New Music - New Music

New Music: Silje Strange

Silje Strange is a promising newcomer emerging from Denmark who crafts a gorgeous alt-pop style of sound that is deeply emotional, haunting, and raw.

New single ‘How Lucky You Are’ touches on themes of emotional manipulation and the mental anguish that comes with being in toxic relationships. The lyrics are honest, brave, and really quite powerful.

“This song is about a relationship where the narrator describes how they control their partner through manipulating threats, lies guilt tripping. The lyrics move between reassurance and menace, exposing how psychological abuse often hides behind ‘care,’ jealousy, and the fear of abandonment. The song was inspired by curiosity about how a manipulative partner thinks, showing why someone might keep hurting the person they claim to love.”

While we still don’t know much about this artist, something tells us that she’ll grow to become one of Denmark’s most interesting musical exports.

Silje Strange | Ones To Watch Playlist | Nordic Sound Playlist

New Music: Taylor Bleu

TRACK OF THE WEEK

“‘Mad House’ had to be the first release, because it’s my foundations, it’s where I come from. No matter how hard I try to write about other things, the majority of my life has been devoted to caring for and battling with someone who is unwell. ‘Mad House’ is representative of my resilience. I kept my mum’s cries in at the end of the song because although it might not be palatable, it’s been my theme tune for years, and I haven’t ever been able to turn it off, this time I can.”

Taylor Bleu | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Tiger Adopt

UK artist Tiger Adopt has been releasing songs from as early as 2021, but we’ve only just come across his work this week.

This talent crafts immersive electronic productions that build soundscapes which tell stories. His new single ‘MORTLAKE’ is an emotionally driven blend of electronica, indie and synth that touches on the topic of grief in a very unique and moving way.

“I made this song to document delayed grief, to escape the claustrophobic anxiety of being trapped in one time and place but wanting to go back to another. It’s 120bmp which matches the racing speed of thoughts replaying in my mind. The track moves through three sections, panic, reflection and recovery.”

A very unique artist, creating very unique pieces of sonic art. Make sure you check out his discography here.

Tiger Adopt | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Vau

Vau is an artist and producer emerging from Malmö in Sweden who recently caught our attention with a gorgeous song called ‘Bird You Want To Save’.

The track’s production is a masterclass in lo-fi pop. Despite its dreamy and enchanting soft style of sound, the track speaks of unrequited love, which offers an interesting juxtaposition between the music and the lyrics.

“A song about wanting to be held but not being able to receive it. About looking put-together on the outside while feeling like a broken mess on the inside. The song almost didn’t make the album – until I found a tiny frozen wren outside my studio and nursed it back to health overnight in a pot. The next morning it flew away.”

An upcoming album is scheduled for release later in the summer. Vau’s music has amassed over two million streams to date, which is an impressive feat for a relatively new talent.

Vau | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Kojo Kay

First-generation Canadian-American Kojo Kay first started his journey as a music artist back in 2021 – but stopped a year later to focus on perfecting his sound and style of artistry.

A few years later and he’s now readying the release of his self-produced debut mixtape, titled ‘TONEBOW’, and with it, a taster for the record called ‘THE HUMMINGBIRD TOLD ME IT’S ALL GONNA BE ALRIGHT SO I GUESS IT REALLY WILL BE SO…’.

The song is refreshingly experimental and delivers an approach to hip hop that is alternative and highly unique in character. On its creation, the artist explains:

“My goal on this single was to experiment with the sonic boundaries of melodic hip hop, but also my boundaries as an artist as well to create a piece of work that was truly an accurate reflection of my thoughts in a very dark moment. This moment is one unfamiliar to nearly none, the feeling of the worlds problems combined with your own individual ones weighing on you to the point of near collapse.

“I conveyed this universal emotion with a chaotic yet fully controlled production scene with drums that intentionally sound like they have fallen from a universe we haven’t visited yet (far beyond the reach of Artemis), synths and vocal effects (the main synth is actually my voice) to further amplify this emotion and then finally the introspective/reflective lyrics that ground you back on earth allowing the whole piece to somehow feel like a memory that never occurred, future-nostalgia.”

The track was made alongside frequent collaborator and Juno Award-winning engineer Jamie Kuse. ‘TONEBOW’ is out soon, but in the meantime you can listen to more teasers here.

Kojo Kay | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Daniel Barrett

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Fans of Daniel Caesar will have a new name to add to their playlists, and that man is Daniel Barrett. This Wilmington NC talent caught our attention with his sublime style of R&B, so much so that we’ve had his new single, ‘COOL,’ on rotation all day.

“This song is the quintessential coming of age love story. Inspired by ambiguity in my relationships, I felt compelled to make an R&B song that highlights the ‘talking’ phase.”

Barrett is already an accomplished producer who has worked with the likes of Chase Shakur, Joony, and ASTN, and you can hear the attention to detail come through on this new single. The sound flows like a dream – airy, light, melodic, and really quite stunning.

