WIINSTON – tick in blue

It’s a big day for independent Copenhagen outfit WIINSTON, who have just unveiled a brand new single, music video and album.

Inspired by the world of social media in which we now live in, ‘tick in blue’ is taken from the duo’s freshly-released ‘THE LAST DAYTONA’ LP (out now). Sonically, the production treats listeners to a refined and melodic fusion of alternative R&B, dreamy indie and shimmering, lo-fi pop.

“Smartphones have become an extension of what it means to be human. Somehow, it seems like a generation gap is missing, where we’re trying to adapt to the wrong paradigms. Even adults are waiting for their 10 sec videos to go viral while the Arctic is melting faster than the ice cubes in their freshly mixed gin & tonic. Provocative? Sure! But we’re also well aware, that when you point the finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you.”

As their first new album in four years, ‘THE LAST DAYTONA’ represents a new chapter in the group’s sonic evolution, as they explain:

“A lot of things have happened since our last album – both personally and creatively. We’ve been in bloom, withered again and found ourselves in the creation of what feels more powerful and right than anything we’ve ever done. This album is the perfect picture of how we currently define WIINSTON; as a genre-fluid space with no limitations.”

To date, WIINSTON have garnered praise from international outlets as respected as Kaltblut, ENFNTS Terribles and Variance Magazine, while also amassing more than fifteen million career streams on Spotify alone.

WIINSTON

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Erin Bloomer – Wasted It On You

Emerging London-based pop artist Erin Bloomer is no stranger to the Alfitude pages, so it comes as no surprise that we’re sharing the release of her brilliant new music video today, entitled ‘Wasted It On You’.

Lyrically inspired by a story from one of Erin’s fans, the song looks at the imbalance caused when one partner is more invested in a relationship than the other.

“The inspiration for ‘Wasted it on You’ actually came from one of my followers who DM’d me the story, I loved the idea and I took it to the studio! I’m trying to find the person that inspired the song, because it was on an instagram poll on my way to the studio one day, so the message disappeared. I’m posting on socials trying to track her down, so if you’re reading this and you think it might be you, send me a DM, I want to say thank you!”

As one of the UK’s most exciting breakout stars, Erin has seen her profile rise in spectacular fashion over the last few years. Currently commanding more than 260k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Erin might well end up becoming one of the country’s newest household names.

Erin Bloomer

Rangleklods – Song We Used To Play

Photo / André Hansen

He’s kept up waiting for almost three years, but Danish electronic artist Rangleklods (aka Esben Nørskov Andersen) is back today with one of the most interesting releases of the week.

Experimental and intriguing in tone, ‘Song We Used To Play’ presents listeners with a refreshingly eccentric mix of electronica, indie and pop.

“It’s a song about a friendship that faded away. You move away, forget to stay in touch, and eventually the relationship is just a fond, hazy memory that you hold onto. And the lyrics, just like the friendship you look back on, are also fading away — only the melody is persistent, and remains.”

In typical Scandinavian fashion, the song seamlessly balances essences of melancholy with playfulness, and leaves us with a beautifully immersive soundscape that is really quite unique to experience.

Since the project’s debut back in 2012, Rangleklods has been praised my most global music outlets – from BBC Radio 1 and The Guardian through to The New York Times, Wonderland Magazine and The Line of Best Fit.

Rangleklods

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New Music: Peter Groppe

Some of the most impressive folk-inspired indie rock to emerge from New York right now is created by rising songwriter and producer Peter Groppe.

New single ‘Vents’ is a beautifully constructed piece of music that encompasses the melancholic feelings and thoughts associated with a failing relationship.

While still early in his career, this artist has already found his work featured on prominent tastemaker playlists like Fashionably Early and Spotify’s ‘Fresh Finds Folk’.

Peter Groppe

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New Music: boyhood.

Promising newcomer boyhood. is a singer, songwriter and producer who was born in Pittsburgh and currently resides in Los Angeles.

