Track of the week. I didn’t ever think I would have a specific girl in red song be a favourite (since each release has been excellent to date), but I think ‘body and mind’ might be it.
“It’s that dissonance between your mind and who you are as a person… Sometimes it’s really hard to grasp that we’re actually just humans, even though we take that shit for granted every day. We walk around, eat our breakfast, eat our dinner, we’re talking to people. ‘Body And Mind’ was an outlet to express that I’ve gotten a deeper understanding of what it is to be human. Seeing what happens to your body but you don’t feel that happening to your body – it’s just a really weird thing.”
Taken from the critically acclaimed debut album ‘if i could make it go quiet’ which is out now.
A fantastically energetic blend of electro-pop and synth from Luna Morgenstern, an Amsterdam-based multi-disciplinarian who is a singer, songwriter, engineer and bedroom producer.
A magnificently powerful indie-pop sound from a relative newcomer, Drew Hersch has crafted a deeply moving piece of music in the form of ‘Home Again’.
Still a university student in Colorado, this artist has a tremendous ability of applying layers of emotion into song that is quite extraordinary to experience.
British rapper and songwriter Morrisson returns today with a huge sound in the form of new single ‘Eastender’.
Already establishing himself as a new heavyweight within the UK rap scene (he commands almost 100,000 subscribers on YouTube alone), this artist is showing no signs of slowing down.
Signed to Sony imprint Since ‘93, he is now gearing up for the release of his debut EP later this year.
Domenic Haynes is a 21-year old RnB star in the making. His new song ‘Crazy’ is a luxuriously indulgent piece of music that is nothing short of spellbinding, taking the listener on an audible experience that will leave them wanting so much more!
The world’s biggest music event, the Eurovision Song Contest concluded last Saturday with what was one of the strongest editions of the competition in recent years. Broadcast live from Rotterdam, an estimated 200 million people around the world watched as twenty-six countries vied for a chance to win that iconic microphone trophy.
While this edition’s victor turned out to be Italy, there’s another nation that has consistently scored well every time they compete; so much so that the announcement of their participation every year is seen as a fan event in it’s own right.
Bulgaria’s reputation at Eurovision is a strong one. Unafraid to buck the traditional pop trends that often flood the Contest, they have been known to opt for artists who are at the cusp of something new and fresh. It’s a risk that seemingly pays off, yielding the Balkan country an excellent run of scores.
This year’s representative was VICTORIA, a hugely talented artist who is already an established name within the Bulgarian music scene. Having waited two years to finally go on stage (last year’s Contest was cancelled due to the pandemic), she garnered 170 points in the Grand Final, securing an impressive 11th place with her performance of ‘Growing Up Is Getting Old’.
Fresh off the success from competing, we managed to secure some time for VICTORIA to do a Quickfire with us… Enjoy!
Firstly, how does it feel now that you’ve finally managed to compete at Eurovision, and scoring so highly in the Grand Final?
It feels great and my team and I are really happy with the result. Bulgaria is also really proud of what we’ve accomplished and I couldn’t be more happy. We’ve been working on this project for the past 2 years and it finally comes to an end. It’s so surreal that I was announced as the Bulgarian representative back in November 2019 and since then I’ve been working non-stop on new music and on my development as an artist and as a songwriter. Eurovision is a great opportunity for young artists to find new opportunities and to grow. I loved every second of this journey, proud of both of my Eurovision songs – ‘Growing Up is Getting Old‘ and ‘Tears Getting Sober‘, my first EP ‘a little dramatic‘, the TV concert we organized to announce my song for Rotterdam and the two songs I released prior to the contest – ‘Ugly Cry‘ and ‘alright‘. All this wouldn’t be possible without Eurovision and I hope one day I will be back.
Why do you think Bulgaria always does well at the Contest?
I think the most important factor is the team behind the project here in Bulgaria. They really understand Eurovision and how to take the best out of this project. I am happy that together with my producer Genoveva Christova from Ligna Studios, who made the Eurovision participation possible for Bulgaria, we will continue to work with the same team from Entiendo in the future. They were guiding us through the world of Eurovision and I think we accomplished a lot. Now we have new challenges in front of us and the first will be a songwriting camp in the summer of 2021. Our partners in the UK Ostereo also are an important factor in our journey and us going to Eurovision. It’s all about the team work.
What inspirations came to you while creating ‘a little dramatic’ EP?
The EP ‘a little dramatic’ is a very dear release to me and I am so happy so many people connected with the stories behind the tracks. I love all 5 songs in it – ‘imaginary friend’, ‘growing up is getting old’, ‘dive into unknown’, ‘phantom pain’ and ‘the funeral song’. The first three are inspired by my personal experiences and I relate them to episodes of my life. The last two – ‘phantom pain’ and ‘the funeral song’ take a dark and surreal turn and obviously are not personal experiences of mine. They all have a special place in my heart and I am privileged I had to work with songwriters from all over Europe to create this EP. All the songs were written with the idea that they might go to Eurovision but we didn’t look for the ‘Eurovision formula’ when we were writing them. We just wanted to create something we will be proud of.
