East London based quartet, Zola Blood is undoubtedly one of our favourite electro-ambient projects to come out of the UK.
The recent tour with RÜFÜS DU SOL has left a visible mark on the band – they appear more direct and powerful in their delivery. ‘Silver Soul’ is taken from their latest EP set for release on 22 May via Akira Records.
Speaking about the track, they explain,
“Silver Soul is about saying a last goodbye to a time or a place when you’ve outgrown it and you know it’s time to change.”
We are psyched to share Zola Blood‘s new single, ‘Two Hearts’, the title track of their latest EP set for release on 22nd May via Akira Records.
Taking a slightly heavier approach that their previous body of work, the track sets the tone for the EP, complete of a body of intricate and powerful songs.
A further nod to the bittersweet essence of the EP can be seen within the artwork. Referencing the Japanese art of Kintsugi, a tradition of fusing broken pottery back together with Gold. The EP reflects the philosophy behind the art, which challenges the idea that in order to preserve something, it can never change.
Sounds like: Wild Beasts, Radiohead, Brolin, Jape, Boxed In, TENDER, RÜFÜS DU SOL
German artist Jinka shares her explosive new single ‘U Bit My <3'.
Channelling emo and urban vibes with a playful way with wonky arpeggios of synthesized steel drums and piano samples that intertwine with a trap-leaning beat.
DAD (aka bedroom pop singer/songwriter Kei Wells) shares her new single ‘Fresher’.
DAD has teamed up with Grammy-nominated Austrian producer, artist and pianist Yakob. Our favourite of hers to date, this declaration of independence is the ultimate single girl’s anthem, with electrified pop sequences infused with synth-pop juice.
Wrabel and Gallant will feature on her forthcoming EP.
We’re super excited about the sounds of Norwegian artist Jon Olav.
His new single ‘I Am The Thing’ opens with sparse piano chords (we instantly think James Blake), and bubbles into itself with deliciously sinister pop hooks and crystalline vocals as Olav looks inward to contemplate the pluses and minuses of attention.
Approachable Members Of Your Local Community – Small Change
With the best name we’ve seen for a long while, Approachable Members Of Your Local Community (let’s call them AMOYLC for short) releases the catchy ‘Small Change’.
The quartet – who met at school – fuse elements of indie, electro, funk and disco into their unapologetically spirited sound. But their new single ‘Small Change’ has a serious message. Dedicated to the firefighters and communities affected by the Australian fires, “it’s clear that small change can have a big impact.”
Self-made art creator and songwriter Molina shares her bold single, ‘Vanilla Shell’, the title track taken from her new EP.
The sparse and inventive song weaves textured vocals with a fluttering flute and fretless bass into a psychedlic trip about love and youth, with captivating nods to the eras of 1960, 70 and 80.
Gold Member is a three-piece of producers and singer/songwriters.
Crossing genres between funk, soul and pop, their new single ‘Stay On’ is an easy, breezy piece of charge-soaked, soulful pop with a topical headline about Indigenous identity in white Australia, and the struggles of living in a system of cultural oppression.
What an anthem – ‘Not Ok!’ by Nashville based pop lothario Chaz Cardigan, released on Capitol Records/Loud Robot.
The track is an infectious tune about human imperfection, which sees Cardigan laid bare, both lyrically and visually. The Al Kalyk-directed video also features an astonishing number of gummy bears…
A daydream about endless summer days, it’s the perfect antidote for a wet and cold January. The song was crafted early one morning using a drum loop and an oberheim synthesizer and is a call to a honeycoated time of romance and yearning.
Emerson Leif once again teams up with Golden Vessel on blissed-out new single ‘Wake Up With You’.
This time, Golden Vessel is on production & mixing duties, perfectly encompassing Leif’s smooth and enchanting vocals as he describes a period of lonliness where he wished for nothing more than to share these moments with someone special.
Sounds like: Brolin, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, REFS
Self-described “tragic” songstress Sasha is speaking a lyrical frankness in her new single, ‘Ouch!’, written about foreseeing being stung in a relationship.
The single blends unique and interesting soundscapes with sweet pop production and has elements of ‘Pure Imagination’ featured in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Tasty.
Sounds like: Billie Eilish, VÉRITÉ, Rae Morris, The Japanese House
Introducing the new project called Bohnes by Alex DeLeon from the band The Cab.
