Kirsten Izer – Electric Blue

LA-based talent, Kirsten Izer, is back on our pages with a powerful new single that deserves your attention!

‘Electric Blue’ is a beautifully emotional and sincere song that seamlessly applies bossa nova rhythms over an alternative pop production, resulting in a sound that is unlike anything we’ve heard. The track was co-produced along with Randall Belculfine and looks at the legacy that love leaves within us. Izer explains:

“It was one of those songs where I didn’t even really understand what it was about until it was complete. Each lyric felt very soft, like a natural fit, and conveyed kind of a duelling positive and negative feeling I’ve had simultaneously for one person, which was turning out to be a common theme in a lot of my songs.”

The song serves as a taster to Izer’s forthcoming debut EP, titled ‘The Perfect Hire’, which is scheduled for release on 5th June 2025. We’ve been fans of Izer’s work for some time now, so be sure to keep this artist on your radars!

Kirsten Izer

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Mobley – Yesterday’s Another Day

Photo / Mobley

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Critic’s favourite Mobley is, without a doubt, one of the US’s most exciting creatives. This Austin-based multi-disciplinarian counts being a singer, songwriter, producer and filmmaker as only a few of his talents.

‘Yesterday’s Another Day’ is a stunning release that we’ve been obsessed with. The track is lifted from Mobley’s forthcoming ‘We Do Not Fear Ruins’ album, which is out on the 23rd of April 2025 (pre-save here).

The song itself is paired with some equally impressive visuals that give listeners a glimpse into the album’s concept, which centres around a character called Jacob Creedmoor – a fictitious band singer from the 80s.

“In the last proper song on the album, the central character Jacob marvels at the durability of his passion for his lost love. He shrugs off his self-consciousness about living in the past with a cheeky modification of the aphorism ‘tomorrow’s another day.’” – Mobley

Mobley

New Music: David July

Hailing from Vancouver in British Columbia, David July (aka Trevor Donohoe) is a Canadian artist who we’re very excited to be sharing with you today.

Already a prominent name in the Canadian new-music scene, this talent’s momentum has grown substantially in recent months, with songs like ‘One More Time’ only further boosting his popularity. This track blends dark pop with hip hop in a captivating way, leaving listeners craving for more.

“One More Time” is a song about a failed relationship and being stuck in a loop of wanting to try again and again, saying, Let’s do this” one more time.”

With more than 500k career streams to date, as well as praise from the likes of Hip Hop Canada and Sidedoor Magazine, we anticipate July’s music to hit the North American mainstream very soon!

David July

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DROZ – rollin’

DROZ returns with what we think, in our humble opinions, is his best work to date (although let’s face it, this guy hasn’t released a track that we haven’t fallen head over heels in love with).

‘rollin” is unveiled ahead of a summery weekend here in the UK (fingers crossed) and treats us to a heady mix of disco, funk and electronic pop. Aside from its finessed production, this song has one of the catchiest melodies we’ve come across all week.

You can check out more of DROZ’s bangers, including his 2024 EP ‘everybody must have a fantasy’ right here.

DROZ

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Fintan McKahey – Higher Place

Ireland is quite the hotbed for indie-pop talent right now, with artists like Fintan McKahey showcasing some of the country’s most exciting new sounds.

‘Higher Place’ presents listeners with a mellow fusion of indie, rock, and lo-fi pop. The track’s soundscape sets a beautiful scene for McKahey’s lyricism to shine through, encouraging us to rid ourselves of the past and to look forward to the future.

The song serves as somewhat of a comeback for the artist, who has focused his attention on being a father over the past few years. Fintan’s music has garnered praise from outlets like Hot Press magazine, TodayFM, and JOE.ie, while his songs have amassed more than two million streams on Spotify alone.

Fintan McKahey

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New Music: MUANH

MUANH is a rising Vietnamese-German musician who spent much of her childhood living between the US and Germany.

Growing up while also moving homes can take quite the toll on any young person, and so, ‘Ever Since’ is a song addressing the loneliness and feelings of not belonging.

