ALFITUDE - New Music

Hemes – Home

One of the most interesting talents to have emerged over the last year has been Hemes.

As a first-generation Arabic woman based in the UK, Hemes crafts sounds that touch on cultural aspects few newcomers ever consider putting into song.

New single ‘Home’ is a beautifully introspective piece of music that was inspired by feelings of displacement, as well as the desire to find a place to call home.

“This song concept is something I’ve been wanting to write for a while. It’s a universal theme that I think many people will be able to relate to, no matter where they come from or what their background is.”

“Now that I am older I’ve realised that ‘Home’ does not have to be one place, it can be a community or multiple places, this is something I have grown to love and accept, and I look forward to sharing in future concepts and projects.”

With support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio Wales and 1 Xtra, as well as tastemaker outlets as respected as Clout, A1234 and Conversations About Her, Hemes is a name to watch for in 2023.

Hemes

Cheska Moore – Bad Thoughts

If you’re in the mood for some dark, sultry pop then you’ll most likely fall in love with singer-songwriter Cheska Moore’s latest release, entitled ‘Bad Thoughts’.

The song explores sinister side of sleeplessness, and all the thoughts that creep up on us while we are alone at night.

‘Bad Thoughts’ marks a new sonic direction for the South London talent, who spent most of 2022 working on her songwriting and artistry.

Fans can expect a new set of singles this year, inspired by themes as diverse as narcissism, toxic relationships and sexuality.

Cheska Moore

New Music: Beth McKenzie

While Beth McKenzie is a relative newcomer within the pop-rock sphere, this UK-based talent has already amassed more than seven million views on TikTok since the year began.

Listening to her ultra-catchy and empowering single ‘You Were The One’ helps you understand how and why this happened.

This is a song that is stunningly honest in its lyricism, and presents listeners with the raw truth about broken relationships. The track showcases McKenzie’s strengths at writing music that is not only melodically memorable, but also highly relatable in its storytelling.

“This song was written about the breakdown of a relationship. When one person wants to blame the other in entirety, the latter stands up and speaks the truth…”

Beth McKenzie

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Rebecca Lappa – Blue Lips

Hailing from the Canadian city of Edmonton is singer and songwriter Rebecca Lappa.

Already a prolific musician and five-time nominee of the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Lappa has been steadily growing a loyal fanbase since releasing her first music from the age of only 12.

Lifted from Lappa’s forthcoming ‘Tales of a Taurus’ EP (out May 2023), new single ‘Blue Lips’ draws upon the Canadian winters, and compares nature’s elements (like ice and fire) to the thoughts and emotions that come from being in a ‘situationship’.

“Taking you into a world of frozen hearts and blinding snow, ‘Blue Lips’ is a uniquely Canadian story about a friends-with-benefits relationship, combining heartache and excitement together like fire and ice. The winter imagery throughout the song brings forward the harsh realities of a situation where one partner is hoping the relationship will turn into more than it is.”

Alongside the release of the single, Lappa has also just unveiled a lyric video which can be viewed here.

Rebecca Lappa

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Pontea – Our Love

LA-based artist Pontea starts her year with a beautiful and heartfelt ballad that deserves your attention.

A classic and passionate love song to the core, ‘Our Love’ was written by Pontea as a dedication to her husband, and demonstrates the immensely powerful bond that forms between two soulmates.

“I wrote this song as a way to express the depth of my love for my husband. Our wedding day was the most special day of my life, and I wanted to create something that would always remind us of that day and the bond we share. It’s the essence of my vows in the best way I know how to communicate, through music.”

“The spoken word section is made up of poetry that I had written throughout our eight year relationship – from falling in love, to growing together as a couple, to realising that this is my person forever, and savouring the beauty of our love. It was an amazing feeling to revisit writings from years ago, to see that my feelings have not only remained, but have deepened even more since then.”

A singer and songwriter on the rise, Pontea is rapidly gaining momentum all across Southern California, and has already amassed more than 200k cumulative streams on Spotify alone.