The artist’s chosen name of boyhood. serves as a homage to his life journey, which saw him evolve from being a repressed child into a flourishing trans man.

Dreamy new single ‘Easy’ layers airy vocals over a melancholic yet energetic pop production, while the lyrics focus on a dilemma that most listeners will have experienced at some point in their lives.

“It explores the paralysing and sometimes self-sabotaging fear of disappointing the people you care most about.”

Having already garnered praise from tastemakers as respected as Ones to Watch and Dummy Mag, it seems certain that boyhood.’s momentum will continue to rise as the year goes by.

boyhood.

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Prince Josh – The Glory (Reprise)

Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and DJ Prince Josh (aka Josh McIntyre) is back after a two-year hiatus, and boy has it been worth the wait.

Epic new single ‘The Glory (Reprise)’ features vocals from Lauren Armstrong, and treats listeners to an immersive and emotive electronica sound.

The track follows on from Josh’s critically acclaimed 2020 debut album, ‘The Joy’ (available here), and serves as a taster to his upcoming project (scheduled for release later this year).

Aside from his work as Prince Josh, McIntyre is also part of electro-pop outfit Prince Innocence, who are known for hit songs like ‘Noches’ and ‘Golden Hour’.

Prince Josh

Lontalius – Tangerine

If you’re feeling the midweek blues and need some sonic comfort then we’ve got a gorgeous new single for you, courtesy of singer-songwriter Lontalius.

‘Tangerine’ was created alongside acclaimed producer Jeff Kleinman (who has also worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and FKA Twigs), and is inspired by the human need for escapism.

“I wrote this in a particularly dark period of the COVID lockdowns – it was winter and I’d been living in a freezing, uninsulated flat. I was dreaming of just running away to somewhere warm and picturesque. There is a feeling that I often touch on – the feeling of not quite being comfortable or satisfied with what’s around me. The idea of escaping to some paradise far away is always present and alluring.”

Lontalius has long been one of New Zealand’s most successful alt-pop talents, accumulating more than 110 million career streams to date, while also picking up tastemaker praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Dummy Magazine.

“For me, listening to music, it’s always been something where I want to hear a song randomly one day and think, Oh, they’re talking about me. That feeling that someone’s written something specifically for you.”

Lontalius

Novul – Big & Rich

Photo / Savanna Ruedy

California-based singer and songwriter Novul is one of those larger than life talents who is capable of crafting eccentric pop songs that are not only sonically uplifting, but also feature lyricism that is vivid and entertaining.

New single ‘Big & Rich’ is a slice of pure, playful fun. Incorporating elements of ‘Glam Country’ with ‘Old Hollywood’, the track’s lyrics contrast the two places in which the artist has lived in – the humble hometown of Saskatchewan, and her current life in LA.

“In the modern Wild West, there are not many cowboys or horses, but if you’re Big & Rich people seem to gravitate towards you. I’m just a small town prairie girl who wants to incorporate how I grew up and loves making high energy pop music about the things I’ve experienced since moving to such a big city.”

As a proudly independent artist, Novul’s work has racked up more than 5.5 million views on TikTok alone, while her songs have amassed over two million catalogue streams. Fans in LA can catch Novul at EVITA on the 28th April.

Novul

Dabieh x TS Graye – gracie’s therapy

Rising London talents Dabieh and TS Graye join forces on a stunning new single, entitled ‘gracie’s therapy’.

Applying the ‘less is more’ theory, the track layers powerfully emotive vocals over a sparse yet thoughtfully-constructed production – resulting in a sound that is mesmerising as it is arresting in tone.

This is a song that invites listeners into a beautifully atmospheric soundscape, and sets an exciting precedent for what to expect from these two hugely promising artists.

“An unedited, uninterrupted recording. We captured the moment of getting thoughts out of your head through melody and feeling.”

Aside from his own music projects, Dabieh is also the Founder and Executive Producer of acclaimed creative company Cloud X, as well as the Cloud X Festival.

