Category: Music

JEMS! – CREEPIN

Photo / Jeremy Gould

JEMS! is a collaborative project consisting of Oakland singer, rapper, and songwriter Elujay and Baltimore producer J.Robb.

Together, this duo creates a distinct sound that seamlessly fuses alternative R&B with hip-hop, pop, and even dancehall.

Their new single ‘CREEPIN’ could have easily come from 90’s British radio, but alas, it’s a fresh slice of musical brilliance that deserves to be on everyone’s playlists this weekend.

“One of my favorite songs I’ve made to date. ‘CREEPIN’ was me trying to write a pop song for a big artist . I realized that I should keep it when I showed J.Robb because he reacted so viscerally. We got together with some of my bandmates and put our spin on it . Later on I realized it was kind of like a sister track to my song ‘Ratrace,’ With the uk street soul bounce .” – Elujay, JEMS!

The track teases the duo’s upcoming ‘GEMS IN THE CORNERSTORE II’ album, which is scheduled for release on 20th September. The record will feature icons as noted as Amaria, Chase Shakur, and Louis Culture. Until then, stream more JEMS! bops right here.

JEMS!

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New Music: Thoughty

One of the most exciting discoveries of the week is Vienna-based singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer Thoughty.

‘Outta My Head’ is the artist’s debut single and presents us with an energising fusion of pop and rap. Alongside the catchy lyrics, the melody will be repeating all day in your minds.

The song is fresh and playful while also maintaining a sense of relatability, which is sure to resonate with many listeners. Elaborating on the song’s meaning, Thoughty says:

“I think one of the most beautiful feelings is when you first meet someone and can’t stop thinking about them. You get butterflies, can’t stop smiling, and feel like you’re living in a movie. We chase that rush like it’s adrenaline, but we forget that real, lasting love is something steadier. These days, people are so hooked on the thrill that they run away when love becomes more routine. It’s a shame, and I believe it’s one of the main reasons so many relationships never get a fair chance. We crave a constant high and mistake the absence of it for the end of love when, in reality, love is just evolving into something deeper. I recently went through this and had to capture it in a song.”

Despite the track being Thoughty’s first release, this musician has been performing across Europe from as early as 2016. We’re quite certain that this is an artist who is likely to gain tonnes of traction across the continent over the next year!

Thoughty

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New Music: Orlando Hotopf

Stockholm-based Londoner Orlando Hotopf is a rising singer and songwriter who has just unveiled an impressive new song that deserves to be heard by you all!

‘High Road’ is the first of two singles that the artist will release this year. The track fuses indie with folk in a way that almost feels timeless—in part thanks to clever production, which layers 22 different guitar parts that were recorded using 1936 Levin.

The production creates a captivating soundscape that perfectly complements the song’s nostalgic lyrics, which were inspired by Hotopf’s early adulthood.

“The song is about the nostalgia of my early 20’s, the endless nights and countless bad decisions (which I don’t regret) I made whilst searching for something I couldn’t quite find…”

Hotopf’s music has been championed by the likes of Mahogany and Indie Folk Central, while also receiving airplay on stations such as KX FM and 88.5 FM in the US and Radio Nord Norge.

Orlando Hotopf

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Rufus Joseph – Dance With Darkness

If you’ve yet to experience Rufus Joseph’s music, then we’ve got a stunning track to share with you today that serves as a perfect introduction.

Hailing from the UK’s Stoke-on-Trent, Joseph’s sounds have gained momentum recently. With a natural flair for crafting beautiful compositions that are loaded with raw lyricism, the artist manages to expose his innermost thoughts and feelings in a way that is universally accessible and relatable to most listeners.

The new single ‘Dance With Darkness’ is a prime example. The track was written as a way to inspire us to ‘get comfortable in the darkness of your emotions, and understand their value.”

Rufus currently draws in more than 11k monthly listeners on Spotify; you can explore more of the singer and songwriter’s work here.

Rufus Joseph

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Freddie Lewis – Sundays

Freddie Lewis has come quite the way since his debut in 2021. He’s not only amassed more than half a million catalogue streams to date, but he’s also become a critic favourite, with praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Wonderland, and The Line of Best Fit.

