH

Emmeline – Sabrina

Emerging UK-based starlet Emmeline returns with a stunning new single that is sure to become one of your favourites this week.

Produced by the iconic Fraser T. Smith (who has worked alongside the likes of Dave, Adele and Stormzy), ‘Sabrina’ was inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s 1954 film of the same name, and carries with it a charming sense of nostalgia.

“Sabrina is a film I used to watch with my grandmother, who is also called Audrey, and therefore has a particularly nostalgic significance for me. I suppose a lot of the music I’m writing at the moment is coming from that place of nostalgia; the first EP was made after I had moved away from home to London, and part of that transition for me now is reflecting back on childhood, and relating to this image of a young woman on the precipice of change.”

An artist on the rise, Emmeline has garnered praise from noted outlets like Sunday Times Culture, Clash Magazine and The Line of Best Fit.

Emmeline

🎵 Discover more new music on the Ones To Watch Playlist

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this: