New Music: Harry Stone

Photo / Daniyel Lowden

Track of the week. Harry Stone’s ‘Daydreaming’ has been on repeat for most of the weekend, purely based on its finessed and hypnotic twist on soul-pop.

Atmospheric and full of movement, the song is about the challenge to connect (least of all, dating in a pandemic) and ultimately how not to lose yourself around someone new.

“A song about personal space. I’m more emotional than I’d like to admit, which didn’t help me get a read on a situation where I could have protected my energy a little better. When I hear the track it reminds me how you never actually know you’re dreaming until you snap out of it.”

Harry Stone

New Music: Scoobert Doobert

If you’re in need of something to lift your mood, then artist and producer Scoobert Doobert’s ‘Let’s Move to the Top of a Mountain’ is the song for you.

Charming and tastefully cheerful in tone, the track is an uplifting nod to joyful living with a vast view, wrapped in a breezy pop hug.

“This song is about wanting to live in the middle of the Sierra Nevadas, where the air is thinner and the cell service even more scant. After years of constant screen time, I feel like it’s time to just watch the sunrise on a roof top with someone you love.”

Scoobert Doobert’s momentum is on the rise, with his work recently featured by the likes of Pitchfork, NME, Paste and The Fader among others. He also served as the producer to CHAI’s acclaimed single ‘WHOLE’.

Scoobert Doobert

noelle – 30k

Starting her year with an almighty bang, emerging Canadian songstress noelle is back with another supreme blend of R&B and pop – and with it the release of her new EP ’30k’.

“I’m really hoping that ’30k’ will be my big break and will get lots of radio play. I can’t wait for the first time I hear one of my songs on the radio! I really want to do some live shows and open for some bigger artists. I absolutely love singing live and can’t wait to be able to meet and connect with some of my fans at the shows. I’m going to keep writing a ton of songs and release as much music as I can.”

noelle

LOWES – Late Night Visions

With three A-Listed singles at BBC Radio 1 already under their belt, Lancashire trio LOWES are back with ‘Late Night Visions’.

The song serves listeners with a powerful and rousing melody, set over a dark and gritty pop production. Featuring an iconic sample from Loleatta Holloway, this track is sure to be your new weekend anthem.

“For us it’s the first set of songs we’ve put out into the universe that will be totally our own after a year of collaborations. Working with so many brilliant dance producers has been a fantastic, yet unplanned, surprise for us, and we have learnt so much, but now it’s time for us to get back to the pure LOWES vibe we set out to create when we first got together, taking on board a lot of the energy and style that we’ve been immersed in these past 12 months.” – Evie, LOWES

LOWES

New Music: Nick Mono

Still a relative newcomer and already picking up praise from the likes of NME and BBC Radio 1 – as well as playing sold-out London shows last year, 19 year old breakthrough artist Nick Mono is one talent to watch out for.

The gifted Londoner is both a writer and producer who crafts sun-soaked and hazy sounds, just like the superb new single ‘All The Money’.

“I wrote and produced it in my room during the first lockdown. During that time I was making a whole lot of songs and missing a whole lot of online classes in the process. I really want this song to become an indie classic that plays at parties in 10 years and gives people that sense of nostalgia that I get listening to Teenage Dirtbag or All The Small Things. How catchy the hook is gives me hope it can go on to be one of those songs.”

Taken from the upcoming EP ‘The Sun Won’t Stay After Summer’ which is out on 11th March 2022.

Nick Mono

Asbjørn – STB x Boyfriend

Photo / Johanna Hvidtved

Consistently delivering some of the most interesting sounds to come out of Denmark, Asbjørn never fails to impress with his releases.

New single ‘STB x Boyfriend’ is a masterclass in pop – with a simple yet sleek production, an infectiously memorable melody, engaging lyrics and a fabulous vocal performance; this is one song worthy of being added to your playlists for the weekend.

