NORAA – Not Available

German-Chadian artist NORAA has been steadily building momentum across Europe since the release of her debut EP ‘Mixed Feelings’ back in 2019.

Now commanding more than 60k monthly listeners on Spotify, this rising talent unveils a new collection of songs, entitled ‘Twenty Two’ (out now).

Lifted from the EP is ‘Not Available’, which presents listeners with a finessed yet emotive piece of stripped-back R&B that was inspired by the tolls of dating.

“It is quite a classic R&B acoustic singer-songwriter piece which I wrote last spring, when I found myself just being tired from dating. It is about taking time to heal and coming back stronger eventually.”

NORAA

Lana Lubany – CLONES

Photo / Sahra Zadat

UK-based Palestinian/American starlet Lana Lubany is back with a show-stopping pop anthem that is sure to get you in the weekend mood.

Dark, sultry and seductive in character, new single ‘CLONES’ delivers a sound that blends iconic 00’s R&B tones with Middle Eastern-inspired alternative pop.

“’CLONES’ has upbeat, nostalgic sonics with contrasting dark lyrics, and is PHASE 3 of my concept project ‘THE HOLY LAND’.  It’s about being so lost that I start seeing strangers in my own reflection – each face representing a new version of myself, which is supposed to help me find myself, but instead I end up lost and questioning my identity & purpose. I become addicted to the ‘new package’ feeling – never finishing anything, always starting something new, because that’s much easier than facing a harsh reality.”

To date, this emerging talent has garnered critical praise from the likes of NME and Fader magazines, while also accumulating more than 14 million streams on Spotify alone.

Lana Lubany

New Music: Luchi Blue

Hailing from South East London, rising singer, rapper, producer and model Luchi Blue has marked himself as one of the Capital’s most promising new talents this year.

While on the surface Blue’s work features distinct hip hop elements, this is an artist who is unafraid to fuse other genres and musical styles into his productions – resulting in sounds that feel refreshingly original. Speaking on his new single ‘3AM’, Blue explains:

“This song is about waiting for that late-night reply from the person you love and all of the thoughts about your relationship that go with that moment in time.“

With support from the likes of 9Bills, EQUATE and 1987 magazines, Blue is one UK talent to keep on your radars over the next twelve months.

Luchi Blue

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Martin Luke Brown – love is a black hole !

Leicester-born musician Martin Luke Brown is back with one of the most heart-warming pieces of indie-pop that you’ll likely experience all week.

Inspired by young love and it’s entanglements, ‘love is a black hole !’ treats listeners to a stripped-back sound that is utterly charming to experience.

“‘I wrote ‘love is a black hole !’ as a bit of an experiment with how true to life I could push myself to be lyrically. It makes me laugh how specific it is, even down to the expletives. It’s just a love song innit –  true to my exact situation now. I wanted it to feel like a warm hug, Michael Cera, coming of age indie film sort of vibes.”

To date, Luke Brown has earned himself more than twenty million career streams on Spotify, a loyal fan base across social media and countless endorsements from some of the UK’s most prominent music outlets and tastemakers. A debut album is on it’s way in 2023.

Martin Luke Brown

New Music: Sidders

The boroughs of North London have always served as a hotbed of musical talent for the city, and today’s introduction of singer, songwriter and rapper Sidders continues to build on the iconic area’s legacy.

‘Paper Kisses’ fuses British hip hop with alternative pop, and adds extra touches of old-school jazz and nostalgic bossa nova for good measure. Elaborating on the lyrical concept behind the song, Sidders explains:

“I wrote the track when there was a lot of pressure to stray away from the love of things. It’s a reminder that you can trust in yourself and not get lost in the noise of always chasing money.”

To date, this promising musician has picked up praise from the likes of COLORS and Clash, sold out a series of shows in London, and also performed gigs in the city and further out into Europe alongside Bone Slim, Edbl, Mom Tudie and Danny Sanchez.

Sidders

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PEPTALK – Hey!

One of Australia’s most promising emerging outfits this year has been all-female indie trio PEPTALK.

Anthemic new single ‘Hey!’ marks the group’s third release to date, and treats listeners to an infectious blend of indie-pop and rock – further showcasing this band’s massive potential for global music domination.

“‘Hey!’ is all about not wanting to mess up a good thing. As we were writing it we drew from not only romantic relationships but our friendship with each other. Ultimately the lyrics are all about faking it til you make it. It really came together once we finished the chorus, as we listened back we left the mic on and it captured us screaming the song together in the studio. It really captured the energy of the song and its message of enjoying the good thing while it’s happening.”

Consisting of accomplished songwriters Jay-Lee Kwan, Lara Frew and Phoebe Sinclair, PEPTALK have had an impressive debut year, garnering widespread praise from tastemakers all across the globe.

