An eccentric blend of indie, rock, pop and electronica all come together in perfect harmony on ‘Enemies’ from American talent Aaron Taos.
Produced by Oren Yoel (who’s worked with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Joji), the song is taken from new album ‘Closure & Campari’ (out now). On the song, Aaron says:
“It’s about the resentment you feel after a nasty breakup and the fantasies you have about how you can get back at (or with) your ex.”
Having heard a few releases from Jack Blair over the recent weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that this artist may well be one of the next musical exports to emerge from Ohio.
This is indie-pop at it’s best; simple melodies, engaging lyricism and well-constructed productions mean that every song on new album ‘Broken 2 Beautiful’ is a joy to experience. On ‘One for Me’, Jack says:
“This song is an actual attempt for me to write a song that, no matter how low I’m feeling, could lift me out of it. It’s about being beaten by imposter syndrome, bruised in the ego, battered by the world, and turning it around, remembering that I am not defined by depression. Hopefully the chorus lifts you like it does me.”
‘Broken 2 Beautiful’ is out now, and if you’re in Cincinnati be sure to check Jack perform live on the 18th September 2021- tickets here.
While still only 19, it seems quite possible that Andi could become a household name over the coming year, having recently garnered nearly a million new Tik Tok followers and independently adding 100k Spotify followers over the last few months.
Her new single ‘Money’ gives the side eye to silver spooners who have no self awareness, and talks about how money affects us all – including artists.
“Having moved to LA at 16, I was exposed to a very toxic culture surrounding fake wealth, clout etc… As a young artist, it’s very easy to get caught up in the mix of it. Money was incredibly fun to make; it’s pretty much a diss track to the people who think they’re better than you due to their social status.”
Consistently delivering some of the finest cuts of alt-pop lately, Los Angeles singer-songwriter Olivia Grace is back today with another sensational release in the form of new single ‘Space’.
The song comes almost one year after Olivia’s intensive battle with Toxic Shock Syndrome, a rare and life-threatening illness, alongside multi-organ failure in 2020.
“’Space’ is about gaining the courage and strength to choose something different for yourself when you’re unhappy with the circumstances you’re in, whatever it may be.”
A beautifully nostalgic and dreamy sound from Oregon-born talent Haley Johnsen. Raised listening to powerhouse singers like Brandi Carlile, Eva Cassidy, and Bonnie Raitt, these inspirations become apparent through Haley’s soaring vocals, introspective lyricism, and cross-pollinated style of indie-pop, and bluesy folk rock music.
New single ‘Goner’ was written in a bathtub in a vintage trailer, in the midst of having an existential crisis. She remarks that the song is about:
“The longing for what once was our youth and also the fear of death. It’s about my own internal struggle trying to stay present and at peace with who I am now, where I am now, and realise that my childlike self is still very much alive in me. It’s a reminder that I don’t need to be afraid or insecure with where I am in my life.”
Inspired by their South African tour earlier this year, ‘Say It Loud’ is the new single from Canadian duo Neon Dreams. As the band spent time bonding with fans and helping the community, their single ‘Life Without Fantasies’ was soaring on South Africa’s viral chart.
It eventually peaked at No. 2, but couldn’t get past ‘Senzeni’ by South African star Mthandazo Gatya. And after hearing Gatya’s music, the band knew he would be a perfect addition to ‘Say It Out Loud’.
Neon Dreams are Goodwill Ambassadors for The Justice Desk – a non-profit organisation that strives to teach youth about human rights at a young age and help them to defend those rights throughout their lives.
Formed in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, White Novels are an emerging outfit from Scotland who blend elements of pop, indie and alt-rock into a sound that, frankly, is impossible not to enjoy.
When you press play on new single ‘California’ you’ll realise that these chaps have mastered a sound that feels unique and experimental, all the while still being accessible for any listener to connect with.
