ALFITUDE - New Music

New Music: Lip Filler

Hailing from Shepherd’s Bush is 5-piece indie outfit Lip Filler, who have just unveiled their new single, ‘Haircut’.

The track serves as the group’s first release with prominent label Chess Club Records (home to Alfie Templeman and Phoebe Green), and treats listeners to an energising mix of indie, rock and alternative pop.

“‘Haircut’ is about adapting to a metropolitan lifestyle and constantly being over-stimulated and confronted by technology. We all moved to London at a weird and unwelcoming time, so we feel these lyrics resemble the headspace we approached after moving to the city.”

Accompanying the song is a music video (co-directed by the band themselves), which features scenes from their original hometown of Frome, as well as their new life in London.

“The ‘Haircut’ video was a frantic project that we managed to nail down in pretty much five consecutive days. The concept of the video was one that we’d had brewing for a little while and (being the case with most of our ideas) it took a while to refine and logically plan out. For our first video – we wanted to ensure we captured who we all are as people and more importantly as a band. We did this by splitting the video so that some of the scenes were shot in our hometown and the rest were shot in our kitchen. It was great fun. The two separate locations correlate to the themes of the song about moving from the country and adjusting to the city lifestyle.”

Lip Filler

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New Music: David Saint Val

As far as emerging R&B talent goes, you won’t find many new artists that are showcasing a level of skill as finessed as David Saint Val.

Lyrically raw and candid, ‘I’m Not That Guy’ delivers to listeners a beautifully dreamy piece of music that feels timeless and elegant in its sound.

With more than 90k monthly Spotify listeners and over a million catalogue streams, it’s safe to say that Saint Val is one name to watch for in 2023.

David Saint Val

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Kami Kehoe – loaded gun

Kami Kehoe is back with yet another impressive new single to further solidify her name as one the America’s most promising newcomers.

Punchy and bold in tone, ‘loaded gun’ showcases a kind of pop that delivers a ton of character without having to go overboard on the production.

“My motto is ‘kure the world’ because I know one day I will have a positive impact on a generation of people. If I am able to change one person’s life through my songs or through the words I say, then I’ve reached my goal.”

Working with much respected Grass Fed Music (home to the likes of Sabrina Claudio and Etham), it seems only a short matter of time before Kehoe will hit the mainstream.

Kami Kehoe

New Music: brookelen

Newcomer brookelen might just be our favourite bedroom-pop discovery of the week.

Hailing from Los Angeles, this enormously promising talent creates a beautifully delicate sound that fuses acoustic pop with dreamy indie, resulting in a sound that feels sincere and emotive in tone.

‘Seeker’ is brookelen’s first ever release, and is taken from her upcoming ‘Time to Go’ EP. Elaborating further on the song’s meaning, brookelen remarks:

“Writing ‘Seeker’ was a form of healing from heart-ache, loneliness, and loss. The song translates into a soothing yet desperate plea for self-growth and inspires listeners to lean into the beauty of solitude while confronting introspection.“

brookelen will perform in LA as part of MakeOutMusic on the 11th February – tickets can be found here.

brookelen

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Interview: Quickfire with Dylan Conrique

Dylan Conrique’s rise to stardom has been meteoric, to say the least. Since making her music debut in 2020, this multi-talented artist has not only won over millions of fans all across social media, but also found her music streamed more than 210 million times to date.

It’s an impressive feat for the US-based entertainer, singer-songwriter, actress and dancer – who is still in her teen years.

To celebrate the release of nostalgic new single ‘Gatekeeper’, we asked Conrique a few quickfire questions to get an insight into the mind of this hugely popular new starlet.

Could you tell us a little more about the message behind your new single, ‘Gatekeeper’?

The day that I wrote this song I had a big argument with my mom over me wanting to move out. I just wanted to learn how to be on my own but my mom took it personally. When I went into the session I wanted to write a song for my parents to remind them that I’d always be their little girl, no matter what, and that sometimes I have to learn my own lessons.

