Category: Music

New Music: Kamma

A gorgeously melodic and deeply moving sound from Danish talent Signe Rønsov ‘Kamma’. This artist is unafraid of expressing her inner self, her fragility and her intimacy through music.

As the daughter of a parent with Alzheimer’s, Signe struggled to find room for the same development of identity that all of her friends were undergoing, and to live the life of a normal teenager; eventually adopting the stance of being a people-pleaser to avoid confrontation.

In time, she learnt to develop her self esteem and began practicing the art of saying ‘no’. It’s so great to see someone stand up for themselves, because what we now have in front of us is a beautifully gifted pop talent to enjoy.

“One of the most important things for me today is therefore daring to stand by myself and my selfish dreams, and to keep reminding myself that it is okay for me to be someone other than the young woman whose mom is sick.”

Taken from the debut EP ‘Momentary Emotions’ which is out now.

Kamma

Hanne Mjøen – Hell With You

Norway’s invasion of pop in 2021 continues with the release of Hanne Mjøen’s fantastic banger ‘Hell With You’.

This is as premium as electro-pop gets; emotive vocals and pulsating beats set the tone for a song that feels melancholic while also giving off an essence of euphoria at the same time. It’s a sound that Scandinavians have mastered for decades now, and still never fails to blow me away.

Hanne Mjøen

Fran Vasilić – A Lovesong for Whoever

Based on the island of Krk in Croatia, 21 year-old bedroom-pop wonder-kid Fran Vasilić releases new single ‘A Lovesong for Whoever’ today; a charming synth power-ballad that elicits emotions of delusion, loneliness and love.

“This song is inspired by the constant creation of fake realities with my love interests and the universal fear of rejection.”

Fran Vasilić

New Music: Hanna Mel

Swedish talent Hannah Mel brings a dark, almost haunting approach to electro-pop that is completely engrossing. Subdued yet intense, her sound feels atmospheric and cinematic while still easy to connect with.

“‘Shy or Something’ is about two introverts having a crush on one another. Each too shy to admit it, and the frustration that it brings. I am a very introverted person myself, who easily gets quiet around large groups of new people. With this song, I wanted to play with the difference between being introverted or shy. Even though people might perceive them as the same thing – they feel totally different from within.”

Taken from the upcoming EP, scheduled for release later this autumn.

Hanna Mel

Drunken Masters & Delusion & Valentin Hansen – Pray

This is probably one of the best songs to emerge from Germany so far this month (in my humble opinion).

Featuring three of the nation’s most talked-about music talents, ‘Pray’ was initially conceived by Drunken Masters and Delusion while in in LA last year.

After returning to Germany, Valentin Hansen’s distinctive vocals then pushed the song into its final form. It’s a beautifully uplifting piece of music which is sure to raise anyone’s spirits and get you feeling sentimental.

Drunken Masters | Delusion | Valentin Hansen

The Escape – Flex

https://open.spotify.com/track/4Cyl9Swbayb8Wa33eYNC65?si=252e8ef646b04caf

South London duo The Escape are two best friends who have been crafting music together for over a decade now. Their sound is characteristically unique, blending genres as diverse as jazz, hip hop, RnB and rock together into something that feels refreshingly original.

“The real flex for us is doing what makes you happy and being true to yourself, regardless of what others think. More time people end up flexing to impress others but they’re miserable themselves… Make life what you want it to be…have some fun!”

The Escape

New Music: Dead Slow Hoot

British outfit Dead Slow Hoot bring an alternative approach to indie-rock that is truly quite special. Already receiving support from the likes of Radio 6 Music and BBC Introducing, they have mastered the ability to hit deep by blending poetic lyricism with bittersweet post-punk sounds.

‘Gesticulating Wildly’ is a powerfully captivating song featuring hazy guitars and hard-hitting social commentary. On the song, they say:

“This is about the need to put on a positive public face all the time, acting as if you’re doing well when really it’s a defensive tactic to prevent anyone from asking questions about what’s really going on. It’s sometimes impossible to deconstruct when you so badly want your external image to be real, and this was written in an attempt to be honest with myself in the hope that I could learn to be more emotionally forthcoming.”

Taken from the upcoming EP ‘A Kinder Kind’, which will be available on the 17th June 2021, along with a special vinyl release via Philophobia Music which will be limited to just one hundred copies. 

