One of the most refreshing releases of the week comes courtesy of 22-year old artist, songwriter and producer maxwell rose.
Through its intriguing mix of alternative pop, punk and nostalgic rock, new single ‘STARCROSSED’ presents listeners with a sonic experience that is impressively experimental and bold.
This is a song that carries with it a dark, moody and hazy character, yet still maintains a relatable and emotive essence.
Fearlessly crafting unique yet tasteful sounds, this exciting New Yorker is one prospect worth keeping on your radars.
Promising newcomer insha returns with an infectiously memorable slice of alternative pop that is sure to stick with you for the rest of the day.
Taken from the forthcoming debut EP ‘5:55’ (out 11th November), new single ‘Drifting’ is inspired by the conflicting emotions that we sometimes experience when in love.
“I was going through a very confusing weird teen romance the Summer I wrote ‘Drifting’. I was super mad at someone, and I was just like ‘I can’t stand you, I know you’re into me!’ hahah. I was really inspired by REI AMI and her shifting songs, where she puts up a front and then switches up and reveals her truth. So I wanted to be kinda like ‘whatever boy bye’ and then switch up and be like ‘actually I’m really hurt’. Not really deep, but I feel like a lot of people can feel that.”
To date, insha’s work has been featured by the likes of Billboard, Notion and The Line of Best Fit. Visuals for ‘Drifting’ were created alongside Canadian creatives Kid Studio.
Emerging from North-West London comes hugely promising new singer and songwriter Laura Gomes.
Inspired by modern-day icons like Adele, Cat Burns and Leona Lewis, Gomes crafts deeply personal songs that feel honest and pensive in tone.
Serving as an anthem for the broken-hearted, new single ‘Her Not Me’ presents listeners with a sound that is both raw and intense, but also vulnerable and fragile. Speaking on the song, Gomes explains:
“’Her Not Me’ is the beginning of putting music out there to help people in the same way that music has helped me.”
Track of the week. Rising rap talent Piers James is back with a song that is certain to solidify his status as one of the UK’s next big hip hop stars.
Eclectic and energising in style, new single ‘SHOWBIZ’ was lyrically inspired by James’s thoughts on the creative industry:
“‘SHOWBIZ’ explores the experience of navigating the creative industry. That can place restrictions on an artist’s creativity to be a digestible product for the masses. The question is, do you serve your true artistry or do you serve the algorithm?”
To date, this emerging multi-disciplinary artist has received critical acclaim from the likes of GRM Daily, Hypebeast, BBC Introducing, Wonderland, Dummy and 1883 Magazines.
While still only 17-years of age, UK talent Precious Pepala continues to impress with her uniquely captivating style of pop.
‘Looking For Trouble’ presents listeners with a song that was lyrically inspired by the dangers that women face when walking alone in the night.
“‘Looking for Trouble’ is a song about rape culture and victim blaming. It addresses the unfortunately relatable feeling of fear when walking alone at night as a female. The lyrics also address the way that victims of sexual abuse are all too commonly questioned about things such as their clothing, actions or level of intoxication as if to justify predatory behaviour. I feel very passionately about discussing this subject matter through my music and I hope this song acts as a conversation starter, because these issues need to be discussed until we see change.”
With support from the likes of Dazed Magazine, as well as an ever-growing fanbase across social media, Pepala is most certainly one artist to watch.
Musician and performer Reneé Rapp unveils one of the most moving pop songs of the week.
Co-written by acclaimed songwriters UPSAHL, Riley & Connor McDonough and Henry Walter, new single ‘Don’t Tell My Mom’ tells of the moments in Rapp’s life when she felt the need to hide her problems from her family.
So don’t tell my mom, I’m falling apart
She hurts when I hurt, my scars are her scars
Amassing more than 14 million catalogue streams to date, Rapp is very quickly solidifying herself as one of pop’s newest starlets.
Fans of iconic indie group Nothing But Thieves may already know Man-Made Sunshine as the side project of lead vocalist Conor Mason.
“The project is ultimately about inner growth – I headed into some heavy places to find healing from loss and focused on thoughts and feelings around death, grief of others and my old self.”
New single ‘Life’s Gonna Kill You (If You Let It)’ presents listeners with a sound that beautifully fuses elements of alternative indie with dreamy, psychedelic pop and electronica. Lyrically, the song was inspired by the importance of finding self love, as Mason explains:
“Ultimately this song is about survival and trying to find the strength to not give up. Survival from oneself, survival from the darkest, loneliest places you can reach in your mind.”
“The way I survived this was by the purest love and connection of a best friend suffering with the same condition. The ability to hold onto one another and keep each other afloat ultimately gave us both a valuable life lesson…that love can truly triumph over anything. As corny as it sounds, the feeling didn’t need an explanation. In turn this helped us to look into ourselves and slowly find the self-love we were lacking all along.”