What inspired you to become a musician?

Sports were never my specialty growing up, not at all haha. But I was always singing, even when I barely knew real English, I was just always singing and putting on shows for my family with my older brother. As I got older, I asked my mom if I could take lessons and I immediately fell in love with it. I was also really interested in acting, and I knew LA was the place to pursue both, so my family eventually made the move so I could give it a shot.

You’re still only 18 years old but you’ve already accomplished so much… What would you say has been your musical career highlight so far?

That’s a hard one! If I had to pick one I would say when I got to headline my own small tour last summer going from Los Angeles all the way to London! I’d always wanted to leave the country and visit London and it was such an amazing experience, the fans I met there were awesome.

Who would your dream collaboration be with, and why?

My dream collaboration would definitely be Gary LeVox from Rascal Flatts! I’ve always wanted to write with him, or even just meet him, since I was a little girl. My dad always played country radio when I was growing up and I remember hearing him and knowing all the words to their songs by heart.

What does 2023 hold in store for you?

I’m going on tour! I can’t wait to be on the road again and sing with the crowds. I also have a lot of new music coming this year that I’m really excited to release. And hopefully I get to visit a lot of new cities on another headline tour later this year!

Dylan Conrique | Tour Dates & Tickets

New Music: ggwendolyn

Track of the week. The occasions when you press play on a song and get hooked within seconds are few and far between, but fortunately ggwendolyn has come up with a gem that has had us addicted all weekend.

While the lyrics touch on the emotional and mental struggles that we suffer internally, the production presents listeners with an eccentric indie-pop sound which results in a perfect sonic juxtaposition.

“I hope you love this chaotic mess of a song. I hold it very near and dear to my heart. Depression is an incredibly heavy weight to carry and sometimes getting out of bed is the biggest thing to accomplish. Here’s to climbing the mountain in your room or asking for help if you can’t see the top quite yet.”

If you’ve fallen in love with this artist as much as we have, then be sure to give her equally impressive debut single ‘orion’ a spin here.

ggwendolyn

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New Music: Harry Was Here

For those who are not familiar with Harry Was Here, this promising talent is an artist, producer, singer and songwriter based in LA.

Through a style of work that is refreshingly unique character, Harry Was Here creates songs that balance a current sound with hints of nostalgia.

‘Pet Giraffe’ presents listeners with a beautifully melancholic mix of alt-pop, indie and rock. Elaborating on the meaning behind the song, Harry Was Here explains:

“‘Pet Giraffe’ was written on a day that I was feeling really down for no reason. Lyrically inspired by Bob Dylan, the cryptic messaging comes from a deep place of sadness that always seems to be lurking. It’s that feeling that you are the weight bringing down the people around you. The pet giraffe symbolises an imaginary friend that wants to raise me up to see more clearly.”

Harry Was Here

GLU – MY DEMONS (feat. Sarah Barthel)

If you’re unfamiliar with GLU then you may recognise this artist as Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age and Mini Mansions fame.

Through its playful production, ‘MY DEMONS’ features raw and honest lyricism that is inspired by the long-term effects of childhood trauma.

“A lot of this is me speaking as an adult now, but it’s talking about me as a child. I’m at an age where I don’t care as much about masking things, lyrically.”

The track is lifted from GLU’s upcoming debut EP, which is scheduled for release later this month.

GLU | Sarah Barthel | Phantogram

New Music: good and you

If you’re looking to start your Sunday with some deluxe electronic sounds then we’ve got the perfect track for you.

‘give my all to you’ comes from brand new Australian duo good and you (aka Jordan Collyer and Matthew Price), and treats listeners to a refined and beautifully melodic style of electronica that is both finessed and sleek in character.

With such an impressive debut, we can’t wait to hear what this promising duo will release next.

good and you

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Spilly Cave – minutia

As a much-loved darling within TikTok’s expansive (and at times, very odd) music universe, Spilly Cave has stood out as one of the platform’s most promising musicians over the last year.