Dabieh | TS Graye

New Music: Shelf Lives

Photo / Derek Bremner

Transatlantic punk duo Shelf Lives (aka Sabrina Di Giulio and Jonny Hillyard) are one of the most exciting finds of the week. Based in London, these two musicians create an energising style of sound that is refreshingly raw and captivating.

New single ‘All The Problems’ addresses themes of masculinity, and how society can coerce us into hiding or neglecting our true feelings and emotions.

“To be vague about it, ‘All the Problems’ is a casual chat about the suppression of emotions, specifically among those who identify as males and what it could lead to as a result. The track goes through the motions of seeking a reason behind the resulting rage and offsets extreme, sometimes violent, acts with the World’s passive and unsettling way of dealing with them. There’s nothing casual about the topic and events itself, yet, socially we’ve reached a ridiculous, dangerous place where we feel like in order to survive we need to be.  Essentially, so we can… “get on with our day”.

To date, Shelf Lives have received praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Introducing and 6 Music, as well as NME, The Line of Best Fit, Notion Magazine and The Independent. Be sure to catch this emerging duo live in a city near you – tour dates are listed below.

Shelf Lives

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Shelf Lives Performances 2023

  • APR 26 33 Oldham Street, Manchester
  • APR 28 Liverpool Sound City
  • APR 29 Stag & Dagger Festival, Edinburgh
  • APR 30 Stag & Dagger Festival, Glasgow
  • MAY 5 FOCUS Wales Festival
  • MAY 6 Are You Listening? Festival
  • MAY 9 Old Blue Last, London
  • MAY 11 The Great Escape Festival
  • MAY 19 London Calling (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
  • MAY 20 PLAY Festival (Eersel, Netherlands)
  • JUNE 22, Glastonbury Festival
  • JUNE 24, Glastonbury Festival
  • JULY 22, Leopallooza Festival
  • AUG 5 A Stone’s Throw Festival
  • AUG 12 Hummer Street Sesh Festival
  • SEP 2 The Roundhouse, London – TiffCuff Festival
  • SEP 7 Waves Vienna Festival (Vienna, Austria)
  • SEP 9 Chaplins, Bournemouth
  • OCT 21-22 Sŵn Festival

Shuba – Hot Girls

Hotly-tipped Indian-American newcomer Shuba continues on her ascent to stardom with the release of a brand new single today.

Written as an anthem for female empowerment, ‘Hot Girls’ presents listeners with an Indian-inspired style of pop that is bold and punchy, but also beautifully melodic in character.

Aside from amassing millions of followers across social media, Shuba has also captured the attention of global artists as iconic as Shakira, Brian May and Celine Dion.

With more than ten million streams already under belt, Shuba looks set to become one of mainstream pop’s newest global stars.

Shuba

The Tyne – TOO MANY LIGHTS

At some point over the next few months, British pop-punk outfit The Tyne will become a household name.

Following a successful year that saw them garner thousands of new fans and achieve tastemaker praise from outlets as influential as BBC Radio 1, Rock Sound and Upset Magazine, the trio are back today with some new music.

Anthemic and bold in its sound, ‘TOO MANY LIGHTS’ is taken from the band’s freshly released sophomore EP, called ‘COMPLAINING. (BUT THERE IS MUSIC)’ (out now). Elaborating on their new collection of songs, the group says:

“Our second EP aptly titled ‘COMPLAINING. (BUT THERE’S MUSIC)’ is just that. We obviously love complaining because that’s all we could think of writing about. We have been working on this EP for a while with one of the songs being written well over a year ago. As our music grows it seems to become more guitar heavy each song we put out and i think this is shown by each track on this EP. It’s without a doubt our favourite music we’ve put out so far. Alongside some of our more fun and uplifting songs, we also touch more on our individual mental health issues lyrically which we haven’t written about tonnes before in previous music.“

The Tyne are currently preparing to embark on a huge tour that starts with the Slam Dunk Festival in May, before joining iconic British group Busted on their arena shows. Dates are listed below, and tickets can be found here.

