Californian bedroom-pop artist and producer Noah Henderson unveils his brand new single today, ‘i think you loved me’.
With its beautifully vulnerable and fragile lyricism, the song showcases a style of melancholic pop that is not only relatable, but also immensely moving.
“This song is about having a deep emotional connection to someone but they aren’t in it anymore, they want to give up. Relationships often have their give and take moments, that’s what makes a relationship special, finding a middle ground or compromise. In some cases, the only option your partner feels is to leave, without thinking about how it might impact the other person.”
A talent already receiving considerable attention (in part due to his songs picking up momentum through TikTok), Henderson’s style of music-making has seen him receive praise from tastemakers as noted as Fashionably Early, among others.
Few musicians have the courage to open up their hearts in a way that is as candid, raw and personal as rising alternative artist Dylan “Woz” Wozniak.
Today sees the singer, songwriter and guitarist unveil his latest single, entitled ‘Medicine’. Powerfully honest and emotive in tone, the track continues to showcase Woz as one of the most exciting newcomers to have emerged from the US over the last twelve months.
Coinciding with the release, we asked Woz to tell us a little more about the meaning behind the song, along with some other questions that will give you a glimpse into the mind of this future music star.
Your new single is called ‘Medicine’. What inspired you to write the song?
‘Medicine’ encapsulates the darkest period of my life. The lyric was inspired by a quote in the show Bojack Horseman, where his mom says “You’re Bojack Horseman, there’s no cure for that.” The song itself is about having Borderline Personality Disorder, and the addictions and self-destructive behavior that came with it. At the time I truly believed that those behaviors were who I was, and theres no way for me to fix that. I’m sober now and am on medication, so thankfully I was wrong.
What does a typical day for Woz look like at the moment?
My day is pretty routine honestly. I wake up, hang out with my dog, do some writing, and from there I make TikToks and stuff for a bit, and then I go out and hang with my friends! Also band practice, that’s my favorite part of the week usually!
What would you say has been your career highlight so far?
Probably playing my first show at a venue. We played the Amityville Music Hall in my town and it was awesome! My friends were there, and people who follow me online too! It was surreal, the place was packed out, it was emotional!
Who would your dream collaboration be with, and why?
I have too many dream collaborations. Jack Antonoff would be a sick one, I’m a huge fan of everything he’s done. Also a lot of fashion people would be cool too. If I ever got to do something that ended up in me wearing some fancy Saint Laurent clothes, I’d be so happy.
What do you have in store for the year ahead?
Where do I start? All I’ll say is more shows, more music, and stuff that I can’t say quite yet.
Stream Woz’s widely acclaimed 2022 hit EP ‘At the Gulf’here.
Swiss singer, songwriter and composer Mary Middlefield returns with an infectiously catchy new indie bop entitled ‘This One’s For You’.
Lifted from upcoming album ‘Thank You, Alexander’ (out 3rd Mar), the song treats listeners to a more playful and upbeat style of sound from Middlefield, and is inspired by the meeting of a soulmate.
“Laying under blue skies talking to you, I haven’t met you yet, someday I’ll get to.”
Alongside the release of the single, Middlefield has also unveiled stunning visuals for the song (directed by Imogen Harrison), of which she says:
“It was a pleasure working with the same crew of musicians throughout the project, and we had a lot of fun improvising throughout the process of making TOFY. As a child, we feel like we have to subscribe to certain stories we might come across in books or films and I wanted the track to mark a sarcastic tone to the traditional fairy tale, princess storylines we are fed.”
Fans of Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens will most likely fall in love with Swedish musician Tobias Arbo (aka Tobias Ekelund), who has just unveiled his latest single, ‘Within’.
In its quintessential Nordic style of sound, the song presents listeners with a production that is sparse, simple and minimal – yet somehow still feels warm, thoughtful and beautifully contemplative.
“A few years ago, I found a box of video cassettes that my dad had recorded throughout my childhood. I started watching them and was reminded of the cheerful and vibrant child I was. But at the same time, it made me experience a kind of sadness, as memories of the shy and sensitive person that I’d also been clouded the image. During my childhood, I experienced a lot of anxiety, at times having trouble being in school and hanging out with friends. I was five years old at the time my sister was born and it wasn’t until I’d grown up that I started to reflect on how it might have affected her – having an older brother who periodically pulled away.”
The track is taken from Tobias’ upcoming ‘Powerlines’ debut EP, which will be released on 31st March 2023.
“The EP is a contemplation on the self and its different parts, voices, and moods. It’s about listening to the noise of these voices’ endless dialogue and trying to connect with the many parts of oneself that want to be heard. For example, facing the inner child, whose early experiences shape us so much more than we tend to believe, or struggling with the inner critic, who raises self-doubt and prevents us from getting where we want to go.”
