Berlin-based dream-folk duo Wolf & Moon share more folktronica tunes in new album. After committing to one song a day, the highs and lows of recording were captured with an overarching sense of adventure. Listen to ‘While We Ride’.
Neo-jazz talent, Jude the Obscure shares ‘Moments’. It’s a lyrically impassioned, piano-led, jazz and hip-hop influenced single oozing with soulful trumpet licks and impactful live drums, further highlighting the young Manchester-based talent.
We all have those internal battles and none more so than Canadian-born margø, who has created a soundtrack for those who are finding their voice. Listen to the raw and unapologetic ‘someone else’.
Introducing Boston-based Heath240. Blurring the boundaries of rap with indie and bedroom pop, he juxtaposes a light-hearted delivery with darker lyrics. Watch his video for ‘Chirp’ featuring DanielPrice.
After seeing success with his Holograma EP last year, this Nashville based singer/songwriter has returned with an alternative rock effort via Capitol Records and Loud Robot. Chaz Cardigan has brought an energetic feeling of reinvention with new single, Haircut.
French synth-dance duo Caspian Pool likes to keep us on our toes with their wide-ranging selection of electronic music. Cue the colour-fuelled visuals for the foot-thumping ‘Insider’.
Sounds like: Nimmo, The Chemical Brothers, Hercules & Love Affair, Goldfrapp, Joe Goddard, Chvrches, Digitalism, Holy Ghost!, Boys Noize, Little Dragon, Cut Copy, Icona Pop
Anthemic alt-rock band Psyence returns with psychedelic sensibilities in rousing new single ‘Retrospect’, reminding us that every bitter end has a new beginning.
Distinctive Norwegian voice, Beharie shares his soulful, folk and ambient blend in the form of ‘Me and My Lonely’. Pastoral and beautiful, the track orbits a peaceful finger-picked acoustic riff.
Wigan-based four-piece Flechettes share the radio-ready and uplifting ‘Chasing Youth’, with blazing indie-pop guitar riffs and catchy vocals, making for a seriously dynamic record.
Sounds like: Sea Girls, Red Rum Club, The Blinders, Stanleys, Garden Party
22-year-old producer, songwriter and musician Ethan Bedell – aka Chillhum – shares ‘Dancing Alone’, a stripped back and melodic blissed-out track that celebrates the joys of being alone.
Sounds like: Gaspar Narby, Couro, Flume, Ed Sheeran, Flume, Louis The Child, Petit Biscuit, Troye Sivan, Robotaki
Songwriting heavyweight Bre Kennedy winds down for the cooler months with her acoustic track ‘Where Did Summer Go’, a nostalgic ballad that symbolises the passing and loss of time and dreams that never got to see the heat of summer.
Dark-pop artist Izza chronicles the ups and downs of dealing with anxiety and depression in a world where people are obsessed with the perceived perfection of their online selves, in new single ‘Lows’.
Looking incredibly familiar in their press picture, with a glint of political satire, the Avante-Garde German duo ÄTNA releases their dark and rebellious new single, ‘Grinding’.
Australian artist Benji Lewis shares the result of his recent lockdown songwriting, with ‘Everything’s Alright’. Written with Golden Vessel, the track touches on the importantness of freedom.
Sounds like: The 1975, The Kite String Tangle, Antony Hegarty, Active Child, Gallant, Sam Smith, Solomon Grey, James Blake, Yazz, Jack Garratt, Disclosure, Jeremy Zucker, Shallou, Emmit Fenn
Alex Frew – Antisocial Love Song Feat. A Is for Arrows
Alex Frew touches on the difficulties of being alone with new song, ‘Antisocial Love Song’, featuring the delicate tones of A Is for Arrows. A pop ballad at heart with harder hitting lyrics.
Nicole Chambers is confidence setting in her single ‘Warm Body’, taken from her debut album, ‘Voice of a Virgo’. A new voice on the R&B and neo-soul scene, with a killer falsetto that demands attention.
Showing how you can make music regardless of a lockdown, rising UK artist Asha Gold shares her sweet new single ‘Debut’, written on Zoom with producer Mitch Jones.
Gay comedian and musician Joe Parsons shows a vulnerable and serious side in his new single, ‘Repair’. With tinges of folktronica and alt-pop, the shimmering track is written about toxic masculinity.
Cornwall-based multi-instrumentalist and producer KarumCooper has a new lo-fi jazz/soul project called Webmoms. The new single ‘Summer Salad’ is a tasty selection of rich, audible treats with jazzy licks and organic grooves.
West country singer Katy J Pearson shares ‘Fix Me Up’, a brilliant follow up to her radio-friendly single, ‘Take Back The Radio’.
Formerly in Ardyn with her brother, Katy has decided to go out solo and give it another go, after learning quite a few good (and bad) lessons on the way, including creative stagnation.
And she’s come back fighting with more authenticity than ever, and we’re so glad. Check out the video for ‘Fix Me Up’ below, out now on Heavenly Recordings.
Sounds like: Stevie Nicks, Niki & The Dove, Kate Bush, Yonaka, Fleet Foxes
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.
Brooklyn-based band Plastic Picnic share confessional new single, ‘September Second’.
Written by the band, it’s a kind of invigorating rock that invites breezy wavy synths and plays with pop sensibilities, all whilst being, ultimately, pretty heartbreaking.
