Category: Music

Alex Vaughn – So Be It

American artist Alex Vaughn returns with a sensational slice of emotive R&B that is sure to propel this rising starlet even further into the mainstream.

‘So Be It’ is lifted from Vaughn’s new EP ‘The Hurtbook’ (out now), of which she says:

“The project started off as a compilation of thoughts from an old relationship but grew into a quilted map of patterns and events that applied to more than just romance. It’s about being honest with yourself and how you feel about those changes that are happening. Most importantly, it’s a reminder that though these series of events may have hurt you, you are not broken.”

To date, Vaughn commands more than 300k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, while critical acclaim comes from noted outlets like Essence and Hot New Hip Hop.

Alex Vaughn

New Music: SONGER

Hailing from the city of Reading, rising rapper SONGER is already one of British hip hop’s most hotly-tipped artists.

Lifted from his forthcoming EP ‘Skala’ (out January 2023), new single ‘Love is a Lottery’ is inspired by the unpredictable nature of love, and showcases this talent’s impressive skills in story-telling.

“’Love is a Lottery’ is about how complicated love can be but how I feel I’ve won the jackpot when it comes to relationships, with one girl in mind. It’s meant to be a playful and humorous description of how my relationship came about and how easy it is to get wrong.”

With more than 50 million collective streams to date, as well as a sellout debut tour, there is no doubt in our minds that SONGER will be one of the UK’s biggest mainstream newcomers next year.

SONGER

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New Music: papa mbye

One talent who has really stood out to us this week has been rising US-based Gambian-Senegalese alternative artist papa mbye.

Boldly fusing genres together into pieces of sonic art that are confident, eccentric and impactful in tone, this exciting musician is creating songs that soundtrack today’s generation, and all the issues that affect today’s youth.

Energising new single ‘PIXEL’ is inspired by the dominance of technology in today’s society – and how it’s impact influences our ways of memorising the past.

papa mbye

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maxime. – mile end

UK-based fans of maxime. could be forgiven for thinking new single ‘mile end’ was inspired by London’s East End, but the track is actually dedicated to a Montreal neighbourhood that this emerging artist moved to so he could pursue his music career.

No stranger to hard work, maxime. is already readying the release of his next EP, which comes out in March 2023.

A series of singles will precede the launch date, but in the meantime fans can enjoy summer’s ‘rubber checks’ EP, which is out now.

maxime.

New Music: Depression, Baby

Emerging from North London are promising five-piece indie-rock newcomers Depression, Baby.

Delivering a style of sound that feels refreshingly raw, authentic and bold in tone, this outfit craft songs that are not only sonically impressive but also carry thoughtful lyrics.

New single ‘I Get so Low (Sometimes)’ demonstrates Depression, Baby’s huge potential, and serves as a taster for the group’s next batch of upcoming releases.

“A reflective song, about life, death, ageing, and the helpless feeling around politics and the climate crisis.”

Depression, Baby

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Lucy McWilliams – Bumblebees and Blue Skies

Irish artist Lucy McWilliams is back with a beautifully mellow and soulful sound through the release of new single ‘Bumblebees and Blue Skies’.

Proving the concept that ‘less is more’, the track’s lofty production treats listeners to a piece of music that is alluring and charming to experience. Speaking on the lyrics, McWilliams explains:

“I guess it’s the feeling of loving someone so dearly and knowing that you might not be good for each other but to savour what you do have while you still have it. I feel a lot of what I write touches on this, but ‘Bumblebees and Blue Skies’ is the idea of running away and having your little world together until it breaks apart; in a fantastic world essentially.”

This rising singer-songwriter continues to build momentum with every release, and currently commands an impressive 207k monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

Lucy McWilliams

New Music: Hayden Arp

Photo / Tim Cavadini

One of the most interesting releases of the week comes courtesy of Vienna-based American singer, songwriter, producer and mixer Hayden Arp.

Sonically unique and intriguing in tone, genre-defying new single ‘Black Hole’ looks at themes of conflict and communication within relationships.

Initially conceived in 2018, the track serves as a taster to Arp’s forthcoming ‘With Eliza’ LP (out 18th Nov).

“‘Black Hole’ certainly was the hardest song on the album to make, and took the longest time to finish. It has three distinct sections that never repeat, and switches styles a number of times.

The rap section in the middle is something I felt very committed to from the beginning, but also very nervous about. It took me years to figure out what it was I wanted to say, and to get a recording that felt right. I only finished it during the summer of 2022.