“By the end of 2018, I was living in Los Angeles for a little while, wrapping up the album in a cute house in Echo Park, where roosters woke me up every morning at 4 AM. I was falling for a guy who lived there, and one night I dreamt of him. In the dream our love affair was soundtracked by ‘STB x Boyfriend’, but in this around-the-bonfire sing-a-long version. When the roosters woke me up, I grabbed a guitar and sat down on the front porch to rewrite the lyrics. The song found a different nerve and rawness with the rusty guitar, that somehow fit the rather naive chorus, about a relationship that was bound to end before it even began.”

Taken from new album ‘Boyology’ which is out now.

Asbjørn

lozeak – Hate Me Too

London-based teenager and social media starlet lozeak returns today with a track that continues to showcase this talent’s extraordinary skill in songwriting.

New single ‘Hate Me Too’ is an arena anthem in the making that captures the anxiety felt by Gen Z.

“I wrote ‘Hate Me Too’ about a friend throwing away a friendship because of a stupid reason – where you have been made out to be a shitty person when you’re not. When I started going to London at 16 to work on my music I felt like I lost a lot of friends from Norwich because I was so busy and didn’t go home often. I found it frustrating when nobody understood at the time but writing angry songs like ‘Hate Me Too’ made me feel better about it.  The tone is quite sarcastic – joking that I would ‘Hate Me Too’ if I was my mate, when in reality I wouldn’t.”

lozeak

TOVI – Mad Melancholia

Toronto-based synth-rocker TOVI returns with an outstanding slice of electronica in the shape of new single ‘Mad Melancholia’. Adding elements of dark pop and psychedelic rock into the mix, the track feels distinctly unique in tone.

“‘Mad Melancholia’ is a song about mentally spiralling. Those late night/ early morning thoughts where it seems like everything is the absolute worst, the ones that keep you from falling asleep. Fading in and out of reality. I wanted the dramatic lyrics with the lullaby-like melody to feel a bit tongue in cheek, expressing this frustration of losing control of my own thoughts.”

TOVI

Moonlight Breakfast – Miss You

Austrian-based Romanian outfit Moonlight Breakfast are back today with what is undeniably one of the catchiest tunes that I have come across this week.

Their new single ‘Miss You’ uses harsh synths and combines them with smooth and dreamy vocals. The track is both dynamic and energetic, while still maintaining a sweet and nostalgic feel.

“If anything, we all need to hear ‘Hey, everything will be OK’ every once in a while. The ‘Miss You’ chorus is something we’ve definitely all felt during the past two years. What starts off as a love song ends up being much more than that. It could easily be a song that sums up what we’ve all been feeling. Whether it’s missing someone, missing your friends, missing face to face conversations, missing dancing in a room full of people and the list is long.”

Moonlight Breakfast

New Music: Liv Cartier

London and Manchester based singer songwriter Liv Cartier is one of the most exciting prospects that I have come across this week. With a distinctly dark approach to alt-pop, this artist creates songs with haunting soundscapes that are rich in character and intensity.

New single ‘Hello Morning Sun’ navigates the rocky terrain that comes with taking accountability for the state of your mental health.

“The most important thing about bettering your mental health is acknowledging you need help, which is also the hardest part. It’s so easy to find solace in uncomfortable spaces and accepting that thats all that is meant for you. ‘Hello Morning Sun’ talks about breeching that space to find better. it has that dark undertone heavily throughout but there is some light to be found within it.”

Liv Cartier

New Music: FINE, whatever

In an epic display of commitment, Swedish talent FINE, whatever plans to release a song every month for the next two years.

And in my books, that could well be an interesting thing to experience. Songs take inspiration from bands like Gorillaz and are infused with elements of old school emo pop. The end result is a sound that is pop-driven yet also heart-wrenching, taking on the concept of what it is to be feeling out of place.

“Doing a song in a day sometimes makes stuff much more honest, no story to hide behind just me and my problems. I think it is beautiful in a way.”

FINE, whatever

Visit the Alfitude Scandinavia Sound Playlist

New Music: HAWD HITTA

Inspired by the likes of Avicii, Oliver Heldens, Sigala, and Calvin Harris, Los Angeles-based HAWD HITTA is an electronic artist, producer, DJ crafting some of the most exciting house music to emerge from California.

