Femke – Helpless

Accomplished producer, songwriter and artist Femke releases one of the most moving songs of the week with her new single ‘Helpless’.

“I had to write this song about the state of the world. It’s crazy how it can be all around you and feeling completely helpless.”

Femke is a Grammy winning, US-based Dutch artist who has achieved significant success and accolades in recent years – including winning the ASCAP Harold Adamson Award, running her own studio and working as a composer/ musician on projects like as ABC’s 10 Things I Hate About You and the Fired Up soundtrack.

Femke

New Music: Ea Othilde

Emerging from Norway comes 17-year old artist Ea Othilde. Inspired by the likes of Elliott Smith, PJ Harvey and early Bon Iver, this talent crafts a captivating indie sound that feels sincere, emotive and immensely captivating.

“‘I Couldn’t Be There’ is a little indie rock tune about all the things you want to do, all the places you want to go, everything and everyone that’s out of reach. It’s the sound of time slipping through your fingers, the soundtrack of roads leading nowhere.”

Ea Othilde

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Elliot James Mulhern – I Know

Photo / Joseph Michael Mercado

British recording artist, producer and singer-songwriter Elliot James Mulhern is back today with the announcement of an upcoming LP and feature film.

Alongside the news comes the release of new single ‘I Know’, which was mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Christian Wright (LCD Soundsystem,  Radiohead, Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, Swedish House Mafia).

To date, Mulhern has been heavily championed by the likes of Billboard, SoundCloud, AppleMusic, Spotify, Mahogany, DUMMY, CONTRAST, KCRW FM, KEXP FM and more.

‘INSUFFERABLE’ LP is out on 29th April 2022.

Elliot James Mulhern

Ben Dolic – Kissing Her, Missing You

Rising Slovenian singer and songwriter Ben Dolic returns today with an anthemic slice of melancholy pop through his new single ‘Kissing Her, Missing You’.

Written by Dolic himself alongside Gethin Williams, the track is all about dating an amazing person, while still feeling guilty for missing your ex-partner.

“‘Kissing Her, Missing You’ is about a phase in my life where I’d just moved to another country to pursue music and had to break up with my first girlfriend, as we couldn’t handle the long-distance. I started dating around and using dating apps but all of the attempts left me feeling empty, as I just wanted one specific person, no matter how beautiful, smart or funny anyone else was. It’s about attempting to get under someone to get over someone else and completely failing”.

At the age of just 24, Dolic has already performed with the likes of Zara Larsson, Rita Ora and Olly Murs. His releases have amassed over ten million streams worldwide, and his music videos have gained over two million views to date. 

Ben Dolic

New Music: Alissa Reah

Hailing from Southern Sweden, Alissa Reah is a pop artist who is still only 18-years old. Today sees the release of her new single ‘YOU’, marking Reah as one of Scandinavia’s most exciting emerging talents.

Beneath the catchy melodic surface the song is a serious subject matter, about growing up and finding yourself:

“It’s okay to feel like you’re growing, evolving and maybe not wanting the same things as before. ’YOU’ is about progress but also about freeing yourself from the influence society and other powerful figures have on you.”

Alissa Reah

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Limón Limón – Slow Motion

Indie duo Limón Limón are back with another slice of dreamy goodness. ‘Slow Motion’ exudes Fleetwood Mac and Rex Orange County vibes – with vintage piano, acoustic guitar and live drums coming together to treat listeners to a sound that feels both classic and modern in equal parts.

The song is included in Limón Limón’s NFT project on the Solana blockchain – which will give fans an opportunity to own a percentage of the song’s master rights.

Limón Limón

New Music: Friends of Friends

Photo / Dom Gould

Kicking off the weekend with some outstanding Australian talent. Praised by the likes of Triple J, Brisbane’s Friends of Friends construct a vibrant sound that fuses indie-pop with alternative rock, while also drawing on the influences of British hard-house and drum and bass.