Dead Slow Hoot

Samaria – Out The Way

Hailing from San Francisco, Samaria fuses rhythmic RnB with lo-fi influences and live instruments to create songs that relay raw emotions of love, heartbreak and introspection. On the song, Samaria says:

“I found an old text thread between my ex and I on my laptop. I thought it had been deleted, but as I scrolled through our conversations I could pin point everywhere I went wrong. All of these things that I didn’t want to admit before were suddenly in my face and I couldn’t run from it anymore. It was too late for me to communicate that with him so I wrote it all down for myself.”

Samaria

Trip Carter – Heavyweight

A shimmering feel-good fusion of summery indie-pop and jazzy vocals from one of LA’s finest, Trip Carter.

“I wrote this song in the midst of pandemic madness. Quarantine seemed like it was gonna go on forever and it was starting to weigh heavily on my mental state. I truly would’ve gone crazy if it weren’t for my loved ones holding me down. Heavyweight is about just that. It’s an homage to the ride or dies; whether that be your significant other, your best friend, or your family. They ride with you, they die with you, and they help you bear the weight of your problems when you can’t do it on your own. That’s love.” 

Trip Carter

Cassia – Right There

Cassia have very rapidly become one of the UK’s most exciting and promising indie talents.

The Macclesfield-born outfit recently relocated to Berlin and consequently self-produced all their new music so that it is completely uncompromised. On new single ‘Right There’, drummer Jake explains:

“‘Right There’ came from quite a difficult place and was originally written as a slower piano song, with the words coming out almost as if I was talking. It’s about a very specific feeling, one of loneliness, and picking things apart – a vicious cycle, really. When I brought the song to the guys we wanted to make it as upbeat and uplifting as possible, as there is something kind of electric about taking those lows and sticking a finger to them. I know we live for songs like that and we hope this will have a similar impact on our fans who might need it.”

Cassia

New Music: Plastic Skin

A sublime fusion of  lo-fi beats, Bossa Nova, jazz, RnB and Latin vibes from a new project hailing out of Monterrey, comprised of Donovan Ferra of Fallen Roses, Eduardo Lopez and Jorge Porragas.

“Jorge initially wrote it just to make something that was fun and catchy, he wanted it to be the song you listen to when you were having a good time; to decorate happy memories. The song has a very lighthearted, chill vibe but with a little more complexity and energy.” – Plastic Skin

Plastic Skin

Porsh Bet$ – Peanut Butter

Fuelled by a deep perception and understanding about the things you want but can’t have, ‘Peanut Butter’ is the latest release from Harlem native Porsh Bet$. This is some of the finest fusions of alt-pop and RnB you’ll likely listen to all week.

“When I wrote [Peanut Butter] I was definitely just kinda daydreaming about the most perfect scenario – you know, with a girl and a fancy car on a nice day. Cause I’m allergic to peanut butter I really shouldn’t be near it, but it sucks because everyone else loves it! It looks good, but once I get too close, I get nauseous. I think of it like this – sometimes being left out is a good thing.”

Taken from the forthcoming debut EP ‘I Used To Think Forever’.

Porsh Bet$

New Music: Grace May

This really is some of the finest RnB to emerge from Canada right now. Grace May has created a piece of music that is so deeply emotive in the most fragile and delicate way that it’s impossible not feel moved by ‘Rose Coloured’.

“‘Rose Coloured’ is about coming to the realisation that because you were so in love, you missed all of the signs telling you the relationship you were in was actually not a good one. That even through all of the let downs and red flags, to you, they were just your knight in shining armour.”

Taken from the upcoming EP ‘L.V.R.’ will be available from 14th May 2021.

Grace May

Hobbie Stuart – Paper Planes

British singer and songwriter Hobbie Stuart has been on my radar close to a decade now. His beautiful style of music-making is filled with raw and genuine emotion, moving lyricism and distinctive vocals.

“I wrote this song about the first and only time I fell in love and the vulnerability that came with that.”

Hobbie Stuart

Sam Gellaitry – duo

Hugely talented Scottish artist Sam Gellaitry’s ‘duo’ is reminiscent of that classic French disco sound that we’ve all come to love.

If you’re a fan of Friendly Fires, you’ll most likely enjoy this release. It’s a sound that feels alive and invigorating in an effortlessly cool way.

“It feels like I’m dropping my first ever song. such a crazy feeling to go from hiding behind instrumentation to finally finding my voice. It’s super liberating being able to explore more refined soundscapes by using my vocals as the glue. I return to my roots with ‘duo’ by venturing into a more funk oriented sonic and I’m going to continue to showcase all my past and present tastes that have brought me to this point musically.”

Sam Gellaitry