The release comes ahead of their sophomore EP ‘Vistalite’ out tomorrow.
Crafted with the help of SubPop staple and producer TrevorSpencer (Father John Misty, Fleet Foxes), ‘Vistalite’ pays homage to Plastic Picnic’s origins in the Pacific Northwest.
It’s that time of year. SXSW. One of the biggest music festivals in the world and we have to confess…we are SXSW virgins. Not to worry as we’ve scoured the line up to ensure we don’t miss any music whilst stuffing our faces with tacos.
Here’s a list of ones to check out (in no particular order).
London duo APRE (aka Charlie Brown and Jules Konieczny) creates low-slung indie with heart-bonding melodies.
A witty take on alternative pop, these two have spent their days creating music in the backroom of a West London chess club and we can’t wait to see what their live performance has in store.
Sounds like: Kasabian, 10 o’clock Chemical, Everything Everything, April Towers, Fickle Friends, Sea Girls, Nick Mulvey
Indulgent rock-pop band Anteros is a London-based four-piece, headed up by frontwoman Laura Hayden who set up the band with Josh in London after her move from Barcelona.
We expect their show to be glorious, glamarous and pushing boundaries.
Sounds like: Blondie, Wolf Alice, Black Honey, Ladyhawke, Blondie, Garbage, The Cardigans
We’d not heard of Los Angeles-based trio Run River North until browsing the SXSW schedule but they’ve made the cut due to their hopeful and upbeat approach to indie-pop.
Expect their EP ‘Monsters Calling Home: Part 1’ out in the spring.
Sounds like: Like Swimming, Beauty Sleep, Of Monsters and Men, Grouplove, Fleet Foxes
We’ve covered Golden Vessel are fair bit on the site. He is currently on tour across North America supporting BAYNK, before making his debut appearance at SXSW.
Check out his newest single ‘DIZZY’ which features the voice of Australian artist Oscar Key Sung, a taste of his forthcoming debut album.
Sounds like: MØ, Brolin, The National, Gang of Youths, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, Kanyon, REFS
Correct us if we are wrong, but we are pretty sure Sir Sly was on an indefinite hiatus the last time we checked a few years back, so to our surprise they are on this year’s SXSW bill.
We are not complaining one single bit – we this authentic and brazen Los Angeles trio explode with frenetic energy on stage.
Sounds like: Growlers, Wolf Gang, All We Are, Gypsy & The Cat, Jagwar Ma, Anteros
US/Scandi husband and wife duo Flora Cash write heartfelt ballads with cinematic keys amidst a brooding Scandi backdrop.
They are set to play SXSW and we are really looking forward to seeing the chemistry on stage, whilst they sing of heartache, politics and general struggles.
Sounds like: Laurel, Lana Del Rey, Lucius, Bon Iver, Johnny Cash
Brixton-based Sam Frankl is making waves with his groovy new number ‘Patina’.
Also a thin layer that forms on various metals due to oxidisation, ‘Patina’ is a song about a girl inconspicuously enquiring about her ex-boyfriend’s new relationship, scraping away at the surface to discover the boy’s true emotional state.
Wow, does this 21 year old have natural soul or what!
Brett Castro fuses folk music and timeless R&B to tell stories about growing up in a small town. His new single ‘Much About Sadness’ is written to a girl in his hometown who was diagnosed with depression, letting her know she is never alone.
Sounds like: Fleet Foxes, Tame Impala, Bon Iver, Prince
Time to listen to the soothing vocals of LANNDS on their new single ‘Legends’.
Proving to be legends themselves, Memphis-born artist Rania Woodard and producer/songwriter Brian Squillace have racked up over 2 million streams to date under the project.
“We’re all legends in this town, we don’t sleep through the night,” Woodard slurs over a serene, buoyant synth bed, before teasing, “oh we’ll burn this city down, make room for the fire.”
Sounds like: Björk, Vök, Låpsley, The Japanese House, Daughter, TENDER
Bedroom pop producer Pizzagirl (aka Liam Brown from Liverpool) shares his floozy track ‘Coffee Shop’, ahead of the release of his debut EP, titled ‘An Extended Play’, set for release on 13 April.
Ironically, Liam doesn’t have any affiliations with pizza, but this pizzaboy likes it that way – quirky, introspective electronica with a DIY atttitude.
Oh and his best mate shoots his videos and his mum takes his press shots.
A lot of exciting things happen ‘Afterhours’ and that includes the creation of quirky musical project, CAPYAC, featuring P. Sugz and Potion.
Their new single is a story of unrequited love bouncing around an array of pulsating electronics and percussion rhythms, and features the soulful vocals of MOONZz.
Sounds like: Kudu Blue, Jorja Smith, Flume, Hotel Garuda
Hot As Sun is the electronic pop project of singer-songwriter/composer Jamie Jackson.
Working with Seth Kauffman (Lana Del Rey, Ray La Montagne) and The Gifted, Jamie recorded her ‘Little Friend’ EP in her basement whilst pregnant and the track ‘I Can Feel Your Love’ is about giving birth to her daughter.
Sounds like: Rilo Kiley, Lana Del Rey, Henri, Fleet Foxes, Susanne Sundfør, Foster The People, Phantogram
