Following a short-lived hiatus, soulful pop act kwassa makes his long-awaited entrance into 2020 with new single, ‘sucker’, released on LAB Records.
The multi-talented individual not only surpassed over 25 million Spotify streams on his previous release but also co-runs his own fashion brand, Hundred Club, as well as writing and producing for fellow artists, which includes releases from Greyson Chance and Charlotte Clarke.
‘sucker’ hits with a more lo-fi feel than we are used to from kwassa, this is however purposeful. The track – aided by its raw fashion – feels like it comes straight from the heart. With plenty more releases to come in the remainder of 2020, kwassa is looking to hit the ground running and return with a bang.
On the track, kwassa says;
“I was in the middle of one of those crappy weeks where things kept going wrong (my car was broken into and then my bike was stolen) when I made ‘sucker’. Writing it down in a totally non-figurative way and putting it into a song was the perfect way to joke it off and use it as fuel to make something cool. Everyone is a sucker for something or someone, and this is just a tongue in cheek take on the relationship between my life and my music.”
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
Yorkshire isn’t particularly known for his pop heritage. That is until now. Meet singer/songwriter Franky.
Her influences range from funk, disco and R&B, and her new single ‘Follow My Lead’ will urge you to do just that, with its fizzy attitude and feisty pop sensibilities.
Estereomance is a trio from El Paso/Juarez comprised of Manu, Paulina and Adria.
The three artists may come from different experiences and backgrounds but they share one common goal – artistic fearlessness that invokes sensitivities of emotional fibres reachable through consciousness.
In a gentle nod to 70’s French dream pop, the single ‘Crimson Queen’ explores the themes of vanity, obsession, insecurity, gender and beauty through surreal and metaphoric music.
Kent-born, London-based indie-pop newcomer CHERITON (aka Nick Harrison) shares his catchy new single ‘Parallel’, out now So Good So Good.
The infectious single, full of guitar-pop and vibrant melodies, is produced by Andy Hall (Bastille, Fickle Friends, JamesGillespie) and reflects on social media and the damaging effects it can have on mental health.
Overcoats is made up of critically acclaimed Brooklyn duo, Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell.
Channeling punk emergy with vulnerable vitality, their champion new single ‘Fire & Fury’ is equal parts dark and brooding as well as hopeful and anthemic – a dichotomy which is mirrored in the its soaring chorus “there’s a fire, there’s a fury, the sky is falling, but we’ll get through it.”
Watch the her Productions-directed video below.
Sounds like: The Magnettes, HAIM, First Aid Kit, Cold War Kids, The Violent Femmes
We are super excited about Reva Devito‘s fresh hustle on soul and R&B.
The Portland native has already featured on some of the most recognizable tracks of KAYTRANADA, Young Franco, Chuck Inglish, and B.Bravo, as well and as the live vocalist for Australian indie-pop rising musicians Miami Horror.
Produced by longtime collaborator B.Bravo, ‘Bet You Stay’ is a nostalgic, slower jam. Smother this over your ears right now.
LeyeT (pronounced “light”) channels emotional vulnerability into alternative-pop songs with a solid heartbeat.
She’s teamed up her friend Labit on new single, ‘Here For You’ – a song about friendship, being there for each other through the highs and lows of life, and sticking together through it all. The song was written with the Make Sure Your Friends Are Okay initiative in mind, a community that encourages you to have meaningful discussions with people you care about – answering truthfully the question of ‘how are you?’.
The Sydney duo dekleyn shares new single ‘See Right Through Me’.
Writing infectious heartbreakers, their songs have meaningful influences throughout. Speaking about the new one – a lesson about love and forgiveness – they explain,
“The song is about giving so much to a person and becoming so close with them that they know everything about you, even more than you know about yourself. As the relationship begins to break down, it begins to become obvious that the two could never be without each other, “I don’t plan on leaving this feeling at all, this is all I have.”
Phew! This is what we’ve been waiting for. A big “Fuck You!” to anxiety anthem!
Cue Norweigan artist/producer Ruben Dawnson and his emotionally expressive tuneage, namely ‘FYALMA’. Speaking about the track some more, he explains,
“It’s a big fuck you anthem to anxiety! Like many others I’ve been struggling with it for a long time… hopefully this can lift people’s spirit and I hope people will connect with it and scream out the lyrics!! I really want it to reach as many as possible and help create a big “fuck you” wave towards anxiety!!”