Pontea

New Music: Great Park Avenue

Today we are introducing you to Stockholm’s Great Park Avenue, who are continuing Sweden’s long-standing tradition of exporting world-class indie rock to the world.

Inspired by iconic British rocker Pete Doherty, new single ‘Pete My Teacher’ treats listeners to an energising indie sound that is compelling and anthemic in character.

Taken from the group’s ‘Limitless Prolific Divineness’ EP, the song was recorded in a former women’s restroom, and mixed at the Kapsylen Studios in Stockholm.

“‘The bathroom with its tile walls is a rather unconventional room for recording but we’ve made it our own sacred place and we’re absolutely in awe of the atmosphere of this magic loo.”

Be sure to keep an eye on the song’s accompanying game, in which ‘you can take a step into the mysterious world that is some people’s everyday life. Might or not be Pete fighting paparazzis, you’ll have to figure that one out yourself.’

Great Park Avenue

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Kaisha – Crossroads

Rising UK starlet Kaisha returns with yet another sublime fusion of R&B and soul through her new single, ‘Crossroads’.

Inspired by the doubt that we cast on ourselves from the decisions that we choose to make, the song’s lyricism feels honest and refreshingly relatable.

“2020 was a big blow to my mental health. I was also approaching my mid twenties, and during that I felt regret for not doing more things or trying out new things. Some days I would just blink and the day would end.”

“With everything compounding I felt more and more unsure of the decisions I was making and that took away a lot of the control I had. Endless nights thinking about what could’ve been. ‘Crossroads’ is really about the chaotic headspace I was in when I was uncertain of my future.”

Widely hailed as one of the England’s most promising soul newcomers, Kaisha has garnered acclaim from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio 1 Xtra and Rinse FM.

Kaisha plays her first ever London headline show on the 7th March at The Social – tickets can be found here. Upcoming EP ‘Nine Yards’ is scheduled for release on the 30th March.

Kaisha

Carter Vail – NAPOLEON

For those unfamiliar with American artist Carter Vail, this emerging talent has been building considerable momentum, particularly through social media, ever since 2020’s lockdown.

With a refreshingly uplifting approach to indie-pop, Vail treats listeners to feel-good songs that are packed with charm and personality.

Accumulating more than seven million cumulative streams to date on Spotify alone, not to mention hundreds of thousands of followers across TikTok and Instagram, Vail might just be America’s next global star.

Carter Vail

KESMAR – Is It Me or Is It Love

You could be tricked into thinking ‘Is It Me or Is It Love’ was something coming out of a 70s vinyl found in your local record store, but this is in fact the newest release from rising Australian artist KESMAR (aka Nathan Hawes).

With its retro-tinged style of indie, the song delivers a sound that feels charming, classic and playful, while still maintaining some modern pop sensibilities.

The track is taken from Hawes’ forthcoming debut ‘ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS’ album (out 31st March), of which he says:

“‘ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS’ is my first full length body of work produced and written entirely by myself at my little home studio – ‘Dino Studios.’ It reminds me of a simpler time, just writing songs and making a damn record. I had quite a loose deadline so there never felt like there was any rush to just smash out a bunch of songs for an album. I really got to take my time and to be completely honest, 50% of it was figuring out how to plug gadgets in. If there is an easy way of recording something or playing a line, I’m going to do the opposite, not in a way of ‘look at me’ but I just like to do things the hard way or ‘impractical way ‘ some would say. After learning how to write songs front to back it quickly became known this is the way I have to do it and it resulted in my favourite batch of songs I’ve ever written.”

With an ever-growing fanbase across social media, as well as tastemaker praise from outlets as respected as Under the Radar, Earmilk and The Luna Collective, KESMAR has already marked his name as one of Australia’s most promising musical exports.

KESMAR

Holly Blair – Make It On My Own

Multi-talented LA-based artist Holly Blair unveils a new anthem for all the broken-hearted souls out there.

‘Make It On My Own’ was inspired by the mixed emotions that one can experience when they’ve just come out of a relationship.

