Oliver Keane – 3am

Undoubtedly one of my favourite UK newcomers, Oliver Keane unveils his biggest sound yet with ‘3am’.

Hundreds of thousands of fans have been patiently waiting for the release of the song after Oliver uploaded an early demo of the track to TikTok last year.

With its raspy and effortless vocals, clever phrasing and a guitar, the track that was quickly written on the toilet eventually over half a million views!

“I wrote ‘3am’ in the space of 20 minutes and it’s still my favourite song so far. It’s the staple track – it’s my Wembley song.” 

Oliver Keane

WIINSTON – blood moon

Track of the week. Danish outfit WIINSTON has been on my radar for a good few years – and yet still they continue to surprise and impress with their releases.

‘blood moon’ is an immediately arresting piece of melodic alt-R&B that feels richly atmospheric and beautifully raw in tone.

WIINSTON is made up of producer/songwriter Alfred Thomas and singer/songwriter Daniel Richards; two longtime friends who write, record, and produce most of their music in Thomas’s one-room apartment. The duo rarely invite other musicians into their sessions – favouring one-on-one collaboration instead.

WIINSTON

carolesdaughter – Target Practice

Gold-certified alt pop artist carolesdaughter returns today with an almighty anthem in the form of new single ‘Target Practice’.

Equally impressive is the accompanying music video, which collates her high school experience of being bullied at no less than five schools into a moment of empowerment.

“I wrote ‘Target Practice’ as an anthem for the misfits. My mom always told me if you got made fun of in school, it meant you were going to do well in life – and this song is what I wish I could’ve said.” 

carolesdaughter joins nothing,nowhere. on tour this spring, with tickets are available here.

carolesdaughter

Kid Bloom – I Fell in Love Again

Photo / Nikoli Partyeli

Kid Bloom never fails to impress with his releases. The Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist returns today with a gorgeously dreamy slice of pop in the shape of new single ‘I Fell in Love Again’.

“The song is about falling in love with yourself and the happiness that comes along with it.”

Kid Bloom

New Music: Pep Squad

Photo / Brynne Zaniboni

Emerging from Los Angeles come alt-rock group Pep Squad, who create sounds that are infectiously feel-good and playfully eccentric in equal measures.

‘Little Game’ sees the band showcase their punk roots, while also drawing influences from hip hop that line up perfectly with the rock groove of the track. This is one song that really should be on everyone’s playlists for the weekend ahead.

“With the ‘Little Game’ music video, we wanted to lean into a similar vibe that we were inspired by when we wrote the song. We looked to Missy Elliot, late 90’s and early 2000’s hip hop videos, and mixed in our riot girl, punk rock energy.”

Pep Squad

New Music: KLARK

One of the stand-out releases of the week comes courtesy of emerging talent KLARK. This San Francisco Bay Area artist seamlessly blends pop with R&B to create anthemic bops, often featuring confessional lyrics about his unapologetically queer, Asian-American identity.

“‘New Air’ is about starting over – actively choosing to remove yourself from a toxic environment and finding a new, kinder atmosphere. I was inspired by the promise of the New Year and wanted to celebrate all those who are making space for new people, patterns, and practices in 2022.”

KLARK

Hollow Graves – Borderline

Photo / Jake Chirico

Canadian outfit Hollow Graves craft a superb blend of indie, dream pop and rock. The result is a mesmerising sound that feels refreshingly bold and hugely enjoyable.

Their latest release ‘Borderline’ serves as a story that tells of a someone whose personal struggles are being spread to friends and family in a negative way.

“Even though you may try to help a struggling friend, you might not be able to affect positive change until they can help themselves first.”

Hollow Graves

New Music: Jordan Pratt

Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Jordan Pratt delivers a beautifully delicate and tender approach to indie folk that feels deeply profound, emotive and captivating.

Inspired by the likes of Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Big Thief, Pratt was a finalist in the 2020 John Lennon Songwriting Competition, as well as a participant in the Johnny Mercer Songwriting Project of 2021.

Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘The Deepest of Blues‘ which will be released on 18th March 2022.

Jordan Pratt

New Music: GRLS

Latin American duo GRLS create a style of music that feels tastefully eccentric while still pushing the boundaries of psychedelic pop.

Latest single ‘fool for love’ features a surreal yet beautiful fusion of of breezy guitar, swirling synths and agile beats.

“‘fool for love’ was conceived with our friend and singer Jack O’Connor, while we were studying at Berklee College of Music. We used our dorm room as a makeshift recording studio using only a computer, microphone, and guitar. This song talks about love and psychedelic thoughts.”

GRLS

New Music: Jack Kane

Hailing from Hertfordshire is 21-year old singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack Kane.