Sounds like: Day Wave, Hazel English, Summer Heart
Connecting at a music school in the Netherlands, the now duo Small Talk is making music to the standard of industry veterans, as it’s clear the understand what it takes to put together a hit, and have achieved that with ‘Alarm’.
Running the length between upbeat indie-pop and melancholic EDM, the pair masterfully play with different shades and moods. Expect much more from the youthful duo in 2020.
Sounds like: The Him, Bastille, The Chainsmokers, Imagine Dragons
London-born, now US-based singer/songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Sophia Gripari shares her first self-produced single, ‘Lesson Learned’.
The electro-pop track is written about the liberation found in realising and subsequently walking away from a toxic relationship.
REYNA is feeling pretty ‘Clueless’ in their fun new karaoke based video.
The upbeat pop single, taken from their highly anticipated upcoming debut EP in Spring 2020, is written about learning to accept and love yourself even when you’re feeling clueless about life.
Effervescent pop maker la lune releases the delectable ‘holding onto u’.
The 20 year-old, London-born singer-songwriter and producer has been releasing music with a DIY ethos since she was 18. Masked beneath her pseudonym and subtle social media presence, la lune is using obscurity to ‘protest’ against the over-sexualisation of women in music, stating that her music should be listened to and judged at ‘face value’.
Sounds like: Shallou, Fickle Friends, The Japanese House
The Millennial Club is SoCal melancholic-synth pop band comprised of friends and jazz musicians, singer/guitarist Andres Owens, bassist/keyboardist Jared Ortiz, guitarist/saxophonist Jake Stevenson, and drummer Tyler Kamei.
Their lovelorn new single ‘Coffee In The Morning’ displays Owen’s wisdom beyond his 23 years of life through his powerfully intimate lyricism which puts listeners directly into the relationship at stake. It features guest vocals from newcomer Tori Romo.
Romanian-born Edith has been writing songs since at song, and creating music was her only path to express her emotions from a young age.
Her new single, ‘No Matter What You Do’ is an emphatic, contemporary-pop banger that showcases her natural songwriting ability. Drawing on personal experiences, for an upbeat piece of pop bliss.
Sounds like: Blithe, Mabel, Dua Lipa, Baker Grace, Just Kiddin
OH Wonder returns with the glorious new single, ‘Hallelujah’! Praise be!
The visuals, shot in one take, feature Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht in a field amongst a selection of multi-coloured church gowns. As colourful and catchy as ever.
Sounds like: IYES, Kid Astray, Banks, Fickle Friends, Monogem, Paperwhite, PROM, Blood Orange, Years & Years, Bipolar Sunshine, Broods, ASTR
Damn right, Nashville-based Daniella Mason knows the power she has a woman.
A modern feminist anthem through and through, it spells out the world from many womens’ eyes. Her forthcoming EP, ‘Physical State’ is due out this fall.
Sounds like: Imogen Heap, The Japanese House, Robyn, Maggie Rogers, Billie Eilish, George Gretton, Luna Pines
Nigerian-British avant-pop auteur and artist Tony Njoku shares the brilliant new Max Jedwab-directed video for ‘CONFIDENT’.
The intense single adopts a confessional, diary-like intimacy underpinned by whirring synths, which dissolve into effervescent chaos.
It is taken from his new album, ‘Your Psyche’s Rainbow Panorama’, released on 4 October via Silent Kid Records, in which he has taken inspiration from a work of Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson’s glass walkway, entitled ‘Your Rainbow Panorama’.
Sounds like: Sacred Animals, Ben Khan, Flying Lotus, Ghostpoet, Gaika, Lightfoot
Zanski digs deeper with his creative new single, ‘Younger You’.
A laid-back RnB affair, Zanski has teamed up with vocalist Emilia Ali to deliver unparalleled vocal lines, rich harmonies, and sweet grooves that perfectly showcase his ability for some serious tuneage, with as much intrigue and substance as James Blake or Jai Paul.
Sounds like: Ben Khan, James Blake, Honne, Banks, Jai Paul
Pop music is always in a state of flux, and there are always artists doing interesting things with it if you know where to look. This week it’s Seattle-based producer-singer-songwriter Slow Shudder.
