Norwegian talent Torine now commands almost 300k monthly listeners on Spotify, making this kid one of the most exciting artists to emerge from the Nordic nation in recent years.
Torine – Bored
New Music: Possimiste
I can safely say that Possimiste is the most exciting artist to come out of Iceland so far this year. This is emerging electro-pop talent at it’s most premium – fun, cheeky, slightly quirky and totally infectious.
“‘Paradise’ is a journey towards dreams that all eventually end up in disappointments as the dreams lose their glimmer and reveal their dark side when we get close to them.”
New Music: Stefanos Yowhannes
Norwegian and Eritrean talent Stefanos Yowhannes has a deeply individualistic and unique approach to his music making.
‘Blinded’ is a song that melds a plethora of genres together to create a sound that feels understated and minimal, yet immensely emotive and intriguing.
Charlie Houston – Things
Charlie Houston has caused quite the stir since debut single ‘Calls‘ was unleashed to the world at the start of the year.
Since then, she’s garnered recognition from heavyweights such as Zane Lowe, NPR and SPIN Magazine, as well as landing on Spotify’s global New Music Friday playlist.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Houston returns today with a finessed slice of downtempo-pop that reflects on her youthful insecurities and unrequited affection with raw vulnerability.
“The song is sort of about becoming so infatuated with someone that you begin to lose sight of who you are. Also comparing yourself to the kind of person you think they want, and trying to become that.”
Carter Reeves – Recognize Me
A charming fusion of indie and pop, from a talent who never fails to bring a smile to my face with his songs.
“I present to you, ‘Recognize Me’. It’s a dreamy, space jam (no Michael Jordan) in which I ponder the feeling of disconnection that we’ve all felt so strongly this year. Will the person I love most recognize me after all this is said and done? Tune in to find out!”
New Music: Amber Jay
A new talent emerging from Liverpool, Amber Jay is ushering in a new generation of bedroom-pop artists who are unafraid to push the boundaries of the genre.
With a distinctively unique vocal tone and lyricism that tells a story, ‘The House’ is a piece of pop that takes you by surprise and leaves you hungry for more.
“‘The House’ is a menacing, raw and psychological track about a mutual understanding with someone who is going through something you’ve experienced. It explores the idea of being caught in a crossroads, when you have to decide whether to continue to live in a way in which is to please others but pains yourself and confronts the discomfort of admitting the truth.”
Taken from the debut EP ‘Never Too Far From A Dark Thought’ which is out now.
Watch: Leyla Blue – What A Shame
With Women’s History Month launching this week, Leyla Blue’s viral anthem for female empowerment ‘What A Shame’ has truly made an impact.
To date, the song has been featured on over 200,000 TikTok videos (using the original audio), and amassed over 15 million global streams after landing on more than 15 Spotify viral charts.
“I’m just starting out. There’s so much more I want to do and so many more people I want to reach. For me, the ‘I made it’ moment is some manifestation of inspiring or helping others to reach their potential – having a real effect on a life.”
New Music: Tramp Stamps
A refreshingly bold outfit hailing from Nashville, Tramp Stamps are here to shake things up with an unfiltered new voice for today’s pop punk landscape.
Armed with awesome melodies and sharp productions, Tramp Stamps tackle societal ills like white-boy privilege and fragile masculinity through their lyricism in a uniquely fun and charming way.
“I’d love it if our music could give women space to be vulgar and silly and have a lot of fun with it, the same way that men have for so long. We want to remind everyone that being empowered doesn’t have to feel so heavy all the time – you can show that other, lighter side of yourself, and still say something important.” – Maino, Tramp Stamps
Ylona Garcia – All That
Lockdown has resulted in many artists coming up with quarantine-related songs, but none have hit the disco spot quite like Ylona Garcia’s new banger, ‘All That‘.
The track fires up as Garcia celebrates leaving all the toxicity in her life behind, as she moves forward. It’s the perfect metaphor for what the world has gone through over the last year.
New Music: CRITTER
While CRITTER seem like an unlikely duo (consisting of a folk performer and former rap producer), together they make some of the most enjoyable pop you’ll experience all week. It’s pure joy, and I for one can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
New Music: southernwade
Hailing from Dallas, southernwade is a singer, songwriter, and producer who crafts a subtle blend of dreamy indie and pop that is both mesmerising and totally charming in equal measure.
“I look forward to what the future holds, to growing every day – translating my passion, personal experiences, and emotions into art.”
Slow Corpse – It Feels Right
Indie-rock power couple Mitchell Winters and Brenton Clarke are back with an interesting release that feels raw and a little dark, yet refreshingly original.
And if you feel adventurous, the music video is well worth watching too.
Taken from the new album ‘Bite Your Tongue’ which is out now.
New Music: CASUAL
Amsterdam-based duo CASUAL take a modern-day approach towards blending 70’s disco and soul with late 90’s hip-hop bounce, to create a sound that feels fresh, playful and fun.
“‘Celebrate’ is best listened to while wearing your bathrobe and dancing around the house like Morgan Freeman drinking extraordinary red wine.”.
New Music: Avalan
A multi-talented artist hailing from Amsterdam, Avalan (Valentijn Hoogwerf) is a DJ, producer and singer.
While still only 24-years old, he performed ‘World We Know’ at the opening of last year’s AMF presents Top 100 DJs production to an audience of seven million viewers from across the world. It’s safe to say that if there’s one name to watch out for from the Netherlands, it’s Avalan.
“The song is about being stuck at home quarantining your way to a better future. Sad but hopeful, this song encourages people to fight themselves through the hard times of today and giving them hope for a better future.”
New Music: Debranch
A beautifully structured Scandinavian sound that fuses an essence of melancholy into the subtle beats of dreamy dance-pop.
‘dancing away from you’ gives the listener feelings of both introspection and euphoria in equal measures.
“The lyrical content consists of a relationship going back and forth as a never ending cycle.”
New Music: Tayong
Hailing from Luton, Tayong is shaping up to become one of the most promising British hip hop talents for 2021, with his flair for wordplay creating sharp lyrics over thoughtfully structured productions.
Thomston – JPA989
One of New Zealand’s most exciting talents returns with a rousing slice of RnB-pop that feels euphoric and nostalgic in a finessed and understated way.
New Music: Gimme Gimme
A sister and brother band hailing from Australia, Esther and Will grew up in a small country town in New South Wales before moving to Melbourne and Berlin respectively.
Wanting to hang out and play more, they booked shows all across Europe and toured up and down the East and West coasts of Australia, selling out venues and creating a buzz for their playful and loveable style of indie-pop.
“‘Fatal.Attraction’ is a track written about the holy trinity of tins, darts and breaking hearts. It brings to light love hate relationships, the desire for a puff after a sip and addictions of all kinds.”
New Music: Orions Belte
A refreshingly original sound from Norwegian 3-piece outfit Orions Belte. Their trademark style of blending underground pop, psych, rhythmic instrumentation and world music creates a mysterious yet infectious mix of sounds which are totally mesmerising to experience.
“We feel like we have a really strong connection between us. That’s why we can write stuff on the fly and record whole songs in one take and use all the parts from all three of us.” – Blomstrøm, Orions Belte
Jess Benko – Worst Enemy
Melodic indie-pop from Toronto with an emotive essence.
“I write songs to cope with my pain and maybe it can heal some of you.”