PEPTALK

New Music: Smurgy

Hailing from New Zealand comes psych-pop newcomer Smurgy. Through a unique style of music-making, this promising artist creates sonic experiences like none other.

Smurgy’s ‘Mess’ is a prime example of this talent’s extraordinary work. Inspired by heartbreak, the song presents listeners with a dreamy sound that is bittersweet yet also mesmerising in character.

With songs already featured on notable playlists like Spotify’s Fuzzy, Crush and Fresh Finds AU & NZ, Smurgy is most certainly one talent to watch for in 2023.

Smurgy

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New Music: Bäckar

Emerging from Los Angeles is singer, songwriter and producer Joseph Brooks, who goes by the moniker of Bäckar.

Fans of PinkPantheress and Imogen Heap will most likely fall in love with Bäckar’s latest single, entitled ‘Self Reflection’.

The song showcases a soundscape that is both experimental and future-forward, while also paying homage to Brooks’s pop icons from the past – ranging from The Beach Boys to Depeche Mode and Prince.

An upcoming debut album is currently in production. In the meantime, listeners can enjoy Bäckar’s catalogue of releases on Spotify.

Bäckar

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KYE – Clique

Australian-based starlet KYE returns with a dazzling slice of endorphin-boosting pop on her new single, ‘Clique’.

Energising and uplifting in character, the song is dedicated to KYE’s nearest and dearest, and serves as an anthem for friendship and human connection.

“‘Clique’ is an ode to the crew that makes you your best self. The friends that ride or die for you. I wrote this for my best friends who are all the main character. This one is for the groggy mornings and the foggy nights before; the friends you make at the party and forget the next day.”

After a hugely successful year that saw the rising artist garnering high praise from respected tastemakers and media outlets, as well as over a million streams on Spotify alone, KYE looks set to have a stellar 2023.

KYE

Nia Archives – So Tell Me…

Photo / Cosmo Webber

Recently crowned as BBC Introducing’s Artist of the Year, Bardford’s Nia Archives unveils her latest single, entitled ‘So Tell Me…’.

Through its captivating jungle production, the song presents listeners with a melodic sound that feels warm and emotive in tone. Lyrically, the track was inspired by a time in Nia’s life when she had to consider whether she should stay or leave a situation.

Already an artist who looks certain to take over the UK music mainstream in 2023, Nia Archives has so far accumulated more than 25 million career streams on Spotify, while also garnering tastemaker support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, 6Music and 1Xtra, Mixmag, NME, British Vogue, The Face, The Fader and i-D magazines.

Nia Archives

Live Dates 2022

  • 02 Dec – Up Ya Archives @ London, Unit 58
  • 03 Dec – Up Ya Archives @ London, Unit 58

New Music: Young Culture

Photo / Danny DeRusso

Hailing from Albany in New York, three-piece outfit Young Culture create a nostalgic kind of punk-pop that is impossible not to feel some kind of love for.

Anthemic new single ‘Not In Love’ treats listeners to a 00’s inspired blend of indie-rock, pop and punk. The sound feels sentimental and old-school in tone, but still maintains a fresh and current edge.

The trio are currently preparing for a North American tour, initially starting in December before picking up again from March next year. Tickets can be found here.

Young Culture

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ROSIE – Good For Me

Sometimes, the most powerful songs are also the simplest. A case in point is US starlet ROSIE’s newest single, entitled ‘Good For Me’.

Stripped-back in its choice of instrumentation, the track’s mellow production sets the scene for ROSIE’s emotive vocals and vulnerable lyrics to glide over a beautiful melody.

“I want to be transparent. Everything is exactly as it appears. The scale of emotions that everyone feels is such a spectrum. The bad days are equally as important as the good days.”
 

The song closes an impressive year for the New York native singer & songwriter, who now commands more than 800k monthly Spotify listeners and has garnered millions of catalogue streams across all platforms.

ROSIE

New Music: MCBALLER

Fans of N*E*R*D’s earliest music will most likely enjoy American newcomer MCBALLER’s work.

Debut single ‘JUMPIN’ showcases an uninhibited sound that boldly blends alternative R&B with hip hop and indie, ultimately resulting in a song that truly is in a league of its own.

While not much is yet known about this exciting new talent, MCBALLER might well be one of 2023’s biggest surprises.

MCBALLER

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404 Guild – The Evening Star

Acclaimed Eastbourne outfit 404 Guild return with one of their most eclectic releases to date through new single ‘The Evening Star’.

Lifted from the band’s debut album ‘False Dawn’ (out 9th Dec 2022), the song presents listeners with an experimental fusion of genres that is not only refreshingly unique in concept, but also highly enjoyable to experience.

“This one’s the way back home. Looking forward, looking back, headlights cutting through the fog. Musically it’s unlike anything we’ve released before, we kept surprising ourselves when we were making it. It all came out of improvising over a sample, the groove sucked everyone in and it all fell into place. We’re excited to play this live – there’s a feeling of communion in the vocals.”