Taken from the Harrisburg-based artist’s self-titled album (out now), ‘minutia’ is a subdued and melancholic (but somehow also quite charming) indie sound that has racked up more than 800k streams on Spotify alone.

Spilly Cave currently commands a loyal fanbase all across social media, while also garnering praise from tastemakers and prominent outlets like Pitchfrork, Mashable and more.

Spilly Cave

Courtney Paige Nelson – 1-800-broke-my-heart

Rising LA-based starlet Courtney Paige Nelson returns with an anthemic new single entitled ‘1-800-broke-my-heart’.

Courtney wrote the song as a way to process the trauma that she had endured during a messy breakup. Lyrically raw and relatable, the track’s aim is to empower the broken-hearted, and remind them that better days lie ahead.

“After a terrible breakup which resulted in me finding out my ex was cheating on me with his coworker, I got extremely depressed and wrote this song telling my side of the story since I never got a chance to speak my piece. There wasn’t any closure for me so it was priority to write something that would help decompress the giant knot in my chest. I wanted to be as vulnerable as possible when writing this song, so when it’s released I felt like I was relieved instead of feeling like I should’ve been more open. There was a lot of this story that I think many can relate to as a breakup/ situationship anthem. I say anthem because I want it to empower people, not make them dwell on negative emotions with whatever they are going through. There’s so many sad songs in the world, and I love me a good sad song. But this time I needed something to yell driving down the freeway with my middle finger in the air.”

Born and raised in San Francisco, Courtney Paige Nelson is forging a name for herself as one of American pop’s most promising independent talents.

With millions of streams already under belt, and acclaim from the likes of FLAUNT, The Line of Best Fit, METAL and Entertainment Weekly, this is one artist to watch in 2023.

Courtney Paige Nelson

Mar Malade – Moonman

One of Germany’s most successful new musical exports has been Mar Malade.

A collaboration between friends Alexander Hauer and Michèl M. Almeida, this outfit are winning fans all across the world thanks to their tastefully playful style of indie-pop, amassing nearly twenty million catalogue streams along the way.

‘Moonman’ continues to showcase the duo’s talent, with its bittersweet yet utterly charming story of a lonely astronaut floating in space.

The song is taken from their forthcoming sophomore ‘Balloon’ album, which is scheduled for release this April. Until then, fans can enjoy their debut ‘MAR Malade’ here.

Mar Malade

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Emei – Scatterbrain

Alt-pop star Emei is back with yet another showstopper release.

On the surface, ‘Scatterbrain’ comes across as any other pop song that you’d expect… up until that chorus hits and takes you by surprise.

This is a song that delights and intrigues you to the point where you’ll have it on loop for the rest of the day. And it’s probably the reason why the track has already gone viral, surpassing more than three million views on social media.

Both lyrically and sonically, the ‘Scatterbrain’ was created as a way to reflect the mind of someone with ADHD, and incorporates Emei’s quintessential ‘brain-tingle’ moment.

“So proud of this one it sounds exactly like my brain it’s everything I can’t even express how excited I am.”

Emei

New Music: Yaro Mila

Hailing from Amsterdam is avant-garde musician Yaro Mila, who creates a uniquely distinct style of pop that has to be heard!

To us, ‘cry baby’ seems to incorporate elements of 90’s-inspired R&B with electronica, punk and hyperpop, resulting in a sound that feels conceptual and bold, but still maintains mainstream appeal.

While still a newcomer, we definitely see a lot of potential for this Dutch newcomer. Keep an eye on this kid!

On a side note, if you love ‘cry baby’ then you’ll most likely also enjoy the ‘sped up’ version, which can be found here.

Yaro Mila

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Blaue Blume – Crush

In recent years, Copenhagen three-piece Blaue Blume have established themselves as one of Denmark’s most influential and respected indie acts, with a catalogue of works totalling millions of streams globally.