Through its distinctive mix of indie, rock and pop, the song looks at the feelings of loneliness we encounter, but also at the prospects of a more positive future.

“The song came from a place of two contradictory feelings living in me at the same time. I felt an immense sense of loss for the ending of a relationship and also a sense of playfulness looking at the situation at hand. I felt like in order to come to terms with what I was going through I had to acknowledge that maybe those feelings don’t actually contradict each other at all, maybe they just are.”

Holly Blair

New Music: twentylove

Emerging from Los Angeles is singer and songwriter twentylove, who has just released his new single, entitled ‘getting used to this’.

Through a style of sound that blends elements of classic indie with alternative pop, twentylove creates songs that feel emotive, honest and heartfelt in tone. Elaborating further on the inspiration behind his new track, twentylove explains:

“This song is about coping with long distance. I spend a lot of time on the road touring, and it’s hard to leave my wife at home. I wrote this my first time in Nashville with a songwriting/ producing couple. What you’re hearing was made in one day, we’re so excited for it to be out.”

twentylove plays North Hollywood’s Knitting Factory on the 26th February – tickets can be found here, and more of the artist’s music can be heard on his Spotify here.

twentylove

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Araya – POISON

Brooklyn-based singer and songwriter Araya is back with a stunning new release that further showcases this rising talent’s huge potential.

‘POISON’ is lifted from the upcoming EP ‘ARENA’, and marks a shift in Araya’s sonic style. The song feels deeply personal, introspective and sincere, and was written during a particularly tumultuous time in the artist’s life.

“‘POISON’ is one of the most honest songs on ‘ARENA’ as it acts as a sort of confessional for me, acknowledging my part in toxic cycles that I felt like were bigger than me. I’m realising both in my writing and in this song specifically that I always leave myself a trail of hope for a better me, even if in that moment I can’t project that into my actual life. ‘POISON’ is my submission to a cruel love; accepting that and my previous choices in hopes of eventually growing from it all.”

Araya plays New York’s Elsewhere on the 9th March – tickets can be found here.

Araya

Ella Collier – GIRL NEXT DOOR!

One of the most impressive electro-pop bops of the week comes courtesy of LA-based artist Ella Collier.

‘GIRL NEXT DOOR!’ has it all – an infectious melody with a punchy chorus, a pleasantly unpredictable production, and some very bold vocals.

The song adds to an already stellar collection of releases from this emerging talent, who has amassed more than 100k career streams to to date.

Ella Collier

New Music: Dark Bardo

Dark Bardo is a new collaborative project consisting of acclaimed creatives Andy Baldwin and Filip Mitrovic.

As music producers, Baldwin and Mitrovic have worked on projects for global artists as prominent as Bjork, Childish Gambino and John Baptiste.

Debut single ‘Wild Thought’ features Zimbabwean-American artist Shungudzo, and immerses listeners into an eccentric and playful soundscape that feels intriguing, uplifting, and totally unique in character.

“We came up with the piano riff while experimenting with dampening the strings with different pieces of cloth (t-shirts!!) to achieve a more intimate sound. This simultaneously turned the piano into a percussive instrument. Every creak, every thud, became very audible, as if coming from the belly of a beast, akin to a living organism.

We then took that same piano riff and played it on the kitchen piano. This has a very different sound, much brighter and more open, which created “slapier”, more trebly reflections. So it became a game of going back and forth from this intimate, creaky, animal-like piano to the bright, loud, obnoxious one!“

Dark Bardo

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Moncrieff – Perfect

One of Ireland’s most prominent artists to have emerged in recent years has been singer-songwriter Moncrieff.

An accomplished musician who has already performed with the likes of Adele, Moncrieff creates arena-ready pop songs that are not only melodically memorable, but lyrically relatable.

New single ‘Perfect’ serves as a masterclass in songwriting. Emotive, raw and passionate in tone, the track looks at moments when you realise that a relationship might be nearing its end.

