Toronto-based singer/songwriter Alex Frew shares some nostalgic visuals for his new single ‘Antisocial Love Song’. It has a modern emo aesthetic with a pop tinge. Watch below.
The wonderful Seraphina Simone returns with her deeply personal and moving single ‘O M D’. It’s a ruminating love affair that sees Simone tackle the minefield that is life in your early twenties.
Sounds like: Celeste, Lana Del Rey, Laurel, Chløe Black, VÉRITE, Blondie
Introducing UK/Stockholm based producer/artist Danny George. His new single ‘Thinking Out Loud’ is a harmony-led ode to dating in your twenties, from a male point of view.
Multi-instrumentalist and all-round talent, Mokita shares his emotionally-charged pop/EDM single ‘Ready Yet’, continuing to explore songwriting themes such as depression, anxiety, and relationships.
Uniquely talented songwriter Aimée Steven is sharing her view on the fragility of the current world in new single ‘Today’. Taking a classic approach to the single, it’s reverb-drenched and full of retro charisma.
Hedara has just released ‘We’re Not The Same’, the final track from her stunning, effortlessly powerful new EP ‘Sad Girl Syndrome’, full of piano-led, electro-pop.
Everything is far from ok at the moment, but perhaps we need a bit of light relief ahead of the weekend.
Cue PhilGood and his overtly optimistic attitude to what’s going on at the moment. Remember, someone always has it worse than you, so appreciate what you have. You can watch the Joren Cull-animated visuals below.
Sounds like: Honne, Joseph Salvat, Miike Snow, Glass Animals, Joywave, Just Kiddin’, San Holo
Unique band Artio share new single ‘All Things End’, released on Monomyth Records.
Embracing newly learned production techniques and taking an almost more mature approach to songwriting, with a feisty prowess not seen too often in modern bands.
US based Phoebe Ryan shares her former ‘Reality’ with us, taken from a time when she was very dishonest with herself.
The visuals for the wistful and fantastical story is inspired by the psychedelic production of The Flaming Lips‘ 2006 album ‘At War With The Mystics’, a formative album for Ryan’s music career.
Our favourte band in the UK right now, Sea Girls, share the visuals for ‘Do You Really Wanna Know?’.
Blurring the lines between reality and fansity, and touching on the topic of mental health, the video – directed by world class animator Francesca de Bassa – takes the band’s own self isolated photography and brings them to life as kaleidoscopic, animated collages.
Sounds like: Marsicans, The Maccabees, Bombay Bicycle Club, Swimming Tapes, Slow Riot, Two Door Cinema Club, Sundara Karma
Gia Woods is an emerging voice in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as in the pop sphere.
As a queer, Persian woman, born into a traditional Persian household in Los Angeles, Woods grew up a loner and used this time to make music. Her latest single, ‘Naive’ touches on the subject of discovering what you want out of an intimate relationship.
Remix connaisseur Macious has turned himself to Kidnap‘s classic track, ‘Start Again’.
As one of his biggest musical inspirations, the opportunity to remix the nostalgic original came about during a time when Macious was going through some exhausting changes. It’s offered as a free download.
Swiss jazz/soul collective Sirens of Lesbos shares ‘How Many Miles’.
Originally written about travelling the world with their future children, the song has since taken on an unexpected, larger meaning due to current travel restrictions. For those eager eared, it features some reworking of lyrics from The Fugees‘ ‘How Many Mics’.
Canadian born popstar Mathew V releases his enigmatic single ‘Don’t Let Me Go’.
A bold, unabashed pop track, Mathew V is using his strong roots within the LGBTQ+ community to express himself and let the music do the talking. Listen below.
Debut act MΛD FVN has a lot to say, about a lot of things, including the light hearted topic of life, which she so nearly lost in two separate accidents.
A call to arms, this is emotional, raw and powerful.