This introspective track tells of the insecurities that MUANH has had to tackle, all for the sake of ‘fitting in’ to her surroundings, while also finding ways to accept and embrace those thoughts. As she explains:

“Growing up between the U.S. and Germany as child, with a Vietnamese mother and a German father, I learned early on how to adapt – how to blend in just enough, to not take up too much space. I spent most of my childhood in the Southwest German countryside in spaces where no one really looked like me, where I felt like I had to leave parts of myself behind just to be accepted. That feeling never really left.

It followed me into everything, into my choices, into the way I carry myself, into the constant push and pull between doing what’s expected and doing what actually feels like me. I took the safe path, became a teacher, but music has always been the thing that keeps pulling me back. Still, no matter how much I do, I never feel like I’m fully present in either world. Like I’m stretched too thin, juggling too much, and still feeling like I’m falling short.

‘Ever Since’ came from that place. From the exhaustion of constantly trying to fit in, from second-guessing myself every time I walk into a room. From that quiet, lingering voice asking, Did I say something wrong? Did I act weird? It’s about how easy it is to lose yourself in expectations, whether they come from other people or from yourself.”

Despite MUANH being a recent discovery to us, we’re pleased to see that this talent has already racked up thousands of streams on Spotify from previous singles – all of which you can explore here.

MUANH

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club hearts – real life on a screen

We’ve been fans of Barrett Bleeden’s club hearts for over a year now, so we’re pleased to see that there’s a new single from the artist out today called ‘real life on a screen’.

The track blends alternative pop with rock, synth and R&B, resulting in a sound that is refreshingly eccentric but still easy to listen along to and connect with.

In our opinion, it’s near impossible not to find some kind of love for this song, so hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as we have!

club hearts currently commands more than 10k monthly listeners on Spotify and has amassed over 250k streams from only four releases.

club hearts

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Sienna Melgoza – differently now

LA-based starlet Sienna Melgoza is back with one of the most moving pieces of pop music that we’ve heard in quite a while.

‘differently now’ is an introspective song that encourages us to think about the hardships that we can face, and learn from them – so that we can look after ourselves more and strive for better lives.

“‘differently now’ is about loving yourself in a way you haven’t loved yourself before. Recognizing destructive patterns within yourself that cause you to stay in an unhealthy situation with someone that is not meant for you, or even good for you. Sometimes you have to look to the darkness to get to the light. I am figuring out how to treat myself differently while continuously learning what I deserve from myself and from others.”

For those unacquainted with Sienna, this immensely talented singer-songwriter has been active in the music industry from the age of 13, building a name for herself as a multi-genre artist who serves as a storyteller through her music.

Sienna Melgoza

New Music: Simón

Hailing from Miami, Simón is a promising newcomer who blends rap with trap and dark pop to create powerful and captivating sounds.

New single ‘ROSES’ is a great taster of this artist’s work. The track highlights the frustrations and strong feelings of pain that are triggered from having your heart broken.

But more so, Simón explains that the song is “about calling out the façade of love when it’s really just another game. It’s about knowing when to walk away and realizing that sometimes, the best thing you can do is save your roses for another time.”

You can explore more of Simón’s music on Spotify here.

Simón

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MKSTN – Omni Eyes

Canadian up-and-comer MKSTN returns today with a sensational piece of electronic pop that is really quite captivating.

‘Omni Eyes’ invites listeners to a world that is both enchanting and mesmerising. The track’s production (with help from the iconic Omnichord instrument) evolves from a delicate electronic beat into a cinematic fusion of dreamy pop and alternative rock.

“‘Omni Eyes’ is a lush, layered, multi-faceted universe, existing to be seen through a window into MKSTN‘s own soul.”

The song serves as a taster to the artist’s next album, which is scheduled for release this May. In the meantime, you can explore more of MKSTN’s music on Spotify.

MKSTN

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Chaz Marcus – All The Way Down

Chaz Marcus is back just in time for the weekend with a catchy new single that deserves to be on everyone’s playlists.

‘All The Way Down’ is a fun R&B-pop song that carries strength in its simplicity. The beat structure is minimal, allowing for Chaz’s melodic vocals and lyrics to shine through.

It’s a refreshing approach to a genre that often shies away from the ‘less is more’ approach and fits with Chaz’s ethos:

“For me, it’s not about following trends—I prefer to set them.”

Chaz is an artist on the rise. From his early career on Broadway to working with the likes of Usher, this is a talent to keep an eye on.