It’s always wonderful to see producers step out from the mixing desks and in front of a mic… it’s a brave move and one that is always so welcome.

Daniel Barrett | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: jael

For lovers of Amy Winehouse and Adele, Australian singer and songwriter jael (Jael Wena) will be a welcome newcomer.

New single ‘DUI’ was made alongside the legendary Eg White, and that in itself speaks volumes as to how talented this artist is. A global name in the making, no doubt about that.

jael | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Elena June

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Elena June is a name that we think you’ll start to hear a lot more of in the coming months. London-based with Scottish roots, this independent starlet has just released her debut, and it’s stunning.

Created with Louis Mattrs, ‘Alone Again’ is an immersive pop song that is beautifully minimal. With hints of folk, the track slowly evolves with more sonic layers, drawing the listener into an atmospheric soundscape that is utterly mesmerising.

“‘Alone Again’ was written at time when I was noticing a pattern where it felt like I had no control over my thoughts – spiralling became second nature to me. The song is a time stamp as it encapsulates that feeling of ruminating and how lonely life can actually be when you push people away.”

“Im really inspired by artists like Maro and Bon Iver as well as timeless singers like Julie London. I knew I wanted my first song to feel both cinematic and tender so we kept the structure simple but added lots of texture. I’m so excited to finally share it.”

Despite being a relative newcomer, June has already shared stages with the likes of Paloma Faith and also performed at London’s Futuretense series with BBC Introducing and Notion.

Elena June | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Joe Bray

Joe Bray is an independent artist emerging from the UK who is not only a singer but also a songwriter and producer that has already caught the attention of BBC Introducing.

Bray’s music looks at the ‘quiet tension of life’, which is something that we can all find some kind of connection with these days. ‘Eternal’ is the new single and presents listeners with a melancholic fusion of lo-fi pop, trip hop, and alternative R&B.

A new album is on the way soon, but in the meantime you can explore more of his work on Spotify.

Joe Bray | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Andrew Bunsell

Andrew Bunsell is an interesting newcomer who recently came across our radars with his original single, ‘Out of Place’.

Sonically, the track reminds us of classic Soft Cell from the 80s. Minimal, electronic-driven beats set the tone of the production, while Bunsell’s vocals add a layer of richness to the track, making it a highly unique piece of music.

Bunsell is also a composer, performer and cultural producer who has had his work showcased in cultural hubs as iconic as the Barbican and MALBA. We can already tell that this is an artist unafraid to experiment with his creativity, and it’s refreshingly welcome.

Andrew Bunsell | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Moon Machine

Hailing from the UK, Moon Machine first came across our radars earlier this week, and we’ve been quite in love ever since.

This somewhat mysterious outfit craft a style of indie pop that feels eccentric and original while still maintaining a sense of charm and relatability. Dreamy new single ‘Bon Voyage’ is taken from the band’s debut record, ‘Who Feels It Knows It’, which is also out now.

“The first song from our debut album. We recorded this entire album with analogue 70’s equipment.”

Moon Machine emphasise that they want listeners to make their own interpretations when listening to their songs, which is a refreshing take from a group. We’re keen to see what they deliver next!

Moon Machine | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Filius

Filius is the stage name of promising singer and producer Erik Chen, who currently splits his time working between Vienna and London. This talent stood out to us this week for his bold style of electronic pop.

‘THINKIN BOUT YOU’ was created with Alex Aldi (who has also worked with the likes of Troye Sivan and Gryffin) and blends digital sounds with human emotions. The production is industrial, raw, and at times chaotic, but somehow it all comes together cohesively in the end. Explaining the inspiration behind the song, Filius says:

“Rather than writing about a crush, the track behaves like one: repetitive, avoidant, slightly unstable. The production seeks to reflect the way technology is reshaping modern connections, blending synthetic textures, digital artefacts, interrupted phrases, and heavily processed vocal moments juxtaposed with raw, exposed passages.”

Alongside his work as a musician, Filius is also a sought-after DJ who has played open-format sets in some of Europe’s most iconic clubs, including the O der Klub in Vienna and Dalston Superstore in London.

Filius | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: shortstraw.

shortstraw. is a rising rapper, songwriter and artist hailing from Coventry in England. This talent is rapidly gaining momentum not only in the UK but also globally, already picking up praise from outlets as noted as Kaltblut and Spindle magazines, among others.

New single ‘pattern up’ is lifted from the upcoming mixtape ‘coinstar’ (out 22nd May) and presents listeners with a bold, intense, and immediately arresting fusion of punk, rap, and jungle. Elaborating on the lyrics, shortstraw. says:

“The repetitive ‘get gone , get up , get about now’ that runs throughout this track is saying ‘get fucked up and go crazy to this song, use it as your release before u go home back to normal life and face whatever’s going on.'”

shortstraw. will headline a show at The Social in London on 2nd June. Grab a ticket here.

shortstraw. | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: LED

Fancy some fresh new indie-punk to shake your midweek blues away? Then we’ve got the perfect song to introduce you to, courtesy of rising teen outfit LED.

