There’s no doubt in our minds that Forest Claudette is one of Australia’s biggest exports in the making.
Since the release of his first EP, The Year of February’ in 2022, this talent has gone on to amass millions of streams, garner thousands of followers and pick up tastemaker support from the likes of Rated R&B, Teen Vogue, A1234 and Atwood Magazine.
Claudette is back with yet another sensational new single, called ‘Motor In the Sand’. The song presents listeners with a bold and refreshingly distinct mix of alternative R&B and pop, and serves as another reminder as to why this talent is so promising.
You can catch Forest on tour in Australia over the summer – dates and tickets are available here.
Rising indie-pop starlet Rainlights (aka Rachel) is back today with an exciting new single, entitled ‘Brand New Sneakers’.
Through its beautifully dreamy style of sound, this introspective and inspiring song looks at themes of acceptance and embracing change. Elaborating further on the track, Rachel explains:
“I started writing this song about the difficulties of breaking new shoes in, and by the end it became a track about letting go and accepting new beginnings.”
The song continues to showcase this talented New Yorker’s natural flair for storytelling, and sets an exciting precedent for what fans can expect to hear going forward.
As with Rainlights’ previous releases, the track was written, produced and mixed by the artist herself.
‘Brand New Sneakers’ is taken from Rachel’s ‘the girl who sits beneath the surface skin’ project, which you can check out here.
While the world is in no shortage of emo bands right now, we can safely say that emerging newcomers skooters are unlike anything you may have heard before.
With their perfected fusions of punk and pop-rock, this group create playful and energising sounds that are immediately captivating and charming.
New single ‘mojo jojo’ is likely to become one of our favourite summer bops of the year. So keep these chaps on your radars – they’re most definitely ones to watch!
Brooklyn musician Cale Hawkins is probably one of the most in-demand talents out there right now.
When he’s not working on his own solo material, Hawkins is writing or producing songs for artists as prominent as Arthur Moon and Joshua Thew, or performing live alongside the likes of as Amber Mark and Charli XCX.
Freshly released today, Cale’s new pop single ‘Renting’ was inspired by the inner struggles that we can face when a relationship ends:
“‘Renting’ is about the loss of identity, and the process of rediscovering of your identity, following a breakup.”
The track serves as a taster to Cale’s upcoming ‘I Broke My Shoulders’ album, which is scheduled for release on the 22nd July 2023.
Track of the week. We are so excited to be sharing with you some of the finest Afrobeat-pop sounds to have recently come across our radars.
Hailing from London, Ebun Yelé is a British-Nigerian musician who is not only a singer, but also a songwriter. Yelé’s debut single, ‘Underwater’, is a luxuriously produced piece of music that pairs the artist’s sublime vocals with an infectiously memorable melody.
We’re sure that after just one play of this song, you’ll absolutely fall in love with this immensely promising newcomer.
The first thing that strikes you when you press play to Konyikeh’s debut single ‘Sorrow’ is the artist’s bold and arresting vocals.
If you have yet to come across this London-based future starlet, Konyikeh crafts a style of soulful R&B which is deeply rich in character and beautifully moving in tone. Elaborating on the lyricism behind the song, she explains:
“I was very rebellious and religion wasn’t a thing to me even then, I was calling myself an atheist – but my parents weren’t religious either, but my mum would go to church and pray for me still.”
While still early in her career, Konyikeh’s music has already been featured on notable outlets like The Line of Best Fit, Mystic Sons and New Wave Magazine.
A quick Google search on needanamebro will tell you that these ladies are one of the UK’s most hotly tipped girl-groups of the future.
After going viral on TikTok, this R&B-pop trio consisting of singers Yssy, Amelia and Maddie have just released a gorgeous new single, called ‘Better Love’.
With its powerful pop production, harmonious vocals and emotive lyrics. the song showcases the very finest in British pop talent, and serves as an exciting introduction for this hugely talented outfit.
Rising US-based artist Sheldvn is back with a heartbreaking new single, entitled ‘Hangover’.
Lyrically inspired by the musician’s experience with a breakup, the song is both raw and emotionally charged, but also vulnerable and melancholic.
It’s a beautifully balanced style of pop which perfectly encapsulates the many mixed emotions that arise when someone is adjusting to being single again. Elaborating further on the track, Sheldvn says:
“I made this song on live one night and really got into my feelings. It has a really big, stadium ballad sound. ‘Hangover’ is really just my hungover thoughts after a night of drinking shortly after a breakup.”
To date, Sheldvn’s catalogue of releases have been featured on countless prominent tastemaker playlists, consequently amassing more than 200k streams on Spotify alone.
You’ve probably come across musician Dev Lemons at some point on social media. As the talent behind hugely popular TikTok account songpsych, Dev has built up a considerable following of loyal fans over the years.
