Fearlessly pushing the boundaries of alt-R&B, Jamaica-born and Miami-raised BEAM constructs sounds that immediately captivate. This is music that is eccentric and unconventional, yet highly relatable and enjoyable to experience.
“I’ve been in the studio since I was born
. My dad was an artist, so when I was a kid I would always be there with him. I didn’t start messing around with [music] until I was ten, but the smell of the studio is probably one of my earliest memories.
“
Displaying some of the finest emerging British indie-rock, Andrew Cushin releases new single ‘You Don’t Belong’.
Anthemic and captivating in tone, the song speaks of the wider struggles of a sea of young men who desperately battle issues with identity, belonging and mental health.
“This track is the start of a new journey for me. We’re on a new record label, have a new band, and are ready to release catchy and energetic material. ‘You Don’t Belong’ still holds the lyrics of a typical ‘Andrew Cushin’ song but the sound of synthesiser, indie riffs and big drum patterns take this record somewhere else. It’s a new sound that I’m hoping everyone comes to love.”
Taken from the debut EP, out 22 April 2022 and available for pre-save here.
A dreamy mix of electro-pop and indie from Canadian talent Heather Avalon. New single ‘I Guess’ is a refreshingly honest and intimate song written about the change she experienced when she began to view sex as a mindful and spiritual connection to her partner.
“Without deep connection to others within our universe, every interaction you have with anyone would be purely based on the physical.“
“I’m talking about connected, passionate, mindful, spiritual sex. I want each and every listener to experience complete and total confidence run through their body and mind as they listen.”
Track of the week. London based rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nix Northwest has crafted a sound through ‘Satan Doesn’t Swim’ that seamlessly blends current sounds with elements of bossa nova, samba, Brazilian folk and nostalgic jazz tones.
“The song is about letting go of the fears, temptations and ego that restrict us in truly finding acceptance and love within ourselves. The song also evokes a sense of the bittersweet, as Xin [fictional character trying to navigate an escape from his town] has had to leave behind his home city along with a lot of his friends and family in order to achieve this mental freedom.”
Taken from the upcoming debut album ‘Xin’s Disappearance’ out soon.
Irish indie outfit modernlove. create a bold style of pop-rock that is loaded with energy and vibrancy.
New single ‘Follow You’ serves as a rousing ode to the anthemic indie bangers of the early 00s that the boys grew up on.
“‘Follow You’ is a love song about the early stages of infatuation in a relationship. It’s about finding yourself in a relationship so intimate that spending each waking moment together still isn’t enough, hence the lyrics ‘when you fall asleep I’ll follow you’. Musically, we wanted to write a song that resonated with the nostalgia of those same naive infatuations and took us back to when we first started the band as teenagers finding ourselves as people as well as artists. A simple four chord structure that echoed the likes of bloc party, the cure and new order. A song that we could fully jam on together and jump around to.”
Already garnering acclaim from the likes of Wonderland, Earmilk and Official Charts, this group could well have their biggest year to date.
Emerging teen starlet dee holt’s ‘Nobody Like You’ is the kind of pop bop that is guaranteed to stick in your minds all day, thanks to its catchy melody and strong sense of character that is utterly charming to listen to.
Benny Bellson’s ‘Snow’ is a track that initially comes across as unpredictable and raw at first, but rapidly wins you over thanks to it’s sheer originality and eccentricity.
LA-based retro-inspired indie rock project Elephant Castle return with yet another eccentric and mesmerising song that is just impossible not to enjoy.
Never one to disappoint, the moniker behind singer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Danyew treats listeners to the ultimate anti-love anthem on ‘No Me and You’.
“Happy almost Valentine’s Day! Figured I’d release something festive for the holiday. ‘No Me and You’ is a triumphant celebration of being broken up with.”
Billboard-charting LA artist Peyton Shay returns with angsty new pop single ‘Aftertaste’ today.
The song is taken from Peyton’s upcoming EP (out this spring), and focuses on the lingering side effects and presence of a bitter relationship.
“After recording this song, I really felt like this was the beginning of authentically leaning into my sound and creative endeavours. It’s strange how a song written about the lingering side effects and presence of a bitter relationship can lead to a moment of finding who I truly am and the message I want to share with the world.”
Still only 18-years old, Peyton is one of the youngest female charting artists and has already embarked on an international tour.
American alt-pop artist Cam M. is back today with deliciously dark new track in the form of ‘karma’.
Produced by GrizD, the song starts with a haunting beginning, slowly bringing in soft beats and a steady guitar that creates the perfect backing for Cam’s vocals to shine through.
