If you’re suffering from the midweek blues then this new release from Australian outfit The Moving Stills will surely raise your spirits.
‘Westside’ is joyful piece of music that is inspired by all the positive and wonderful things that come across us in life. With its uplifting fusion of indie and alternative pop, this song deserves to be on everyone’s summer playlists this year.
“‘Westside’ is about celebrating the positive aspects of life, so we wanted it to be a feel good upbeat track. Itâs also about being able to slow down without feeling guilty about taking a break. It came after a holiday in WA and also reflects on all the time we have spent on the East Coast, playing shows and hanging out with the people that matter. Itâs been a great year and weâre feeling optimistic about whatâs coming ahead.â – Tommy, The Moving Stills
The track serves as a taster to the band’s upcoming sophomore album, which will be out later this year. In the meantime, you can catch the band on tour across Australia from next month – tickets here.
Emerging London artist Finn Foxell is back today with his first solo single of the year… and boy, has it been worth the wait.
Produced by Clipz (aka Redlight), ‘TYSON’ is a bold track that confidently blends elements of UK hip hop with punk and drum’n’bass together, resulting in a refreshingly raw and arresting sound.
Foxell’s momentum has grown significantly over the last year. The artist currently commands more than 300k monthly listeners on Spotify, while his songs have been streamed more than 25 million times to date.
Finn plays Glastonbury’s Lonely Hearts Club – Silver Hayes Stage on the 24th June – details here.
We’ve got a very exciting Swedish talent to share with you today, called Elise Elvira. While not a total newcomer (Elise released a debut EP last year), we’ve only just come across this promising singer and songwriter today.
Elise’s new single ‘Charlie, Don’t Do It!’ was written by the artist herself to one of her friends, as a response to the way that he was behaving towards women. The track is dreamy, soulful and enchanting in its production, and (in our view) feels sonically similar to Janet Jackson’s ‘Velvet Rope’ era.
Impressively, Elise has already achieved more than 100k catalogue streams to date on Spotify alone, and we think that’s only just the start for this gifted Nordic starlet.
One of Canada’s biggest pop exports in recent years has been four-piece outfit Valley. With more than 630 million career streams to date, this group have firmly established themselves as international superstars.
New single ‘Have A Good Summer (Without Me)’ presents listeners with a shimmering fusion of pop and indie, while the lyrics reflect on a unique kind of heartache that can only happen at this time of the year.
âThe summer in our minds is a romanticised version of life. Love and its adventures are heightened with the heat and the water and the sunshine. The blow of losing someone before those precious few months of the year is devastating to say the least. ‘Have A Good Summer (Without Me)’ is loving them so much, you will let them go.â – Karah James, Valley
Valley will commence a tour that goes through North America, Asia and Australia from next week, starting in New York on the 22nd June. The band’s new record, ‘Lost In Translation’ is released the following day. You can preorder the album and check out tour dates here.
Choosing which song to showcase for NYC-based singer and songwriter David Alexander on Alfitude wasn’t easy. While still early in his career, this rising musician has already amassed millions of streams thanks to his universally likeable approach to pop.
‘Her’ is a relatable anthem that looks at the nostalgic feelings we experience when remembering old lovers:
“‘Her’ speaks to a feeling we are all familiar with: the longing for a past love triggered by a new fling. At first glance, the hook ‘Youâre just somebody I kissed’ comes across as crude and dismissive, however, as the song unfolds the listener realises it is everything but.”
Through its energising production and sincere lyricism, this song has very quickly become one of our favourites from Alexander. With an ever-growing fanbase across social media and continued hype from tastemakers, there’s little doubt in our minds that this talent is going to become a global phenomenon very soon.
Emerging from Australia is independent singer and songwriter Amy Pollock, who unveils a beautiful new single today called ‘Sparklebrain’.
Produced by Hayden Calnin, the track focuses on the struggles associated with trying to overcome mental health issues. And while the lyrics are hard-hitting and powerfully raw, the song’s production showcases a sound that feels sombre and dreamy – ultimately creating a perfect sonic juxtaposition that is highly emotive to experience.
To date, Pollock has amassed thousands of career streams from the release of just a handful of singles, and has had her songs featured on several prominent Spotify playlists, as well as on tastemaker outlets like Lefuturewave.
Typhoon Roulette is an exciting new project consisting of musicians Johnny High and Jack House. By blending elements of indie-rock with pop and hip hop, these two artists are creating interesting sounds that are vivid, playful, and energetic in character.
As its title implies, new single ‘fed up’ sums up the feelings we experience when our patience has been stretched to its limit. Alongside the impressive production, the track features additional vocals from Alfitude favourite Aaron Taos.
New album ‘the vault (2020-2023)’ is out now, and can be heard here.
Track of the week. In our opinion, Floridian singer and songwriter Nick Tobias is likely to become one of the most hyped newcomers to emerge from the US this year.
By blending elements of rap with R&B and hyperpop, this talent creates distinct and unique sounds which are refreshingly bold and raw in tone.