This LA-based trio, consisting of bandmates Edie Yvonne, Layne Olivia, and Lockett Pentz, craft a brilliant sound that epitomises the trials and tribulations of being young and surviving in this world.

New single ‘She’s Your Perfect’ speaks of ‘feeling like you are never enough’. Production-wise, the track treats listeners to an energising yet melancholic sound that blends elements of punk and rock with indie and pop.

Despite being so young, these chaps are showing so much potential. A debut EP is on the way… Ones to watch!

LED | Ones To Watch Playlist

shinyhunt – city of no one

TRACK OF THE WEEK

Why the rest of the world hasn’t yet woken up to Danish outfit shinyhunt is really beyond us. This emerging Copenhagen-based band has been building steady momentum in Scandinavia with their captivating blend of shoegaze and 80s/90s-inspired grunge rock.

Songs like ‘city of no one’ are sonically textured in so many interesting ways that every time we play it, we discover something new. Lifted from their acclaimed – and frankly brilliant – 2024 album ‘sea-salt ice cream’ (listen here), the track really stands out live, which is why we’ve chosen to show their performance from SPOT Festival on this feature.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Copenhagen on the 2nd of October, then you can catch the band performing at VEGA’s Ideal Bar – grab a ticket here.

shinyhunt | Ones To Watch Playlist | Nordic Sound Playlist

New Music: Poppy Freeley

Poppy Freeley is one of our favourite newcomers this month. Hailing from West Yorkshire in England, this pop artist crafts a style of sound that is distinctively original and authentic in character.

‘Holiday Blues’ is the debut single from Freeley and treats listeners to a heady blend of dreamy pop and indie rock. The soundscape is stripped-back, smoky and raw, contrasting with Poppy’s mesmerising and ethereal vocals.

“‘Holiday Blues’ captures the fleeting intensity of a holiday romance already destined to end, holding onto something while knowing it’s already slipping away.”

Alongside her solo work, Poppy has also competed in local music festivals and performed in musical theatre productions.

Poppy Freeley | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: The Grapes

We don’t often get the chance to feature music from South Korea, so we’re really excited to be sharing with you a rising brother duo from Seoul, going by the name The Grapes.

If you enjoy dreamy 80s-tinged synthpop, then you’ll love their new single, ‘Wish You The Best’. The song is nostalgic but also feels current, distinctive, and fresh.

“Self-written, self-produced, and home-recorded, it captures the raw and unfiltered energy that defines us.”

The track serves as a taster to the band’s forthcoming debut ‘trivial’ EP, which is out soon. In the short time that The Grapes have been releasing music (their first single, ‘Summertime‘, was released only a month ago), they’ve gone on to amass thousands of streams and build a global fanbase across social media.

The Grapes | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Luke Armstrong

This week’s indie-pop gem comes courtesy of rising LA-based newcomer Luke Armstrong.

Luke was born to American parents and raised in Beirut before moving to California to play college basketball. He’s bilingual in English and Arabic and has used music as a channel for expressing his identity from as early as his childhood.

“I was an intense child. Music has always helped me process that intensity.”

“There’s an opportunity to face fear with art, to surrender to what scares you, process it, and come through.”

‘2000’ was recorded with acclaimed producer Daniel James, who has also worked with the likes of Hayley Williams, David Byrne, and Efterklang. The track rewinds listeners back to the millennium and sees that era from a fictional perspective created by Armstrong, and looks at the chaotic ways of the world.

“I want to be honest about human suffering, and to make a statement about what a better world can look like.”

Luke Armstrong | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Lonnie Gunn

“’Good Girls Go to Heaven’ reflects the eerie, painful realities of forcing yourself to be a stranger to someone you once knew intimately and being unable to let go. The song swallows all that frustration, yearning, and emotional repression and vomits it back out into a white-hot fuzz. The title itself is sort of an ironic remark about behaving in accordance with the ‘social guidelines’ instead of addressing the elephant in the room: the fact that this other person and I were once in love and can never unknow that feeling. Good Girls is a reveal of the subtext in the strained small talk and resisted eye contact. The final verses of the song act as a reluctant goodbye to the part of ourselves we once had with each other, or before each other, and will never have again.”

Lonnie Gunn | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: seegz

seegz is a UK-based singer, songwriter, producer and mix engineer. His new single Gloria was released this week, and it’s an immediately captivating song that caught our attention. This is a style of alternative pop that is distinctively unique in tone, with a lot of sonic texture. If you like the sound, then you’ll be happy to learn that an upcoming EP is on the way.

seegz’s music has already landed on prominent Spotify editorials like Fresh Finds Indie, as well as being featured on BBC Introducing. If you’re based in London and you’re free tomorrow (13th April), then you can catch seegz supporting Serena Sun at the legendary Old Blue Last. Grab a ticket here.

seegz | Ones To Watch Playlist

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