The Tyne

The Tyne Upcoming UK Tour Dates 2023

  • Saturday 27th May – Hatfield Park, Slam Dunk Festival South
  • Sunday 28th May – Temple Newsam, Slam Dunk Festival North
  • Saturday 2nd September – Pavilions, Plymouth (with Busted)
  • Sunday 3rd September – Cardiff International Arena (with Busted)
  • Tuesday 5thSeptember – Swansea Arena (with Busted)
  • Wednesday 6th September – Bournemouth International Centre (with Busted)
  • Thursday 7th September – Brighton Centre (with Busted)
  • Saturday 9th September – Utilita Arena, Birmingham (with Busted)
  • Sunday 10thSeptember – The 02, London (with Busted)
  • Tuesday 12th September – Bridlington Arena (with Busted)
  • Friday 15th September – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham (with Busted)
  • Saturday 16th September – Utilita Arena, Newcastle (with Busted)
  • Sunday 17th September – First Direct Arena, Leeds (with Busted)
  • Tuesday 19th September – P&J Live, Aberdeen (with Busted)
  • Wednesday 20th September – OVO Hydro, Glasgow (with Busted)
  • Friday 22nd September – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (with Busted)
  • Saturday 23rd September – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham (with Busted)
  • Sunday 24th September – AO Arena, Manchester (with Busted)
  • Tuesday 26th September – Cardiff International Arena (with Busted)
  • Wednesday 27th September – The 02, London (with Busted)
  • Friday 29th September – Utilita Arena, Birmingham (with Busted)
  • Saturday 30th September – AO Arena, Manchester (with Busted)
  • Sunday 1st October – OVO Hydro, Glasgow (with Busted)

New Music: Ellie Evans

UK artist Ellie Evans might be a new name to some of you, but this singer-songwriter is already a talent on the rise, and currently commands more than 78k monthly listeners on Spotify alone from only a handful of singles.

Evans unveils a brand new track today, called ‘Breakfast On The Roof’. Lyrically, the song was inspired by the different (and often conflicting) emotions that young people experience during their teens and early adulthood.

Impressively, ‘Breakfast On The Roof’ has picked up more than 370k views on TikTok so far, and looks set to become one of the artist’s strongest releases to date. Could this be the start of something very big and special for Ellie Evans? We think so!

Ellie Evans

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New Music: Jordeaux

Photo / Ladical

Track of the week. Rising newcomer Jordeaux is rapidly marking his name as one of the UK’s most exciting hip hop prospects – and pressing play on new single ‘OK THEN’ will show you why.

This is a talent who creates a bold style of sound that is fresh, finessed and thoughtfully constructed. His work is distinct in character, but still maintains some mainstream appeal that makes it easy to listen to and form a connection with.

Born in Nuneaton and now based in London, we anticipate that Jordeaux will become a household name within the UK very soon. Keep this artist on your radars – he is most certainly one to watch.

Jordeaux

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New Music: Aiza

We are starting the week with a huge slice of Afro-Pop, courtesy of Toronto-based singer, songwriter and actor Aiza.

New single ‘Cocoa Butter’ is the kind of bop that’s impossible not to enjoy, thanks to its infectious melody, playful production and memorable lyrics.

To date, Aiza has accumulated more than 1.5 million career streams and picked up support from tastemakers as prominent as Wonderland Magazine. This is one Canadian talent on the rise!

Aiza

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Electric Pets – Elephants Can Swim

Derby-based outfit Electric Pets have been building steady momentum since their debut just a year ago.

With two EP’s and four singles released so far, this four-piece have already amassed more than 50k streams online while also garnering praise from national outlets like BBC Introducing and Radio X.

New single ‘Elephants Can Swim’ presents listeners with an anthemic and energising mix of indie, garage and rock. Lyrically, the track encourages us all to accept and celebrate our true selves unreservedly:

“It’s about embracing your individuality, accepting you’ll never please everyone and taking a risk no matter the outcome… because if elephants can swim then surely anything is possible?” – Emma Buckley, Electric Pets

The band will perform at Y Not Festival on 28th July 2023 – tickets can be found here.

