East London’s Third Party Incidents introduce themselves to the world today with the release of their first ever single, entitled ‘Chair’.
Showcasing some of the finest alt-rock to emerge from the Capital in some time, this four-piece create sounds that are vivid, invigorating and unashamedly bold in tone.
Songs like ‘Chair’ remind listeners of the unparalleled joy and energy that comes from experiencing rock music live, so if you’re in London on the 23rd July 2022 be sure to catch the group performing at the Fiddler’s Elbow.
If you’re a fan of stripped-back R&B then Korean-American songstress Maddie Park might well be your new favourite artist.
Inspired by the works of modern-day icons like Jhené Aiko, SZA and Ariana Grande, this rising talent constructs sleek fusions of alternative R&B and pop that feel minimal and understated, allowing for her beautifully honest lyrics to shine through.
“‘i’ll call you back’ was born from the lyric ‘I don’t think you understand me anymore.” The song embodies nostalgia for a relationship that hasn’t yet ended, reminiscence amid a personal struggle for clarity in the midst of change.”
With a natural flair for creating songs that focus on human’s hopes, desires, vulnerabilities and fears, Park’s work is sure to resonate with a large audience.
Hailing from the cultural hive that is Berlin comes independent singer and songwriter PENNY X.
Inspired by genres as diverse as alt-pop, rock and indie, this promising newcomer creates songs that carry a unique edge while still maintaining mainstream appeal.
Debut single ‘faster’ is a classic breakup song that covers all the raw feelings we experience when a romance fails, as she explains:
“It’s a story about a breakup (with some juicy details), jealousy, hurt egos and how who moves on faster can feel like a race sometimes.To me this song feels like driving through an empty city at night when you can’t wait to finally get home.”
Hailing from LA is rising newcomer Jay Guernon, who creates a style of R&B-pop that harks back to the classic 2000’s era while still sounding fresh and current.
Summery new single ‘Go Baby’ is inspired by the joyful moments that Guernon shares in his relationships, and also celebrates the women he loves in his life.
“Keepin me floatin, keeping my head over waters, love and devotion, holding me down cuz you wanna” ~ Go Baby
Reminiscent of other feel-good pop artists like Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars, it seems almost inevitable that Guernon will achieve mainstream success in the near future.
A modern master of American conceptual pop, Texas-based creative Mobley returns with one of the most interesting songs of the week through the release of new single ‘stay volk’.
The title of the track plays on the phrase ‘stay woke’, and looks into the concept of herrenvolk democracies. Meanwhile, the accompanying visuals represent the conflicts between being our true selves, verses society’s expectations of who we are and what we should be.
With an upcoming EP entitled ‘Cry Havoc!’ scheduled for release later in the autumn, this talented artist, record producer, filmmaker and writer looks set to take on his biggest year yet.
Fearlessly pushing the boundaries of British hip hop for some time now, Colchester collective Monster Florence have become known for their bold, experimental and ever-evolving sounds.
Today marks the return of the six-member group with the release of new single ‘Relax’, featuring the exceptional talents of acclaimed poetJohn Cooper Clarke.
“The track came to be out of a typically sporadic piece of inspirational genius from John who, during an innocent conversation with us uttered the hallowed words… Relax, nothing is under control. It seemed playful yet so powerful, at which point we immediately knew we had something special, and we set about fusing his one liner into a track we were producing.” – Monster Florence
Commanding more than 250k monthly listeners on Spotify – as well as garnering praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Pigeons & Planes and Notion, Monster Florence could well be one of the UK’s next big musical exports.
Following on from the release of his critically acclaimed debut album ‘forest avenue’ earlier this year, UK artist Sfven returns with new single ‘don’t jump the gun’.
Inspired by the inner pressures which we place on ourselves, this alt-pop banger reminds listeners that it’s OK to accept that some things don’t always go to plan.
“Writing songs can feel like a bit of an uphill battle sometimes and that feeling of just trying to keep going and pushing through is where ‘don’t jump the gun’ stems from. I just wanted to try and capture that feeling of keeping going and pushing through and acknowledging that you don’t always have to be 100%, sometimes it flows and sometimes it doesn’t – which can be really hard to accept.”
‘don’t jump the gun’ is the first song to be lifted from Sfven’s upcoming 10-track ‘you, green’ EP, which sees the artist releasing music throughout the year ahead.
Hailing from Sydney comes rising quartet Highline, who unveil their stunning new single ‘Overrun’ today.