The singer and songwriter returns with a new single this week, called ‘Sundays’. Through its perfected fusion of indie and soul, the song tells of the feelings that follow on from a breakup. The artist elaborates:

“it’s about figuring out how to fill up my own life in the wake of a significant relationship ending. I’d figured out all the fun things, the late nights and dancing and trips, but in the quiet time there was this space I couldn’t seem to fill. Sundays were the hardest, because they’d always been the highlight of my week. I realised that all the other things were easier because they were a distraction, and sitting at home alone was when the change really set in. Like ‘oh shit I’m on my own now. That’s exciting! And scary.’ Sonically, I wanted the song to reflect this, so I set out to make it sound like a Sunday, lazy and warm, and then the bridge bursts into this flurry of distraction and indulgence and emotion, before returning back, all bare and vulnerable, to the real feeling.”

“I wrote this song on my own at home last year, then took it to my trusted long time collaborator and dear friend Charlie T Smith to produce it. Funnily enough, all the sessions we had on the track, right up until the day we recorded final vocals, were on a Sunday. So the track itself actually helped me to solve its’ own problem. I filled my empty Sundays with this song, and with friends, and with my own ambitions and creativity and all that good stuff.”

Starting next month, the artist will embark on his ‘Freddie Lewis Cabaret Tour.’ The show will feature live music as well as drag and burlesque performances. Tickets and locations can be found here.

Freddie Lewis

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New Music: country girl

Freshly signed to the iconic FADER Label, Brooklyn’s country girl might just be one of our favourite newcomers of the summer.

‘your favourite girl’ is a shimmering burst of joyful indie-pop and serves as a perfect introduction to this hugely promising talent.

Alongside its catchy melody, the song’s memorable lyrics (inspired by the notion of casting ourselves as the female lead in a movie) will likely stay with you all day.

While we don’t yet know much of this artist, we’re quite certain that you’ll likely hear a lot more of them in the coming months. Definitely a star to watch!

country girl

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Elizabeth Hume – sneaky

Track of the week. We just can’t get enough of US indie starlet Elizabeth Hume. She’s back again today with yet another mesmerising new single called ‘sneaky’.

The soundscape that evolves as you listen to this track is really quite something. It was written while the artist was on a trip to Italy and evokes feelings of mellow, sun-kissed days and warm nights.

The song is taken from Hume’s next EP, which is due for release soon. Until then, you can enjoy her former releases on Spotify, where she’s already amassed thousands of streams.

Elizabeth Hume

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Liv Miraldi – Unfinished Business

Critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Liv Miraldi returns today with a sublime new EP titled ‘2019’, of which ‘Unfinished Business’ is lifted.

The song is lyrically inspired by themes of loss and grief, and serves as a dedication to the artist’s late mentor (and industry icon) Busbee.

Alongside its beautifully sincere and honest lyricism, the track’s production showcases a thoughtful fusion of indie and pop.

“‘Unfinished Business’ is my favorite song on the EP. It explores coming to terms with grief and accepting that some chapters in life end with more questions than answers. Loss is inevitable, but how we work through it shapes our path forward. This song is dedicated to my late mentor and publisher, busbee, the first industry powerhouse to believe in me. He gave me my start in the music business and brought me to LA shortly before his passing in 2019. I’m forever grateful for his faith in me and my music.”

Miraldi’s music has exceeded 1.5 million catalogue streams to date. The artist currently draws over 8k monthly listeners on Spotify, and is likely to grow her fanbase even more with the release of ‘2019’. You can explore Liv’s music right here.

Liv Miraldi

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Make Friends – I Lose, You Lose

Photo / Holly Whitaker

This weekend’s indie banger comes courtesy of rising Bristolian four-piece group Make Friends.

New single ‘I Lose, You Lose’ presents listeners with a rousing rock production that is complimented with melancholic vocals, resulting in a sound that feels both emotive and energising in equal measures.

“‘I Lose, You Lose’ is a song about losing (shock)! The lyrics take you on a journey through anxiety and realisation that actually the person you’re with, wasn’t all you thought they were. The songs upbeat verses and build sections, symbolises that feeling of losing control over your thoughts, running through every situation that may have lead you to this breakup conclusion. But alas, you found solace in this breakup. Knowing you did all you could. That constant fact in your mind … ‘If I lose you, you lose me’. And somehow that made me feel better.”

So if you’re going through a tough time with love right now, hopefully this track will help ease the pain in some type of way.

Make Friends perform at the Twisterella Festival in Middlesbrough on the 12th October (tickets here), ahead of the release of their ‘Loaded Fun’ EP, which is out a month later on the 13th September.

Make Friends

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Mindy Gledhill – Long Distance Lullaby

If you’re in a pensive mood today, then we’ve got a beautiful ballad to share with you by American singer-songwriter Mindy Gledhill, called ‘Long Distance Lullaby’.

