Khi Infinite – KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

Virginia native Khi Infinite unveils his first new music of the year through the release of uplifting and melodic new record, ‘KEEP YOUR HEAD UP’.

A self-produced acoustic tune, the song packs a calm and collected instrumental, beautiful vocals, and impactful lyrics all into one.

“As humans we believe progress is what we see, forgetting progress really starts within. Looking inside and trusting myself, my vision, and the process has allowed me to receive a lot more than just fans, I’m gaining family through the music. ‘KEEP YOUR HEAD UP’ is an affirmation we can all live by.”

Khi Infinite is already enjoying momentum on IG Reels – having garnered over three million views on Videos Using The Sound.

Khi Infinite

Watch: Ivy Sole – Talk That Talk

Describing Ivy Sole’s new single ‘Talk That Talk’ as a sublime piece of neo-soul perfection doesn’t even begin to cover just how stunning this release is.

Produced by Sole alongside Josh Crocker, the track came together while the duo were writing in the UK before the pandemic.

The inspiration for the song stems from a six-month period Sole spent studying in Sao Paolo. With that in mind, Brazilian director Juh Almeida was enlisted to create the gorgeous accompanying visuals.

“Juh Almeida’s eye and ethos, and especially her still photography, captivated me from the jump,” explains Sole on their reasons for working with Almeida, “This is the only straightforward love song on the record, and I wanted to honour the place and the people that opened me to myself – Juh’s soft touch on each frame, the lingering motion and pace, and the sincerity that in this cut evokes that same tenderness. It’s also important to me that Africans are in solidarity with each other, regardless of where in the diaspora we find ourselves, so the choice was simple.”

Taken from the critically acclaimed album ‘Candid‘, which is out now.

Ivy Sole

New Music: All Hard Feelings

Today marks the introduction for exciting new Danish alternative hip-hop outfit All Hard Feelings.

Refreshingly raw in character and tone, their debut release ‘Skibidi’ treats listeners to a huge-sounding production and an unforgettable hook.

This is a sound that feels future-forward, bold and unafraid to push boundaries – making the group one of the most interesting new Scandinavian talents to emerge this year.

All Hard Feelings

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New Music: C’est Karma

Photo / Shade Cumini

Luxembourg-raised talent and activist C’est Karma is still only 20-years old, yet carries a vocal that immediately grips any listener. With sincere lyricism and beautifully melodic productions, this is one artist to watch.

‘Coffee’ serves as a moving goodbye to the innocence of childhood, and was inspired by the artist’s move away from her home town to Amsterdam.

“Coffee’ is a song about growing up. I moved away from home for the first time this year. It was a strange and at the same time very liberating experience. This process also made me very aware of the fact that I am growing up. I’m leaving my adolescence behind and staring straight into adulthood’s eyes. I wanted to take the simple and subtle changes in my life and turn them into a metaphor for my own adulting. However, all these changes also come with existential fears, and insecurities I never knew I had. The fear of living an adult life, of being caught in an endless circle, the insecurity that the most exciting part of life will soon come to an end. ‘Coffee’ is a very introspective and intimate song, both musically and lyrically.”

Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘Amuse Bouche’ (out 13th May 2022).

C’est Karma

POP ETC – Slips Away (feat. Jason Schwartzman)

American indie-rock outfit POP ETC mark a triumphant return today through their dreamy new single ‘Slips Away’.

Written as a meditation on the passage of time and learning to let go, the track features actor Jason Schwartzman and serves as the lead single to POP ETC’s forthcoming album, ‘Over The Moment’.

“We all try to hold on to the past. No matter how futile or ridiculous it may seem. Why do we have so much trouble accepting that everything comes to an end? I know I’m still fighting it. Still trying to be a kid. Still trying to hold on to the joy and carefreeness of that time. There’s an energy and life to the past that we keep grasping at, and yet it always slips away. But it’s not just a sad story. There’s real liberation that comes with acceptance. A freedom and richness that we can tap into once we embrace that everything is fleeting. “Slips Away” is about trying to get there.”- Chris Chu, Frontman

POP ETC

New Music: Hymner

Emerging Stockholm-based producer duo Hymner construct a unique brand of sad dance-pop that is really quite captivating to experience.

New single ‘Rivers’ features the vocals of Persian-German singer SamajAi, and delivers a subtly melancholic sound that feels haunting yet fragile in equal measures.

“We wrote ‘Rivers’ during the pandemic, and it became very symbolic; being so far away from people we loved, yet united in spirit.”

Hymner

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Tadhg Daly – Fall Apart

Tadhg Daly’s momentum continues to rise this year, having just completed a successful European tour while also garnering acclaim from the likes of Amazon Music and BBC Introducing.

Today sees the release of his melancholic new single ‘Fall Apart’. Through Daly’s rich vocal delivery, the song offers listeners an intensely moving and powerful musical experience.