‘Chloe’ is one of only three singles released by Tobias so far, and shows immense potential. The song feels both emotive and experimental in equal measures. This is clearly an artist who is unafraid to push some sonic boundaries – and we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Rising German talent Pablo Brooks continues to impress us through the release of his new single, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’. If you’re in the mood for a catchy slice of indie-pop, then you won’t find a song as brilliant as this one today.
Taken from the artist’s upcoming ‘âPleaserâ EP (out on 7th July, pre-order here), the track serves as a ‘coming of age’ piece of music, and lyrically focuses on the concept relationships – with your friends, your lovers, and also yourselves. Explaining further, Pablo says:
“‘Boy Donât Cry’ is a song about toxic relationships, as well as toxic masculinity. I wrote this one after getting out of a very toxic, manipulative relationship with someone. Basically this person was continually gaslighting me into thinking I was being ego-centric and I was very much falling for this. I think we get caught up really easily in attaching ourselves to people only because they temporarily fulfil some fantasy we put inside out head. This song really goes in depth about the co-dependency in toxic relationships, especially the one that I was in â knowing that the behaviour of the other person is having a negative impact on you, but not being able to leave, because the thrill of unstable love feels so intoxicating, almost like some crazy drug. I really liked playing with the concept of the whole âBoys Donât Cryâ saying, because itâs obviously a really problematic statement in itself, forcing young boys to be scared of vulnerability and to bottle up their emotions. But thought it would be a funny thing to shout at someone who treated you like shit, because they were projecting all their insecurities onto you â kind of saying âYou donât get to play the victim hereâ. As a queer man, I try very hard to open myself up to other people and share my experiences authentically, but obviously Iâm also someone who is influenced by the values that young boys are exposed to and I am obviously not exempt from toxic masculinity, which is something I struggle with a lot. So the âBoy Donât Cryâ exclamation is also directed to myself in a way. Itâs my subconscious telling me not to be vulnerable with someone and that emotions are a sign of weakness. Which is utter bullshit, but itâs very hard to fight this. Thereâs a line in the song (âSave me from the things I wantâ), that made me let out a huge sigh of relief, when I wrote it. It felt like saying everything Iâve been wanting to say for a long time. The only person who can save me from the things I want is myself and thatâs a freeing realisation, but itâs not an easy one.”
While still early in his career, Brooks has already performed all across Europe for his ever-growing fanbase. There’s no doubt in our minds that this kid will become Germany’s next pop export.
Hailing from the UK is promising Filipino singer, songwriter and producer Troy Javelona.
Inspired by the likes of Tom Misch and Daniel Caesar, Javelona creates a distinct sound that effortlessly fuses stripped-back soul with R&B and pop, resulting in songs that are melodic, emotive and absolutely mesmerising to experience.
To date, Troy has only released three songs on Spotify and already garnered more than 600k streams, with ‘Go Away’ becoming a viral hit across social media. There’s no doubt in our minds that this is one talent destined for big things.
Californian artist She Is Jules (aka Julianna Pollifrone) continues her quest for global pop dominance with the release of her new single ‘Body Language’.
In what could be described as one of Pollifrone’s most personal songs to date, the track addresses the musician’s struggles with body image. Through it’s powerfully honest lyricism, Julianna hopes that the song can help others who share those similar issues.
It’s been quite the year for this Bay Area talent. Aside from currently amassing more than 300k monthly listeners on Spotify (and being featured on countless editorial playlists like Fresh Finds and New Music Friday India), She Is Jules was also recently duetted by Julia Michaels on TikTok (watch here).
LA-based musician Hunter Daily unveils a stunning new collaboration that features her very own sister Tyson, called ‘Age of Depression’.
Released alongside Hunter’s much-anticipated debut EP ‘Die in LA’ (out now), the song showcases a beautifully melodic indie-pop production that is both emotive and charming in tone. Elaborating further on the track’s creation, Hunter says:
“‘Age of Depression’ is a song I wrote with my sister in the middle of the pandemic. It was pouring rain and freezing out, and we felt like the world was ending⊠it was a really tough time for us both. We had recorded a bunch of songs over the course of that year, and since then, we have both gone our separate ways in our careers. This is the only song that will come out with my sister and I singing together, but because this song is really special to us and helped us see the light in a really dark time, we decided to put the song out in dedication to that time and to help give hope to those that need it⊠the best is yet to come!”
Hunter’s momentum has been on a steady rise in recent months. With more than a million cumulative streams to date, and support from heavyweight tastemakers like Fashionably Early and Lefuturewave, this is one artist to keep on your radars.
Brother-sister duo Durry are back with one of the biggest indie-rock anthems of the week!
‘Coming of Age’ presents itself as a modern-day take on Dolly Parton’s ‘9-5’, and highlights the thoughts and feelings that many of us might experience while at work.
âInspired by 2022âs âgreat resignationâ and by both of us being able to quit our day jobs to pursue music full time, âComing of Ageâ is about seeing the reality of a dead end corporate job, and taking your future into your own hands. Maybe part of growing up is realising the life you were told to strive for just isnât worth the life you lose to get it.â
Aside from their huge presence and fanbase all across social media, Durry are also picking up support from outlets as noted as BBC Radio 1, Rolling Stone and Louder.