Electric Pets

New Music: Floyd Zion

Floyd Zion is no stranger to acclaim. Formerly known as Artist Unknown, this rising talent has made a name for himself thanks to a genre-bending style of sound that pushes the boundaries of music to the extreme – without sounding obscure.

Zion’s new single ‘Boiling’ is a perfect example of the artist’s creativity. Bold, playful and intriguing in character, the track makes an immediate impact on the listener.

Having recently signed to Benji & Joel Madden’s MDDN Records, it seems likely that Floyd Zion’s momentum will continue to grow this year.

Floyd Zion

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New Music: Roadrunner

Sometimes, a debut song from a new project stands out more when there’s a little mystery involved.

This is certainly the case with creative collective Roadrunner, who have just introduced themselves to the world with a stunningly beautiful self-titled single.

Lifted from a forthcoming EP – intriguingly entitled “༽◌◌ৣ ◌◌ৢ ؞༽இ-)̛ ◌ྀ◞ ༎y ༽؞ ৢ◌؞􏰀 􏰀ლ⣎”, this stripped-down track showcases a sound which is almost ethereal in tone, and blends elements of alternative R&B with mellow pop and indie.

Amassing more than 200 million total streams under their own solo work, we can be sure that whoever is behind Roadrunner will know exactly how to create premium sounds.

Roadrunner

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Pa Sheehy – Meet Me At The Record Store

Hailing from the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland, Pa Sheehy is a singer and songwriter who was formerly known as the frontman with rock group Walking On Cars.

Sheehy’s momentum grew following the release of his 2021 solo debut, ‘The Art of Disappearing’, garnering millions of streams and critical acclaim from tastemakers across the world.

The musician returns today with a new single that serves as a taster for his forthcoming ‘Lost In A ‘90s Arcade’ EP, which will be released in the summer.

Nostalgic and beautifully sentimental in tone, ‘Meet Me At The Record Store’ is a moving piece of pop that recalls the artist’s visits to his local record shop as a teenager.

“‘Meet Me At The Record Store’ is the idea of going back in time and meeting my younger self to see what he’s like. I wonder if that eureka moment hearing Bowie in that old record store never happened, who would I be?”

You can catch Sheehy on tour this month – dates and venues can be found here.

Pa Sheehy

KIDS – 253

One the most acclaimed British outfits to have emerged so far this year has been indie duo KIDS (aka Beau Blaise and Alex Harvey).

Today sees their return with another impressive new single, called ‘253’. Taking its name from a bus route that drives through the London boroughs of Camden and Hackney, the track’s lyrics are inspired by the feelings that arise when someone starts to fall for a friend.

The song is taken from KIDS’ freshly-released ‘Love and the City 1’ debut EP (out now), of which Blaise says:

“Our self-produced debut EP ‘Love and the City 1’ was born out of heartbreak. While working long term in a studio in Wales, I broke up with my girlfriend due to the distance. Then moved back to my hometown, London, reconnected with my childhood friend Alex, we wrote these songs and formed KIDS. The EP tells a story of growth and explores why some early relationships don’t last.

Alongside the release of their new record, KIDS have also announced a series of shows across the UK, starting this month in Manchester – dates and venues are below.

KIDS

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KIDS Live Shows 2023:

  • April 26th (Wednesday) – Manchester –  The Rodeo Mag Night – 33 Oldham Street
  • April 29th (Saturday) – Southampton – Joiners
  • May 11th (Thursday) – Brighton – Great Escape – The Outdoor Beach Stage
  • June 29th  (Thursday) –  Liverpool –  Jimmy’s
  • June 30th (Friday) –  Sunderland – Independent 
  • July 1st (Saturday) – Stockton – KU Stockton
  • July 23rd (Sunday) – Secret Garden Party – Where The Wild Things Are Stage
  • July 29th (Saturday) – Y Not Festival – Scruff Of The Neck Stage