Danish wonderkid Alexander Oscar is back with an almighty banger of a pop tune that’s near impossible not to fall in love with.
Alexander Oscar – One More Dance
New Music: Saint Rien
Blending a finessed fusion of soul, RnB and indie-pop into a captivatingly unique sound, Australian-born and LA-based artist Saint Rien has made one of the most loveable songs of the week.
Delara – Swole
Norwegian talent Delara has become a musical institution in her native homeland. The singer, songwriter and record producer now commands well over 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and with the release of the sensational ‘Swole’ it seems like the rest of the world is finally waking up to this tremendous artist.
New Music: Max Leo
Hailing from East Yorkshire in England, up-and-coming talent Max Leo is already becoming an exciting addition to the British music scene. His debut brings a fresh take on pop with it’s nonchalant bassline and razor-sharp lyricism that shows a deep sense of emotional openness.
“‘Breaking My Heart’ is not an idealistic break up song, it’s a realistic one.”
Nasty Cherry – Her Body
You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who dislikes Nasty Cherry. The wildly popular group (who were founded by the legendary Charli XCX) continue to cause a frenzy; they’ve already garnered over 14 million global streams since their debut in 2019.
Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘The Movie’ which is set for release on 2nd April 2021 via Vroom Vroom Recordings.
New Music: The Orphan The Poet
Based out of Columbus in Ohio, The Orphan The Poet are two friends crafting a fun, punchy and infectiously addictive alt rock sound.
And their formula is already getting them attention from outlets across the world, having been featured by the likes of BBC Radio 1, SiriusXM’s Alt Nation, and KROQ.
Eliza Shaddad – Blossom
Sudanese-Scottish artist Eliza Shaddad returns today with a gorgeously intricate blend of indie and folk, fused with hints of traditional Sudanese music. Look out for those characteristic strings and oud; it’s truly a sound like none other.
Raised across seven countries, Shaddad is the daughter of a Sudanese astrophysicist and a Scottish diplomat. Critically acclaimed by the likes of The Times, The Independent, The Fader and Rolling Stone, the next twelve months look set to be exciting as she undertakes an ambitious project with the help of Arts Council England and Jerwood Arts.
Tom Williams – Follow The Leader
A song driven by feelings of anger, confusion and resentment at those left behind by decisions made by the British political establishment, Tom Williams releases powerfully gripping new single ‘Follow The Leader’.
Fans of Williams will notice a shift from his traditional style of music-making; this record marks a new phase of embracing more experimental approaches to his work.
“I swung between total despair and absolute elation during the recording process of this song. Some days it felt new and exciting and other days it felt like I was trying to be something I’m not. I love a lot of different genres of music and a lot of them have never made their way into my own music. I found myself creatively hemmed in by the precedent of a decade of my own music. It took me a while to realise I didn’t need to add to it, I needed to start again.”
Taken from the upcoming album ‘Follow The Leader’.
CHINAH – Ideal
Haunting yet deliciously infectious, Danish outfit CHINAH unleash their new album ‘Feels Like Forever’ with the release of new single ‘Ideal’.
Interestingly, the album born through the group’s unique method of sending small melodious cuts to one other – ideas that then grew into a project which ultimately stopped the group from disintegrating.
“We are quite bad at being in sync with each other’s lives. However, the music is keeping us together. We expose ourselves to one another by sharing something unfinished and fragile. This is without being able to see how they react when they listen to it. But the experience is time and time again that the idea is welcomed, and it develops into a song that none of us could have made this special individually or with others.” – Simon Kjær, CHINAH
Taken from the new album ‘Feels Like Forever’ which is out now.
lleo – Bipolar
While on the surface this song comes across as a delightfully chirpy pop bop, listen closely to the lyricism and you begin to understand a more meaningful undertone that addresses mental health in a thoughtfully considered way.
Isaia Huron – Self!
A gorgeously intricate fusion of soul, RnB and pop come together in the form of Isaia Huron’s new single ‘Self!’, which is nothing short of utter euphoria to listen to.
New Music: Finn Harry
Track of the week. A massively exciting talent hailing from LA, Finn Harry has that unique ability to craft a style of alt-rock that feels understated and controlled, yet packed with a raw essence of confidence that feels refreshingly rebellious.