After a year-long hiatus, London’s VC Pines marks his comeback with new single ‘Running’.
Fusing elements of alternative R&B with soul and indie-pop, the track marks a fresh sonic direction for the ever-evolving artist.
“‘Running’ is about loneliness. Never feeling like you really fit into a group of friends. You know people from different pockets of London who tend to drift in and out of their lives every weekend and then disappear for a while. It’s easier to hide addictions from people because no one’s really able to keep an eye on you. You hate being stuck in one place for too long, but there’s always someone telling you you need to take a breather from chaotic work life/ social life.”
Few UK-based musicians have received as much hype in recent years as VC Pines. This talent continues to win fans and critics alike, with praise from industry heavyweights like Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens, as well as countless tastemaker outlets.
Fans in London can catch an intimate show by VC Pines at Camden’s MAP Studio Cafe on the 27th January – tickets can be found here.
The year has barely begun and we’ve already seen a huge number of promising Californian talents emerging. Adding to the list today is singer, songwriter and future popstar RYL0.
New single ‘Thru My Chest’ injects a Y2K sonic aesthetic into a future-forward pop production, resulting in an energising sound that is vibrant, bold and refreshing.
To date, RYL0 has accumulated more than 300k streams on Spotify while also picking up support from the likes of PAPER magazine.
London’s Jadasea and Brooklyn’s Laron team up on a new release that showcases some of the finest in both British and American sonic artistry.
Lifted from their forthcoming ‘The Corner Vol.1’ collaborative project (out 8th Feb), ‘Middle of It’ layers nostalgic soul tones over a modern hip hop production, resulting in a sound that feels both classic and current.
With more than 500k streams on Spotify to date, Jadasea is a rising UK talent who has worked alongside the likes of King Krule, while Laron has already marked his name Stateside as an in-demand producer.
Californian triple-threat singer, songwriter and producer pj frantz might well be your favourite new chill-pop artist.
‘leave this party’ showcases a sound that layers feelings of melancholy over a subtly playful production, resulting in a song that somehow feels both emotive and charming in equal measures.
“I wrote & produced this one a few months back in my bedroom. The song comes from a very real and deep place, and it’s so exciting (and a bit scary) to share that with y’all.”
While still a relative newcomer, pj frantz has impressively accumulated more than 500k streams on Spotify from the release of just two songs.
As a rising artist and producer from Norway, NINV (aka Nina Ugland) is responsible for crafting some of the most interesting blends of electronica and pop to emerge from Scandinavia.
Inspired by the notion of just ‘letting go’, experimental new single ‘Only We Know‘ serves as NINV’s first single of the year, and as a taster for more releases scheduled over the coming months.
With support from the likes of Under The Radar and Norwegian national radio NRK P3, NINV will be one Nordic name to watch for in 2023.
As a triple-threat talent, Sean Dawson is not only a musician and producer, but also an actor.
A Floridian now based in Los Angeles, Dawson creates melodic sounds that incorporate elements of indie with bedroom-pop.
‘HATE BEING HATED’ serves as a follow-up to Dawson’s well-recieved debut release, ‘Last Night’,and looks at the thoughts that run through our mind when we are unsure of the decisions that we make.
“This is my second song ever. It’s about trying to move on when you’re not sure if you made the right decision and learning to live with that.”
Track of the week. Emerging from New York is rap talent 4KPHIL., who has just unveiled one of our favourite releases of the year.
‘Truancy’ is lyrically inspired by the artist’s transition into becoming a father, and seamlessly fuses nostalgic soul with a modern hip hop sound.
“A song I wrote a week after finding out my girlfriend miscarried our future child. The lyrics came to me immediately and I had made this beat a year ago for someone else. I went through my computer trying to find it and once I did I knew its purpose.”
Having already seen his work featured on the wildly popular NBA2K22 in-game soundtrack, it looks like 2023 might well be 4KPHIL.’s biggest year yet. Keep an eye out on this kid!
WIINSTON might well be our most featured Danish outfit from recent years, and with good reason.
This genre-bending Copenhagen duo have consistently delivered sounds that are future-forward and experimental, while also maintaining some pop sensibilities.
‘care4’ continues to showcase WIINSTON’s desire to push sonic boundaries, and fuses genres as diverse as indie, folk and R&B into a song that is not only unique and intriguing in style, but also emotive and authentic in character.