Through his beautifully distinctive vocals and special style of alt-pop, this talent was able to garner over 100,000 fans across his social media before he had even released his first single.

New single ‘Come To Terms’ was inspired by classic writers and vintage sounds, lyrically taking you through the highs and lows of early love and heartbreak.

With support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Record Of The Day and Crack In The Road, it’s safe to say that Jack Kane is one British talent to keep an eye out for over the next year.

Jack Kane

New Music: Angel Rider

A hugely exciting new talent to emerge of late, UK-based artist Angel Rider fuses a unique sense of charm and character into her style of hyperpop.

Melancholic bop ‘Winter’ encapsulates the moment when you realise the days are mostly dark, the flowing creativity of the other seasons has gone and the winter sadness hits.

Angel Rider

Johnning – What The Hell

Gothenburg singer and songwriter Johnning is no stranger to working with hits; his release of ‘Heroes Tonight’ with Janji picked up over 200 million YouTube plays and more than 100 million Spotify streams – achieving gold status in Sweden and Norway.

Today sees the release of his first single of the year, featuring punk-inspired guitars and a heavy-hitter chorus inspired by the glory days of EDM from the 2010’s.

“The idea of the song is to tell yourself to have the guts to take the leap, and dare to commit yourself to that special one you might have feelings for.”

Johnning

Charles Fauna – Diner

Inspired by the likes of New Order, Coldplay and classic 80’s pop, Charles Fauna’s melancholic new release ‘Diner’ delivers a sound that feels nostalgic and emotive in tone, while still carrying a certain pop sensibility that allows the song to easily connect with any listener.

“‘Diner’ is a story song. It’s about a teenage girl whose mother is absent. Her father was always reluctant to have children, only really doing so for the mother. So when the mom is out of the picture the father withdraws from the daughter. He can’t look at her without being reminded of the wife that he will never have again. The girl is left alone in her pain because of her father’s behaviour. She decides that if her birth family won’t be there for her, that she must venture forth to create a new family of her own. The open choruses of this song are meant to soundtrack her driving away from that childhood home, pedal to the metal, heartbroken yet for the first time in her life – truly free.”

Charles Fauna

Khazali – Passion Controller

Rising Hackney star Khazali delivers a deep-house inspired soul-pop gem in the form of new single ‘Passion Controller’. Equally nostalgic as it is future-forward, this is one song that deserves to be on your Playlists for the weekend ahead.

Taken from his forthcoming EP ‘The Rush’, which is due out later this year.

Khazali

Watch: Greta Isaac – NUH UH

Greta Isaac serves us all with an almighty bop through her latest release ‘NUH UH’. Thanks to an electric blend of pop, folk and alternative rock, this artist continues to win praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, PAPER, NOTION, The Line of Best Fit and Wonderland, making her one of the most exciting recent prospects to emerge from Wales. Speaking of the visual counterparts to the song, Greta said: 

“The artwork for me sort of mirrors the transformation that happens when that spark is ignited. Me and Suzie Walsh, my stylist and creative director, wanted to create an image that felt like a primal alluring shiny object, to entice someone or something. I’m wearing a dress made entirely of emergency foil blankets by designer Gloria Jane Royer. It reminded me of how a magpie forages for shiny objects that could feel quite mundane to us, but are captivating through the eyes of someone seeking it.” 

Forthcoming EP ‘I Think You’d Hate It Here’ will be released on 1st April 2022.

Greta Isaac

Tai Verdes – LAst dAY oN EaRTh

Photo / Austin Cieszko

Breakout TikTok star Tai Verdes returns with his introspective new single ‘LAst dAY oN EaRTh’.

True to form, this melody-driven indie-pop release once again showcases Tai’s effortlessly cool and mellow sound, giving the song a certain sense of timelessness.

“I made this song for the purpose of reflection. I want everyone to listen to this song, you know… really listen to it. To stop, breathe in the air, feel, think about where they are, and realise that this isn’t gonna last forever, and by ‘this’ I mean life. Sometimes, life’s journey can feel long, sometimes it feels short, but we all know it’s going to end. It’s kind of like jumping out of a plane. We’re all in the freefall, and sometimes we just get so caught we don’t realise it. Time for everyone to see the world in HD.”

Tai Verdes

second thoughts – who cares

Emerging four-piece UK indie group second thoughts return today with their anthemic new release, ‘who cares’.

The song was inspired by the likes of Pavement and Bombay Bicycle Club, fusing elements of indie, pop and alt-rock to create an uplifting sound that captures the hopeful optimism of British teenage life.

With previous support from the likes of Clash and NOTION, as well as a large and loyal fanbase on TikTok and Instagram, this outfit’s prominence will only continue to grow over the year ahead.

second thoughts