The song was written by the artist as a message to her inner child and champions the concepts of self-love and embracing the future.

“If I could choose a song to epitomize the intent of my entire upcoming album, it would be the one that is out as of today — ‘Long Distance Lullaby.’ It is the lullaby I sing to soothe my inner child when any of my core wounds surface.”

A music video has also been released to complement the track, which was produced, directed, and edited by Mindy herself.

Over the years, Mindy’s songs have resonated with listeners all across the globe. To date, the musician has amassed more than 40 million catalogue streams and currently garners over 110k monthly listeners on Spotify.

Mindy Gledhill

New Music: Goz Asai

Track of the week. We’ve got a very exciting new talent to share with you today, going by the name of Goz Asai.

‘Get Me Out of Here’ is bold, energising, unexpected, and captivating. It’s frantic tempo and hypnotic beats keep listeners on edge, and the production overall displays some of the best dark pop sounds that we’ve come across in some time.

It won’t come as a surprise to learn that Goz is currently a student at the hugely influential Berklee College of Music, and is also gaining traction among leading music industry names within the Chinese and Korean markets.

You can explore more of the musician’s work on Spotify.

Goz Asai

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Taylor DeBlock – Set Free

Rising US musician Taylor DeBlock unveils one of his most personal songs to date, titled ‘Set Me Free’.

The track serves as a ‘coming of age’ statement, reflecting on the artist’s transition into adulthood. The song presents nostalgic and thoughtful lyrics over a finessed R&B-pop production and affirms this artist’s impressive talents at songwriting.

“This is my story of growing older and letting go of adolescence.”

Taylor’s work has amassed more than a million cumulative streams to date and has landed spots on flagship playlists like Spotify’s Fresh Finds and New Music Friday Latin. You can explore more of the artist’s work on his website here.

Taylor DeBlock

David C Clements – Already Here

David C Clements has been a critics’ favourite ever since the release of his 2016 debut record, ‘The Longest Day in History’.

Eight years later, the artist is still delivering stunning sounds, and today’s unveiling of the new single ‘Already Here’ is yet another gorgeous piece of music.

A beautifully constructed alt-folk production complements Clements’ powerful and heartfelt vocals as he sings about a romance drifting. The musician elaborates:

“‘Already Here’ is in essence a break up song. A parting of ways, not with a person, but with a system of belief and finding great peace in that. The track is a classic ‘build and release’ song which the producer Jacknife Lee created, not with the typical big band sound that I was tempted to use, but with taking a live band sound and messing with it. Making it weird. There’s drums, but they follow unusual patterns. Instead of crashing cymbals there’s synths opening up. In many ways it sets the tone for the album so for us it had to be the opening track.”

New project ‘The Garden’ is out on 20th September, followed by an album launch show at Ulster Hall on 6th October – tickets here.

David C Clements

New Music: Lunar June

Track of the week. Lunar June (aka Olivia Judd) is a much-hyped UK talent who is not only a singer and songwriter but also a producer and visual artist.

Sonically inspired by the likes of Charli XCX and Lorde, this musician crafts a style of sound that fuses experimental indie with pop. If this is the first time you come across Lunar June, then new single ‘supplements’ is a perfect introduction.

Beyond its impressive production, the track’s thoughtfully written lyrics remind us that it’s okay to embrace our flaws.

“It’s called ‘supplements’ because I became obsessive over self-improvement and was buying every supplement and self-help book under the sun to try and somehow speed through the healing process and become a better person as quickly as possible so I could stay with this person; I felt I was something broken that needed to be fixed. In a weird way, this core belief alone is what was the most destructive element, not my actual brokenness – because we’re all broken! No one is perfect and I couldn’t see that, and so I lost someone very important to me because I couldn’t love and accept myself.”

“At the end of the day, it’s our flaws that make us human and loveable. It’s ok to not be perfect or totally healed, I don’t think either of those things are ever achievable. But that you’re still worthy, even when you feel broken.”

To date, Lunar June’s work has received praise from heavyweight tastemakers such as Wonderland Magazine, Kaltblut, and Ministry of Sound.

Lunar June

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Sugar Soap – Living Uptown

Just in time for the weekend, Australian brothers Sugar Soap return with a banger called ‘Living Uptown’... and we can’t wait to share it with you!

As we’ve come to expect from this rising outfit, the track presents listeners with an uplifting and energising style of indie-pop that is just so easy to fall in love with.

