Hayley Warner is already one of Australia’s most promising singer-songwriters, having amassed more than 12 million career streams to date.
New single ‘Breakups Ain’t Goodbye’ was written and recorded in a humble spare room during quarantine, and presents listeners with an anthemic sound that asks the question – do breakups really have to be goodbyes?
Hayley’s life story is an inspirational one. Her childhood dreams of becoming a professional athlete were halted when she was diagnosed with a rare disease, and told that she could never walk again.
Not being someone to give up, Warner found a way to turn an old drum set into her form of physical therapy, which eventually lead her to recovery – and burgeoning music career!
Hayley performs at SXSW next month – more details can be found here.
‘Food for the Soul’ is one of those songs that instantly feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s the kind of sound that radiates warmth, positivity and joy – and reminds you of the things that make life worth living.
For those unfamiliar with the artist behind this masterpiece, the track was created by American musician it’s murph (aka Garrett Murphy), and is only his third release to date.
“There are certain things in our world that inspire life. Spending time with friends, adventuring, partying; everyone has different foods for their souls. In my debut independent single, I was on a search to emulate the euphoria of life that makes your cheeks blush and sends chills down your spine. Music, especially electronic music, evokes an animation for life in me. It is a community of people connected on an energetic wavelength, where the regular struggles of day-to-day life become invisible. No judgement, just an experience with the music.
I hope this song resonates with you. It is the advent of a project with years of work behind the scenes that I am finally ready to emerge from the shadows and see the light.”
With more than 4.5 million career streams under his belt, Murphy is someone that needs to be on everyone’s radar.
Chicago-born R&B starlet Tink releases her much-anticipated new album, ‘Thanks 4 Nothing’today, as well as visuals for her latest single, ‘Save Your Soul’.
Through its finessed and gorgeously melodic production, this self-empowering song lays out all the standards that Tink expects to be met in a relationship.
Elaborating further on the inspiration behind the album, Tink explains:
“I wrote this album specifically for single ladies. I wanted to give the girls a set of songs to play after the breakup. This is for anyone reclaiming their time. Reclaiming their joy. Reclaiming their Sometimes we have to appreciate the Good with the bad , hence Thanks 4 Nothing”.
Since her debut in the early 2010’s, Tink has gone on to become one of the most prominent names within the American R&B scene, and has worked alongside the likes of Timbaland, Jeremih, Kelela and many more.
Some of the most impressive sounds to emerge from within the American singer-songwriter scene right now come from promising newcomer Devon Gabriella.
‘get clean’ was inspired by the separation of Gabriella’s parents when she was a young child, and showcases a sound that is beautifully emotive and sincere in tone.
Amassing more than three million cumulative catalogue streams on Spotify alone, it looks like Gabriella will be hitting the global mainstream very soon.
Representing some of the finest alt-pop to emerge from Northern England in quite some time, Lois returns with another impressive new release entitled ‘Strange Men’.
Through its thoughtful lyricism, the song addresses the toxicity that comes from men who don’t know how to treat women well.
“I’ve put everything into this song and I can’t believe it’s finally out after years of holding onto. I hope you find peace and comfort in it somehow, the way that I have.”
Fans in Leeds can catch Lois headlining ‘Empower – International Women’s Day’ at Headrow House on the 8th March 2023 – tickets can be found here.
With support from the likes of Notion Magazine, BBC Radio 1 and Amazing Radio, Lois is most certainly one UK newcomer to keep on your radars.
LA-based New Yorker SAINT KID might be a new name to most, but this talent has already been working on his sound for some time.
Viral hit ‘Closure’ (created alongside close friend Rowan Drake) was released back in 2020, and has already picked up more than 375k streams on Spotify alone.
“We all struggle at some point with finding closure. It can feel scary and as if we are trapped in our past but as time goes on and we separate ourselves from the issue we start having clarity and eventually everything is fine again.” – Rowan Drake
The two musicians collaborated on more projects, and their success was notable. Drake went on to build a loyal following across social media, while SAINT released more acclaimed singles – before then going on a short hiatus. Now he’s back with a sensational new song, entitled ‘GARDEN’.
“A year ago, I moved out to LA, stopped releasing music and worked on my myself and my sound. Garden is my first single in a long time but is just the beginning.” – SAINT KID
With an impressive style of songwriting that feels intense and dark, but also fragile and emotive, SAINT KID might well be one of the year’s biggest breakout stars.
Highly acclaimed US soul starlet Madison McFerrin begins her year with a captivating new single and some equally arresting accompanying visuals.
‘(Please Don’t) Leave Me Now’ is taken from forthcoming debut album ‘I Hope You Can Forgive Me’ (out 12th May, pre-order here), and was written following a highly serious car accident that McFerrin was involved in.
“Being able to walk away from a near-death experience without physical harm is one of the greatest blessings I’ve received in this life. It reaffirmed my purpose as an artist. Writing ‘(Please Don’t) Leave Me Now’ became an incredibly therapeutic and cathartic experience. Being able to express that kind of fear while still creating a fun environment was key to making this song.