His new single ‘Raging On A Sunday’ is a frenetic two middle fingers to religion, caught up with an anthemic rock backdrop, glitches of grungy electronica and a retro-inspired, R&B-tipped vocal range.
Caymanian-born, London-based R&B newcomer Maeve shares the striking visuals for her new single ‘Eden’.
Directed by Black Dog Films‘ filmmaker Jade Jackman, choreographed by Liv Lockwood and styled by designer Asai (Dazed 100), the hallucinogenic and bestial video borders between what is real and what is not, conveying a sense of abandonment and isolation found in a toxic relationship.
The song is taken from her debut EP ‘Beasts’, out now.
Katy Tiz has teamed up with esteemed songwriter Ed Drewett on new single, ‘Life’, which has a Bonnie & Clyde context.
Recorded whilst suffering with laryngitis, this is a testament to Katy Tiz’s determination, and the result is a raw and enchanting song that is upfront and honest.
Sounds like: Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, Aly & AJ, Bonnie McKee
Golden Vessel (aka Max Byrne) returns with ‘Moonstone’, featuring friends Elkkle and Akurei.
The upbeat track once again incorporates Byrne’s signature cross-genre style, and futuristic production.
‘Moonstone’ is inspired by the historical investigation of missing moon rocks from NASA trips into space on Apollo 11. Legend has it that the specimens once brought back to earth in 1969 were distributed across the world in the famous Goodwill Moon Rocks initiative, only to, nearly 30 years later, have mostly vanished or become untraceable.
Sounds like: MØ, Brolin, The National, Gang of Youths, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, Kanyon, REFS
American producer Lincoln Jesser produces indie synth-pop with sky-high aspirations.
Growing up at school, Jesser would often play in jazz sessions during the breaks, but it wasn’t until he listened to The Strokes that his passion for music was spiked.
Moving slowly into the electronic realms of production brings us to Jesser’s release today, called ‘Undone’, which you can listen to below:
Brisbane-based Emerson Leif shares the beautiful ‘Hesitate’, which was co-written with his good friend (and frequent collaborator) Golden Vessel.
Despite a satisfying life at the time of writing ‘Hesitate’, the notion of an elusive state of unhappiness continue to nag at Emerson,
“I found myself feeling very alone and without purpose. I could not accept that we just exist: eat, sleep, work, repeat. We are sold a kind of ‘happiness’ like it’s something we can work towards but what’s on offer is fleeting, if at all… had many questions about life but the greatest question was one of God. Or better yet, one for God. “Are you there?” Honestly, religion just felt so tired and insular. I wanted something tangible. I wanted to find truth. The idea of searching is perhaps most terrifying, because what if one finds nothing.”
This religious undertone can be found in the vocal and guitar loops that have been manipulated to sound like an organ.
Listen below.
Sounds like: Brolin, The National, Gang of Youths, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, Kanyon, REFS
Having already produced for JONES and Brolin, and composed for the likes of Gucci, GQ, and Chanel, Raffertie‘s new track ‘Note’ has a lot to live up to.
It’s a classically written song with earnest intentions, and is the first from a series of songs to be released over the next 12 months.
‘Note’ is out on his own label Super (AlunaGeorge, Honne).
Following the huge success of Luka Sol’s last release, ‘Unknown’ (featuring Natalie M and as premiered on Indietronica), Luka has shared the equally as impressive ‘Suddenly’.
Luka Sol is the project by Los Angeles-based Shawn Day. He’s worked with Courtney Ballard on the track.
Sounds like: Honne, Goldroom, RAC, Boxed In, Pink Feathers, Hotel Garuda, Lucas Nord, Brolin, Le Youth
Swedish producer Saturday, Monday has once more teamed up with London producer, Brolin.
The video for ‘Pilgrim’ tackles the heartbreaking and difficult subject of immigration through the lens of a 17 year old boy travelling to Sweden alone. Altering between close-ups of the protagonist and the stereotypical beautiful countryside of Sweden that refugees dream about when they begin their extremely dangerous escape from war zones, there is another conflict at work: the perception of refugees from the general public.
Saturday, Monday’s ‘SUPERSET’ EP is out now on Playground Music. Buy here.
Sounds like: Rainer, H A R T E B E E S T, Kaleida, Ji Nilsson