New single ‘You Tear Me Apart’ is refreshingly eccentric in its approach to alt-pop, and serves listeners with an atmospheric piece of music that is rich in sonic texture. Elaborating on the song’s lyrics, Dev says:
“I wrote this song during an incredibly vulnerable point in my life. I was in a relationship that was slowly failing. This song’s instrumental captures the whimsical nostalgia of reminiscing on what made the relationship so magical in the first place, while the lyrics come face to face with the fact that things aren’t the same (‘everything is never how it starts / anything can realign the stars’). This contrast represents the feeling of me hanging on to the relationship because of how good things used to be, not how they actually were in the moment.”
To date, Dev has amassed more than ten million cumulative streams, and currently commands more than 235k monthly Spotify listeners.
No matter how safe you feel in life, you can be sure that the world will find ways to turn things upside down and remind you that our time on this earth is ultimately just a long and unpredictable ride.
Danish-Corsican artist MALU’s soulful new single ‘Comfort Zone’ addresses the natural feelings of discomfort that arise when we are uncertain about the future, but also encourages us to embrace those moments, as they allow us to grow.
”Life is unpredictable. It’s full of surprises, people, experiences and moments that you never saw coming. The uncertainty about what’s to come can be frightening or even make you anxious and to some it helps to know what tomorrow or next week brings or even just what is going to happen in the movie you’re watching on Netflix. I’ve lived like that for years – safe and in control – but looking back, I never gave myself a chance to grow or develop, always living in my comfort zone.”
MALU is a talent who is already on the rise, having amassed more than a million career streams from the release of only a handful of singles. The artist headlines Vesterbro’s iconic VEGA venue later this year.
Nashville duo Homes At Night (aka Hank Compton and Aksel Coe) are one of the most interesting pop-rock acts to have emerged from the state of Tennessee in some time.
Powerful new single ‘Texaco’ focuses on the importance for humans to let go of their toxic habits, so that they can evolve and have brighter futures. Elaborating further on the song, Compton explains:
“I wrote this song from the perspective of an unhealthy relationship that emphasised my addiction, which is somewhat biographical. The production needed to sound like a release or detachment, hence the dramatic, massive final chorus. I really hope the song can give people comfort and support that they’re not alone in the process of cutting off the habits inhibiting their lives.”
Homes At Night are currently in the middle of a US tour, with stops in Boston, Philadelphia and New York scheduled to come. The band will also join Arts Fishing Club on their shows throughout May and June (more info here).
German artist Pablo Brooks is rapidly marking his name as one of his nation’s most promising indie-pop newcomers.
‘Overexposed’ is lifted from Pablo’s second EP, entitled ‘Pleaser’, and showcases a melancholic style of sound that feels dark and emotive, while the lyrics reflect on the experiences of being a young adult in this modern world that we live in.
“The song was born, when I went to the studio one day to write a dance track, but when we accidentally played back the drums in half-time, the track kind of wrote itself and turned into my little ‘self-hate-anthem’. I wrote the lyrics when I was on vacation with my bets friends, at the beach, in a time where I should’ve been very happy, but for some reason wasn’t. You learn a lot about yourself in your early 20s. Sometimes too much, too fast. Especially about how much your childhood influences your present self and basically all your actions. I tend to overthink and overanalyse everything I do and look for a possible explanation. But after a while that just made my head explode (‘My past is a ghost now, breaking my window, wish I was better at being alone’). This song represents feeling overstimulated with everything, being 20, living in an urban jungle like Berlin, losing yourself, losing perspective of what you know and looking for the answers of questions that can’t really be answered.”
As an talent on the rise, Brooks has performed in more than fifty shows over the last two years – with most of them being sell-out events. The musician has also headlined his own concerts all across Germany, as well as other international cities like Amsterdam and London.
Norwegian artist, songwriter and producer Ben Alexander unveils an impressive new collaboration today alongside Italo-Venezuelan artist Arya.
With its finessed fusion of synth, pop, alternative R&B and mellow electronica, ‘Rush’ presents listeners with a dreamy and sensual sound that feels both timeless and future-forward in equal measures.
Recorded in Milan, the song’s inspiration comes from the feelings of euphoria and adrenaline that one can experience when they first fall for someone. So if you’re looking for a love anthem to play this weekend – this is the song for you!
Swedish musician Namelle is back today with another impressive electro-pop song, called ‘Defense’.
Lyrically, the track looks at people who choose to ignore the warning signs in their relationships, and try to justify their partner’s bad behaviour for the sake of staying together.
The track is Namelle’s first new solo music since the release of her 2022 EP, ‘SALT’ (available here), which has so far garnered the singer-songwriter more than a million total streams.