“‘California’ is a love story about an experience Jack (band member) went through back in 2019. He was dating a girl from California while she studied at University of Edinburgh. Like most relationships nowadays, it started via online dating apps, and progressed to them meeting up regularly at ‘The Jazz Bar’ in Edinburgh. The song explores themes of heartbreak, teenage naivety, romance and cheating. It turned out the girl had a boyfriend all along, the lyric ‘When I held your hand, not knowing you’re the middle’ reflects the fact this girl was leading two lives without both guys knowing. Jack being 5000 miles away from the ‘real’ boyfriend.”
Canadian outfit Basement Revolver return today with new single ‘Transatlantic’. Evoking the feeling of a bright and glowing love, the song is a beautifully hazy and dreamy blend of pop, shoegaze and indie-rock.
‘Transatlantic’ is taken from the forthcoming sophomore record ‘Embody’, which is out in early 2022.
London-based songstress Taloula crafts some of the most sensational cuts of neo-soul you could imagine.
Previously known as ‘Tal’, this artist moved to the UK after a prominent pop career in France so that she could embrace her true vision. ‘Keep on Tryin’ reflects the beginning of this new chapter for her, as she explains:
“This song is about how determined I am to never give up. As I try to listen to my inner peace, I feel like I can trust my instincts to lead me on the right path. Even though there are obstacles, I see the light through them.”
Emerging from Massachusetts is Nick Rannikko, a producer and engineer who crafts a sound that feels dreamy and emotive, yet still feels easy to listen to and make a connection with.
New single ‘More’ opens with a lo-fi ambience, before plunging the listener into a soaring chorus that shows off Nick’s captivating vocals.
“In a literal sense, ‘More’ is about being lied to and led on but you can’t help the fact that thinking about the other person only gets worse. You only want more of what they have to offer. ‘More’ to me means moving on. Finding new ground and releasing built-up tension. It means acceptance and growth.”
With support from the likes of BBC Introducing, DAZED, The Line Of Best Fit, Wonderland, Fashionably Early, and Before The Data, Eden Rain has firmly established herself as a new artist to watch.
Today she returns with new single ‘Being Human’, which was produced by emerging talent JONAH (who has worked alongside Jorja Smith and Giggs on their recent collaboration). On the song, she says:
“It’s a classic ‘missing you’ song – all the late nights and lying around and getting drunk- all the best parts of being human and being comfortable with someone. It’s about peeing with the door open.”
One of the UK’s most promising jazz talents of late, Georgia Cécile returns today with a finessed release that is both charming and mesmerising in equal measures.
Taken from the sublime debut album ‘Only The lover Sings’ (out now), ‘Come Summertime’ carries an essence of timelessness to it which is set to win over hearts and minds aplenty.
Dark-indie project All The Queen’s Horses (formed by Dublin-based artist Sean Murphy) return today with a beautiful new release that is really something quite exceptional.
Gorgeously poetic, ‘The Troubled Tears of Drury Road’ features Murphy’s distinctive vocals delivering vivid lyricism over a cello-driven production that is not only exceptionally moving but thoroughly gripping.
“This song uses the seasons to help explain that nothing stays the same and things will get better to someone who went through very tough times.”
A stunningly meditative and melancholic piece of electronic soul from UK talent Ones. This is an artist who uses their work as a way of addressing human connection, whether that be with others or connection with our own selves.
‘Blessings’ is released on World Suicide Prevention Day alongside visuals that focus on the isolation caused by mental health issues, with an aim to encourage the breaking of the stigma that often leads people suffering to feel ashamed of seeking help. On the song, Ones says:
“I think the thing I noticed the most in the last year is how so many of us hadn’t taken time to process our past or ourselves until being forced into lockdown. Constantly moving forward in hope of everything working out with no real conversations. Some people made changes, some people started over but 4,902 people didn’t make it out of 2020 due to suicide in the UK.
