Irish DJ and producer Shane Codd’s last single ‘Get Out My Head’ amassed over 125 million global streams and went top 10 in the UK charts.
With summer (albeit reluctantly) finally on it’s way, ‘Always On My Mind’ is sure to be one of the season’s dance-pop anthems.
Shane Codd | Charlotte Haining
One of the standout RnB talents to emerge from the US in recent years, Indiana talent Omar Apollo is back with a beautifully moving yet inventive sound in the form of new single ‘Go Away’.
“I used to think I wasn’t built for this because I’m just a kid from Indiana. But that thought is gone now. I know what to do. Everything just feels right.”
Omar Apollo’s North American tour kicks off later this month – tickets here.
A luxuriously produced piece of hazy RnB from London duo Temptress. Since their debut in 2016, this outfit have been writing, producing and directing all of their material, garnering over 3 million streams in the process.
“I wrote this song during lockdown. Life had slowed down, changed dramatically and provided time for reflection. The song is a cathartic release about my anxiety, and it’s been a long time coming.” – Jess, Temptress
Rising from the suburbs of Rochester in New York, Ronnie Watts is a talent who’s voice is immediately captivating to any listener who plays her songs.
‘car ride home’ is an ode to those unreciprocated feelings and mixed signals that leave your head spinning, and your heart confused.
“The song really came together for me when I wrote the lyric ‘things are prettier from farther away’. Especially with social media, it’s really easy to romanticise people and make up whatever about them to fit what you want. Everything seems way prettier when people only see the surface of your life, and not the cracks underneath.”
Conceptually unique and refreshingly original, Cero Ismael returns with ethereal-sounding and atmospheric new release ‘Publik’, a song that’s all about the euphoric moments in life that you never want to end.
“’Publik’ is about enjoying euphoric moments to the fullest. Within, by yourself or with company. Isolation and being inside were two topics that I, and I think a lot of people with me, got to witness in the last couple of months. ‘Publik’ is about still enjoying everything that is left and around you.”
Track of the week. Already a talent with a significant online fandom (over 3.2 million TikTok followers alone), Camylio will undeniably hit the mainstream very rapidly.
And yet, this artist’s musicianship is impressive on it’s own standing. Raw and emotive vocals compliment a classic production that sets the tone for a hugely emotional song.
“When you’re in a relationship, you share music and playlists. As soon as everything goes wrong and falls apart, you can’t even listen to the songs associated with that person anymore. You’ve broken up, and you’re trying to get yourself together. You’re attempting to move on and put the pieces back together. However, all you can fixate on is if your ex is going through something similar.”
A master of many talents, Charlotte Dos Santos is an independent producer, singer, composer and arranger.
After listening to ‘Away From You’, it’s little surprise to learn that this Norwegian Grammy Award nominee has already garnered over 20 million streams, earned recognition from the likes of Fader, Pitchfork, and Pigeons & Planes, and recorded a coveted COLORS session.
“I wanted to write an uplifting track after such a heavy year and especially after really longing for dancing, and being outside with friends and loved ones.”
Retro and nostalgic tones are complimented with moving vocals and a gorgeously dreamy melody on Yola’s new single. It doesn’t matter what genre’s of music you love; listening to ‘Starlight‘ is certain to touch your heart in some way.
Icelandic talent Máni Orrason has released one of the strongest pieces of indie-rock to come out of Iceland so far this year. ‘Change the World’ is a rousing and anthemic piece that is both captivating and emotive.
While singer and songwriter George O’Hanlon is still a fresh face within the British music scene, he’s already picking up considerable momentum thanks to support from heavyweights like BBC Introducing and Radio 1.
It’s easy to see why this 21 year-old from Dorking is so captivating; few can create tracks that give such a strong feeling of intensity and emotion as O’Hanlon can. Thanks to the release of his new single ‘The Weight’, I was able to ask this hugely promising artist some quick questions to learn more about him.
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s not heard your music before?
My sound is a combination of my influences, stuff like Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke, as well as being inspired by my life experiences and the world around me.
When did you realise that you wanted to become a musician?
I never thought of it like that, I just enjoyed playing the guitar and singing. I’ve always had a love for music.
How did it feel signing your record deal with a label as established as EMI?
It was a big change of course but it’s felt very natural and everyone’s been very welcoming.
Who would your dream collaboration be with?
Michael Kiwanuka or Phoebe Bridgers.
What artists do you draw upon for inspiration when you’re crafting your songs?
Loads but at the moment I’d probably say Nirvana and Radiohead.
What does the rest of the year have in store for you?
Hopefully getting out and playing more gigs! I’ll be recording more songs as well so that’s exciting.
Be sure to check George’s debut Mahogany session, featuring stripped back performances of both ‘The Storm’ and ‘The Weight’ here.
Bristol talent Harvey Causon returns today with ‘Corinthians’, a stunning piece of indietronica that feels conceptual and avant-garde, while also being dark and intriguing.