If you’ve fallen in love with this talent then be sure to check out her recent collaboration with Nitro Fun on‘Call Me Up’, as well as on juuku’s ‘No Turning Back’.
Every now and then, I come across a song that’s so beautifully written that it makes me feel as though I’ve escaped the world entirely for a few minutes.
This is what I experienced when I first played Joel Porter’s new single, ‘Patterns In The Badlands’.
Over a gorgeously melancholic alt-folk production, listeners can experience Porter delivering some thoughtful words on the cyclical nature of life.
“‘Badlands’ is about survival. About being in the wake and aftermath of our mistakes… but trusting that even after seemingly wasted seasons, hope still exists. Patterns of death + rebirth are all around us and, as long as we’re alive, those patterns and cycles apply to us too. Even if there’s doubt… even when we’re unsure about what comes next… ‘will the phoenix find its feathers, will the dandelions dance?’… we keep taking steps. We trust that light comes after dark. Hark the simple patterns. Carry on, carry on.”
Porter aims to create songs that explore the human mind, as well as the human’s journey on this earth. And with more than two million catalogue streams to date, its clear to see that many people resonate with this artist’s work.
If you need a boost of serotonin to get you through the day then you’ve come to the right place!
Emerging Glaswegian artist Leif Coffield has just released a fantastic new collaboration with fellow musician Wuh-Oh, called ‘Falling In Love Again’.
Through its polished fusion of synth and electronic pop, the song treats us all to a sound that is both joyous and hopeful.
“‘Falling In Love Again’ is an ode to finding love after heartbreak and the power of shared rebellious experiences in a relationship.”
As a proudly independent talent, Leif Coffield has picked up praise from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio 1 and Radio 6 Music, as well as Clash Magazine. So be sure to keep this promising prospect on your radars – he might just become one of Scotland’s new breakout stars.
Norwegian singer-songwriter Aiida unleashes an almighty pop banger just in time for the weekend, entitled ‘Stupid Perfect‘.
Lyrically inspired by the anxious thoughts that one can feel when they first fall for someone special, the song’s relatable lyrics and memorable melody are accompanied by a punchy and rousing production.
“‘Stupid Perfect’ is about that initial freakout while dating a special someone that just works, but you find yourself over analysing and expecting the worst. I wrote this song based on my past experience and I know that many of us out there feel the same way about new relationships.”
Aiida’s songs have been featured on national outlets Norway ‘s NRK P3 and NRK MP3, as well as on playlists as prominent as Spotify’s Fresh Finds and New Music Friday Norway. To date, the artist has impressively amassed more than 260k catalogue streams.
Aiida plays Hotel Ziggy in West Hollywood on the 10th May – tickets can be found here.
London-based artist Christelle is a musician who crafts songs that fuse together genres as diverse as pop, R&B, hip hop, country and musical theatre.
New single ‘worry in peace’ is a beautifully written track that is dedicated to mental health, and was inspired by a real-life event which affected the artist’s sister.
“This song means a lot to me. I wrote it about a moment when my sister had a panic attack. There’s no more heartbreaking feeling than seeing a loved one absolutely crumbling, and there’s literally nothing you can do to help the situation. After my sisters panic attack, she had to go back to work and the chorus is about the fact that sometimes the world moves so fast, you don’t even have a sec to worry. Worry in Peace.”
Christelle has been mastering the art of songwriting since the age of fifteen. She is now a rising 23-year old talent who has already released a string of well-received singles and an EP, entitled ‘hope u lover her’ (out now).
Northern Irish pop-noir outfit Dark Tropics create a style of sound that really is like none other.
Supported by industry icons as noted as Jo Wiley and Steve Lamacq, this rising duo are gathering significant momentum thanks to their bold take on the pop genre.
After a successful run of recent releases, the group return today with an epic new single that deserves your attention.
‘I Bet You Can’ presents listeners with a piece of music that is cinematic and anthemic, but also playful and upbeat in character.
“‘I Bet You Can’ was written in a storm and a haze. It’s a song about embracing your youth and dancing your way through uncertainty whilst avoiding the perils of petty discontent.”
The duo join Belle & Sebastian on the Irish leg of their tour later this year, and also headline Belfast’s St Joseph’s Church on the 29th April – tickets can be found here.
We are beginning our weekend festivities with a brilliant slice of Scandinavian pop, courtesy of Norwegian outfit Janos.
‘DOWN LOW’ treats listeners to an uplifting and energising sonic experience, and features elements of nostalgia-tinged disco, indie and pop. Through its shimmering production, the song reminds us of the sunny days that lie ahead.
“It’s the promise of summer in a cold spring.”
While still relative newcomers, Janos have already amassed more than 150k career streams to date on Spotify, while also receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Variance Magazine, Celebmix and Earmilk.
