You may recognise Candor as one half of successful duo Cassette Tapes. Now he’s venturing out with his own solo material; and with the release ‘One Sided Love’ we see a balanced blend of alternative RnB, indie and lo-fi pop.
The sound itself carries an essence of raw emotion, which comes from those distinctive vocals serving us lyrics that are fuelled by real life stories.
“This song is about a relationship that never has been and never will be 50/50, and me trying to come to terms with that.”
It’s fair to say that I’m quite obsessed with British alt-pop trio Rampton Prom’s release of ‘Little Things’.
The track was inspired by the UK Bassline genre and serves as a reminder of those heady days on the dancefloor, filling us with hope that someday soon things will go back to how they were.
“I guess lyrically I was exploring how the good and bad sides of everything spin around together and how my past is always catching on my heels. It’s for those needing some help shrinking the mountains back down to molehills. I feel like we went somewhere else the night we wrote ‘Little Things’ and I still get excited when I listen back. I hope that element of escapism comes across” Gina, Rampton Prom
After an unexpected yearlong pause (due to band member Max’s battle with bone cancer), Ohio’s finest indie-pop outfit release the visuals for ‘Weekend‘, which was featured here back in May 2020.
Now the group are back in full force, sharing a collective vision with themselves explained best by Max himself:
“Make the most of the life you were given, because you only have one life to live.”
This track from NYC talent Matthew Cornwell has one of those vibes that transports you to another world, right from the first note.
‘Pink Lemonade‘ is a finessed fusion of RnB and pop that alights with the sounds of summer, telling the story of a chance romantic meeting on a night out.
Norwegian pop powerhouse Dagny joins forces with super-producers Rat City to create an anthem for female empowerment that feels so mightily epic that it’s sure to be one of the biggest releases to come out of the Scandinavian country this month.
“I wrote “Bad” in Stockholm with Gustav Nyström and Hilda Stenmalm, before I went into the studio with Rat City who really helped bring the song to life. For me, the song is about finally standing up for yourself and being strong and bold in a challenging situation. It’s quite a dramatic song and lyric, which is quite the opposite of what I am, but sometimes it’s fun to be a more extreme version of yourself when you write.”
Already causing a stir on the Australian music scene, Nigerian born PRICIE is a triple-threat talent who is making a name for herself as not only a singer and songwriter but also a rapper.
This release brings a sleek twist on disco, and serves as the perfect platform for PRICIE to lay some meaningful lyricism while showing off those powerfully soulful and husky vocals.
‘The message is for women to know their worth and understand that although some things may transpire within their relationship, they’re just way too dang good for it.”
The 21-year-old Wisconsin native, who’s already racked up millions of streams with debut track ‘Amber’, returns today with an enchanting RnB offering that takes nostalgic soul tones and gives them a fresh twist.
“Although the song itself is really bouncy and upbeat, it’s actually about the moral dilemma of a home wrecker coming into a dying relationship. As I wrote it I imagined a roller rink in the late 90s / early 2000s lit up with green lights on a Friday night. I chose the name Pine because green is the colour of envy and that’s the exact hue I visualised at the roller rink.”
Australian talent Tulliah crafts a delicate pop sound that feels honest and intimate, all the while also being and emotive and beautifully heart-felt.
“This song is about not wanting to break away from my visions and goals. The lyrics ‘don’t go waking me up’ is a really direct demand to myself! It’s about not wanting to go back to doubting my capabilities.”
Taken from the upcoming debut EP ‘Fre$h Hugs‘ which is due on 12th March via AWAL.
A perfect track for banishing those midweek lockdown blues, courtesy of the fabulous talent that is Shawn Matthews.
This is bedroom pop at it’s most charming, and sure to bring a smile to your face.
“‘Sunshine’ is an upbeat song about better, happier, and sunnier days after feelings of hopelessness.”
It’s so incredibly rare to see someone with a significant following on social media open themselves up with such a raw and honest piece of music. I sense that this release is just the start of something much bigger for Dylan Jordan.