Mental health is something we all have and will struggle with at some point in our lives. The state of it is something we should care for. Sometimes it’s harder to talk about because the people around us – even family members don’t recognise it as an issue, let alone know how best to support us. A massive part of it is how the older generations were “treated” or how they were made to look at those who struggled. Sometimes it’s because there’s a guilt around the reasons for your upset but It should be just as important to support and understand as it is to love and have fun with those around us. Sometimes you can’t explain it.
I’m not telling you tell to the world what it is you’re struggling with right now or how something has affected you. I’m just asking you to be honest with yourself and those you trust if ever in serious doubt.
Writing this record broke me because it never felt good enough, but we got there in the end and it has allowed me to share this with you and write / understand so much more about myself. For that I’m grateful and I hope you enjoy it.”
You could easily assume that ‘Hell Yeah!’ was released in the 90’s through it’s dedication to music by the likes of Blur and The Prodigy.
Yet this new release from tiLLie is very current, and addresses the relationship between young people and the recent lockdowns.
“‘Hell Yeah!’ touches on the frustration I think a lot of my friends and I have been feeling. We’re in our 20’s – we’re supposed to be outside fuc*ing shit up, living our lives, and everything going on in the world has forced us inside. It speaks to how the pandemic simplified the ways in which I gauged whether or not I had a good day – did I make it through without having a mental break down and am I still alive? Which is equally humbling and incredibly depressing so I channeled all those paradoxical feelings and pent up energy into this song.”
Emerging from Melbourne comes artist SANNIA, who’s new single ‘Sad Rich Girls’ is likely to be one of the biggest pop bops you’ll experience this week.
The song serves as a statement on that one girl – who instead of lifting other women up will drag them down to get to the top; all the while forgetting that strength comes in togetherness. On the song, she says:
“I started by pulling some samples from early 2000s Paparazzi and fan-filmed celebrity interactions and stitched together the intro and ending of my homemade demo. I really wanted to capture that Paris Hilton-era of reality TV.”
Already garnering support from prominent tastemakers like Wonderland and Earmilk, it’s clear that RnB talent ANISE is destined for big things.
Ahead of her debut EP ‘Black Eve‘ coming out this October, she releases the title song of the project today. The song pays homage to Divine Feminine Power as the ideal response to brutality and violence; serving as a force-for-good.
“It isn’t simply a protest song, but a prophetic song of transformation and resurrection. I wrote it as a way of coping with my grief and overwhelm amidst the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Elijah McClain. The song is a call to channel the Divine Feminine qualities of healing, compassion, nurture and light in response to brutality, as opposed to responding with imbalanced Divine Masculine energy (like unbridled aggression), which many of us are conditioned to believe demonstrates strength”.
One of the most exciting indie-pop outfits to emerge from LA of late, Paper Jackets seamlessly craft sounds that feel both nostalgic and relatable, all the while carrying a modern edge. With bold vocals and infectious melodies, this band could well be ones to watch out for.
New single ‘1969’ is a love song that transports the listener back to the Summer of Love, and is taken from their new album ‘Souvenirs, Vol. 2’ which is out now.
American talent Windser returns today with a shimmering release in the form of new single ‘Trouble In Paradise’.
The track continues the artist’s theme of crafting introspective songs that blend gentle acoustic guitars with ethereal layers of vocals and modern rhythms.
“The song is about LA. About my experience moving to Los Angeles from New York, playing music here, meeting new people, and feeling overwhelmed by how beautiful everything can be when bad things happen. Sometimes this city can feel completely isolating, but I often find that time spent alone allows me to be more honest.”
Taken from the upcoming debut EP, which is due in the spring of 2022.
Danish-Iranian talent DAYYANI creates a kind of RnB-pop that feels fresh, uplifting and so easy to vibe along to.
This is a confident and bold sound that feels inviting to any listener, thanks to it’s catchy melodies and sleek productions, as well as those distinctive vocals.
