New Music: KAIRO

Nigeria-born and Texas-raised duo KAIRO are identical twins who, at the age of 21 have taken TikTok by storm thanks to their infectious and engaging renditions as ‘Coverboys’.

Arguably the most charming song of the year so far, ‘Someone Like You’ is delightfully simple in tone, yet exudes a positive energy that is wonderfully captivating.

“‘Someone Like You,’ a love song that embodies the feeling of having that perfect someone who leaves you speechless, is the first peek into our world. This record holds a special place in our hearts because it is one of the first we wrote on our first writing trip to Los Angeles, which has now become our home.”

KAIRO

New Music: Komparrison

Hailing from England are rock quintet Komparrison. With a bold and confident approach to music-making, the band create energising songs with extraordinary depth and observation – so much so that they have already garnered praise from the likes of BBC Music Introducing, Radio X, This Feeling and NARC.

“‘Loose Lips’ explores the toxicity of modern world dating and the negative connotations of how society views women through hook up culture. Word of wisdom… NEVER DATE A BOY IN A BAND!”

Taken from their upcoming debut EP ‘You Say She’s Satisfied’ which is out soon.

Komparrison

Tour Dates:

  • 12 March Newcastle Head of Steam
  • 26 March Middlesbrough NXTGN
  • 08 April Bristol The Crown
  • 13 April London The Old Blue Last
  • 15 April Leeds Brudenell Social Club
  • 16 April Stockton Calling
  • 21 April Manchester Night People
  • 22 April Glasgow Broadcast
  • 23 April Scunthorpe Cafe Indie

mehro – like you’re god

As far as expectations go, mehro consistently delivers some of the most stunning indie sounds to emerge from the US right now.

Latest release ‘like you’re god’ is minimal yet primal in essence. Featuring skittering beats and half-whispered lyrics, the track almost enjoys languishing in the bodily desires mehro sings about.

“This song speaks into existence a side of me that I don’t share with most people. I am very private. So this song feels particularly gut wrenching to release. I feel exposed, vulnerable and nervous. That’s how I know I need to let it go.”

mehro

New Music: little luna

Photo / Sarah Eiseman

One of the most beautiful releases of the week comes courtesy of LA singer, songwriter and wellness advocate little luna.

Her timelessly elegant new single ‘under the wave’ is a subtly whimsical yet ethereal take on folk-pop that chronicles her fluctuating state of mind during meditation.

“This song, to me, is about how I feel in meditation. Sometimes my mind present and floating, Sometimes my thoughts tossing me around.”

Taken from the debut EP ‘through the self‘, which is out 29th April 2022 via AWAL Recordings.

little luna

New Music: Congee

Newcomer Congee constructs a melodic fusion of lo-fi pop, psychedelic indie and soul that is truly like no other sound you will have heard before. Eccentric yet accessible, this is a style of music which is impossible not feel some kind of connection with.

‘Be Alright’ is one of the most exciting releases that I have come across this month, and I predict this talent will pick up even more momentum as the weeks go by.

Congee

New Music: Lana Lubany

London-based, Palestinian/American artist Lana Lubany masterfully blends elements of dark pop with Middle Eastern influences to create sounds that are conceptual, impactful and thought-provoking.

Sultry and atmospheric in tone, new single ‘THE SNAKE’ showcases this emerging talent’s potential in the form of a melodic song written about losing one’s innocence.

Taken from the forthcoming project ‘THE HOLY LAND’, which is out soon.

Lana Lubany

New Music: Xana

Rising artist Xana is not only delivering some of the most empowering pop to emerge from Canada right now, but she does so while also incorporating themes of LGTBQ romance, female sexuality and self-discovery into her songwriting.

New single ‘My Therapist Told Me’ serves as an anthem of frustration, of letting go of a toxic infatuation and being brought back to reality by those around you.

“I was head over heels for this girl who would constantly flirt with me and then out of nowhere she’d say we were ‘just friends’ and apologised if I ‘got the wrong impression’. I refused to write another sad song about it and instead channelled all my confusion and frustration into this angsty, early 2000’s vibe, pop-rock song. Writing ‘My Therapist Told Me’ was therapy in itself and it pushed me down the path of healing.”

Xana

Matt Taylor – GODSPEED

Photo / Frederick Goff

Brighton-based Irish artist and producer Matt Taylor shares his stunning new single ‘GODSPEED’.

An intoxicating slice of genre-bending electro-pop, the song’s reflective and honest lyricism captivates listeners from the start.

“A lot of ‘Godspeed’ was written in late July and early August. I think it was just after clubs and social gathering had just started to open up and I know I was feeling very overwhelmed. In the weeks leading up to it I felt very distanced and pushed away from a friend I caught feelings for, but I also felt a disconnect from myself. Realising this link is what prompted me to write Godspeed.”

“I didn’t want anything serious with anyone, but that conflicted massively with how I felt about him. What I learned from this whole situation is that you can’t truly let someone in until you know yourself what you are and what you want, and in that time neither of us knew.”

Matt Taylor

New Music: BLVU

Photo / Grant Decyk

Track of the week. ‘iwoulddoanythingforyou’ came up on my Spotify randomly over the weekend, and I have been obsessed with the song ever since. This is likely to be my favourite release from a newcomer to date this year, thanks to its immersive and atmospheric tones.

The artist behind the song is elusive; all I know is that this is a producer, writer and singer from Boston who is currently based in LA. Somehow, I don’t think it will be long before we discover more about this huge talent.

BLVU

Bow Anderson – 20s

Photo / Annie Reid

After going viral over Christmas with the demo, Bow Anderson releases an official version of her refreshingly introspective song ’20s’.

It’s the rising pop star’s first new music of the year, having finished last year on tour with the likes of Mimi Webb and Ella Eyre, playing her first ever headline dates and scooping Best Pop Act at the Scottish Music Awards.

“I was having a stressful day comparing myself to others and being a wee negative Nancy which is very unlike me! At 19 years old I moved to London to pursue a career in music and since day dot I have loved every minute and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Having said that, it’s hard. There’s a lot of pressure in your 20s to be social but also be hard working. To drink and party but be healthy. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and we are still learning who we are. I wanted to write this song because I think a lot of people think they are the only ones going through it (including myself), when really we all have our struggles. I hope this song helps people realise it’s okay to not have it all together and be perfect because someone’s unique qualities is what makes them special.” 

Bow Anderson

push baby – What Ya Gonna Do?

Nostalgic pop done so flawlessly that you’d really struggle to believe this song is from 2022.

Effortlessly capturing that distinctive Max Martin brand of millennial pop, ‘What Ya Gonna Do?’ is the push baby’s first single of the year.

“’What Ya Gonna Do?’ came from wanting to capture that pristine late ‘90s / early 00’s Max Martin POP! That sound is pretty much the backbone of the whole record. Our instinct kind of always goes to that very radio friendly, punchy pop anyway, but we’d shy away from it because we were scared of ’not being cool’. However, we’ve just leaned into it now, to the point where our noses are touching the ground. If we’re going to do it then we’re going to DO IT – it’s a pastiche. From the artwork, to visuals, to what we wear, push baby wanted to deliver the perfect pop record. I think it works because it’s two idiots in their mum’s garage making it.”

push baby

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.

Alexander 23

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.

Allen Haley

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.”

Grant Knoche

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.

Tamzene

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. 

BEAR THE ANT

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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.”

Sleepyhead

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.”

tmdistant