With its refreshingly honest lyricism, the track conveys the message that sometimes things don’t always have the wanted reaction.
“I wrote this song after finding out about a false rumour that had caused me to lose a lot of my friends. This song is about how manipulating others can backfire and leave you lonelier than the people you tried to hurt.”
Just in time for the weekend comes this charming blend of sultry pop and R&B, courtesy of emerging Swedish artist RIVER and American rapper Lute.
‘We’ll Be Together’ sees nostalgic soulful tones set the scene for RIVER’s silvery vocals to deliver bold and punchy lyricism over an infectiously memorable melody.
“I wanted to make a song that both tapped into the music of old-school soul that I grew up with mixed with the attitude of current hip-hop. To get Lute on the track helped me reach that vision and took it all to another level.” – RIVER
Taken from the upcoming debut EP, which will be arriving later this year.
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With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, pop artist clide greets fans with uptempo track ‘HOTEL ROOM’.
Showcasing his ever-evolving musical sound, the guitar-driven song carries a punky essence and explores the complexities of love that aren’t often discussed during this time of year.
I’m cool, I’m cool with being friends, But I’m in your, in your bed again / I’m scared, too scared to make a move, Cause I can’t fall back in love with you
If you’re a fan of Fletcher, Charlotte Lawrence and Olivia O’Brien then you will be utterly mesmerised by ‘Only Way Out’.
This is a beautifully introspective and deeply moving piece of downtempo pop from Nashville-based songwriter & artist biz colletti and Hustle Standard.
“This song is about that moment when you realise you’ve been living your life for other people. When you wake up and know that you need to focus on yourself otherwise you will be completely lost. This is that moment of reckoning.”
North London rapper Coops returns with one of the sharpest hip hop releases of the week. Produced by long-standing collaborator Talos, ‘The Kid Is Back’ showcases a vibrant sound that pits Coops’ fizzing lyricism against a backdrop of boom-bap beats and scratching.
“A while ago now, me and Talos were talking about getting back to making music the same way we did when we made ‘Lost Soul.’ A lot of the music we have made since that project, we haven’t really sat in the studio together and locked in. This was one of many songs that came from those sessions. That classic Coops & Talos sound! The song is pretty self-explanatory… I’m back!”
The song is taken from Coops’ highly anticipated forthcoming new album, which is out soon.
Emerging from Lagos is fast-rising Nigerian musician Tim Lyre. A man of many talents, Lyre is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. His new single ‘Hubris’ explores Greek mythology and features North London rapper Lex Amor.
The song precedes the release of Lyre’s debut album ‘Worry < (‘worry less’)’ which is set for release in March.
Ahead of his forthcoming full-length project later this year, electro-soul artist Two Feet releases two beautifully emotive and melancholy singles – ‘Caviar’ and ‘Amy’.
‘Caviar’ touches on themes of jealousy and desire, while the lyrics aptly describe the intense push and pull of a toxic relationship.
As he approaches 2 billion overall streams to date, you can expect 2022 be the year that launches Two Feet even further into superstardom.
One of the most exciting Canadian releases this week comes courtesy of Quebec City artists 28. & The.Blind.Monkey, who’s new single ‘Say That You Love Me’ propels a melodic and old-school style of hip hop into the future.
The track found its inspiration during a breakdown in the partnership’s relationship; the pair had to reboot their priorities to understand each other better so that they could continue their pursuit both respectfully and truthfully.
Now commanding over 300k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, it’s safe to say Molly Hammar’s momentum is accelerating at an impressive pace. Her music has spread like wildfire all across Europe over the last year, and together with iconic french producer Bob Sinclair she even landed the top spot on Italian radio with ‘We Could Be Dancing’.
The release of new single ‘Tell Her’ will only continue push this artist into receiving the recognition she deserves. On the song, she says:
“‘Tell Her’ is written and based on a vision I’ve had about all the people who stay in relationships just because they feel comfortable and safe. The song is an anthem about how great things could be if you leave it for something that could potentially be amazing.”
The Swedish songstress has already received acclaim from the likes of BBC, Beats 1, Billboard, NYLON and Complex, and collaborated with the likes of Big Narstie and Ella Eyre.
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Mancunian artist Dan Fable is very quickly becoming one of my favourite emerging talents of late.
With his refreshingly authentic take on British indie-pop that features witty lyricism and catchy melodies, it feels only a matter of time before Fable hits the mainstream in a big way.
“This is a song I wrote about someone I used to know who was known locally as ‘Bisto’. It has recently gone viral on TikTok and seems to be loved by everyone who hears. I hope you feel the same.”