“’Perfect’ is a very personal song for me about all those small moments in a relationship that make you realise that something isn’t as perfect as it once felt. It can be so hard to admit that something just isn’t right in a relationship and, despite your loyalty and care towards each other, sometimes good things come to an end.”

Moncrieff

New Music: Sufi Hamilton

Hailing from Brooklyn comes rising artist and producer Sufi Hamilton.

Hamilton constructs music that somehow feels both classic and experimental in equal measures. Songs like ‘make sense’ display a style of sound that fuses elements of melodic soul with alternative R&B in a playful yet finessed way.

With more than 300k career streams on Spotify alone, we predict big things for Hamilton over the coming year.

Sufi Hamilton

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New Music: Geo Jordan

We’re starting the week with a hugely exciting talent who’s momentum is already on the rise.

Geo Jordan is a genre-bending British trans artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Powerful new single ‘3DM’ makes an immediate impact from the moment you press play. Over an energising production that features elements of electronica, indie and dance, the song presents lyrics that address ways in which we can attain freedom for ourselves.

Aside from his solo releases, Geo’s talents are well known within the industry. His work with Doja Cat garnered two Grammy nominations, while Geo also boasts collaborations with the likes of Lianne La Havas, Oscar Jerome, Sasha Keable and Laura Roy.

Garnering praise from tastemaker outlets as noted as BBC Radio, MTV, Clash and Wonderland, Geo Jordan is undoubtedly one name to watch for this year.

Geo Jordan

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Baby Rose – I Won’t Tell (feat. Smino)

One of R&B’s most unique talents to have emerged in recent years has been Baby Rose.

With an ever-evolving style of music-making, this artist has consistently delivered finessed and well-constructed sounds that have been refreshingly original in tone.

Serving as a taster to Baby Rose’s upcoming ‘Through and Through’ album (out 28th April), new single ‘I Won’t Tell’ features the talents of rapper Smino, and is a tastefully eccentric slice of funky R&B that evolved from a long night of songwriting.

“‘I Won’t Tell’ is a fun record that came out of a sleepless night in LA jamming with friends. It was 4am when we started on it and with our inhibitions gone, magic surfaced that allowed us to just flow. When I began to write it out, I wanted to embrace my own chaos, my shadows. Then Smino slid into it effortlessly and that’s just what this song is, effortless.” – Baby Rose

Baby Rose | Smino

New Music: Franklin Jonas

Track of the week. To call Franklin Jonas a newcomer would technically be incorrect, as this former child actor is no stranger to the limelight – in part to him being the fourth Jonas brother.

With an already immense fanbase all across social media, Jonas has now unveiled his debut single, entitled ‘Cocaine’.

Raw yet vulnerable, the song really does stand out as an exceptional piece of indie-pop. It showcases a bold and highly original style of sound that proves Jonas is unafraid of pushing boundaries with his songwriting.

“My musical journey began when I started experimenting with beat-making in college. I loved crafting samples directly from vinyl and I dove deep into the world of music production studying audio engineering under mixing mastermind John McBride—whose distinctive voice appears at the beginning of ‘Cocaine.’ I took a break from music, until my former roommate and fellow musician Clint Michigan encouraged me to pursue my creative streak and so I shared my demos with the guys behind Pizzaslime Records. Their belief in me led to more writing and producing my music with Charlie Brand. I’m excited to finally be able to share the first song with you.”

Franklin Jonas

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New Music: BINTA

Newly signed with acclaimed label Mind Of A Genius (home to Gallant, THEY. and ZHU), London-based Gambian artist BINTA unveils her new single, ‘Do You Wanna’.

Produced alongside noted producer KDDO, the track showcases a finessed style of electronica-infused pop that compliments BINTA’s trademark dreamy vocals perfectly.

“Do you wanna is ultimately just a cute question you have when you like someone. Like you know you don’t want to get into anything serious but at the same time you don’t want to stay in this awkward stage. like why stay here on earth when what we feel for each other is like were flying through space.“

Infectiously memorable as it is charming in tone, ‘Do You Wanna’ marks an exciting stage in this rising starlet’s career.

BINTA

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