Rising Los Angeles vocalist kauf is offering a rework of his first original track featuring another vocalist Overjoy – one of three artists on his burgeoning label ONE / HALF.
Taking a more “pop” approach to his music, he has added a UK garage style beat and some looped vocal samples, giving it more energy and bringing it into the dance world.
Only on her second release, 16 year old Romanian electro-pop act Francis On My Mind is proving that “Euro pop” is very much a thing of the past.
Sparing synth, melodic drums and fragile but still powerful vocals, this new song comes as a breath of fresh air in a saturated industry of overproduced singles.
Danish pop newcomer ELBA is 25-year-old singer and songwriter Ellen Bathum. She tells stories about the loss of control and the many nuances of love.
Her new single ‘700 Angels’ has a catchy pop hook, but it almost feels like it splits in two directions – experimental electronic music and indie that ultimately culminates into a fiery explosion.
Former death metal singer, Cloudy June, takes a proud new step into the world of pop.
Expect her new ‘Psycho’ to be an exhilarating ride of rock and pop. It proves once again how young self-made independent talent can make a real impact.
With a modern twist on an emo/pop-punk ballad, the song was initially written in the format of a love letter to an ex, and shows a more sentimental perspective to Mokita’s music.
Nashville bootgaze/indie-rock outfit Creature Comfort share the fuzzy ‘Arcade Fire’.
Not to be confused with the track ‘Creature’ Comfort’ by the band Arcade Fire (a cheeky nod to Arcade Fire unexpectedly releasing ‘Creature Comfort on the same day Clark and his bandmates performed at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2017), this is a psychedelic explosion with wavy electric guitar and unrelenting percussion.
Introducing Anna Klein, a Toronto based singer-songwriter, producer, and performer.
Originally acoustic-focused, her punchy new take on electro-pop is both relatable and catchy. Her song ‘Lonely’ has a classic Scandi-feel with an everso slightly delicate approach to her production.
Sounds like: Anna of the North, The Aces, EXES, Zella Day, Ralph, Fickle Friends, Vera Blue
British pop singer Beth Duck shares her cyber-inspired electro-pop single, ‘Nomophobia’, inspired by a realisation of our generation’s phone obsession.
With a clear European influence – the track is produced and co-written by One by One, a songwriter and producer duo from Berlin.
“Love isn’t perfect, and neither is life, and that’s the real fairy tale” says Los Angeles-based songwriter Banah Winn, aka Opus Vitae. Ain’t that the truth.
His new single ‘Carry The Weight’ is driven by the fired up angst about the current political climate of the world.
Sounds like: Empire Of The Sun, Sufjan Stevens, Porches
Inspired by missing home, Australian-born, pizza-loving, Los Angeles-based Future Jr. shares ‘Back To You’.
Conjuring all the nu-disco, dream-pop vibes one could ever wish for, the song was written by Future Jr. and a friend after attending a cliche house party in the Hollywood Hills.
Following the extremely well-received release with Lord Silva, School of X releases ‘Bad Love’.
Inspired by Eks-skolen – an anti-establishment art collective that was based in Copenhagen in the 1960s – the emo-tinged song by School of X’s Rasmus Littauer (MØ, Liss, Clairo) is about the loss of trust or faith.
Born from a remote connection via Instagram and a mutual love of big cats, London-based Welsh/Finnish electro-pop duo Rochelle and Vee are Tigerpunsh.
Brand new onto the scene, their single ‘Shade’ holds a bursting energy throughout, with delicate Eastern synths and experimental pop elements. A great start to what could be a very exciting future for the girls!
Sounds like: Broods, EXES, MS MR, Vera Blue, RAINDEAR, Nova Club, Georgia
Alt-pop whizzkid Alex O’aiza shares the Instagram video for ‘Out Of My Mind’, produced by Austin Bello from Dallas pop-punks Forever The Sickest Kids.
Combining snappy pop melodies with gritty rock riffs and layered samples, the visuals show a fun side to O’aiza, whilst still conveying a timely message of pushing through adversity and hard times.