Thinking back on it now, that process is very much in line with the central idea of the song: that I sometimes have trouble figuring out what I want to say when I think too much about the audience.”

To date, this gifted musician has received praise from the likes of FADER and ThrdCoast.

Hayden Arp

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Garvie – Decisions Decisions

It wouldn’t be a normal Friday without sharing a pop bop anthem with you all, and this week it comes courtesy of British talent Garvie.

Playful new single ‘Decisions Decisions’ was inspired by the struggles that some of us face in making life choices. Lyrically, the song covers topics as wide-ranging as religion, hustle culture, and our addictions with technology.

“I’m terrible at decision making – I wrote this to convince myself that 90% of the decisions I make are meaningless. That’s a lie… but I can’t make choices when I think they’re important.”

 To date, Garvie’s work has received airplay from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music and Amazing Radio, while his songs have also been playlisted on prominent Spotify editorials like Lorem, Ultimate Indie and Soiree.

Garvie

New Music: Jonah Michael

British newcomer Jonah Michael is an emerging artist who’s genre-bending style of sound has resulted in songs that are both unique and bold in tone, yet still relatable.

New single ‘TALKING TO MYSELF’ presents listeners with an energising fusion of fuzzy rock and hyper-pop. Speaking on the single, Michael says:

“‘TALKING TO MYSELF’ is about my brain slowly melting from panic attacks and puts that in the context of a relationship.”

With support from the likes of BBC Introducing already under his belt, Michael might well be an artist to watch out for in 2023.

Jonah Michael

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Freya Beer + Tom Saint – Honeymoon Eyes

Acclaimed UK singer-songwriter Freya Beer joins forces with rising artist and performer Tom Saint on the release of new single ‘Honeymoon Eyes’.

Through its perfected mix of indie, electronica and alternative-pop, the song highlights the issues attached to relationships that seemingly have an ‘expiry date’.

‘Honeymoon Eyes’ continues Beer’s style of ‘glam goth noir’ artistry, and was co-produced alongside Saint and Peter Hobbs.

Freya Beer | Tom Saint

Gimme Gimme + Keiynan Lonsdale – Better

We are kicking the weekend off with a sublime piece of dreamy R&B-pop from two of Australia’s most impressive musical outfits.

Serving as the follow-up to Gimme Gimme’s acclaimed ‘Day Drinking’ (which was released earlier this summer), new single ‘Better’ is lifted from the duo’s forthcoming EP and features the talents of Keiynan Lonsdale.

Rising brother-sister project Gimme Gimme have marked themselves as one of the continent’s newest prospects, already garnering more than 170k catalogue streams to date, while Lonsdale is a noted actor and singer who has been featured on shows as prominent as Legends of Tomorrow and Dance Academy.

Gimme Gimme | Keiynan Lonsdale

New Music: Munan

If you’re a fan of dreamy indie-pop (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) then you’ll be pleased to learn of emerging South Korean-Australian artist Munan.

Stylistically similar to the likes of Tame Impala and Parcels, Munan constructs beautifully emotive and melodic fusions of mellow disco, indie-pop and surf-rock.

As the title to his new single suggests, ‘Freak Like Me’ encourages listeners to embrace their individuality and realise that it’s OK to be weird.

“The main catalyst for starting the track was when I came across a reel-to-reel tape machine being sold in my area. I wanted to give my new music its own distinct sound, so I bought the tape machine and started playing with it. My friend Sterling Silver came around to my home studio and we started toying with some ideas, which ended up becoming ‘Freak Like Me’. Using tape to create the track was a special experience and has definitely helped me to craft my own sound as a new artist. The song is about me coming to accept that being weird is okay and that there is someone out there who will love me for who I am.”

Munan

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Jamila Woods – Boundaries

Photo / Tim Adorf

One of Chicago’s most acclaimed creatives in recent years, poet, activist, educator and singer-songwriter Jamila Woods returns with new single ‘Boundaries’.

Produced by BLVK, the song is lyrically inspired by the complexities of personal boundaries when venturing in to a new romance.

“‘Boundaries’ is a song about the negotiation between private and shared space in a new relationship, the risk involved in letting someone get close enough to see your rough edges. I think a lot about the Prentice Hemphill quote, ‘Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.’ The song is about learning the difference between erecting boundaries out of fear versus out of love.”

