Alexander 23 – Hate Me If It Helps
Chicago-bred musician Alexander 23 returns with a bold and beautifully moving release in the form of new single ‘Hate Me If It Helps’.
Brimming with raw emotional intensity, the song came to life as he dealt with the demise of a monumental relationship.
“I’d gotten to a point where I realised that I loved this person enough that I didn’t care what it took for them to feel better after the breakup – so if blaming me gets them to where they need to be, I’m totally okay with that.”
Alexander 23 joins John Mayer on his upcoming Sob Rock Tour 2022.
New Music: Allen Haley
Sometimes a song comes up on Spotify and you just know almost immediately that the talent behind it will rocket into the mainstream.
That was the case when I first stumbled across Allen Haley’s ‘TAKEN BACK’ earlier this week. Indie-pop at its most exciting, this is an artist who will inevitably win over a lot of new fans this year.
Grant Knoche – WISH U WERE DEAD
Still only 19 and yet Grant Knoche has already toured the nation – impressively performing 160 shows in 48 states. He has also recorded twelve albums, most of which have been in the Top 10 in the Top 100 Billboard Charts. Today sees the release of his new single ‘WISH U WERE DEAD’, of which he says:
“I’ve never been in a relationship before so venturing into it for the first time can definitely end in hurt. If you’ve ever been ghosted before, this song is for you. this song represents closure to all the hurt & confusion caused by someone. instead, I’ll just wish u the best.”
Tamzene – Called You Out
Hailing from the small town of Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands comes emerging songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tamzene. With beautifully bold and emotive vocals, this hugely promising starlet crafts melodic and poignant songs that carry an essence of timelessness to them.
Powerful new single ‘Called You Out’ was written as a response to an online disagreement with a friend, sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This is really important to me and I realised I couldn’t take people with me who didn’t want to put in the work to be better. The track is about not allowing your history with someone to blind you from seeing their true nature. It’s about accepting the moment you no longer want to be in someone’s life, because they simply don’t see you.”
Taken from the debut EP which will be arriving this spring.
New Music: BEAR THE ANT
This is just about one of the most beautiful debuts to emerge from Scandinavia in quite some time.
Created by psychedelic pop-rock newcomers BEAR THE ANT, ‘Higher Times’ was recorded in a cabin in their native Iceland during the cold winter solstice – exposing listeners to a beautifully balanced sound between depression and hope.
🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist
New Music: Sleepyhead
An eccentric yet charmingly playful blend of electronic pop and indie from American talent Sleepyhead.
“This song is about feeling vulnerable in a relationship but knowing that it is ok to feel vulnerable, and it doesn’t have to be scary.”
tmdistant – hostage
Rising UK singer-songwriter tmdistant returns today with his emotionally-charged new single ‘hostage’.
The song details the pain and suffering while he was in a relationship, where he endured a cycle of emotional abuse for almost three years – hoping that the person he loves would eventually reciprocate the same love and energy… but never does.
“This song sums up how I felt throughout a 2/3 year, one-sided relationship – most people would call this a toxic relationship. I found myself living for her rather than myself, and I never really felt able to be myself. I felt trapped. I found myself doing everything in my power to make sure that she was okay regardless of what that did to me. I’ve learned to never put someone ahead of you and your needs ‘cos it breaks you down in the end.”
New Music: Ana Arts
Emerging from South London is singer songwriter Ana Arts, who cites folk, jazz, rock and pop as influences in the creation of her sound.
With lyricism that is effortlessly honest, ‘HMU’ finds Ana considering romantic loneliness and looking to find the positives in that.
“’HMU’ is about feeling romantically numbed, you know that feeling when you’ve overdone it a little bit and nothing or no one seems that special anymore? It’s about wanting that feeling back, wanting to long for something and someone but for some reason all you’re attracting is kinda ‘meh’. So, you end up feeling like you’re better off alone, you’re better off being more selective of who enters your bedroom and/or personal life. And it’s about owning that, owning that loneliness – so what if I’m alone? Thank god I’m alone and not tempted by mediocrity. Thank f*ck I didn’t give them my number, because I’d rather wait for something great to come along.”
Through her creative output, Ana aims to celebrate queerness and sex positivity whilst raising awareness for mental health issues.
Sam Florian – Fire
Blending lo-fi indie with mid-tempo electronic bedroom pop, Swedish artist Sam Florian returns today with charming new single ‘Fire’.
“‘Fire’ is about meeting someone new and feeling a strong instant connection to that person without even knowing anything about them. It’s a weird feeling and I don’t know how else to describe other than that it’s a kind of ‘Fire’ inside me. I wanted this song to sound more organic and a bit cheesy 80’s, especially with the chorus guitars which I’m really weak for.”