Having entered the music scene from the early age of 17, this rising star has already received national recognition within the UK.
In his signature soul-infused, pop sound, HUDSUN’s latest offering ‘Shutdown’ speaks of the frustration in attempting to break someone out of an emotional prison they have created for themselves wrapped up.
Breakout star Ella Vos shares her wonderful new single, ‘Burning Bridges’.
Following her cancer diagnosis in 2018, as well as having postpartum depression and going through a divorce, Vos has continued to explore things through a very personal lens to create highly cathartic, reflective and surprisingly upbeat music.
Vos is thankfully in recovery, and preparing to release her highly anticipated forthcoming second album ‘Turbulence’.
Fresh rising artist Zachary Knowles quenches our thirst for love with ‘Cherry Wine’, a song written about the girl he loved before she even realised (and don’t worry, it all worked out fine – they are very happy together as far as we know!)
Signed to the prestigious FADER Label (home to Clairo, Matt & Kim), The Texas-bred songwriter/instrumentalist crafts addictive R&B with silky flair.
Sounds like: The Weeknd, Alec Benjamin, Kayden, ASTN
London-based, alt-RnB artist, Latir, loves to fuse the sounds of hip hop, old school jazz, indie and electronica. Glistens of his old soul expresses itself through his younger-leaning music.
Created with Leeds-based producer Luvian, ‘Wallflower’ shows a truly romantic side.
Sounds like: Miller Blue, Ayelle, Joe Hertz, Tom Misch, Miguel
Using an old voice recording of Hyde’s, the electro-pop number is about distracting yourself from the mess of life, until finally letting someone in to see the mess and accepting their offer to help.
Originally planned to be released in this month, UK duo TENDER has made the decision to still share ‘Living’, inspite of the fact it serves a well recognised backdrop to these “unprecedented times”.
Speaking about the track, they explain,
“It’s about inspired by isolation, before we were isolating. It’s a song about locking yourself away with sadness. Hiding your emotions, in fear of showing how you feel to the world. The segregation only pushing you further into despair.”
Sounds like: MOTHXR, Jungle, Glass Animals, HUNTAR, Caribou, Air, The National, Tame Impala, Boxed In, Honne
Half American, half German songwriter-producer turned YouTuber Chris James shares his new single ‘Melancholy’.
Growing up in California, but moving to Germany at a young age, James is on a journey to showcase positivity and fun through his upbeat lyrics and melodies.
Sounds like: Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Calum Scott, Liam Payne
It may only be April, but the summer-tinged tracks are making their way out of the studios. Or maybe we’ve got this completely upside down, as Australian artists are coming out of summer and moving into their winter.
Anyway, cue Briskey and his new single ‘Don’t Want To Talk About It’. An emotionally-driven song that tinkes with alt-pop, dance, electronica, and even includes a cheeky sax solo.
Young Midlands-based quartet JupiterMoon is causing a bit of a ruckus.
Their energetic choruses and Asian influenced guitar hooks are written for sweaty, intimate venues. Conjuring up homegrown rock anthems at Blank Studios in Nercastle, their strongest track to date ‘The Reason’ is all the justification you need.
Nashville’s John-Luke Carter, aka Mokita, is a singer/songwriter/producer known for his lyrical and buoyant electronic-based pop.
Classically trained in piano in his youth, he later taught himself to play guitar and eventually transitioned into electronic music production. Taking a rewind to his classical routes, Mokita shares an orchestral version of ‘colorblind’ and it’s spellbounding.
Effortless and majestic with a highly cinematic yet vulnerable approach, Tsar B‘s single, ‘Unpaintable’, sees her functioning as a one-woman orchestra, songwriter, producer and singer.
An ode to the muddled emotions people that are too intelligent to just live a normal life feel; ‘They are uncatchable. They are unpaintable.”
