Emerging Australian outfit Priscilla create a kind of pop sound that instinctively gives you itchy feet.
New single ‘Lose Control’ presents listeners with an energising fusion of synth, disco and power-pop that is sure to win this duo a whole new legion of fans.
Listeners in Australia can catch Priscilla supporting The Veronicas on 2nd December at the Ice Cream Factory, and at Sunday Music on 11th December at the Fremantle Arts Centre.
As the musical project of P Gardner and Luke Minness, these two musicians have already garnered praise from heavyweight tastemakers like Wonderland Magazine.
While Varas may be a name new to many of you, this emerging 25-year old talent has been gaining momentum across the Nordic region since the release of his 2020 debut EP,‘Set One’.
Hailing from Sweden, Varas is the musical moniker for self-taught Chilean producer, singer and songwriter Benjamin Muñoz Varas.
Signed to the legendary TEN Music Group,Varas constructs a style of alternative indie-pop that feels understated yet melancholic, sincere and emotive in tone.
Elaborating on the inspiration behind his latest release, Varas explains:
“‘New Light’ got created out of surprise and by getting to know new sides of myself. It was equally scary and relieving when I realised I’d always replace me with another me. I was convinced the person I identified as was a constant thing, a solid rock. I change each year and each day.”
“It doesn’t matter if I’ve convinced myself into a certain direction, all it takes is romances, friendships, losing and getting jobs, letting go of dreams or creating new ones to lose the sense of it. It’s dumb. But don’t get me wrong, it’s a positive and vital ability. Although when I think about it, scratch what I said. It could also just be a song about falling in love at the wrong time. Ask me again tomorrow!”
The track serves a taster to Varas’ forthcoming EP, which is set for release early next year.
One of the most exciting newcomers to have emerged from Ireland over the last year has been alt-R&B artist Monjola.
Melodic new single ‘Big Fat Liar’ was produced by Monjola’s very own brother Moyo, and is inspired by issues of distrust in relationships.
Currently on the road supporting Kid Cudion his ‘To The Moon’ tour, this Dublin-raised artist continues to build momentum globally – and has garnered more than four million catalogue streams to date on Spotify alone.
Teon Gibbs is an emerging hip hop artist and producer currently based in the Canadian city of Vancouver, having previously lived in the UK, South Africa and Angola.
Inspired by a new love that grew from friendship, ‘Easy’ showcases to listeners Gibbs’ unique approach to music-making. This is a sound that is experimental and future-forward, yet somehow also feels timeless and nostalgic in character.
“‘Easy’ is meant to feel like floating, kind of embodying the joy of a new relationship with someone and trying to hold on to those moments of new love.”
With support from heavyweight tastemakers as influential as Complex, Earmilk and KEXP, Gibbs is marking himself as an artist to watch in 2023.
Washington D.C. pop outfit GLOSSER are back with a beautifully atmospheric fusion of indie and electronica on their new single, ‘Movies’.
Marking the group’s return since autumn’s release of‘Disco Girls’,the shimmering new single treats listeners to an emotive sound that feels dreamy and transcendental in tone.
GLOSSER is the musical project of musicians Riley Fanning and Corbin Sheehan. Debut album ‘DOWNER’ is scheduled for release on 27th January 2023.
At this point, Dylan Conrique is probably too established to be featured on the site but ‘ugly’ has to be one of the best pop break-up anthems we’ve heard in some time.
The track concludes a trilogy of releases from Conrique that were inspired by ‘coming-of-age heartbreak’, and continues to propel this new superstar further into the mainstream.
To date, Conrique has acquired over 180 million catalogue streams and commands more than 2.4 million monthly Spotify listeners. ‘ugly’ was produced by Luka Kloser and co-written by Conrique herself alongside Kloser, Dalton Diehl and Cici Ward.
Track of the week. While we don’t know exactly who j maw is (yet), this emerging outfit is one of the most exciting finds we have come across recently. By being intentionally mysterious, j maw aims to encourage listeners to focus on the music above anything else.
Ambient yet captivating in tone, new single ‘Day Ones’ presents listeners with a perfected blend of lo-fi alternative R&B and hip hop. The resulting sound is nothing short of spectacular. Elaborating further on the song’s concept, j maw explains:
“’Day Ones’ is about friendship, Sangha, community – the people that were with you from the beginning and the ones that need to see you get back up after you’ve been hurt. It’s like UFO music because it comes from that other place, the kind of place you can only get to in your dreams.”
With such a unique approach to music-making, there’s no doubt in our minds that j maw will garner significant traction over the next year.
Hailing from the British city of Birmingham is rising talent SIPHO. With a style of sound that incorporates elements of soul with R&B, gospel and electronic pop, this artist is rapidly marking his name as an artist to watch.