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New Music: TEMPOH Slow
Displaying a new approach to the indie-pop genre, TEMPOH Slow create songs that are aggressively emotive, visceral and uncompromising.
Consisting of singer Nicholas Suhr (longtime drummer for K. Flay) and drummer/ producer Nick Spreigl (formerly with The Wind and the Wave and Cray), this outfit developed their distinctly original sound as the LA music scene lay vacant due to Covid.
New Music: The Low Flying Panic Attack
Emerging Spanish duo The Low Flying Panic Attack craft their sound by seamlessly blending elements of electronica, psychedelia, rock and lo-fi together.
The resulting music is nothing short of breathtaking to experience. These are songs which are not only confident, bold and emotionally raw in tone, but utterly captivating to listeners.
Taken from ‘20112021 A Live Performance’ which is out now.
Sierra Pilot – Alive
A rousing and anthemic approach to pop-rock from Canadian outfit Sierra Pilot. Their empowering new single ‘Alive’ inspires listeners to live life to the fullest without letting it beat you down.
“It’s about celebrating the little things, and being grateful for what you have. If you can find one good thing to be grateful for or make one good thing happen in the run of a day, you’re already miles ahead of so many people. Just the very notion of being alive; you get another day and another chance.” – Taylor Leith, Sierra Pilot
Formed in 2016 and hailing from Ontario, Sierra Pilot have released EP’s and numerous standalone singles, as well as shared stages with the likes of Buckcherry, The Lazy’s and Crownlands.
New Music: Oh Blonde
Adding further to Norway’s already-impressive roster of pop talent, today marks the debut for newcomer Oh Blonde.
Showcasing some of the finest new music that Scandinavia has to offer right now, ‘If I See You’ is slow-burning banger that is subtly melancholic and heartfelt in essence.
“This song was written with fellow Norwegian artist, Elsie Bay and producer Ola Frøyen. It came along in a studio session where I poured my heart out about a difficult time in my life where relations changed and some ended. I had been wanting to write about it forever, but never managed to do in a way that felt right until this session. The song is about closure in a way, and the fact that with time things sort itself out.”
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Seph Cove – Weigh Your Love In
Seph Cove consistently releases some of the most beautiful fusions of indie-folk and pop. Today he’s back with another emotionally-charged slice of musical perfection in the form of new single ‘Weigh Your Love In’.
“This song is a statement about both my feelings for someone, letting them know that my love for them is unconditional, and it is also a statement about where my music could go in the future.”
Beach of Diamonds – Can’t Wait
Norwegian duo Beach of Diamonds return with an anthemic slice of pop-punk in the form of new single ‘Can’t Wait’.
The nostalgic song reminisces about young teenage love, and being too shy to stand up for the love of your life.
Taken from the forthcoming mini-EP, which is due to drop soon via Sailor Music.
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Devin Kennedy – Follow Through
Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Devin Kennedy returns today with new single ‘Follow Through.’
Over a catchy melody, Devin’s smooth vocals lyricise of the sacrifices we all make in the pursuit of our life-long goals and aspirations.
“It’s easy to keep your head down and continue working through everything, but it’s difficult when you realise how much you’ve lost and forgotten along the way. I know regardless of the goal, many people share a similar experience, losing track of moments, time and relationships while focusing on themselves.”
New Music: Freya Roy
Emerging singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Freya Roy crafts a sophisticated yet hypnotising blend of nu-jazz, electronic and alternative soul – treating listeners to sounds that feel classic yet contemporary in equal measures.
With its rousing lyricism, her dark and melodic new single ‘Calling My Name’ explores feelings of desire and temptation.
“Whilst at a turning point in a relationship, I had a confrontational conversation with someone one evening which left me awake throughout the whole night. It’s a bit of a confession… but I’ve written about giving in to these intense feelings of desire. At the time it felt selfish, but I couldn’t help myself so I let it all wash over me.”
Latir – Carousel (feat. Tokio Myers & Olivia Nelson)
London-based alt-R&B wonderkid Latir returns today with a sublimely nostalgic and ephemeral sound on new single ‘Carousel’.
Through its poetic lyricism, the song captures glimpses of a past connection; and that while those experiences of feeling close to another person might not be infinite, the memories still linger on.
“For those feeling helplessly in love, for those who have felt this feeling, and for those who are yet to fall… I hope this song aids your eventual, transcendental moments, as though you are on a Carousel, to nowhere and everywhere all at the same time.” – Latir
Taken from Latir’s upcoming ‘Anthems For Lovers‘ EP.
Tessa Violet – YES MOM
You can be sure to know that Tessa Violet always delivers the unexpected when it comes to her music. ‘YES MOM’ is an electrifying and eccentric alt-pop anthem which commands your attention right from the moment you press play.
The song was written as a self-love manifesto that sees Tessa assert her agency, and empowers listeners to be their own #1 fan.