Featuring the talents of Rogelio, ‘See Me’ is an emotive and anthemic piano house track that reminds us we are never alone in life, and invites us to come together with those we love most through the power of music.

“By coming together, we alleviate the world’s stresses, pains and troubles. Life’s trials and tribulations are always easier with someone you care about by your side, and ‘See Me’ (feat. Rogelio) is a reminder of that.” – HAWD HITTA

Having already performed over 30 shows in ten different states across the US, as well as gaining recognition from the likes of Clinton Sparks and MORTEN, this could well be HAWD HITTA’s time to hit the mainstream.

HAWD HITTA | Rogelio Douglas Jr.

New Music: adam brian paul

Emerging from Montreal as one of Canada’s most exciting newcomers is artist adam brian paul.

With his striking fusion of indie and lo-fi pop, this talent delivers a sound that feels raw and authentic, all the while using his distinctive vocals to deliver thought-provoking lyricism.

Taken from upcoming album ‘For The Good’ which is out soon.

adam brian paul

Abby Power – Private Moments

Hailing from North West London, rapper and songwriter Abby Power has already been writing and recording music for over a decade. After taking a 5-year break from the industry, she came back in 2020 with a string of releases and collaborations – and hasn’t stopped since!

With beats inspired by Drake and Jay Z, new track ‘Private Moments’ is a love song that was produced by Blacksurfer, showcasing a fine blend of old-school hip hop and pop.

“This is a track where I wanted to celebrate the one I love, and also create a relationship track that others can relate to.”

Taken from the new EP ‘influenced’ which is out now.

Abby Power

JT Roach – Limelight

American singer-songwriter JT Roach returns today with a sublime and refreshingly original fusion of indie and stripped-back electronica.

Delicately subtle and airy in tone, ‘Limelight‘ carries a rousing melody that is paired with riveting vocals.

“I wrote this song when I was living in a hallway and writing demos out of a walk-in closet in an artist commune house in Silverlake. I was also falling in love with someone at the time. I hear a new meaning to this song every time I listen to it, but it currently makes me think about how I moved to LA to find fame and fortune but the best thing I found since moving here was the love of my life, ‘my limelight’. The sounds of crunching leaves, rainfall, a fireplace, and other natural sounds of Northwoods Wisconsin are scattered throughout the song. I wrote it in California but it has the sonic characteristics of where I consider to be home, which is Wisconsin.”

JT Roach

Floyd Fuji – INSIDE

Floyd Fuji’s ‘INSIDE’ meets at the intersection of nostalgia and futurism perfectly. With its dreamy and soulful tones, this is a song that immediately casts a love spell on any listener.

Born in Virginia and residing in Los Angeles, Floyd Fuji has already performed in the house band for Kanye West’s Sunday Service and also collaborated in sessions with the likes of Anderson .Paak and Babyface.

Floyd Fuji

New Music: Caroline & Claude

Delivering a truly original take on pop, Australian sibling duo Caroline & Claude make infectiously timeless sounds with a charmingly literal and refreshingly direct approach.

“We wrote ‘It’s Not That Bad’ quite recently. The song is pretty self explanatory; our candid lyrics discuss the complexity of moving out of a relationship. The song is saying – we’ve both got baggage, but we’ll be okay, I can help you and you can help me – it’s not that bad”. – Caroline, Caroline & Claude

Caroline & Claude

BoyWithUke – Long Drives

After going viral and garnering hundreds of millions of streams independently, singer, songwriter and producer BoyWithUke releases new single ‘Long Drives’.

The song was first teased on TikTok (where he has over 2.5 million followers) as part of his ‘minute long songs‘ project, joining previous breakout hit ‘Toxic‘ which has picked up whopping 400 million global streams.

“‘Long Drives’ is about having a long distance relationship and constantly overthinking about the other person.”

BoyWithUke joins AJR on their upcoming North American tour this summer, which kicks off in May.

BoyWithUke