“‘care4’ is the perfect picture on how we currently define ourselves. It’s rooted in multiple genres like indie, folk, RnB and hip hop with inspiration from the soundscapes of cinema. When making music, to us, every aspect is equally important ‘cause when we limit ourselves to only one genre it doesn’t feel like we created anything, really – then we just remade something that already is. We aspire to make this our mutual philosophy in the studio.”
Rising US starlet CeCe wastes no time in her quest for global pop domination, with her first single of the year already released.
A warrior’s anthem of sorts, ‘Problems’ was inspired by all the people who have wronged you in life.
“To my dear friend who we wrote this for… thank you for being brave and letting us tell your story. Let this be a warning… if you *** with my people, I’ll put it in a song so you never forget.”
Sonically rousing as it is lyrically relatable, the song continues to showcase CeCe’s impressive ability to craft epic pop songs that that are both entertaining and captivating in equal measures.
Norwegian starlet Sval teams up with frequent collaborator Jimi Somewhere on new single ‘ANGELA’.
In what is likely to be our favourite release from Norway so far this year, the track treats listeners to a sound that is both tender and vulnerable, but also euphoric in tone.
“‘ANGELA’ is a what if story. You fall in love, but you don’t have enough time to make it work. It’s about meeting someone and falling in love in a place where you know it’s temporary. To me the song feels nostalgic, about someone you don’t see anymore, but you still think dearly of.” – Sval
Elaborating further on the song’s creation, and her process with working alongside Jimi Somewhere, Sval explains:
“Writing this song was super easy, I just sang the first thing that came to mind. I only had a guitar loop and some drums and wrote my part on a late night in my living room, before bringing it to the studio with Jimi and Milo. Jimi’s verse really elevated everything, and I love having him as a feature. His voice really suits the song, and I love the story in his verse. It’s one of my favourites from my upcoming project and I hope people can resonate with it.” – Sval
As one of Norway’s newest alt-pop exports, Sval has received tastemaker recognition from the likes of Earmilk, Clout and Going Solo, while her most recent single, ‘GRENADE‘, has been streamed more than 200k times on Spotify alone.
New Jersey native Kuomo is one of the most interesting artists that we have come across this week.
Picking up inspiration form the likes of Dijon, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver and King Krule, Kuomo constructs a refreshingly alternative style of sound that feels intrinsically unique and beautifully captivating.
Impressively, ‘I’ll Tell You’ is Kuomo’s first ever release, and treats listeners to a melodic yet stripped-back piece of music that was written with a broken heart.
“The song had been in the forge for quite some time. I’d been fresh out of a breakup, moving out, and winter was settling in. ‘Twas a weird time, to say the least. I recorded the first demo in between virtual classes, and then began to build upon it slowly for the next ten months. It’s my baby and I love it. I wanted to keep it as my little secret, but I’m glad to watch the world love it and take care of it.”
Rising UK-based indie-pop outfit Sleeping Together return with their third single today, entitled ‘Time To Reflect’.
Through its thoughtful lyricism, the track explores the moments when we first fall in love – and start to lose our sense of independence.
“‘Time To Reflect’ is about losing yourself in a relationship and how hindsight is a wonderful thing, mostly. It’s easy to get lost in love, but it’s not always as bad as it’s made out to be, provided you keep hold of the key elements of yourself.”
With recognition from the likes of Clout Magazine, BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio, as well as landing placements on playlists as prominent as Spotify’s ‘UK&IE Fresh Finds’, 2023 looks set to be a stellar year for Sleeping Together.
The group play EBGBs in Liverpool on the 10th February – tickets can be found here.
It wouldn’t a normal weekend at Alfitude without featuring some premium Swedish music, and today it’s the turn of Sofia Monroy.
Serving as the last single from her forthcoming ‘Telenovela’ EP (out in the spring), new single ‘Control’ presents listeners with a perfected fusion of future-forward pop, alternative R&B and soul.
The resulting sound is one that feels sleek, finessed and refreshingly experimental in tone.
“‘Control’ is about the fear of losing control in connection with the longing to be someone else’s everything. All of a sudden you find yourself there, tied behind and perplexed, perhaps in love or maybe just stuck.”
To date, this rising Stockholm-based starlet has accumulated more than 300k career streams on Spotify alone.
Your daily dose of fresh electronic pop comes courtesy of LA-based starlet Sabz, who has just unleashed her empowering new single, ‘Like That’.
Fusing nostalgic Y2K pop with alternative R&B tones, the track addresses ex-partners – and reminds listeners that no matter how toxic a relationship ends, that you can always move forward.
A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Sabz is not only a songstress and songwriter, but has also trained as a vocalist since her early teens.
Aside from her own solo work, Sabz’s collaboration on ‘Breathe’ with Avae has so far accumulated more than 110k streams on Spotify alone.