Chaz Marcus

New Music: Emma Tea

Emma Tea is a London-based singer and songwriter who came across our radars this week with a catchy pop bop that we’re excited to share with you.

‘so sick’ looks at the moments when we find ourselves falling in love, despite our intentions not to. The track mirrors Emma’s style of work, which takes her raw emotions and thoughts and applies them to interesting alt-pop productions. Elaborating further on the new single, Emma says:

“It captures the messy spiral of liking someone you wish you didn’t — a chaotic blend of obsession, frustration, and self-sabotage. It’s an upbeat, danceable track for anyone who’s ever battled with feelings they wish they didn’t have. Sinking deep, whilst desperately trying to stay afloat.”

This self-taught multi-instrumentalist is enjoying some great momentum right now, garnering more than 100k career streams to date on Spotify alone.

Emma Tea

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GUNNAR – Upside Down

Photo / The Young Astronauts

TRACK OF THE WEEK

GUNNAR’s musical evolution recently has been quite extraordinary. The LA-based singer and songwriter has piqued our interest of late thanks to his take on alternative rock, with the new single, ‘Upside Down’, being on rotation ever since we picked up on it earlier this week.

The track is lifted from the artist’s upcoming ‘Sun Faded’ album (out on the 6th of June – pre-order here), of which he says:

“It’s hard to box this album into one theme. A lot of life has happened over the last few years, and I think these new songs show that. A lot of growth, rolling with the punches as they come, and accepting that I can’t control what happens. Sometimes that mentality is exactly what makes a difference.”

If you’re based in the US, then you can catch GUNNAR this autumn on his first-ever headline tour, with shows planned all across the country. You can grab your tickets here.

GUNNAR

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GUNNAR Upside Down Tour 2025

  • 10.9 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
  • 10.10 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
  • 10.12 – Detroit, MI – Magic Bag
  • 10.14 – Washington D.C. – Songbyrd DC 
  • 10.15 – Boston, MA – Café 939
  • 10.17 – NYC, NY – Mercury Lounge
  • 10.19 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Altar
  • 10.21 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
  • 10.23 – Dallas, TX – Three Links
  • 10.25 – Denver, CO – Lost Lake
  • 10.26 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
  • 10.29 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo

Xav Clarke – None of It’s Yours Anyway

If you’re in the mood for some quirky indie-pop, then we’ve got a talent from the UK to share with you today called Xav Clarke.

Despite being a new name to most, Clarke is actually an award-winning composer who is no stranger to the music world. His new single, ‘None Of It’s Yours Anyway’, is a brilliant sound that is not only refreshingly unique but also really fun in its style of production.

‘At the time I was writing songs for an indie documentary, and this song was initially just a late-night brain dance that I sang and strummed into my cassette recorder.“ I forgot about it and discovered it again for the album sessions. I took it into the studio with Mike, and we noticed how much momentum was latent in the song that could be brought to life!! We kept the cassette recording and built on top of it, adding drums by the amazing James Vine (of Waldo’s Gift) and turned it into a pumping bopper in the style of some of my favourite songs, like ‘Dancing In The Dark’ or ‘Just Like Heaven’.”

An upcoming album by Xav, called ‘Fossil Forest’ (produced by Mike Lindsay), is out soon, along with an accompanying tour starting 10th May in Southampton. You can check out the full schedule and get your tickets here.

Xav Clarke

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New Music: Jammy

Jammy is one of the most exciting discoveries of the month. This US-based talent has already amassed well over two million career streams to date, and when you play his new single, ‘say nun’, you might understand why.

This artist is not afraid to experiment with genres. This track infuses electronic pop with UK jungle and adds an odd yet genius twist through an organ sample. The song is lifted from an upcoming visual EP called ‘CRASHDUMMIE’, which touches on a range of subjects, from politics to our own internal struggles with doubt.

Jammy’s work has already been covered by outlets like White Crate, EARMILK and more, so this is definitely a name to watch for in the coming months.

Jammy

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New Music: Ava McCoy

Ava McCoy is an emerging singer and songwriter who has a unique perspective, as someone who has experienced both the rural life of Oregon and the bustling world of New York.

