Category: Music

New Music: Sleepy Gary

A hazy fusion of bedroom pop and psychedelic synth-rock from Bushwick artist Sleepy Gary.

‘Bodega’ is the kind of song that immediately draws you in to this artist’s world, making you feel some kind of connection without ever having actually met.

“‘Bodega’ is a song about letting go, about feeling uncool and invisible and like a permanent interloper. It’s also about the salvation of a late-night snack in the city that never sleeps. My primary source of comfort during that time were the hallowed bodegas of New York, the sacred 2 a.m. ritual of a chopped cheese and a ginger ale.”

Taken from the forthcoming debut album ’21 Love Songs’, which consists of a trilogy of seven song vignettes.

Sleepy Gary

New Music: Amy Zou

Brooklyn-based singer songwriter, and producer Amy Zou’s take on alt-RnB is refreshingly interesting. ‘Temple’ is the first single taken from Zou’s upcoming EP “Losing Face’.

On the project, she says that the body of work came ‘from the realisation that I was constantly performing to keep others happy both in romantic and platonic relationships and deriving a lot of self worth or value from others and their opinions.”

Amy Zou

SXMSON – L2LY

Inspired by his struggle with identifying as LGBTQ+, talented Londoner SXMSON is back today with new anthem ‘L2LY’.

Produced and co-written by EMRE, the song sees SXMSON reassure his younger self that life gets better when you learn to love who you are.

“I spent a lot of my childhood learning to hate myself. I think many of us are inherently taught to not like who we are. Years of verbal abuse, social pressures and feeling lonely had a long lasting impact on my self-esteem, which, now as an adult, I am trying to slowly unlearn. Even though I am proud of the person I have become today, I wonder how different things could have been if younger me had the chance to spend [even just] 10 minutes with present me. ‘L2LY’ was written as a daily reminder that however hard life gets, you gotta keep pushing through because life is too short to not know how badass you really are.”

SXMSON

Zed, The Dreamer – Honour & Pride

Singer-songwriter Zed, The Dreamer (alias of Zé Pedro Viveiros) returns today with stunning new release ‘Honour & Pride’.

This is a dark and haunting song, flowing with truly raw emotion that further proves this Portuguese artist as one to watch.

Look out for the upcoming EP ‘The Life and Death of McKenzie Kane’ which is out soon.

Zed, The Dreamer

New Music: Cat Una

Written as a beautiful ode to lockdown love and it’s ups and downs, ‘Temporary Blues’ by Cat Una is a stripped-back affair that invites you into this artist’s world, leaving you wanting to hear so much more.

The UK-based singer-songwriter has the gift of writing lyrics that are not only captivating to listen to, but are also beautifully delivered through those distinctive vocals.

“I’ve been focused on creating from an unfiltered place and have had an extremely fruitful year of songwriting because of it.”

Cat Una

New Music: Miller Roberts

A gorgeously emotive and personal release from indie-folk talent Miller Roberts. Hailing from Newcastle in Australia, this artist creates songs that feel airy and ethereal, keeping you hooked from start until finish. ‘Bad Habit’ looks at the feeling of heartbreak and all its confusing emotions.

“Written after a break up and during a period of lockdown and isolation, this song is a response to the loneliness felt in being misunderstood but, in turn, the fear and trepidation of feeling deeply seen and understood by another person. This production around this track is intentionally simple and stripped back in an attempt to capture the honest and raw sincerity behind the song. Writing this song was a way for me to acknowledge and address the emotionally disengaged nature of my personal life in an effort to learn and grow. I am still on this journey, but I know I am growing along the way.”

Miller Roberts

New Music: FRU

Mysterious London-based Fru is an Irish DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist who’s approach of blending electronic pop with disco has resulted in fantastic new single ‘Falling Back In Love With You’. And the good news is that if you’re a fan, you can expect four tracks to be released this year.

FRU

New Music: TUSHAR

Photo / Jack Fenby

Like so many other fantastic emerging artists right now, TUSHAR began writing music during lockdown. Based in Adelaide, this talent is mixing elements of indie-pop with alt-rock to create a charmingly feel-good sound that is near impossible not to bop along to.

“‘July 20’ is about the night I bumped into my lover, before we became lovers! We already knew each other previously, but we never actually caught up or hung out until the night of July 20. I was with my friends, lining up to get into a music festival, when I hear my name being shouted out from a taxi that just pulled up. It was my Katie girl and her friend. They joined us in the line and our energies just clicked; making us inseparable all night. We had the best time talking, dancing, drinking, partying together. Even when it was just ‘too loud to talk’, we’d just jump around and dance instead. Not a care in the world, our focus was solely on each other.”

TUSHAR

New Music: Dictator

One of the UK’s most promising groups to emerge so far this year, Scottish four-piece Dictator are an up and coming indietronica outfit who have already garnered praise from the likes of BBC Introducing, XS Noize and Radio X.