For those who aren’t familiar with the Bulgarian music scene, can you recommend some artists to check out?
I would definitely recommend for you to check Kristian Kostov’s music – his two EPs that he release under his name and the EP under the name VOSTOK. He is another Bulgarian artist that is aiming at the international market. For the people that want something more out of the box – just write ‘Bulgarian hits’ on any streaming platform and dive into the unknown. :)
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
I really would love to collaborate with artists like FINNEAS, Moses Sumney, Jacob Banks, Ashe and many others. There are also many international songwriters that I would love to write with.
What does the rest of the year have in store for you?
I already started working on new material and we are discussing with my team what should be our next steps. I don’t think I will be taking a break until the end of this year. I am full with ideas and I can’t wait to share my new music with the world.
Hailing from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, So Kindly crafts a sound that fuses electronic-influenced dance music with indie-folk in a deeply emotive and captivating way.
“‘The River’ deals with the painful yet beautiful reality of being a human. Sometimes we find ourselves at a fork in the road of our lives. That moment comes with hard emotional decisions that need to be made. This track is about that decision-making process internally and emotionally. Sometimes we have to cut ourselves some slack and accept that we are not always in control of the way things pan out.”
I’ve made no secret of how impressed I am with Lani Rose. This talent is not afraid to lay bare his emotions through his music, with ‘Paranoid’ being no exception.
A beautifully constructed melody sets the tone for a set of raw and honest lyrics to take centre stage, keeping you engaged from the start right through to the end.
George Eve is a British talent with a flair for creating indie pop like none other. ‘Never Let You Go’ is eclectic and raw, but also unexpected and delightfully uplifting. George wrote the song in Los Angeles but its fiery vigour is sure to inspire listeners wherever he goes.
“The new single ‘Never Let You Go’ is a grungy, festival ready song that you can dance to, rock out to, and get lost in. It’s a poem and a journey.”
Taken from the new EP ‘Burger The Exit’ which is out now.
There’s something quite magical about Dora Jar’s sound. This is a style of music that is full of energy and life, yet also feels organic and intriguing.
No genre fully encapsulates or defines what this artist creates, making every song on her new EP ‘Digital Meadow’ an absolute delight to experience.
A charmingly nostalgic and summery release from Miami’s Magic City Hippies. Proving that indie-pop can be kitsch and retro yet still impeccably cool, ‘Water Your Garden’ is a song that is sure to stay with you for the rest of the day.
“John (guitarist) penned this beautiful, poetic little ditty – light-hearted but full of both longing for his partner while on the road and a nurturing attitude about the individual paths we all need to stay true to. It kept evolving into this almost Motown-style groove, and it was a dream-come-true to round out the duet vibe with our long-time friend (and OG from the Miami scene) maye on the second verse.”
One of the catchiest bops of the week come courtesy of alt-pop artist JMSEY (who’s also one sixth of the beloved Hobo Johnson & The Lovemakers).
Inspired by the nostalgia bred out of quarantine, ‘Sunny Days’ is a summertime anthem that pines to the times when things were less stressful, and it was safe to hang out with friends until the sun came up.
LA-based talent Amber Ryann is back today with another showstopper of a track, in the shape of ‘ALL MY FRIENDS’. A gutsy and bold mix of pop and hip hop, the song looks into the shedding of toxic friends, and finding the strength to move forward.
If this is the first that you hear of this incredible talent then I encourage you to head over to her Spotify and check out more music – this kid is one to watch!
The first thing that catches your attention when you play ‘Spilling My Blood’ is how seamlessly the production flirts between nostalgic psychedelica and modern alt-rock. It’s a sound that is bursting with energy, character and originality.
Led by frontman and songwriter Gray Griggs, Generous Gods are an Atlanta-based outfit who refreshingly encapsulate the grit and experimentation of 60’s psychedelic rock in an adventurous and ambitious way, all the while still sounding thrillingly future-forward.
Seyblu is a hugely promising Canadian songwriter and performing artist, who’s blend of RnB and jazz is not only finessed but charming and spellbinding.
New single ’26:06′ was written during the first lockdown as she travelled back to Canada from the UK, counting down the 26 hours and 6 minutes until she could see her partner again.
Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘Silk Sessions’ which is out on 25th June 2021.
Ever evolving, the quality of emerging British rock talent continues to impress me. And today is no exception, thanks to the introduction of new talent HCK9.
This is a raw, epic and brave sound that grabs a hold of you from the first second and takes you on an audible journey like none other.
“let fear consume you as you’re forced into the role of the addicted victim, who just can’t stay away.”
One of Austria’s most exciting pop talents of late, Marcel returns today with the rousing ‘Back to You’.
With an anthemic melody, emotive vocals and despairing lyrics, the song tells of those situations when you struggle to get over someone you should no longer be with.
“The song is about the heartbreaking realisation that you are still not over a relationship that ended a long time ago and no matter what you do – everything is leading you back to this one person that you can’t be with anymore.”
Fun fact: The song features Christian Eigner of Depeche Mode on drums.