Death showed up in more ways than one in the process of making this video. In the weeks leading up to the shoot, multiple family members on the production side passed unexpectedly, bringing our plans to a halt. The fate of the video was in flux. Thanks to the tenacity of my team, we were able to regroup and move forward, albeit with a delay.”
Elaborating on the visuals for the song, McFerrin explains:
“For the video, we wanted to capture the feeling of not being prepared to die. I’m talking to myself both above and within the grave, grieving both who I was and who I could be. I didn’t expect being in a grave for multiple hours in a day would affect me, but it definitely contributed to my journey in processing a near-death experience. This song and video are a manifestation of my own personal growth as not only a musician, but as a human.”
Coinciding with the release of the album, McFerrin will embark on a nationwide tour across the US, with a couple of international stops in the Netherlands and UK. Dates are below, and tickets can be found here.
Track of the week. Hailing from the Norwegian city of Bergen is Nelly Moar, who rapidly building momentum as one of Scandinavia’s most exciting R&B newcomers.
A trained jazz vocalist, Moar delivers a style of music that fuses dark pop with dreamy, soulful R&B tones. The resulting sounds are atmospheric, intense and beautifully captivating.
Amassing more than 150k career streams to date from the release of just one EP, it’s clear to see that Moar is one Nordic star on the rise.
While still only 24-years of age, Gabriel Jacoby has already worked as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer for more than a decade.
New single ‘As you stand next to me’ showcases this talent’s exceptional artistry, and treats listeners to a sound that subtly blends soul with funk, jazz and alternative R&B. The song feels future-forward and unique, while still maintaining a strong emotive essence.
“I grew up on Nina Simone, The Wailors, James Brown, and Outkast… Those were the only records we had in the house for years. Raised in Anderson, SC, out in the far country, we didn’t have cable or internet for most of the 2000’s; just a record player with a broken radio. Once I figured I can play multiple sounds just like Prince or even Curtis Mayfield , I knew I’d never limit myself at creativity. I decided one day I’ma be somebody great, someone you’ll never forget.”
Supported by the likes of Fashionably Early, Lyrical Lemonade and Early Rising, Jacoby is a name to watch for in 2023.
Massachusetts singer and songwriter Aimee Vant is back with an anthemic banger that is likely to propel the rising starlets’s name even further into the mainstream.
Powerful new single ‘Voicemail’ is an energising mix of distorted electronic pop and indie. It’s a bold, punchy and intense piece of music that was inspired by a terrible lover who abandoned Vant in a foreign country.
With more than 600k cumulative career streams to date on Spotify alone, Vant has rapidly gained traction over the last year, and has received support from outlets as prominent as Earmilk and Clout Magazine.
Pittsburgh’s self-proclaimed ‘dramatic duo’ Sad Girls Aquatics Club (aka Marie Mashyna and Chelsea Rumbaugh) release a melodic slice of indie perfection that deserves your immediate attention.
Taken from the outfit’s upcoming LP of the same name, ‘Easier’ treats listeners to a nostalgia-tinged fusion of lo-fi indie and dreamy pop. Elaborating on the song’s concept, Mashyna & Rumbaugh explain:
“It’s meant to encapsulate the lethargy apparent in our band name; the physical slowness of being in water and the mental fatigue of chronic melancholy.”
To date, Sad Girls Aquatics Club have received praise from the likes of Obscure Sound, Clout and Glide magazines. While we wait for the release of the new LP, be sure to check out the duo’s 2018 album ‘Vodkawine’, which can be heard here.
Rising independent artist Freddy Madson is back today with a sensational new release called ‘Blue Rain’.
Through an intelligent production process, Madson has somehow created a sound that is not only dreamy and soulful, but also cinematic, bold and future-forward. In short – you won’t have heard anything quite like this before.
“I was in a period where I was feeling blue on and off because my music career wasn’t taking off. I dwelled on it, started comparing myself to everyone else and talked about it, time after time. It affected myself deeply but most of all it affected the people I love. I realized I had to do something about it and turn things around.”
“I knew we were on to something in the studio when those big, wide piano chords hit and the beat came on. The chorus appeared quickly with me just repeating the words ‘Blue Rain’. When all the pieces came together I felt so empowered and I hope the listener will feel the same.”
Madson has spent the last six months in the studio working alongside acclaimed Danish producer Niels Christian Sommer Kjærgaard, and is currently finalising his debut EP, ‘Boys Never Cry’ (out 17th March).
Nashville alt-pop starlet Love You Later (aka Lexi Aviles) returns with a gorgeously introspective new single entitled ‘Girl With Headphones’.
Inspired by Lexi’s inner thoughts and feelings, the song serves as an outlet for the artist to share her vulnerabilities with the listener.