They start the year with a shimmering new single, entitled ‘Crush’. Through its captivating fusion of indie-pop and art rock, the track serves as an inspiration for lovers to keep the excitement within their relationships alive – no matter how much life gets in the way.

“‘Crush’ is pretty much about getting your relationship to sparkle again when you both get stuck in all the practical stuff and everyday life. The song is about dancing and making out again with the one you went out of your way to get, reminding yourself that you really shouldn’t take love for granted. ‘Crush’ is a tribute to girlfriends and boyfriends.” – Jonas Schmidt, Blaue Blume

Blaue Blume are currently readying the release of their next EP, as well as a tour across Denmark which begins this spring.

Blaue Blume

🎵 Ones To Watch Playlist 🎵Scandinavia Sound Playlist

Nea – A Lover Like Me

Acclaimed Swedish singer, songwriter and artist Nea returns with one of the catchiest bops of the week.

Lifted from forthcoming debut album ‘TRANSPARENT’ (out later this year), ‘A Lover Like Me’ serves as a masterclass in Scandinavian pop, with its infectious melody, memorable lyrics and energising sound.

“’A Lover Like Me’ is one of those rare songs that just wrote itself. I had a lyric idea, Daniel [Ledinsky, co-writer & producer] played some chords and two hours later we had the song! I love the rawness of the vocals and the vibe, that there’s an edge to it.”

One of Sweden’s biggest pop successes in recent times, Nea (aka Linnea Södahl) has amassed more than 800 million streams under her own name, while also writing hits for the likes of Zara Larsson, Felix Jaehn, Tove Styrke and Axwell.

Nea

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KIDSNOT$AINTS. – 60’s Baby.

You’d be easily fooled into thinking ’60’s Baby.’ was a release from fifty years ago, but alas, it’s a brand new song from New Jersey collective KIDSNOT$AINTS.

Showcasing some of the finest nostalgia-tinged sounds that we’ve come across in quite some time, the track layers a classic 60’s vibe over a modern alt-pop production.

Referencing the likes of Motown, Elvis Presley and The Temptations, this emerging group have somehow brought a very old-school kind of heartbreak song into a very modern world.

KIDSNOT$AINTS.

Frank Ivy – New State of Mind

Fans of synth will be delighted with today’s release of ‘New State of Mind’ from Bay Area talent Frank Ivy.

Written as an uplifting song to remind us that the future can always be bright, the track treats listeners to an energising fusion of synth, indie and dreamy pop.

“It’s a hopeful and exciting up-tempo record about moving on from the past, and not letting anything hold you back. We zoom out and start thinking about fate, purpose and the perception of time.”

A successful and accomplished multi-dimensional artist, Frank has worked as a singer, bandmate, songwriter and producer over the space of two decades.

Frank Ivy

New Music: Darcy Fox

We are launching into the weekend with a beautiful new song from emerging Melbourne artist Darcy Fox.

An anthem for the broken-hearted, ‘Your Best’ perfectly balances hints of indie, rock and pop with folk.

On the track, listeners can experience Fox’s heartfelt vocals presenting raw and sincere lyrics over a production that feels fragile and emotive in tone.

“This folk-pop break up track about bittersweet acceptance is universally relatable.”

Inspired by the likes of Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers, Fox has been performing and building a loyal legion of followers since the age of 15. An upcoming album (which was crowdfunded by Fox’s fans) is scheduled for release this year.

Darcy Fox

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SM6 – Generation Heartbreak

For those unfamiliar with SM6, this group of siblings have become one of social media’s fastest-growing music outfits, with more than 2.8 million followers on TikTok alone.

While their style of sound has typically been defined by its bold fusions of electronica, pop and rock, new single ‘Generation Heartbreak’ treats listeners to a different sonic aesthetic.

Inspired by the slow-ballad productions from the early 2000’s, the song was written by vocalist & bassist Isabel Jones “out of sadness for [the band’s] generation” for losing “the old ways of love.”

The track serves as a taster to the SM6’s forthcoming album, which is scheduled for release later in the year.

SM6

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