Initially formed while performing in their school’s jazz band, this outfit construct melodic sounds that blend genres seamlessly – incorporating elements of dreamy indie with classic rock and pop.
With praise from the likes of MTV and triple j, as well as placements on flagship Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday AU/NZ and Fresh Finds, this is one Australian group to keep on your radars.
Acclaimed British rockers The Howlers return with bold new single ‘Nothing to Lose’. Stylistically inspired by the sounds of Motown, the track infuses nostalgic soulful tones into a modern and playful rock production.
“I wanted to write a track that had elements of soul sprinkled throughout and to capture that energy that soul music conveys to the listener, but in our own unique way. The track is about exactly what the title suggests, going for broke so to speak. We were always told as kids if you want something make it yours. Things don’t always go your way but as long as you keep trying, what have you got to lose? Because the fear of failure is already failure there’s no two ways about it.” – Adam Young, The Howlers
The group have also announced the release of a forthcoming EP entitled ‘Further Down The Line’, with production from Black Honey’s Chris Ostler and Tommy Taylor.
To date, this East London outfit have picked up praise from the likes of BBC 6Music, BBC Radio 1 and The Independent.
To date, American singer-songwriter Thomas Day has achieved more than 25 million catalogue streams, while also picking up more than seven million followers along the way on social media.
Taking inspiration from artists like Sam Smith and Lewis Capaldi, this 19-year old artist creates beautifully memorable pop songs that carry relatable lyrics which almost anyone can resonate with.
A case in point is Day’s heartbreaking new single ‘not my job anymore’, of which he says:
“My friend called me on the morning of my last day in LA telling me about some trauma that was thrown upon my ex-girlfriend. As he was telling me all about the situation, I couldn’t help but think to myself how the only thing I truly wanted to do was to help her like I used to. After a short rant about how I was ‘over her’, I got breakfast and headed over to Nick Ruth’s house where I was also meeting my friend Madi Yanofsky. The writing came naturally for all of us. I just poured my heart out talking about how I felt about the conversation that morning, and the song came together.This song touches the parts of my heart that haven’t always felt safe in a long time, but I truly believe, now that the song is here, a part of me has healed in a way it never has before. I hope you heal. I hope you move on. And I hope this song makes you cry and accept your feelings with reassurance. I love all of you with everything I’m made of.”
London-born singer-songwriter Hohnen Ford’s work initially picked up attention on social platform Reddit, where she frequently garners close to a million viewers on her live streams.
Inspired by musical idols like Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Fiona Apple and Sarah Vaughan, Ford constructs gorgeously simple blends of folk, indie and jazz.
Debut single ‘Infinity’ focuses on Ford’s journey of self-discovery, with the lyrics described as:
“A stream of consciousness in a quiet moment when the world felt overwhelming. A note to myself as I was reflecting on what was bubbling around in my brain at a time of crossroads in my life.” – Hohnen Ford
LA-based newcomer sam woods returns with a superb slice of funky bedroom-pop on his new single ‘Motel 6’.
“‘Motel 6’ is a song about escaping reality. Needing a break from the routine of a mundane every day life.”
Thanks to his broad range of inspirations (ranging from Prince to Michael Jackson andeven Beethoven), woods continues to create songs that feel distinctly unique yet easy to form connections with.
With his momentum on the rise, woods has so far garnered praise from the likes of Fashionably Early, while his songs have been featured on playlists like Dummy Mag’s ‘BRAND NEW’.
Hailing from the Midlands in England is singer-songwriter Causier, who’s unique style of melancholic pop is rapidly gaining this Leicester-born artist significant momentum.
Inspired by feelings of nostalgia and loneliness, his introspective new single ‘Brick Phone’ addresses the way that technology has marked the decline of meaningful human connections being made between one another.
“’Brick Phone’ is a song about wishing to disconnect. To disconnect from the world and be with oneself again. It’s a reflection on the difficulties of being present in relationships and being emotionally available. It’s also a song about nostalgia. As one looks to a digital future, it is comforting to remember our beginnings typing texts, missing calls and choosing ringtones.”
Citing inspirations as varied as The Beatles, Prince, Jeff Buckley and Brent Faiyaz, this rising artist looks set to become one of the UK’s most interesting new talents.
Leading the way in Belgian hip hop for some time now, blackwave. return with new single ‘perfume’, featuring US rapper Caleborate.
Melodic, mellow and sleek in character, the song is inspired by the feelings and memories that perfumes can evoke within us.