“‘Girl With Headphones’ is about feeling out of place, like you’re the only one living in your world. Things were feeling very dim at the beginning of this year and it made me think about how when I was kid I would feel like the main character in my own indie film, staring out the window of the passenger seat and romanticising everything the world has to offer. There’s a true vulnerability and weight in this song as I pretty much admit I haven’t been feeling like myself lately. The song also comes with a sense of letting go and realising maybe that’s what’s stopping me from being truly happy. ‘Girl With Headphones’ is about me, the main character, experiencing what it feels like to grow, let go, embrace the unknown, move on and return to myself. It’s a cathartic rollercoaster.”
To date, this emerging singer-songwriter has racked up more than five million career streams, while also garnering praise from the likes of MTV, The Line of Best Fit, Flaunt Magazine and American Songwriter.
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and producer Luke Sital-Singh is back today with one of the most beautiful releases of the week.
‘Strange Weather’ is taken from Luke’s forthcoming EP of the same name (out 9th June), and compares life and its complexities to the changes in the weather.
“Weather is a big metaphor. It affects your mood and how you look at life. Rain makes everything worse. If it’s sunny again, the problems are there, but they seem easier to deal with. I’ve never made note of the atmosphere before. The metaphor carried on for me, because everything was strange after the Pandemic. ‘Strange Weather’ was a summary of the EP and how I felt in general.”
As an accomplished and highly regarded musician, Sital-Singh has amassed a catalogue of songs that have accumulated millions of streams globally, while also performing alongside artists as noted as Angus & Julia Stone, Martha Wainwright, Passenger and Gregory Alan Isakov.
The most exciting discovery today has been American artist alec rose, and his stunning debut single ‘Underwater’.
Almost ethereal in tone, the song presents listeners with a haunting and melodic fusion of indie, folk and alternative pop. The resulting sound is nothing short of sublime, and really is a delight to experience.
While not much is currently known about this talent, we can be certain that his name will be one that will grow in momentum over the next few months. Keep this kid on your radars!
London-based talent vi0let unveils a euphoric fusion of electro-pop and R&B through her new single, ‘Dreams’.
Inspired by the little moments that make life special (like partying with friends or behaving carefree every now and then), the song reminds us all to be true to ourselves and to be bold with the challenges that the world throws at us.
The track continues to mark the German-Irish singer and songwriter as an emerging artist to keep on your radars. To date, vi0let has already amassed more than 220k career streams on Spotify alone.
Rising LA-based singer, songwriter and producer Luci (fka Lucii the Alien) has just released a superb new single, entitled ‘girlfriend’.
Flirting between the different emotions, the song’s tone bounces from being melancholic and sincere through to playful and cheeky.
“I kinda wanna girlfriend but I kinda don’t, cus they’re a lot of work but I want a hand to hold”
It’s a sound that is refreshingly unpredictable and captivating, and is likely to be one of Luci’s biggest hits yet.
Already a hugely hyped talent within the LGBTQ music scene, Luci has amassed more than fifteen million catalogue streams on Spotify since her 2018 single, ‘Invade’.
Drugstore Cowboy is a musical collaboration between singer-songwriter Mr. Carter Davis and drummer/ producer Grant Thompson.
By fusing genres as diverse as pop, rock, country, folk and hip hop together, this promising duo create sounds that really are in a league of their own. Elaborating on their impressive new single ‘Green Flag’, they explain:
“We based the whole song on the ‘red flag’ meme trend that was viral the night we wrote it. People were posting sketchy things their love interests would do followed by the red flag emoji. We wrote the chorus saying “you accept me for all my red flags, and to me that’s a green flag.”
Originally hailing from Texas, Drugstore Cowboy are now based in the musical mecca that is Nashville. They play the Sweet Tooth Hotel in Dallas on the 4th March – tickets can be found here.
One of the most interesting talents to have emerged over the last year has been Hemes.
As a first-generation Arabic woman based in the UK, Hemes crafts sounds that touch on cultural aspects few newcomers ever consider putting into song.
New single ‘Home’ is a beautifully introspective piece of music that was inspired by feelings of displacement, as well as the desire to find a place to call home.
“This song concept is something I’ve been wanting to write for a while. It’s a universal theme that I think many people will be able to relate to, no matter where they come from or what their background is.”
“Now that I am older I’ve realised that ‘Home’ does not have to be one place, it can be a community or multiple places, this is something I have grown to love and accept, and I look forward to sharing in future concepts and projects.”
With support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio Wales and 1 Xtra, as well as tastemaker outlets as respected as Clout, A1234 and Conversations About Her, Hemes is a name to watch for in 2023.
If you’re in the mood for some dark, sultry pop then you’ll most likely fall in love with singer-songwriter Cheska Moore’s latest release, entitled ‘Bad Thoughts’.
The song explores sinister side of sleeplessness, and all the thoughts that creep up on us while we are alone at night.
‘Bad Thoughts’ marks a new sonic direction for the South London talent, who spent most of 2022 working on her songwriting and artistry.
Fans can expect a new set of singles this year, inspired by themes as diverse as narcissism, toxic relationships and sexuality.