The coastal town of Bridlington isn’t the first place in the UK that you think has a buzzing music scene, but we’ve stumbled upon the brilliant Seafret, who have proved us wrong.
Made up of Jack Sedman and Harry Draper, their new single ‘Magnetic’ is an indie-pop anthem at it’s finest – addictive vocal harmonies and commercial riffs, complete with a killer pop chorus
Sounds like: Kodaline, Amber Run, Imagine Dragons, Lewis Capaldi
Luna Li (fka VEINS) shares the brooding new single, ‘Trying’.
A undeniable strong presence in the alt-pop world, Luna Li uses and blends her 14 years of classical piano and violin training with dreamy rock, to create a vulnerable and distorted sound.
L.A Songwriter Matt Simons shares ‘Cold’ – a powerful piece of electronic pop that blends nostalgia and melancholic sentiment.
Speaking about the track, which has been released in time for any Valentine’s Day pessimist, he explains,
“People change, and change in any relationship is inevitable. The only question is, can the two people change together and adapt? Cold is about a relationship where they did not.”
An introvert at heart, Dräger creates unabashed synth pop bangers born from a modern heartbreak.
Co-produced by House producer LEFTI, the single ‘New Life’ marks a fresh start for the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Spencer Draeger, as he uses sounds of the past to channel themes of the modern age, taking a satirical approach to the narcissisms and anxiety illuminated through technology.
Sounds like: New Order, Soft Cell, Holy Ghost!, Dansu, The Cure, White Lies, Cocteau Twins
Fiery LGBTQ artist Lauren Sanderson has incredible drive. That’s clear from her music and attitude (not many people can say they’ve given a TED Talk at the age of 18).
Her new single ‘Upset’ flips the issues of the despondent Generation Z on it’s head.
Australian pop artist Phoebe Sinclair is a self-confessed emotional wreck, and this makes for intoxicating music.
Her new single ‘OMG’ is Sinclair taking ownership of her mistakes whilst not letting them define her.
Backed by a four-piece all girl ensemble, oozing confidence and power, and armed with a massive pop vocal, Sinclair smashes out electro pop tunes with an inescapable energy.
British artist Tallsaint releases the highly chic and addictive ‘Model Effect’.
Taking inspiration from early 2000’s tracks as well as a more modern pop culture of now – born from a visual scene in Killing Eve where Villanelle sees Eve in the bathroom for the first time and makes a comment on her hair.
Sounds like: Bat For Lashes, Anna of the North, Stereo Honey, RALPH, St Vincent, Lykke Li
Self-taught musician Beau Diako shares his new single called ‘Flamingo’, taken from his debut EP, ‘Flutter’.
Featuring neo-soul artist Jordan Rakei, the track is probably his most “pop” song from the EP, which is a glorious fusion of indie, jazz, folk, electronic and soul.
ANDRO may have plenty of experience touring in Jungle‘s band, but now it’s his time to shine.
His debut single, ‘GYMH’ (Give You My Heart) kicks off a new collection of theatrical pop melodies that balance between the ethereal and emotional, perfectly encapsulated by the beautifully shot video below.
Also from Nashville is singer/songwriter/producer John Luke Carter, aka Mokita.
Known for his lyrical and buoyant electronic-based pop, Carter was classically trained in piano in his youth and first started performing in his church. Later, he taught himself to play guitar and eventually transitioned into electronic music production.
His new single ‘Colorbind’ is an attempt to try and describe depression to someone who has never experienced it.
Sounds like: EXES, Handsome Ghost, joan, FRND, Nick Anthony, Luna Pines
Named after a harbour road that lead to the sea, unique Welsh songwriter based in London Penniless Cove, is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist that writes raw, affecting music drawing from a number of different genres.
The music obsessive shares ‘Too Tight’ – a weird and wonderful array of jazz, blues and folk.
Sounds like: Regina Spektor, Björk, Ibeyi, Alev Lenz, Kate Nash