Powerful new single ‘ARMS’ is not only flawlessly produced, but also serves as a platform for SIPHO.’s sensational vocals to shine through.
“‘ARMS’ is a continued exploration of the complicated relationships we create as a generation – there for the sensation, not the responsibility. It’s something we’re gonna have to face up to or drown in the problems of the next decade ahead of us.”
Garnering support from the likes of DIY Magazine, Dummy, BBC Introducing, NME, COLORS and Complex UK amongst others, SIPHO. is undoubtedly one of the biggest UK newcomers to keep on your radars in 2023.
Hailing from the city of Montreal, singer and songwriter Chloe Florence is steadily building momentum as one of Canada’s most exciting newcomers.
Featuring the talents of fellow artist Myles Lloyd, new single ‘Synergy‘ presents listeners with a sleek fusion of sultry alt-R&B and dark pop. Elaborating further on the song’s lyrics, Florence explains:
“Sonically, ‘Synergy’ embodies the tipping point, right before one confesses their feelings for the other. They’re addicted to playing with fire as they haven’t been burned (yet). There are feelings hidden under covers and subliminal messages found between the lines of their late-night conversations – in bed and during late-night drives. The lyrics depict the situationship as lustful, mysterious, dangerous, and intense.”
While still early in her career, Florence has already impressively garnered more than 500k career streams to date.
London-born and Melbourne-raised breakout star Thomas Headon returns with one of the most infectious bops of the week.
New single ‘Georgia’ is the kind of song that will most certainly bring a smile to your face, and showcases Headon’s remarkable talents as a songwriter.
“We’ve actually been sitting on this song for over a year now. I wrote it by myself with my little acoustic guitar in London, then finally produced it up into 100 different versions with my friend Stephen months later, finally landing on this one. It’s actually not even about someone called Georgia, it’s more pointed towards the US state… also which I have nothing to do with, but it’s a metaphor. Anyway it’s my favourite song of mine to date, I hope people like it.”
Having recently supported global icons like Sigrid and Elton John (not to mention selling out his own solo shows), Headon joins Alfie Templeman on tour across North America from this month.
London-based, Leeds-born artist Eden Rain returns with a superb piece of indie-pop through her new single, ‘Oh God’.
Created alongside emerging producer Josef Page, the song presents listeners with an honest insight into the life of someone who suffers from overthinking and anxiety. Elaborating further on the lyricism, Rain explains:
“At the very best of times, the thoughts in my brain are random, chaotic and spontaneous. I am, by my own definition, pretty unhinged . Therefore when I found a doodle in my notebook during my session with Josef that said ‘Oh god maybe i should take more drugs’. I thought.. maybe I should write a song about that. The song is sort of about navigating life and relationships as a chronic over-thinker/ anxious girly who is easily overwhelmed. I think the lyrics kind of reflect the darting random thoughts that I have a lot.”
The track serves as a taster to Rain’s forthcoming debut EP, ‘Gutter Vision’, which is out soon.
You can’t ever go wrong with a little soul music, and fortunately The Jack Moves have ensured that you get your dose for the weekend.
Melodic new single ‘Lionel Richie’ showcases a finessed sound that blends nostalgic funk with future-forward R&B tones.
Fans in the East Coast will be delighted to know that the acclaimed duo are about to go on tour – starting in New York this coming Monday. Full dates listed below.
Those of you seeking an anthem for the weekend need look no further thanks to American singer, songwriter and producer Skylar Lee.
New single ‘Too Good To Be You’ serves listeners with an energising electro-pop production, while the lyrics tell of the moments when we build an image of a lover in our minds that isn’t quite as it seems in reality.
“I feel as though as a hopeless romantic, it is so easy to fall into fantasy whenever we really like somebody. We build our standards super high of what that person could be, and often, the idea of them is actually better than the real thing. Maybe they’re all talk, but never follow through with the things they say. Maybe the things that they promise never come into full fruition. The things that you wish and dream they’d do, they just don’t! But the truth is, perhaps there IS someone out there who is exactly what we imagine, it’s just not the original person we hoped it would be. It’s not that the standards we set for ourselves are too good to be true… sometimes, it’s simply too good to be — them!”
The track continues to prove that this Nashville-based artist is one of America’s most promising new starlets. To date, Lee has picked up attention from the likes of Rolling Stone India, YoCo Nashville on 96.7FM and ASCAP.
Emerging UK talent Dan Aura returns today with a supreme slice of punchy pop through his new single, ‘Living Room’.
Melodically catchy and lyrically relatable, the song was written by Aura at a time when he felt that his life was becoming too monotonous and predictable.
