Jelly Crystal – Happy Ending (feat. Alice Boman)

Swedish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jelly Crystal collaborates with Alice Boman on hypnotising new single ‘Happy Ending’.

Timeless in style while also reflective of the contemporary underground scene in Scandinavia, the song is a bombastic declaration of a love story that never existed.

“A love story with no happy ending… about a person that only exists in your head and a relationship coming to an end, even though you’ve never met her. It’s a live recording from the studio in Stockholm, that has many flaws and hasn’t been polished but still has a luxurious sound”. – Jelly Crystal

Jelly Crystal | Alice Boman

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

New Music: Bellwether

Sydney-based alternative outfit Bellwether construct anthemic pieces of punk-pop that feel fresh and new, while also maintaining a charming essence of nostalgia.

Produced by Stevie Knight (Stand Atlantic, Yours Truly, The Dead Love) and mixed by JamesPaul Wisner (Paramore, Underoath), ‘Halfway Happy’ is an emotional and poignant track that discloses the viscous nature of harmful people.

“’Halfway Happy’ comes from a place of being trapped in the company of someone that makes you feel like you’re always falling short. The song focuses a lot on this pattern of constantly questioning every part of ourselves and feeling like we’re simply not good enough – for ourselves or those around us. When we’re with someone that is always making us doubt ourselves, it’s easy to fall into that mindset and second guess every aspect of ourselves. Reflecting on these kinds of experiences, we see our past mistakes and regrets take shape in the form of insecurities that impact us every day, even years on.”

 Taken from the upcoming debut EP ‘Impermanence’, due out 8th April 2022.

Bellwether

Taylor Piggott – In A Different World

Australian artist Taylor Piggott is back with another sublime slice of dreamy indie-pop.

Mesmerising and captivating in equal measures, ‘In A Different World’ is a beautifully emotive and honest piece of music.

“‘In A Different World’ is both an incredibly vulnerable song for me and an exciting new chapter in my music. This is a very heartfelt and personal song, we’ve all been in a relationship where you love someone but the universe has another plan in store, so you hope that somewhere out there in a different world there is a version of you both where you can be together.”

Taylor Piggott

Jordana – Pressure Point

Photo / Pooneh Ghana

Twenty-one year old artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jordana returns with a beautifully honest pop release through her new single ‘Pressure Point’.

“‘Pressure Point’ is about acknowledging limits and knowing when it’s time to stop. The entirety of Pressure Point is talking yourself out of an anxiety attack. It’s a personal song about smoking weed and becoming too anxious to function normally – overthinking every inch of your surroundings and everything going on in your head all at once.” 

Taken from upcoming album ‘Face The Wall’ which is out 20th May 2022.

Jordana

Titus Bank – The Way You Love

Canadian artist Titus Bank returns today with a sleek fusion of dreamy pop and mellow disco through his new single ‘The Way You Love’.

Sugary sweet and highly addictive, this BIG KILL-produced track is the ear candy you’ve been waiting for… once you get a taste for it, you’ll be listening on repeat.

“I wrote this song almost on a whim, just to ease the urge in me to write big, loud, overemphatic love ballads. I love ‘love’, so this song is simply me standing on a mountaintop screaming to my wife that I love her love.”

TITUS BANK

New Music: KOATES

Emerging from South East London is newcomer KOATES. Thanks to his unique and mesmerising approach to indie-pop, this artist has already garnered praise from the likes of Jack Saunders at BBC Radio 1, CLASH and Notion.

“I based this single on the everyday decisions we make that can affect our relationships positively or negatively. Get it wrong and we face blow-outs, door-slamming and worse, we just wish we done things differently. Get it right and it’s the best feeling in the world!”

KOATES

Magnus Tempels – For You

Danish songwriter and producer Magnus Tempels returns today with a dark and richly atmospheric sound, in the shape of new single ‘For You’.

The song was inspired by those unsettling feelings that one gets when they sense that something is wrong in a relationship – but don’t know what it is.

Drawing on references from the likes of VETO, James Blake and Trentemøller, the song’s extraordinary production provides listeners with a sense of tension that perfectly sets the tone for the lyrics.

“I’ve experienced a stomachache on several occasions that refuses to leave me. A feeling that haunts me until I have admitted to myself that a relationship is coming to an end. That’s the feeling I’ve tried to encapsulate in ‘For You'”.

Magnus Tempels

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

New Music: Jack Devlin

Hailing from Northern Ireland is rising indie-rock artist Jack Devlin. With his distinctly unique approach to the genre, Devlin constructs sounds that are melodically anthemic and powerfully captivating.

With the closure of venues during the pandemic, Devlin chose to travel with a guitar busking on the streets of Ireland, writing constantly and using initiative to win over friends. He now has over 100 songs recorded in various states of readiness; all to be revealed in the coming months.

“The song is always the foundation of where I judge my success.”

Jack Devlin

Gavin Haley – Body Language

LA-based indie-pop talent Gavin Haley returns with a vibey slice of bliss in the form of new single ‘Body Language’.

Haley worked on the track alongside co-producers & writers Skylar Mones (Dua Lipa, Kesha) and Nick Bailey (Demi Lovato, Marshmello, Machine Gun Kelly).

“I don’t want to be somebody who just makes sad songs or happy songs. I want to tell stories. I want my songs to aid listeners in whatever they’re going through. On one side, I’m this vulnerable kid who wants to be held. On the other side, I’m this passionate, energetic, and loud guy. It’s a very fine line between them.”  