“At the age of 7, my biological father left my mom and I. This had a huge impact on my life as it made me feel a sense of rejection at a very young age. It forced me to grow up a lot quicker than a normal kid would’ve had to. However, I look back and realise it was a blessing in disguise. It made me the man I am today. It taught me that sometimes people will leave you or let you down… and it’s not your fault. It taught me to value every moment you spend with your family. I know that one day when I am a father, I will be the father I had always wished for as a kid. ‘Please Die Slow’ is about this story.”
London-based multi-instrumentalist and singer Gillian Maguire unveils visuals for new single ‘Melt‘, and they are as stunning as the song itself.
Produced by Liam Howe, the track begins with a cascading una corda piano refrain and gradually unfolds into a crescendo around those beautifully layered vocals. On the video, MAGUIRE says:
“Following on from themes of oneness in one form or another, the video was inspired by this struggle with the physical world, the dancer representing my battling subconscious. As the dance unfolds we gradually give into each other to become one; the struggle is finally over.”
One of West London’s finest emerging talents, VC Pines releases a new track today that blends alternative RnB with old-school soul and Motown vibes in a way that feels experimental yet so finessed. Once that chorus hits you’ll be having this song on repeat all day.
“’Smoke Without Fire’ is about hearing various rumours and not knowing whether or not to believe them, but being sure that rumours wouldn’t have started without some kind of spark – ‘No smoke without fire’. This song was written at the height of the first lockdown which made things more frustrating being locked down and not being able to tackle rumours and problems rising up around me.”
Punchy pop with hints of blues and soul, wrapped up with distinctively powerful vocals.
The self-confessed starlet known as ‘Persian Barbie’ returns today, and she’s serving us a huge slice of premium electro-pop with a ton of boss-girl attitude that doesn’t give a f**k about what anyone has to say.
“All the different forms of love, vulnerabilities, and strengths that we experience are what make us who we are. It’s okay that I caught feelings for the bad guy, felt heartbreak, and experienced loneliness, because I also had moments where I grew stronger, was living my best single life, and felt on top of the world without relying on anybody but myself.”
Taken from the new EP ‘xoxo, disco’ which is out now.
Talk about impressive… This project was only created at the end of 2020, after weeks of online collaboration between friends Aaron Black in Philadelphia and Des Martin in Chicago.
The pair had originally planned to meet in the studio just before Covid came and put a halt on all our lives. Nonetheless, they continued to work together through the web and we are now starting to enjoy some of those results.
It’s hard to summarise the sound they craft, but taking a look through their influences gives you an idea of what to expect. You can find hints of indie pop, UK bass, dreamy neo-soul, hip hop, and punk-rock amongst other things on debut release ‘Talk’.
A Zambian-Irish multi-disciplinarian talent who is not only a grime & hip hop singer but also a rapper and poet. It all makes for a tremendously exciting talent, crafting a sound that is refreshingly unique.
A beautifully constructed piece of percussive, downtempo art-pop from a London talent who is already a noted songwriter and producer, as well as engineer who’s s clients have included Stormzy, Little Simz and Lianne La Havas.
“On a day I’d found myself mentally struggling, I lingered on a SourSync [producer] beat on Instagram. It perfectly scored the moment I was having and within an hour I had written the lyrics. There’s a real sense of catharsis when a track comes together that quickly and naturally, and you lay yourself bare without pausing for thought.”.
You may not have heard of London multidisciplinary artist LUNAKAI before, but this talent has already worked with the likes of FKA Twigs, Yussef Dayes and Ashnikko to name a few, and produced records for Diplo and Robyn collaborator, Maluca.
“When I was making this it all came together in about 30 minutes; the verse melody and the vocal hook. I was thinking I’d give it to someone else to re-sing but I freestyled these lyrics without writing them down and in the end the vocal had such a vibe I ended up using that first scratch vocal take.”
The debut EP is slated for release on 26th February.