McCoy creates sounds that fuse indie with folk and rock in thoughtfully considered ways. ‘Dragonfly’ is sonically gentle and balanced, but its lyrics are powerful. The song was inspired by the artist after finding a dead dragonfly in her kitchen:

“At that time in my life, I wasn’t eating, and I was the smallest I had ever been. I went to the doctor weekly out of concern for my well-being, but I was being praised by the person I loved for the drastic changes in my body.”

So if you’re someone who feels lost and is trying to find your true self again, then this song might resonate with you.

‘Dragonfly’ serves as the title track to McCoy’s upcoming album, which is out on the 30th of May via Acrophase Records.

Ava McCoy

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New Music: MICAH

We’ve got a very exciting UK-based newcomer to share with you today, called MICAH. Originally hailing from South Africa, this promising musician crafts a very special style of sound that fuses indie-pop with soft rock.

New single ‘Glimmer’ showcases the artist’s work in a beautiful way. The track’s lyrics are inspired by the small moments in our days when we feel happiness:

“‘Glimmer’ represents a micro-moment of joy—the subtle, yet powerful experiences that bring comfort, safety, and a renewed sense of hope.”

The song is lifted from the singer’s upcoming ‘Psyche’ EP, which is out soon. Until then, we’d encourage you to visit MICAH’s Spotify, where you can also listen to her previous single, the equally brilliant ‘MIRROR’.

MICAH

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New Music: Jaydi Zavala

If you’re in the mood for something a little different, then we’ve got the perfect bop for you.

Taken from her ‘Cool Girl’ collection of songs (out now), ‘complicated’ is a track by US-based indie artist Jaydi Zavala and is genuinely unlike anything we’ve heard before in quite some time.

The track’s bouncy production serves us with an interesting array of sonic textures, while the chorus will almost certainly play on loop in your minds for the rest of the day.

“The lyrics play out a scene of Jaydi and a man having a conversation about where Jaydi was last night. She flirts between letting the truth be known or remaining a mystery. Then in the chorus, she confidently owns up to being ‘complicated’.”

To date, Jaydi’s music has accumulated more than 200k streams on Spotify alone, and we think she’s one to keep on your radars.

Jaydi Zavala

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Charlotte OC – God, We Tried

Artwork / Stewart Baxter

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Acclaimed British singer and songwriter Charlotte OC has yet to release a single that we haven’t fallen head over heels in love with, so it won’t come as a surprise when we tell you that her new single, ‘God, We Tried’, is truly incredible.

The song grew out of a situation in the artist’s life when the passing of her father led her to be in a relationship that wasn’t right. The powerful and raw lyrics touch on themes of unhealthy love, as well as loss and grief.

“This song is deeply personal to me, I started writing it after my dad passed away. In my grief, I ended up in a relationship that probably wasn’t the healthiest choice for me, and I wasn’t truly allowing myself to heal. If I think about it, all I wanted was a male figure in my life, to fill a void. ‘God, We Tried’ reflects the end of that relationship and the emotional complexity of trying to make something work when it really wasn’t right. It’s about love, loss, and the struggle to move forward while still processing deep grief.”

It’s rare to see musicians with profiles as noted as Charlotte OC deliver songs this personal, and we have no doubt that this song will help a lot of people going through similar situations in their own worlds.

Charlotte OC

Sea Glass + Madge – Pencils

Cover Art / Studio Mocky

We weren’t quite sure how a Sea Glass and Madge collaboration would end up sounding, but it is, in fact, a wonderful thing.

‘Pencils’ is a chilled yet playful indie song that perfectly marries an eccentric production with charming vocals. Speaking on the creation of the track, Sea Glass says:

“This song is a couple years in the making. I wrote the inst demo right after I wrapped what became my first LP. In 2023 I went to SXSW thinking I’d find someone to sing on the song. That didn’t happen, so I sent it around to artists I could hear singing on it. I got unanimously good feedback but no one jumped on board…

“A year or more later, I got linked up with Madge by a mutual friend to work on something together. Their song “Saraghina” immediately made me think of “anyone’s guess” (the original demo title). Luckily, Madge liked the demo. The song was finished like an hour and a half later. The way Madge has with infectious melodies is bananas.”

Both Sea Glass and Madge have graced our pages in the past. In the years since, these two talents have respectively built up quite the fanbase from not only music lovers but also tastemakers like Wonderland Magazine and BBC Radio 1.

Sea Glass | Madge