Gavin Haley

Gavin Haley – Tate McRae Support Dates:

  • Mar 17 – Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
  • Mar 18 – Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
  • Mar 21 – Scoot Inn – Austin TX 
  • Mar 22 – HOB Houston – Houston, TX
  • Mar 23 – The HiFi Dallas – Dallas, TX

New Music: garbagepink

Hailing from Sweden is newcomer garbagepink. With an invigorating approach to punk-pop, this talent constructs music that could easily serve as a soundtrack to Gen-Z life, while also maintaining a certain nostalgic flair for the 90’s.

‘San Francisco’ tells the story of an on and off relationship, the longing of a different place and how to suck at parallel parking.

garbagepink

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

Edwin Raphael – Have You Been Told

Canadian artist Edwin Raphael releases ‘Have You Been Told’ today, and it’s just about the most beautiful song that I have yet to come across this week.

The atmospheric and textured production fuses elements of indie, folk, rock and dreamy pop into a sound that is simply stunning.

“‘Have You Been Told?’ steers through the fixation of constant repetitive cycles from a place that is ‘all blown up’ to ‘all so bare’. It’s the conflicting pursuit of stimulation versus stability. The phrase ‘have you been told’ suggests the idea of keeping the devil on your shoulder at ease by satisfying it in small doses as well as constantly sort of reminding yourself to check yourself. Essentially the song explores a medium ground where there is a balance between the two.”

Sophomore LP ‘Warm Terracotta’ is out later this year via Dine Alone Records.

Edwin Raphael

New Music: Forever Honey

Emerging from Brooklyn come rising indie-pop outfit Forever Honey. After achieving critical success from the likes of NPR and American Songwriter with the release of their previous EP ‘Pre-Mortem High’, the band start their year with new single ‘Number One Fan’.

“This song was inspired by the thing we all did way too much of in 2020: scrolling mindlessly through TikTok/ Instagram. So much is virtually cast onto us – and the numbness we feel throughout it all is just… bizarre.”

Forever Honey

Jacob Banks – Just When I Thought

Nigerian-born and London-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Banks readies for the debut his new project with the release of suspenseful and soulful new single ‘Just When I Thought.’

“With everything happening in the world over the last two years or so, I consistently found myself in a space that I felt powerless. Feeling this level of powerlessness was a new feeling, but in a way I found a new type of power in the understanding that what’s for me will always be for me if I stay ready. ‘Just When I Thought’ is a story of two parts – my rebellion to the feeling and my surrender to the feeling.”

Jacob Banks

New Music: Lauren Marsh

You may recognise American indie-pop artist Lauren Marsh by her song ‘Dear Love’, which currently exceeds nine million streams on Spotify alone. As a songwriting and performing talent, Marsh has shared stages with the likes of Andy Grammer, Gavin DeGraw, Don McLean, Air Supply, Sutton Foster, Howie Day and Anna Nalick.

New single ‘Talk’ sees Marsh cut right to the post-breakup months, where memories of simple conversations can leak into a quiet living room – exposing the void that a heartbreak can leave in its wake.

Lauren Marsh

Charlotte Sands – Lost

Photo / Jacqueline Day

Continuing her ascent into stardom, Massachusetts-born artist Charlotte Sands releases coming-of-age punk-pop anthem ‘Lost’.

The track comes hot on the heels of her new EP ‘Love and Other Lies’, which has received praise from the likes of SPIN, AltPress, Allure and Paper Magazine.

“‘Lost’ is about the challenges of growing up and the feeling of being an outsider. It’s the story of adolescence and a celebration of the differences that so often end up bringing us together over time. This song is for the losers, the loners, and everyone in between.”

Charlotte Sands

Charlotte joins The Maine on their upcoming US tour – full details here.

Graham Lake – Run em Down (feat. Avelino)

Track of the week. Emerging Swedish newcomer Graham Lake joins forces with UK rap star Avelino on the release of massive new single ‘Run em Down’.

The Stockholm-born singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist presents a sleek production on the track as he threads clean guitar through energetic synths, serving listeners with a sound that is immediately captivating and hugely exciting.

“‘Run em Down’ was made during a part of my life when many people influenced my decisions, dreams, and ambitions. My music was the thing keeping me grounded and this song came to be my freeing from all those attachments. ‘FOCUS’ came to life quickly but ’Run em Down’ was even quicker. That proved to me that I was on the right track and that this song was meant to be the follow-up. I never intend to speak on what my song’s true meaning is because it’s different for everybody but to me, it’s a celebration of knowing what you deserve and that nothing besides yourself can stop you from reaching that.”

Graham Lake | Avelino

Soon – Not A Love Song

Copenhagen-based duo Soon return with an intimate and honest pop song in the shape of new single ‘Not A Love Song’.

Lead singer August Fogh delivers a heartfelt vocal performance over this acoustic and minimalistic ballad, which is all about denying the feeling of being heartbroken.

Soon

🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist

New Music: Kilder

Rising producer Kilder creates sounds that feel hypnotic and emotive in equal measures.

New single ‘Love Enough’ is a delicious slice of electronic pop – characterised by Kilder’s signature arpeggiated synth pads and bouncing basslines.

With support already garnered from the likes of Dazed, Dummy, i-D, The Line of Best Fit, The Independent, Notion, Wonderland and BBC Radio 1, it really is only a matter of time before this talent hits the mainstream.

Kilder

‘Love Enough’ features vocal talents by Leyla.