“This track is my absolute favourite. The lyrics are a series of memories I have about going out to raves and house parties only to end up staring into the bathroom mirror halfway through the night, wondering why I went out. I struggle with derealisation, especially in busy environments like parties, and I often feel as though I’m stuck watching myself in third person and can’t switch off the autopilot. This track is a little dark and cathartic at times, but ultimately it’s a tongue-in-cheek take on wanting to stay home and instead finding yourself asking pointless metaphysical questions at a party you’ve begrudgingly gone to.”

Friends of Friends

RØRY – Kill The Girl

UK talent RØRY returns today with outstanding new release ‘Kill The Girl’. Cathartic and confessional in tone, the track delivers an infectious dose of pop-punk, mixing nostalgic 00s drum beats with punctuated guitars. 

“’Kill The Girl’ is like my origin story for becoming RØRY. It was after (yet another) traumatic break up in 2018 that I knew something had to change. I didn’t want to be that girl any more. Blue hair, some new tattoos, and a new city later… I became a stronger version of myself. I got sober, got therapy, and committed to 18 months of celibacy to figure out what was driving my destructive choices. Needless to say life is a lot fucking better now. Those things work. Sometimes you have to kill the person you were to figure out who you can become.”

Fun fact: RØRY’s career as a songwriter has seen her amass well over 1 billion streams.

RØRY

Kamora – Careful

Having met in 2016, writing and playing together intermittently, Glaswegian group Kamora officially formed in 2019.

Since then this outfit have been creating anthemic rock sounds that have already received praise from the likes of Existential Mag and Right Chord Music. On new single ‘Careful’, lead singer Max Murphy says:

“‘Careful’ illustrates a dark story concerning a young man that is heading down a dreary path due to his reckless behaviour. Blinded by temptation and poor judgement, the story essentially focuses on a person going off the rails and becoming a stranger to their former self.”

Kamora headline Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh on 13th May, with support from Falkirk-locals Primes and Newcastle’s alt rock trio Ten Eighty Trees.

Kamora

Ronna Riva – Au Revoir

Romanian pop starlet Ronna Riva releases a melancholic and melodic bop in the form of new single ‘Au Revoir’. A radio-friendly anthem, the track is sure to pick up traction across Europe in the coming weeks.

Riva was performing on stage since her early childhood, and at 13-years of age she was already touring across Romania with the Viva band. She returned to music after finishing her studies, amassing an ever-growing fanbase that is close to 100k followers on Instagram alone.

Ronna Riva

flyckt – Jonny Boy

If you’re a fan of Swedish outfit Urban Cone then you’ll already recognise singer flyckt.

Today sees the release of his cover of Nordic indie classic ‘Jonny Boy’, and it is without a doubt one of the catchiest pop anthems you’re likely to experience all week.

“‘Jonny Boy’ is a song written by the band Kite and is somewhat of a cult classic in Sweden. The song really resonates with me. I can relate to going out to escape everyday life and I felt like the song got another dimension with the pandemic. Like a lot of people are going out to numb the pain and all of a sudden they couldn’t do that anymore. To me going out with Jonny Boy means that all the bad emotions are turned off, and that you are in a headspace where no one can touch you. Hope you will like it.”

flyckt

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New Music: Holy Coves

Hailing from North Wales come psychedelic rock collective Holy Coves. Led by Welsh singer-songwriter Scott Marsden, this outfit construct a richly dark and atmospheric sound that is both compelling and entrancing in equal measures.

‘The Hurt Within’ was created alongside producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels/ Explosions In The Sky), and sees Wofford himself on mixing and mastering duties.

Holy Coves

New Music: Taylor Bini

A beautifully simple yet highly moving release from American newcomer Taylor Bini.

If you’re a fan of artists like MUNA, Halsey, Olivia Rodrigo and girl in red then this emerging talent could well be one of your new favourites.

“The lyrics came to me while I was in the shower, which is a nod to the opening line of the song. I thought of that line and immediately hopped out and wrapped myself in a towel, then sat down at the piano to write the rest of the song.”

Taylor Bini

Tamu Massif – Old Times

After spending the last few years experimenting with different creative techniques, Bristol-based songwriter and producer Tamu Massif returns with some new material that has been well worth the wait.