Durry play London’s Oslo Hackney on the 21st September, and will also tour the USA from November – tickets can be found here. The band’s upcoming album, âSuburban Legendâ is available for preorder here.
It wouldn’t be a normal weekend here at Alfitude without sharing some premium dance music, and this time it’s the turn of Scottish DJ and producer KC Lights, and his new LĂ„psley collaboration, ‘Better Times’.
With its shimmering mix of disco, soulful house and pop, the song is likely to become one of the key summer anthems of the year. Elaborating on the track’s production, KC explains:
“The idea for âBetter Timesâ manifested while I was on the train to London to meet LĂ„psley for a writing session. I wanted a sound that felt warm and familiar but also new and exciting. Almost immediately, LĂ„psley & I knew that we had a creative connection. A few hours later, we had written the track. We just knew the nostalgic vibe and sound felt so right. For me, âBetter Timesâ is about letting go of anything weighing you down in life and looking ahead optimistically. Looking ahead into summer, I think this song will be a big moment in my sets.â –Â KC Lights
As one of the world’s most popular dance producers, KC Lights commands more than 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, while his catalogue of releases have so far amassed 80 million streams.
If you’re in the mood for some raucous rock music then you’ve come to the right place. Newcastle outfit Decrepit Youths have just unleashed an epic debut single, called ‘Loose Ends’.
Unlike many alt-rock groups, Decrepit Youths is dual fronted (by Connor Pattison and David Stoker), which allows for them to create dynamic songs that are full of unexpected twists and turns.
‘Loose Ends’ marks the beginning of a series which will see the band release new music every 6-8 weeks. With early support from the likes of BBC Introducing already under their belt, this group are ones to watch.
American artist Elizabeth Hume returns with a sublime new single, entitled ‘August’.
The track is lifted from Hume’s ‘Wake Me Up When I’m Older’ debut EP (out now), and presents listeners with a melodic fusion of indie and bedroom pop. Elaborating on the song’s lyricism, Elizabeth explains:
“‘August’ is all about being able to gain your own trust back after recognising your own apparent vulnerability in its absence. It reflects on a time of being blinded to yourself and the path to achieving your goals, learning to find a new vision. It is about surpassing your limits and finding a way, no matter what. ‘August’ represents resilience; when the rhythm around you gets dim, become that rhythm.”
The single (along with the whole EP) was produced by Hume herself and Nolan Garrett. To date, this rising starlet has gained praise from noted tastemakers such as Highclouds, Clout Magazine and Two Story Melody.
Louisianian singer and songwriter Peyton McMahon is one of those artists who is completely unafraid of sharing his emotions through music.
‘Before You Go’ was written just before lockdown in 2020, and looks at the notion that every end – no matter how painful it can be, is the start of a new beginning.
“I wrote âBefore You Goâ a few years ago when a few things were changing in my life, and I started reflecting on how hard it can be to say goodbye to something or someone you love, or change in general. Itâs about those situations where you know something has to end, and you know that initial goodbye is going to be tough. Youâll move on eventually, but you want one last golden moment to remember it before itâs over. “
Sonically, the track draws its inspiration from the likes of James Bay and Jeff Buckley, by weaving elements of pop with indie and soft rock in a thoughtfully balanced way.
Peyton’s big break initially came from YouTube, where his renditions of pop classics would amass tens of thousands of views, resulting in praise from global names as iconic as OneRepublic, Shakira and Kelly Clarkson.
Rising Irish aritst Pa Sheehy is back today with his much-anticipated new EP, âLost In A â90s Arcadeâ (out now).
One of the songs featured on the record is ‘These Days’, which also serves as Sheehy’s third single. As with Pa’s other releases, the track not only presents us with a gorgeously constructed production, but also features his heartfelt and sincere lyricism.
Sheehy continues to be one of Ireland’s most prominent singer-songwriters, and currently commands more than 60k monthly listeners on Spotify alone. You can catch the artist on a short ‘in-store tour’ across the country from today – more details can be found here.
Every once in a while, you come across a new outfit that is so completely unique that it takes you by surprise.
Laundry Boys is a new project that was formed by two songwriting friends, whose sole purpose was to create music in its purest form – without needing to worry about rules, restrictions or commercial viability.
“We played in a stoner rock band when we were 17. Since then, we’ve made all kinds of music. In this project, we want to use our musical palette without feeling like we’re breaking any rules because that’s the magical thing about music, unlike almost everything else in life. You get to do whatever you want.”
Debut single ‘Drunk On Love’ presents listeners with a genre-bending fusion of sounds that is warm, melodic, atmospheric, and deeply captivating to experience. It’s not an easy song to describe or define – but then again, that is the aim of the duo’s work.
The track serves as a taster to a forthcoming EP called ‘Yatzy Music Vol. 1’, which is released on the band’s own label, Popped N Screwed Records.