American singer-songwriter chloe moriondo unveils visuals for new single ‘Plastic Purse’, alongside the release of a brand new album today.
Lifted from ‘SUCKERPUNCH’ (out now), ‘Plastic Purse’ continues to showcase moriondo’s perfected style of pop. Speaking on the track, she says:
“[Plastic Purse] is the most fun I’ve ever had writing lyrics – it’s me getting my anger out about stupid indie boys who take advantage of girls, picturing them as these tiny little creatures that I scoop up and then throw into a plastic purse.”
With a huge fanbase across social media (including three million YouTube subscribers and 600k Instagram followers), as well as tastemaker support from the likes of Billboard, Dork, Teen Vogue and NYLON Magazines, it seems inevitable that moriondo will become one of pop’s biggest global stars in 2023.
Fans in the UK and Europe can look forward to a string of live dates next year – tickets can be found here.
One of indie-folk’s freshest faces returns today with a beautifully captivating and emotive song.
Inspired by heartbreak, Etaoin’s ‘If You Called’ presents listeners with a stripped-back production that sets the scene for some powerfully raw and honest lyrics to shine through. Elaborating further on the song, Etaoin explains:
“After my first heartbreak I made a pact with myself to never let myself care that much about anyone ever again, but then I met this boy from Ireland. We used to drive through the Irish countryside and walk the beaches and talk for hours in his car, it was literally like shit straight out of a Hannah Montana movie.”
“He was so patient and kind and everything I should have needed, but I was so hurt and scarred that I was too scared to trust any boy and I didn’t want to commit. This caused a lot of issues and nine months in we called it quits. I realised after it all went down that I really put him through hell by pushing him away and acting like I didn’t care all the time.”
Now commanding more than 80k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, the momentum for this hugely talented singer and songwriter continues to grow. Etaoin tours across the UK later this month, with the dates listed below.
Hailing from the musical mecca of Liverpool comes promising soul starlet Tonia.
If you’re a fan of Amy Winehouse’s very earliest work, then chances are high that you’ll appreciate Tonia’s thoughtful fusions of soul and mellow indie pop – as can be heard on new single ‘Empty Conversations’.
“When I wrote ‘Empty Conversations’ it was quite a while after the relationship had ended but it was enough time to figure out exactly how I felt about it. It is about self-assurance: the joy you can find in the moment you realise you feel no emotion towards someone that you once felt deeply for. I had moved on and grown from a past relationship and I had no hurt left. I could enjoy the comfort of happiness I found in myself instead of relying on finding happiness in someone else.”
Fans can look forward to Tonia’s debut EP ‘Afloat’, which is released on the 20th January 2023 and is inspired by themes of love, heartbreak and personal growth.
There really are very few pop musicians to have emerged in recent years who have managed to maintain as high a quality of workmanship as clide.
Following on from the release of his ‘ALLERGIC’ EP (out now), today sees the talented artist return with new single ‘FALLIN UP’, of which he says:
“‘FALLIN UP’ is the first of many songs that sheds a light on the bright side of love, rather than on the pain it used to cause me. Setting the tone for my upcoming project, it feels melancholic and euphoric to me at the same time. The perfect vibe for your chill playlist to get you through fall and winter.”
clide has grown to command more than 560k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, while songs like‘broken parts’, ‘lost’and‘come back’ have helped this artist acquire well over 26 million catalogue streams to date.
American project Tedious & Brief unveil their latest single today, entitled ‘Tired Work’.
Inspired by the likes of Matt Maeson, Maggie Rogers and Billie Eilish, the track presents listeners with an impressive mix of alternative pop and indie rock.
“I had a really bad boss that abused his position of authority and threatened me. ‘Tired Work’ is a proverbial middle finger to him and anyone in a position of authority like him who uses their power to abuse and threaten the people they’ve deemed below them. My hope is that this song is an anthem for anyone who’s been treated in this way and for them to know that these people won’t get away with it.” Jamie Jacobsen, Tedious & Brief
The song marks a new creative chapter for this emerging outfit, who are departing from the indie-pop sound that they have come to be known for – and moving into a darker and more alternative style of music-making.
Showcasing some of the most exciting indie-pop to emerge from Australia is rising newcomer Bec Sandridge.
Compelling new single ‘Easy To Go Bad’ is lifted from Sandridge’s 5-track ‘Lost Dog’ EP (out now), and presents listeners with an energising sound that balances nostalgic pop with modern rock tones.
“This one’s about the trick of nostalgia. It’s far too easy to go back to something that feels like home… Nonetheless, this is potentially my favourite on the EP. For me, it embodies that disgusting feeling of being trapped in a stuffy-car, all day, with a stomach ache.”