Woods currently commands more than 850k monthly listeners on Spotify, while her collective catalogue of music releases have so far accumulated well over 60 million streams globally.

Jamila Woods

Janice – My Kind Of Woman

Not many talents can claim to have released a new single and EP while also launching their international acting debut at the same time. But that is most certainly the case for Swedish artist Janice.

Lifted from new EP ‘The Playlist’ (out now), ‘My Kind Of Woman’ expertly fuses nostalgic soul and alternative R&B with power-pop, ultimately creating a bold anthem for body acceptance:

“‘My Kind Of Woman’ is an anthem that celebrates women of all shapes and sizes. It’s about being the woman you want to be. Dare to throw yourself out there, flourish and believe in your own power. Don’t let anyone else define you.”

Janice also stars in Netflix drama series ‘The Playlist’, which was inspired by the origins of Spotify (streaming globally now).

Janice

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Tommy Richman – Star Girl

Representing the state of Virginia is one of the most interesting newcomers to emerge from the US in quite some time.

While still only 21-years of age, Tommy Richman has already amassed well over 3.5 million catalogue streams to date, thanks to an eclectic style of music-making that truly is genre-bending in every way imaginable.

With praise from the likes of Lyrical Lemonade, Pigeons and Planes and Daily Chiefers already under his belt, it won’t be long before Richman hits the global mainstream.

Tommy Richman

New Music: Aimee Vant

Hailing from Los Angeles comes promising new singer and songwriter Aimee Vant.

As a gradate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Vant creates songs that are well-structured, polished and carry a ton of mainstream appeal.

New single ‘Trash’ presents listeners with a perfected balance of pop and indie, while Vant’s vivid and melancholic lyricism describes the feelings of low self-esteem that we can all experience sometimes.

Aimee Vant

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Martin Luke Brown – grateful

UK talent Martin Luke Brown returns with a blissful slice of indie-pop through the release of new single ‘grateful’.

Serving as the perfect antidote to those midweek blues, the track is lifted from Brown’s forthcoming debut album, which is out next year.

“I played it to my best mate and he he laughed and said something like ‘mate this is so you’. As an artist I don’t feel like I ever landed anywhere that felt fully authentic to me, so that felt like the best compliment I could possibly have got. I love it, it’s just chill innit. I love that the whole chorus sentiment is ‘let’s go for a walk’, it’s so basic but feels so true. Amidst all the complication and existential angst I really do believe that life is best simple.” 

Brown is not only an artist in his own right, but has also worked alongside the likes of BTS, Jacob Banks, Gavin James, Greta Isaac, Sody and Jack Kane as a co-writer or producer.

Martin Luke Brown

New Music: GLOSSER

Washington D.C. might not be the first place that springs to mind when looking for emerging indie-pop talent, but that’s set to change thanks to promising newcomers GLOSSER.

With a style of sound that takes its inspiration from the likes of Lorde and Beach House, this rising duo construct a delicate type of reflective pop that is relatable to so many of us. Speaking on new single ‘Disco Girls’, GLOSSER say:

“‘Disco Girls’ is about being young, and how that time is both terrible and great. The track was the start of something new for us.”

The song follows on from the duo’s self-titled 2021 debut EP, and serves as a taster for their next stage of releases.

GLOSSER

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New Music: Mai Anna

The cold seasons may well have settled in, but newcomer Mai Anna still manages to treat us all to one last shimmering slice of summery musical bliss.

‘Text Me’ showcases Anna’s natural flair for fusing elements of R&B and soul with indie and pop, resulting in a sound that is immediately mesmerising to experience.

As a master of many skills, this 22-year old Harvard student is not only a singer but also a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer. Keep an eye out on this talent – she may well be one to watch!

Mai Anna

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New Music: Fencer

Hailing from Los Angeles come dynamic new trio Fencer. With a distinctive approach to rock music, this outfit construct anthemic and punchy sounds that feel raw and impactful, while still maintaining some pop sensibilities.

Energising new single ‘Sanitarium’ treats listeners to a production that demonstrates just how talented this band is. Lyrically, the song was inspired by the moments when we feel solitary and alone.

“This is a song about wanting to belong and feeling incredibly lost. Themes of being isolated with a partner and only having each other.”

Fencer currently command more than 7k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, while their catalogue of releases have garnered over 1.5 million streams to date. The group have also performed alongside the likes of Badflower, The Wrecks and Dead Poet Society.

Fencer

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