To date, this emerging group have garnered praise from the likes of NME, BBC 6Music, The Line of Best Fit and Dummy Magazine, while their catalogue has exceeded one million streams on Spotify alone.

404 Guild play The Social in London on the 7th December 2022 – tickets can be found here.

404 Guild

Asha Gold – Only For The Night

Track of the week. Rising talent Asha Gold has been steadily building momentum over the last couple of years, and new single ‘Only For The Night’ continues to highlight this promising starlet’s exceptional artistry.

Showcasing a sound that fuses sultry dark pop with hints of soulful R&B, the song tells of the conflicting emotions that come with dating.

To date, Asha has garnered acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Asian Network, as well as noted tastemakers like Wonderland and Notion magazines.

Asha Gold

New Music: GOVAN

Singer, songwriter and rapper GOVAN has been one of the most exciting new finds this autumn.

Hailing from California, this emerging artist constructs sounds that feel fresh and future-forward, yet still somehow maintain an essence of nostalgia and playfulness that makes for an utterly charming audible experience.

With early support from outlets like Complex already under his belt, it’s safe to say that this is one talent worth keeping on your radars.

GOVAN

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Charlotte Plank – Lost Boys

Rising UK artist Charlotte Plank returns with yet another impressive fusion of pop and DnB in the form of new single ‘Lost Boys’.

In what might well be her most commercially-friendly release yet, the track addresses the inner struggles that most of us face during our younger years:

“It speaks about the difficulties of young boys/ people in general who are of a certain age who are finding out who they are through some of the best but most turbulent years.”

“The song highlights particular issues with trying too hard to be something you’re not/ feeling lost with who you are – and trying to fill those feelings with temporary quick fixes e.g. chemicals/ girls/ rebelling/ bad habits/ finding ways to inflate their egos etc. and how these things usually won’t solve those issues.”

Charlotte plays The Prince Albert in Brighton on the 13th January 2023 – tickets can be found here.

Charlotte Plank

New Music: Stefan Lars

Stefan Lars is promising new creative based in Berlin, who is not only a singer and songwriter but also a composer, producer and videographer.

Drawing inspiration from his time as a child growing up in Sweden, Lars crafts a style of sound that melds essences of Scandinavian melancholy with the urban spirit that comes from being centred in an urban metropolis like Berlin.

The resulting songs are not only emotive and sincere in tone, but also feel refreshingly raw and authentic. Elaborating on new single ‘Turning Grey’, Lars explains:

“Thematically, it is about dreams with rejuvenating qualities and the lingering question to what extend they are real and/ or illusionary and may even function as a form of modern consumerist escapism.”

The song marks Lars’s third single to date, following the release of ‘Thin Ice’ and ‘Xabian Elegy’.

Stefan Lars

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Natasha Hunt Lee – Half Baked

One of California’s most exciting pop prospects to have emerged recently has been LA-based singer and songwriter Natasha Hunt Lee.

With critical praise from heavyweight tastemakers as notable as Ones To Watch, PAPER and Wonderland, it’s been quite the year for this deservedly much-hyped artist. Elaborating further on today’s release of new single ‘Half Baked’, Hunt Lee explains

“‘Half Baked’ is about the in-between – when you aren’t necessarily writhing in pain but you’ve definitely been better. It’s coming from the perspective of someone who is finally ok enough to ruminate more objectively than emotionally. But there’s a weird numbness to that. It’s about going out, putting on the same show, but knowing that a deep sense of fulfilment or wonder or naivety or whatever is it has been temporarily taken. And hoping that (but not knowing how) it will come back.”

The single follows on from of Hunt Lee’s ‘The End of the World‘ debut EP, which was released earlier this autumn and has already amassed more than 300k streams.

Natasha Hunt Lee

BENTLE – Darkest Blue

It’s not as though you need even more reasons to fall in love with Australian talent BENTLE’s work, but today’s unveiling of shimmering new single ‘Darkest Blue’ might well solidify this New York-based artist as one of your favourite indie-pop newcomers. Elaborating on the beautifully dreamy release, BENTLE explains:

“‘Darkest Blue’ is very much about the connection between colour, texture and circumstance. There’s been a few times over the past year where it feels like I’m not able to stop myself from sinking or falling into a certain state of mind or state of being. ‘Darkest Blue’ is kind of an exploration of that falling sinking feeling and what it would feel like if I embraced it…the visual I had when writing the song was that I fell into the night sky (which was scary and unknown) but I woke up in this ethereal new environment where, though it was still unknown, it was equally intriguing and enlightening.”

BENTLE is the musical project of singer, songwriter and producer Josh McVey. As an accomplished musician, McVey writes and produces all of his own work by himself, and is currently readying the release of his forthcoming debut EP.

BENTLE