A natural-born performer, Sandridge has supported the likes of Naked and Famous, Yungblud, The Rubens and Cub Sport on tour, while also completing a string of recent festival appearances and solo shows.
Canadian outfit Fellow Kids are currently crafting some of the catchiest and most energising pieces of pop-rock to emerge from the country.
New single ‘Fire Away’ was born back in 2020, when it was nothing more than a bass line. After the band experimented with the song through a few demos, the track was finally recorded alongside acclaimed producer Tom Dobrzanski (who is noted for his work with the The Zolas, Said The Whale and We Are The City).
“We experimented with funk-style inspired guitar licks as well as an interesting ‘dream sequence’ during the bridge with dense layers of instrument parts and distorted vocals. We’d never really messed around with experimental vocals before, but with producer Tom Dobrzanski, who’s creative and technically musical mind elevated the song to help capture the vibe we were aiming for, we really pushed the boundaries with Fire Away.”
“The song is essentially about the tension between doing the right thing and going against it. It is a snapshot of someone in a moment of their life when they leaned into some demons.”
Fans in Vancouver can catch Fellow Kids performing live at The Roxy on the 22nd October – tickets can be found here.
One often hears the term ‘genre-bending’ when it comes to new-music discovery, but Skyte really does push the term to it’s extreme.
While running for under two minutes in length, new single ‘Lose me’ showcases a sound that is so boldly unique that it is likely to stay with you for the rest of the day.
This is a track that feels almost chaotic in character – yet still somehow works in a way that is refreshingly invigorating.
Garnering hundreds of millions of streams while still only 20-years of age, Nashville artist Sarah Cothran has become one of pop’s newest (and youngest) global stars.
Now signed to the iconic Republic Records, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer unveils her much anticipated new EP ‘i hope you’re happy’ (out now).
After initially posting music since 2017, Cothran picked up viral success with her acclaimed rendition of Matt Maltese’s ‘As The World Caves In’. She joins Alec Benjamin on select dates later this month in the US.
Hailing from Los Angeles comes promising new singer and songwriter HVN.
Signed to the youth-run Syryn Records (which was set up to promote women and gender-expansive artists), this exciting newcomer creates a refreshingly gritty style of pop-rock that is melodically memorable and lyrically witty.
Empowering new single ‘Attention Wh*re’ showcases HVN’s impressive vocals, and was written as a way to challenge the negative societal perceptions that are associated with confident young women.
Following on from his acclaimed‘Overstimulated’ project last year, American producer and NFT artist Daniel Allan returns with a brand new track and EP.
Created alongside DEEGAN, new single ‘Cool Water’ is lifted from Allan’s ‘Glass House’ project (out now), which also features appearances from Alfitude favourites slenderbodies and Reo Cragun.
“‘Cool Water’ is about making sure the people in your life have your back. DEEGAN, who wrote this song, actually quit smoking nicotine during the writing camp for this EP. Everyone there was worried about him and a light bulb just went off for him and he quit that week and wrote this song with me. It’s about appreciating the people you have in this life and never taking it for granted.”
Allan’s distinctive work has already garnered significant momentum – with the artist now commanding over 160k monthly Spotify listeners, acquiring millions of catalogue streams, and receiving critical praise from the likes of Wonderland, TIME and Billboard.
Aussie starlet Sammi Constantine returns with a bold new release that is sure to become one of your favourite pop bops this autumn.
Serving as an anthem for self-empowerment, ‘Lemonade’ provides listeners with invigorating and confidence-boosting lyrics:
“It’s about radiating confidence as a woman, feeling empowered and telling it like it is.”
When not constructing her own pop masterpieces, Constantine is also a highly sought-after songwriter who has worked alongside the likes of Evie Irie, Jaguar Jones, Woodes, Rocket Girls 101 and Elaiza Ikeda.
LA duo ill peach have proven themselves to be one the most promising outfits to emerge from California’s indie-pop scene lately, and new single ‘BRIGHT LIGHTS’ continues to prove this.
The track was inspired by the feelings of discomfort that can occur when life becomes too safe – and addresses our need to self-sabotage for the sake of progress.
“When you finally get out of the muck and things start to brighten but that first feeling is terrifying because you either don’t know how long it’s gonna last or you don’t know if you deserve to be there. The ways we self sabotage. It’s a universal feeling that all of our friends have expressed this year. So we wanted to write about that. It’s a way to feel connected with each other even if it’s through these challenges. Taking grip on optimism can feel unnatural sometimes. But we have to let go of that.”
ill peach perform alongside Everything Everything on select November dates – tickets can be found here.