Lola Young – Ruin My Make Up
One of the most promising pop starlets to emerge from the UK in the last few months, Lola Young is back with a stunningly raw and expressive piece of music in the form of new single ‘Ruin My Make Up’.
“’Ruin My Makeup’ is a song I wrote about the duality of a person, well me. I was in a place at the time where I was trying to figure out whether my confidence was hindered by my vulnerability. If I cry about you, it will only ruin my makeup. It’s a sad song at heart but it has elements of strength and power. It touches on my journey through life, struggling with acceptance whether that be through religion or friends or drugs or most importantly through love.”
NONÔ – La La La (2 Dollar)
A pop song inspired by awkwardness; this should be my personal anthem! On a serious note, NONÔ’s rise has been pretty spectacular so far.
After moving to London from Brazil five years ago, this talent has perfected her unique style of music-making and is already garnering over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
“Because I moved from Brazil to England, I ended up becoming quite distant to a few old friends of mine. This song is basically about an awkward interaction of seeing/ catching up with people you used to be close with and now are basically strangers. It’s about when you don’t have much in common with the old friend anymore and you’re left with small talk and/ or pretending that you didn’t see the person when you walk past them in the streets.”
New Music: Kay Seeyen
Not only is twenty-year old talent Kay Seeyen shaping up to become part of the UK’s next wave of exciting musical talent, but he’s also studying neuroscience at university.
His release of ‘Pillow Talk’ showcases a lo-fi pop approach to music making and is matched with vivid lyricism that keeps you hooked from the start. On the track, Seeyen says:
“A song I wrote imagining the first night out clubbing after lockdown ends in the UK, and the things that come with a night out – getting into a confrontation with some guy that’s pushing into you on the dance floor, convincing a girl you’ve been getting with to come home with you, and ultimately waking up next to someone you don’t know with a terrible hangover. Being deprived of my student social life for close to a year makes dreaming of simple nights out a good source of song writing for me, and I hope that my excitement and energy for the return of that social life shines through in this song.“
Dreamer Boy – Let’s Hold Hands (feat. Melanie Faye)
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Dreamer Boy returns with a little help from the equally talented Melanie Faye on the release of ‘Let’s Hold Hands’.
The song serves as an honest exploration of emotions, and delves into the blur of feelings from a friendship that blooms into something more.
Taken from the forthcoming new album ‘All The Ways We Are Together’, which is set for release on Earth Day (22nd April 2021) via Slowplay.
iris – lovemark / crawl for me
One of Norway’s most exciting pop prospects (and hugely popular – with almost 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify), iris returns with a double release entitled ‘lovemark / crawl for me’. It’s a luxurious mix of dark indie-pop and RnB tones that is eccentric and mesmerising in equal measures.
Colyer – Tired Of Blue
A stunning fusion of raw indie and nostalgic soul. Colyer’s new single ‘Tired Of Blue’ is a shimmering slice of hazy euphoria that is beyond sublime.
New Music: andreas owens
LA-based producer and multi-instrumentalist andreas owens is not only a talented soloist, but also performs as the lead vocalist of indie pop and RnB group The Millennial Club.
His new release, ‘falling & falling’ actually samples The Millennial Club’s single ‘If You Stay’, creating an exciting yet experimental alt-pop track that looks at society’s addiction to social media and the internet.
“The concept behind ‘falling & falling’ alludes to our collective (and my own) societal addiction to our phones. I remember having a conversation with my friends about how we all kinda want to be on our phones less, but still sadly just find ourselves ‘crawling back’ to them every single day. I think we’ve all had similar thoughts, wondering, ‘omfg how is it possible that I’ve been scrolling through TikTok and Instagram for two hours?’”
New Music: More In Luv
Representing a fresh new wave of indie-pop talent from the North West of England, More In Luv are a 4-piece group could potentially be the next big outfit to take the country by storm.
Their new single ‘Someone Else’ was written about seeing someone close to you changing for the worse. It’s an experience all too many of us can relate to, yet this song takes that horrible ordeal and turns it into a glittering indie-pop bop!