“I wrote ‘Fall Apart’ the morning after breaking up with my girlfriend. We had an argument the night before and it felt like anything we said or did was just moving us further away from where we were when things were good. It got to the point of our relationship where it felt we were literally just taking turns to ‘fall apart’ and need the other person more than is healthy. I was trying to explore the idea that maybe there is a time in any relationship when you need to look at each other and decide whether either of you have anything left to give, or whether you just leave things where they are and try to be friends.”

Tadhg Daly

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New Music: Juliana Madrid

Photo / Ben Ruttner

Texas-based alternative singer-songwriter Juliana Madrid has released one of the catchiest indie songs of the week with ‘Peppermint’.

Still only 21-years old, this rising artist cites the likes of Fiona Apple, Patsy Cline, Elliot Smith and Brandon Flowers as key influences.

“In this song I wanted to convey all the feelings you can have from just a single moment. In this case – a brief interaction with an ex lover – how weird it can be to see someone out of the blue that you knew so well, now as a near stranger. You remember the love you shared, the little details about them you almost forgot. You kinda miss them but you don’t forget the chaos, the heartache, and everything else they put you through. With a sigh of relief, you acknowledge that your choice of not being in their life anymore was the best decision you could have made. So this interaction isn’t really a sad one – it’s reassuring.”

‘Peppermint’ features a stellar roster of talent – having been written by Madrid, Benjamin Ruttner (The Knocks), Simon Oscroft (Almost Monday, Naked and Famous) and Matthew Koma (Kelly Clarkson, 5SOS, Shania Twain).

The song was produced by Ruttner and Oscroft, and includes Matt Chamberlain (Lorde, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Zola Jesus) on drums.  

Juliana Madrid

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New Music: Thavoron

Photo / Gemma Cross

Emerging from Seattle is 21-year-old first-generation Cambodian American artist Thavoron.

By masterfully fusing elements of dream pop with indie, jazz and rock, this artist creates songs that are conceptually refreshing in tone, yet deeply personal and rich in emotion.

New single ’18’ sees Thavoron deliver lyricism that touches on aspects of queer youth, lust, and the emotional scars of traumatic relationships.

“’18’ is about a situation I went through when I was eighteen, naive, fresh out of high school, and desperate to love. The only thing that my partner at the time would see in me was my physical body. It’s mentally taxing to know that even if you do offer all parts of yourself to someone. No one is obligated to love you the way that you love them. Some people pick and choose which parts of you to fully see, and this song is about the events leading up to that. I wanted to highlight the sadness and beauty of intimacy and movement with this song. There’s something so inspiring about altering your concept of self and reclaiming your power in the same body you once felt so used in.”

Thavoron

Sea Glass – Razor Bones (with Misty Boyce)

Featuring the distinctive vocals of Misty Boyce, ‘Razor Bones’ is the third single to be taken off of Sea Glass’ forthcoming project, ‘Elevator Chat’.

The song thoughtfully blends elements of dreamy pop with indie and electronica to create a sound that feels atmospheric and distinctive, while the lyricism showcases a darker and more intimate edge to the music of this highly skilled Brooklyn producer.

“It was the first idea I shared with people on social media when it was just a simple synth idea and Sea Glass was not yet a thing. I loved the way the music invoked such nostalgia and longing and the reaction from others pushed me to keep going. Misty’s addition provided depth in the lightest and most elegant way. The theme of longing was made three dimensional with Misty’s stream of consciousness weaved throughout. The song’s structure moved in a new and interesting way we dubbed ‘journey core’ as we abandoned the traditional verse-bridge-chorus structure. The final product feels intimate and intense like the story Misty tells along the way.” – Sea Glass

To date, Sea Glass has garnered praise from the likes of Indie Shuffle, Wild Honey Pie and Atwood Magazine as well as tastemakers Birp.FM and David Dean Burkhardt.

‘Elevator Chat’ EP is due out 13th May 2022. 

Sea Glass | Misty Boyce

Benjamin Carter – Lost Control

Photo / Abraham Azab

Acclaimed Caribbean-American songwriter Benjamin Carter is back today with an energising and captivating slice of alternative rock, in the form of new single ‘Lost Control’.

Lyrically, the song is all about people having to handle their emotions in unhealthy ways, as Carter says:

“‘Lost Control’ is a cry for help, to put it as bluntly as possible. The song sonically resembles my personality and how I handle my emotions sometimes unfortunately in unhealthy ways. It’s a question or a prayer asking whoever is listening to give me a sign, give me anything to hold onto before I lose control.”

Benjamin Carter

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Zed, The Dreamer – i died too

Inspired by the importance of one’s past and the people that you grew up with, rising London-based Portuguese artist Zed, The Dreamer is back today with stunning new single ‘i died too’.