“This song was written on a very early morning walk to Starbucks in sunny LA. I was up early, waiting for a phone call from someone on the other side of the world in a different time zone. I was completely inside my head, worrying about everything, thinking about wanting to get my life back on the rails, back in a rhythm. With every person passing me by on the street, everyone carrying with them their own smell of perfume, the words started coming to me. I remembered this moment when I was in the mall, contemplating if I’d buy some expensive perfume, and thinking to myself; ‘I don’t deserve this yet. When I get my life on track, that’s when I will buy this perfume’. That setting of the morning walk, and the memory of being in the mall kind of set off the whole theme of the song. After I added an arrangement for string quartet to the second part of the track, I knew I wanted to ask Caleborate to finish off the song with a verse of his. He immediately connected with the theme and delivered an amazing final touch to the song.” – Willem Ardui, blackwave.
Following on from their debut project back in 2019, blackwave. have since garnered support from the likes of COLORS, Billboard, Complex and Wonderland, while amassing close to 500k monthly listeners on Spotify. New album ‘no sleep in LA’ is out in September.
One of the most impressive discoveries of the week comes courtesy of South London newcomer Shxngi.
Almost ethereal in tone, ‘Drive Safe’ is a stunningly dreamy and exceptionally emotive fusion of alternative R&B, indie and orchestral pop that feels distinctly unique in character.
With its powerful lyricism and captivating vocals, this is one song that hits you hard with intensity – and marks Shxngi as one London talent to watch.
“This is my favourite song amongst all that I’ve made. ‘Selah’ is my mums name. Drive safe is a way of comfort in which I am telling her to travel safe to heaven after she passes ones day, the inevitable. Points of the song hint at the fact that no matter how many people you lose, you can still feel them with you, in love, in spirit; the best thing you can do is tell them to drive safe.”
Hailing from Germany is rising new artist Benji Asare, who also goes by the name of King LX.
By blending elements of synth with soul and power-pop, Asare constructs songs that are dark, sultry, sleek and impactful – yet still feel nostalgic and relatable in tone.
An anthem for anyone who’s recently single, Asare’s empowering new track ‘Sorry’ reminds listeners to not feel guilty when moving on from an old lover.
Already noted as one of the fastest-rising international names within pop, Israeli singer, songwriter and producer Mergui unveils his first English release with ‘Sucks to Know You (FU).’
A punchy fusion of pop and punk-rock, this infectiously catchy and anthemic song makes an instant impact from the moment you press play.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of doing music in English. This is something I’ve worked towards my whole life, and Haim Saban and the team at Saban Music Group made it a reality.”
From serving in the military to amassing more 200k TikTok followers and 250k Spotify monthly listeners, it’s safe to say that Mergui is rapidly on his way to reaching the global musical mainstream.
The musical institution that is SiR returns with a dreamy slice of R&B through his new single ‘Life Is Good’.
Inspired by the theme of ‘taking the good with the bad’, the song presents itself as a reflection on life’s daily trials and tribulations – and reminds us to look forward to the good times.
“‘Life Is Good’ represents how blessed you can be despite the hardships we sometimes face. Regardless of life’s trials, the detours always lead us to learn a greater lesson.” – SiR
SiR has grown to become an American R&B powerhouse since his debut in 2015. With three critically acclaimed albums under his belt, ‘Life Is Good’ marks SiR’s next musical phase.
Track of the week. Sometimes the simplest melodies and productions make for the finest cuts of R&B – with Akemi Fox’s latest collaboration being a case in point.
Featuring the talents of July 7, shimmering new single ‘I Want It’ is a finessed and understated summer song that showcases the exceptional R&B sounds to have emerged from Northern England in recent months.
“I’m excited to release something that you can dance to this summer. ‘I Want it’ is about not wanting to leave the party and wanting to dance all night with your love!” – Akemi Fox
As one of the UK’s most promising new starlets, Fox has already received critical acclaim from the likes of Notion, Wonderland, GRM Daily and The Line of Best Fit.
Through her charming and playful fusions of indie and pop, Leeds-based newcomer Mollie Coddled may well be one of your favourite rising starlets.
Songs like ‘Guilt Trip’ feel lyrically relatable, while the infectious melody will stay with you all day. Speaking on the song, Mollie says:
“It’s about being peer pressured into doing social activities when you’re introverted and just wanna be alone.”
Having already garnered support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Dork and Louder Than War, you can certainly add this promising artist to the list of exceptional bedroom-pop talents currently emerging from the UK.