“’Corinthians’ references a metaphorical idea that a person’s being and psyche is a structure or building, with each supporting pillar representing networks, other people, therapies or habits. The track and video convey losing or having one of these pillars shatter and the lead message being to invest in others so as not to let the whole building collapse. The track became a personal reminder to open up to those around you so that ‘cracks don’t become tools‘.”
Causon will perform a headline show at London’s Corsica Studios on 6th October 2021. Tickets can be found here.
LA-based indie-pop talent thom.ko creates a kind of music that is near impossible not to enjoy and fall in love with. Listening to new single ‘Goodbye’ gives the listener equal doses of fun, playfulness and charm.
A fantastically catchy slice of electro-pop that will fill you with a desire to go out and dance the night away. If you’ve got your summer playlists set up, be sure to add ‘Don’t Say It’ immediately!
“This song is about the silent agreement between exes to not get back together. It’ll feel good for a moment and then you’ll be right back where you started so why even bother? Let’s just not. I wrote it after a breakup, imaging a scenario when we run into each other in the future. The chemistry’s still there. We still make each other laugh. But the relationship is fractured and one wrong turn, and I’ll end up running back into his arms because the good parts of love are intoxicating.”
Watch out for the EP, coming out later in the fall.
LA artist Bradley Denniston is one of those talents who’s already had an incredibly impressive career to date, yet you may never have heard of.
As a head engineer, composer and music producer, Denniston has worked on projects that have consequently gone on to achieve Grammy, Oscar and Emmy nominations. Today he releases solo single ’15 Minutes To Midnight’, and it’s a nostalgic blend of alt-pop and disco that is infectiously memorable.
“It’s all about that feeling of being out with someone that you have a thing for but they just don’t know it… Dancing all night long, drinking and having a moment when there’s a bit of hope that your crush might just be giving you a chance. Those close encounters where you want to tell them how you really feel about them and the moment is so close but also that window of opportunity is slipping away fast.”
No stranger to the Alfitude pages, Bryar returns today with a beautifully emotive piece of electro-pop that offers us a glimpse into the artist’s personal struggles.
“This song is like a page out of my diary. A very honest and hard look at myself and my bad habits that might keep me from better relationships. But I’m also really good at blaming myself and making myself the bad guy. So by the end of unraveling my thoughts I got to a place where I accepted myself and my issues and decided to love it all and be ok with not being perfect.”
Hailing from New York, cudos are a jazzy dance-pop duo who blend upbeat sounds with sad Gen-Z vibes to create a sound that is not only distinctly unique but also totally relatable.
“‘FeelSad’ started out as a beat that we made last year in March. We created it when we were both feeling sort of down about certain relationships within our respective lives. We sat on the idea for about five or so months and then started shopping it around. We then linked up with Jake and wrote to it over zoom. It only took one session and it came out great. We then went back and forth on production and minor vocal edits and it eventually became what it is today.”
Taken from the debut EP ‘Extra-Curriculars’ which is out now.
I reckon this is probably the sweetest-sounding pop release of the week. New York artist Carson James Argenna’s ‘Pride First’ is an infectiously catchy bop that feels emotive in the most charming way.
“My songwriting began when I was 15 and I’m really only just now starting to share some of the music I’ve written over the years. My style focuses heavily on melody and lyrics and I mostly work with other producers to bring it all to life.”
American talent Sophie Hunter has created an emo-trap banger through ‘Ketamine Breakfast’ that commands to be heard, featuring exceptional lyricism that is not only honest but captivating to listen to.
“During COVID I got addicted to ketamine and ended up losing my most important friendships. With no one left to turn to, I said f*** it and went to a studio for the first time. I’ve been clean ever since. Making music has been turning my life around, day by day – this song is a dispatch from the darkest depths.”
Assertive, bold and arresting hard-rock from American outfit Bruvvy. This is a sound that is refreshingly assured and unapologetically confident. On the song, vocalist Liz Varum says:
“I came to a boiling point when my boss at the time told me how unlikely it was that I was going to make it in the music industry and that I should always have a backup. Being that it was my millionth time hearing this, I got overwhelmed and decided to write a song dedicated to all the people who have underestimated me in the past.” – Liz Varum, Bruvvy
Taken from the upcoming EP ‘Little Heat’ which is out in August 2021.
A charming approach to indie-pop from Canadian talent Ellie Gadzos. With a style of music-making that is distinctively unique while still feeling familiar, this artist possesses a refreshing sense of self-assuredness and confidence that is on full display with debut single ‘Fiji.’
“I think everyone has wanted to run far away and restart at some point. When I wrote this song, I wished I could leave Ottawa behind and start fresh on a faraway island. At the time, rumours kept me apart from the person I had feelings for, and it made me think that if we could disappear and getaway, it would solve all of our problems.”