Featuring a stripped-back yet captivating blend of folk, indie and soul, the song serves as a moving and immersive homage to the feeling of ‘longing’, or the Portuguese concept of ‘Saudade’.

Saudade represents the feeling of missing something or someone in an immeasurable way, and is deeply intertwined with the way that the artist perceives the world and his emotions.

Zed, The Dreamer

Harvey Jay Dodgson – For the Love Of It

Photo / tomhartleymills

Freshly tipped by This Feeling and XS Manchester as One To Watch in 2022, singer-songwriter Harvey Jay Dodgson releases his latest single ‘For the Love Of It’, further showcasing this talent’s artistry in blending raw lyrics with driving instrumentation.

“‘For The Love Of It’ is a statement about how music should be created and played … for the love of it. Not following a trend, being able to connect with others, not forcing the art for the primary motive of money. The production portrays this. Playful melodies, groups of chanting teens, rough around the edges as a whole – a song to shout out together with your mates.  My painting of why I make music for the love of it.’’

Debut EP ‘Oxygen’ is due for release on 29th April 2022.

Harvey Jay Dodgson

Live Dates 2022

  • 27th April – Old Blue Last, London
  • 13th May – The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
  • 2nd July – High Tide Festival, Bournemouth
  • 11th – 14th August – 110 Above Festival, Leicestershire
  • 28th August – Victorious Festival, Portsmouth

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Gavin Haley – Cliche

Gavin Haley has been a frequent mention on this site for quite some time thanks to his ever-impressive roster of releases. New single ‘Cliche’ continues to showcase Haley’s evolution as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

“‘Cliche’ is about navigating a relationship with somebody who loves space, and the confusion that causes for somebody who loves to be close. It’s a heart on my sleeve moment, but instead of it being slow tempo and sad I wanted to communicate sonically how frustrated I really felt.”

The track is taken off Haley’s upcoming debut album, which came together with the help of co-writers Skylar Mones (Dua Lipa, Kesha), B Ham (Kim Petras, Maroon 5, Kiana Lede), and Trey Campbell (Amber Mark, Banks).

Debut album ‘i hate you, Don’t Leave Me’ is out 15th July 2022 via Red Bull Records, pre-order here.

Gavin Haley

New Music: Good Scott

Track of the week. Already a noted artist and producer within the UK music industry, Good Scott is the new moniker for the talent formerly known as Kwassa.

Showcasing some of the most exciting new music to emerge from London in quite some time, Good Scott’s new single ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ features ST LUNA – and could well be your favourite alt-pop bop for the summer.

 “‘Sorry Not Sorry’ was the breakthrough from a year or so of writing and nothing clicking – I’d been doing a lot of writing / production on other projects and whilst being able to jump around different genres is my favourite thing ever, it made it pretty hard to settle on what my sound for this project was going to be.

When me and Luke (ST LUNA) started making the track, it fell into place pretty fast – and felt like one of the first songs I’d made recently that I would’ve listened to anyway if I’d stumbled across it. At the time I was just craving a break from sad boy culture and desperate to make something tongue in cheek and a bit silly. Fun lyrics combined with the hints of breakbeat / early 2000’s vibes in the drums is something I wanna keep in the rest of the tracks coming.’’ – Good Scott

Good Scott | ST LUNA

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Boyish – I Think I Hate It Here

Photo / Eli Edwards

Brooklyn-based alternative queer duo Boyish unveil their spectacular new single ‘I Think I Hate It Here’, alongside a high-octane music video directed by Chase Denton.

While the theme of overwhelming anxiety runs deep within the song, it also deals with personal uncertainties and the hopelessness that ensues from it. 

“‘I Think I Hate it Here’ was written after a fight with an ex on a date night at the movies. For a long time I had been very anxious in movie theatres, and this particular fight was about how their anxiety ruined the night. The song is about feeling like you can’t match what someone wants from you. I always have had this deep fear that the more anxious someone realises I am, the more turned off they will be. I feel like sometimes I can’t do normal things that other people like to do on dates, so this song comes from a place of feeling undateable. It’s like the build up of a lifetime of feeling like you’re missing out on the little things, into one big burst of energy, but really behind it all there’s a lot of self-doubt and insecurity.” – Claire Altendahl, Boyish

Forthcoming EP ‘My Friend Mica’ is out this spring.

Boyish

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New Music: 4ever lost

I can safely say that French outfit 4ever lost are one of the most exciting new groups to emerge from France so far this year.

Through their eclectic approach to music-making, this collective of musicians seek to tell their story in unusual ways that apply to everyday life.

Melancholic new single ‘Suffocating‘ shows this perfectly – thanks to its stunning visuals, and a sound that thoughtfully incorporates elements of pop, alternative R&B and rock.

“4ever lost can be everyone. it’s a world of emotions reunited in colours, elegance and storytelling. and don’t forget… we are always watching you.”

4ever lost

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