To date, Aura’s music has accumulated well over 500k catalogue streams and been featured on notable Apple Music and Spotify editorial playlists. Aura has also gained the seal of approval form iconic publications like Attitude, Paper, Wonderland and Flavour magazines.
As the alter-ego of Danish musician Mathias Baadsgaard, everBear is a promising indie-folk project that has captured attention for the last year.
Following on from the release of the Baadsgaard’s ‘The Secret Life Of Trees’debut EP a few months ago, today sees the release of a brand new single entitled ‘Time Is A Slope (Waiting on Fire)’.
Created alongside producer Valentin Kruse, the song’s (very relevant) message is inspired by the anxieties that most of us face when we think of society’s future, and wonder if our existing lives will ever go back to how they used to be.
“‘Time is a slope (waiting on fire)’ could easily have become a song with a guitar and vocals, but through the creative process it quickly evolved into something entirely different than that. It evolved into an anthem of expression and hope.”
Rising Des Moines duo Elison [Holding Hour] unveil their new single ‘Fruit Flies’. By expertly blending elements of indie rock with shoegaze and dreamy pop, this emerging musical project craft sounds that feel raw and captivating in tone, while also maintaining an emotive essence.
‘Fruit Flies’ tells of the self-destruction that could occur if we allow ourselves to over-romanticise the memories of our younger years:
“When I started playing music during the pandemic, after decades of wishing I was brave enough to try, I found myself revisiting the girl that ignited the dream in the first place, my sixteen-year-old self. Through that process I started questioning the actual growth I previously thought I had achieved.” – Marissa Kephart, Elison
Elison comprises of lead singer and guitarist Marissa Kephart, and Scott Yoshimura – who also serves as a producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist for the project.
Acclaimed Swedish indie outfit Janice Prix are back today with a new single entitled ‘Stone Love’.
Dark, haunting and atmospheric in tone, the song attributes its intensity to being written and produced during the pandemic. Elaborating on the lyrics, guitarist and producer MK explains:
“[The song] definitely revolves around destroying something beautiful and turning it into something awful. It happens in both love and friendship.”
Since releasing debut album ‘Waking’in 2020, Janice Prix have gone on to tour across Europe and South Korea, while also garnering critical praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Hype Magazine.
American artist Grant Knoche is no stranger to the Alfitude pages – and for good reason. This ever-emerging talent continues to deliver outstanding pieces of pop that are not only melodically captivating but lyrically intelligent.
Powerful new single ‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO TALK’ looks at the topic of mental illness, and gathers its inspiration from Knoche’s own real-life experiences:
“Someone very close to me deals with severe mental illness and it was hard for me because in the moments that they were at their worst, I didn’t know what to say or do to make them feel better & cheer them up. I realised that the best thing for me to do was to just let them know I’m there for them and to listen if they felt like talking. ‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO TALK’ is about letting that person know ‘I’m here for you no matter what’. Mental Health is very serious and I hope this song helps those dealing with it & those that are helping their loved ones get through it.”
With more than 400k monthly listeners on Spotify, Knoche has had a stellar year that his seen him release a series of critically-acclaimed singles while also finding the time to compete on hit TV series The American Song Contest.
KAIRO end the year with yet another slice of musical bliss that is sure win them even more fans.
Lifted from their freshly-released ‘Return To Sender’ EP (out now), ‘Movie Star’ continues to showcase the Houston-based duo’s outstanding approach to music-making. Speaking on the new collection of songs, pop’s most loveable twins explain:
“Our sophomore EP ‘Return To Sender’ reflects on our process of being hurt and moving on from the relationships we sang about with deep love and adoration on our debut EP ‘Love Letters From Houston.’ Alongside the elevated production that sees us living in the space between pop and R&B, we continue to place harmonies front and centre as the through line that makes this EP uniquely KAIRO. And with that, our Love Letters have officially been marked Return To Sender.”
To date, KAIRO have built up an impressive fanbase on social media – with more than one million followers on TikTok alone. The twins’ music has also been featured on notable playlists like Spotify’s Fresh Finds Pop and TIDAL’s Rising Pop,
Singer and songwriter Abby Simone will be a name that we suspect many people will come to know over the next year.
By crafting a finessed sound that seamlessly fuses melodic soul with jazz, R&B and pop, Simone looks set to become one of the most promising new artists to emerge from Asia.
Inspired by long-distance relationships, debut single ‘Same Sunrise’ serves as a perfect introduction to Simone’s work. Elaborating further on the lyrics, she explains:
“After a while you get used to the distance, but never the absence. This song was written for lovers, friends and families in a long-distance relationship to say, ‘Hey, that wasn’t easy but well done.’ We all know that the sun really doesn’t rise. But when you’re with your person and the world stops moving, science can wait.”