“This track was born out of my constant frustration of sitting in the same place and doing the same thing for too long, and then finally changing it up to realise that maybe you just needed a break or maybe there’s another place in the world for you – my time spent in the heart of Sydney and Melbourne and then returning home to my home town of the coast gave me the appreciation for.” – Luke, Sugar Soap

The outfit has amassed more than 60k career streams to date, and continue to grow their fanbase with each release. You can explore more songs on their Spotify right here.

Sugar Soap

Lyves – REM

We’ve honestly lost count of how many times we’ve featured Lyves through the years at Alfitude, but truthfully, we just can’t get enough of this artist’s incredible sounds.

New single ‘REM’ is yet another impressive piece of alternative pop that is nothing short of sublime.

The track is lifted from the artist’s forthcoming ‘Out of the Blue’ project and was crafted alongside noted musicians like Chris Brice.

“Chris invited me to a beautiful remote studio in Cornwall in 2021 where this song was written and recorded. It was written in just a couple of hours on only guitar, bass, piano and drums. We wanted to create something raw that could be played on live instruments only and this was the result of that jam session.” – Lyves

Elaborating on the song’s lyrics, the artist goes on to explain:

“The subject matter is very dear to me as it relates to a time where I looked back at the demise of an important relationship and the signs I ignored at the time. It speaks of blind faith and living in a one-sided relationship but then waking up to that and learning from it. Writing and singing this song felt very cathartic – I feel like that comes across in the intensity of the performance. I love the starkness and truthfulness of the lyrics.”

Aside from countless endorsements by some of the world’s leading publications, Lyves has also won over audiences in their droves by supporting Coldplay on tour and performing on the COLORS channel.

Lyves

New Music: Maddie Ettrich

If you’re in the mood for some punchy pop-rock, then we’ve got the perfect artist to introduce you to.

Maddie Ettrich is a Canadian singer and songwriter who is currently working out of Nashville, Tennessee. Her style of work fuses classic pop with a raw, rockier edge.

The resulting sound is easy to listen to and connect with, but it also feels impassioned and heartfelt. Speaking on her new single ‘Small Town Beauty Queen’, Maddie intriguingly explains:

“Welcome to Bunny Grunge. A song that details the endless chase for the next best thing. Are you chasing a carrot on a stick? Following the white rabbit? You’ve come to the right song.”

Maddie Ettrich
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New Music: SMOORIBA

Hailing from England’s Midlands is rising talent SMOORIBA, who has just unveiled an anthemic new banger called ’21’.

The song was written as a way to ‘soundtrack Gen Z’s graduation to adulthood’, and treats listeners to a finessed blend of rock, hyperpop, and punk. With its catchy melody, thoughtful lyrics, and polished production, we think this track might win SMOORIBA a tonne of new followers.

The artist has already garnered more than 60k cumulative streams on Spotify, while also commanding over 2.4k monthly listeners on the platform. You can check out more of the musician’s bops right here.

SMOORIBA

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Vilhelm Buchaus – Break My Heart Again

Photo / Sandra Thorsson

Track of the week. Without a doubt, Vilhelm Buchaus is one of our favourite rising Scandinavian stars.

Today’s release of ‘Break My Heart Again’ only adds to our admiration for this hugely talented Swedish singer and songwriter.

In essence, this is a song about broken hearts. Alongside its stripped-back, sombre production, the track’s lyrics express feelings of emotional pain and the toxicity of failing romances.

“I wrote ‘Break My Heart Again’ about being stuck in a broken relationship that doesn’t work, despite trying multiple times. I knew the relationship caused me more pain than joy, but I still hoped for a different outcome, and that feeling inspired this song.”

The song was created by Buchaus, with the help of Jacob Werner and Amanda Kongshaug. Fans can expect an EP later in the autumn.

Vilhelm Buchaus

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Tamu Massif – Believe Me

UK singer, songwriter, and producer Tamu Massif is no stranger to the Alfitude pages. Over the years, this ever-evolving artist has consistently found new and interesting ways to refresh his style of work and continues to do so even now.

The musician is back this week with ‘Believe Me’, a mesmerising fusion of indie and downtempo. And despite its stripped-back production, the song’s lyrics hit on big themes like disconnection and refocusing our minds on the meaningful things in life.

“‘Believe Me’ is about feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you. It’s about the process of reconnecting with what’s important while reminiscing on hazy days spent in the sun, watching planes fly overhead with the sound of the waves crashing next to you.”

The track features the work of James Vine (Waldo’s Gift) and is lifted from Tamu’s ‘Really Summer Long’ album, which is out now.

Tamu Massif