“For a long time, I would compose a heavily layered instrumental and then add vocals afterwards. Recently, I’ve been trying to do it the other way round: writing the song on guitar first and then having fun with the production – adding things to compliment and embellish the original idea. I’ve consciously made an effort to change my process and have been really enjoying playing acoustic guitar again. I feel like the best songs tend to work in a stripped back form – so starting from that point leaves you with something a bit more raw and vulnerable.”

Beautifully deep, vulnerable and nostalgic in tone, Massif’s single ‘Old Times’ has enough emotional pull to carry any listener through the week:

“‘Old Times’ is a song about being nostalgic for the past. It came together as a song pretty quickly; I wrote it in one sitting on my acoustic guitar. I leaned into the sad on this one.”

Tamu Massif

New Music: Dallas

Emerging from Toronto is rising pop-rock starlet Dallas. Inspired by her real-life experiences, dreams, thoughts and perceptions, this artist constructs songs that are not only anthemic in tone, but also carry unique and soulful lyricism. On new single ‘R.I.P’ she says:

“Losing a friend is never easy, especially when there is no closure or explanation as to what went wrong. I wrote ‘R.I.P’ at a very pivotal moment in my life when a life long friendship of mine came to a very sudden end. Writing this song allowed me to make peace with the hurt I experienced, as well as my own wrong doings.”

Dallas

Ships Have Sailed – Can’t Go Back

Acclaimed American pop-rock outfit Ships Have Sailed announce the release of their new album ‘Ages’ today, and with it comes atmospheric new single ‘Can’t Go Back’.

“Lyrically and sonically, ‘Ages’ represents a life arc. It addresses an exploration of our humanity, our egos, and our instincts. It’s about how we change over time and are shaped by particular journeys and experiences because while I was shaping this album, my life was also shaping me.” – Will Carpenter, Ships Have Sailed

‘Ages’ is out now.

Ships Have Sailed

Blonde Diamond – Strange Times

Photo / Brandon Fletcher

Canadian outfit Blonde Diamond create an irresistibly dreamy style of synth-pop that is impossible not to be charmed by. Speaking on their new single ‘Strange Times’, frontwoman Alexis Young says:

“Lyrically, the song ‘Strange Times’ takes place in a fantastical parallel universe, so it only made sense that the video should represent that. We chose to use a bright and dreamy palette to provide a luxurious backdrop for our characters to obliviously dance away on. As it becomes clear through elements of foreshadowing that there is a clear impending doom, we ignore the signs and carry on. In the background as we see chaos and destruction unfold, we try to keep the dream alive until we become swallowed and it reveals that the universe goes on without us, unaffected. Strange times indeed.”

To date, this Vancouver-based group have graced stages across Canada, Europe, Australia, the US and India – sharing bills with the likes of Portugal. The Man, Bishop Briggs and Chromeo.

Blonde Diamond

Restless Modern – How Do I Do with You?

Wisconsin artist Restless Modern is back today with another outstanding alt-pop release in the shape of new single ‘How Do I Do with You?’.

Taken off of the new EP ‘A Likeness Complicit’, the song continues to showcase this American talent’s refreshingly unique approach perspective on the world, and in turn his music-making.

“We live in a broken world, and collective self-examination yields that all of us are complicit in this to some degree. It is comfortable to place blame outside of ourselves, but it is difficult to look in the mirror and objectively apply those same standards. It is a Biblical concept that we were all made in the ‘likeness’ of God, but this is a standard that we have failed to live up to. It raises questions about which pieces inherent to us represent this “likeness.” What does this distortion imply about our nature, or about the nature of the source from which we were derived? Thus, ‘A Likeness Complicit.’ This EP is meant to evince self-responsibility and an uncomfortable self-awareness.”

Restless Modern

New Music: Lexie Carroll

While still only 17-years old, Lexie Carroll is already a creating a name for herself a rising British starlet.

With a unique blend of dreamy pop and indie, this London-based talent crafts sounds that epitomise the essence of youth – and all of the emotional dilemmas that come alone with it.

“‘familiar stranger’ is about having to see someone again who you used to date and wanting them to think you’re over it – you just want to be familiar strangers to each other so it doesn’t have to be awkward.”

Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘when the sun came up’, which is out on 22 April 2022.

Lexie Carroll