Reminiscent of the likes of Robokid and PC Music artists, ‘Just As You Are’ walks a fine line of forward-thinking contemporary production and early 00’s sugary pop, for a delightfully charming ballad.
It’s coming to the end of summer, which is why you need to listen to the almost-tropical ‘One By One’ by Broken Back and featuring Alle Farben.
The combination of Broken Back’s upbeat and quirky energies with his whimsical vocal styling, combine effortlessly alongside Alle Farben’s diverse, colorful, and boundless spirit.
Today, record label, artist management company, and live promoter Killing Moon releases VolumeVII of its NewMoons compilation, and Indietronica has the exclusive.
With a solid reputation in the knack of discovering talent – having supported artists on previous Volumes, including first and formative releases from the likes of Slaves, IDLES, FickleFriends, Laurel, BadSounds, CalvaLouise, Yonaka, OneBit, Fatherson, PaleHoney, NadineShah, and Meadowlark, amongst others – their latest Volume provides twenty sterling tracks of the best of new and emerging talent from around the world.
New Moons – Volume XII Tracklist
1. The Ninth Wave – A New Kind Of Ego (Scotland/UK)
2. Mina Rose – DAYZ (UK)
3. Annabel Allum – You Got It Good (UK)
4. Madge – Fight Or Flight Club (USA)
5. WAAX – Labrador (Australia)
6. Chapter and Verse – Magazines (UK)
7. Kingswood – Creepin (Australia)
8. Farebrother – I’d Be The Worst (UK)
9. Lazy Day – With My Mind (UK)
10. Cleopatrick – Bernard Trigger (Canada)
11. Old Blue Reunion – Social Interaction (UK)
12. Roseanne Reid – I Love Her So (UK)
13. Rick Feds – Wake Up (Latvia)
14. Go Go Berlin – Here Comes The Darkness (Denmark)
15. Superlove – Catch Of The Day (UK)
16. Rebecca Lou – Take Ur Time (Denmark)
17. The Bongo Club – Tell Your Friends (Sweden)
18. Wyldest – Alive (UK)
19. Bad Animal – Oh No (Canada)
20. ROE – Girls (Ireland)
You can listen to and download the compilation here.
Electro-pop trio PLYA shares new single ‘Dynamite’.
Julia Sykes is one frontwoman not afraid to get intense with her listeners – explosive melodies and powerful synths depict a fiery relationship that may not be good for you, but one that you just can’t get enough of.
Suffolk school friends turned band mates Amethysts release double A-side ‘How It Is / Imitate Me’
Amethysts have worked with esteemed producers Shuta Shinoda (Daughter, Ghostpoet) and Matt Miligan to create two tracks that are looped by energetic synths, harmonies and guitars – the perfect indietronica combination.
Speaking on ‘Imitate me’, the duo state;
“Imitate me delves into the cut throat world of the music industry. This is our first diss track. It alludes to the competitive side of the industry, and how often ego’s get in the way, and bands try to get one up on each other, instead of working together to make the scene a nicer place.”
Our first ones to watch for 2019 go by the name of APRE.
A London a duo who create low-slung indie with heart-bonding melodies. A witty take on alternative pop, these two could well be the new Everything (Everything).
Their new single ‘Backstreet’ isn’t an ode to the popular boyband, but rather a darker appeal, “about being lost in relationships through your life whilst trying to find a shortcut through to the backstreets of happiness.”
Live
November 9 || Bristol || Hy Brasil Music Club (w/ Kawala + Sun Silva)
November 10 || Birmingham || The Actress & Bishop (w/ Kawala + Sun Silva)
November 16 || Manchester || Night People (w/ Kawala + Sun Silva)
November 17 || Sheffield || Record Junkee (w/ Kawala + Sun Silva)
November 23 || London || Camden Assembly (w/ Kawala + Sun Silva)
November 24 || Brighton || Patterns (w/ Kawala + Sun Silva)
Following his awesome collab with Broods and still buzzing from a second Coachella appearance, Whethan shares news single ‘Superlove’ featuring London-based alt-pop duo Oh Wonder.
It is essentially an extremely happy love song with delicate tropical rhythms. Expect no sullen vocals and sultry tones here!
It’s out now on Big Beat Records.
Sounds like: Fickle Friends, Bastille, Kid Astray, Banks, Paperwhite, Years & Years, Bipolar Sunshine, Broods, Draper