‘Mirror Mirror’ was written as a statement aimed at the hold that social media has on us, and how those seeking validation are often those who we perceive to be the most confident.

You can catch Dictator live at SHOUT! Music Bar in Edinburgh on 30th July 2021.

Dictator

New Music: PRiiCE

Irish duo PRiiCE could well be the nation’s next big alt-pop export if ‘Sunflower’ is anything to go by. With a blend of synth, indie and funk added for extra goodness, this is one of the most feel-good bops you’ll likely enjoy all week.

PRiiCE

Ivytide – call it what u want

One of Montreal’s finest, Ivytide return today with the release of new single ‘call it what u want’.

A perfect indie bop for the summer, this is an upbeat track that encapsulates the excitement of a new relationship, while also embodying the instability that comes along with it.

“We’re excited about the release of “call it what u want” because we feel it shows a different side of our music. It’s more upbeat, summery and hype than our previous songs, so we’re looking forward to seeing the kind of reception we’ll get from our fans. The theme of the song comes from the stress of putting a label on a relationship that started as something casual. The lyrics ‘call it what u want’ are a direct response to when hot boy/girl summer gets too serious.”

Ivytide

New Music: TARYN

TARYN is an Atlanta-based singer and songwriter who’s style of music-making is influenced by modern pop and old school soul. This is a sound that wins you over almost immediately, thanks to it’s catchy melodies, distinctive vocals and meaningful lyrics.

“There was a simple message I wanted to convey lyrically and the instrumental did the rest. I’ve carried my past around, let regrets fuel decisions without justification. ‘Brand New’ let me realise our past is not something we have to correct, but helps us understand our growth. We’re here to learn, experience, and explore. It’s a gift to be vulnerable, to feel comfortable expressing experiences in sonically harmonious ways.”

TARYN

New Music: BJRNCK

Undoubtedly one of the most exciting RnB talents to emerge from California this year, BJRNCK’s approach to the genre is hugely charming.

With hints of nostalgia coming through, ‘Thug Cry’ is a sleek track that feels finessed and easy to vibe along with.

BJRNCK

New Music: The KTNA

‘Can’t Stop It’ is the kind of song that speaks for itself. In short, this is British soul and RnB at it’s very finest.

Hailing from the musical mecca that is Manchester, The KTNA are twin sisters Hope and Milliana, who’s self-branded style of music goes by the name of ‘Cosmic Soul’. It’s a sound that’s effortlessly sleek and carries an essence of timelessness about it. On the song, they say:

“It’s our empowerment song. ‘Can’t Stop It’ is our realisation record that nothing can stop you, only yourself, keep going.”

Upcoming EP ‘Resurgence’ is out on 22nd September 2021 via AWAL.

The KTNA

New Music: sam woods

Emerging from LA, sam woods is an artist, writer and producer who’s crafting a charming fusion of indie-pop and alt-RnB from his very own bedroom.

The NYU alum seems to be a master at blending genres together to create uniquely captivating songs that are refreshingly original while still feeling relatable.

“‘FYI’ is a song about moving on, or the lack thereof. When a relationship ends and the other person seems to be doing totally fine while you’re maybe not so much. Yeah, it’s a big pity party, but it still sucks.”

sam woods

New Music: Diana Goldberg

Undoubtedly, ‘BLACKBLUEYELLOW’ has to be one of my favourite electro-pop bops from July.

This fiery yet melancholic song comes courtesy of Munich-based artist and singer- songwriter Diana Goldberg, and dives into one’s struggles with achieving perfectionism.

“There’s always a lot of internal pressure that you have to be better and greater, and that limited a lot of my creativity. There’s a lot of metaphor to the song, from the colours representing the flashing cars to the colours that make up a bruise.”

Diana Goldberg

Steel Banglez – Blama (feat. Tion Wayne & Morrisson)

The UK’s most exciting rap powerhouses come together on ‘Blama’, which features on Steel Banglez’s debut album.

“I always vision what the fans would want to see and hear. I’m blessed to able to put together two of the hottest artists in the UK scene right now. With Tion Wayne’s rise into mainstream success and Morrisson one of the most explosive breakthrough artists of the year, ‘Blama’ is a statement piece of art.”

Steel Banglez | Tion Wayne | Morrisson

Quote via Complex UK

Varley – One Two Three

Indie-pop outfit Varley have constructed one of the most thought-provoking singles so far this week with ‘One Two Three’.

The song serves as a reflective response to the feelings of inadequacy that we experience in today’s culture, particularly from social media.

“We wrote ‘One Two Three’ about the unachievable beauty standard we are surrounded by in today’s society and how people’s lives online can seem so perfect and how it becomes harder not to compare yourself or your life to everything you see online. It talks about the feeling of being stuck in a big machine that’s trying to change us but also has the realisation that if we apologise for being ourselves then we will be lost forever.”

Varley