Music genius Maxwell Byrne – aka Golden Vessel – is releasing the video for new single, ‘midwest’.
Once again crafting a unique sound with a simple and endearing visual treat – this time co-filmed & directed by Maxwell Byrne and Matthew Howard – ‘midwest’ is about getting on the road.
Showcasing Emerson Leif‘s Hofner bass guitar, the track blends elements of electronic music with hip-hop, R&B and alternative modern pop.
It is the first taste of his upcoming second album ‘colt’, and is being released via the recently launched label, sumoclic, which he co-owns with his good friend Akurei.
Sounds like: Alex Vargas, TENDER, Kanyon, Four Tet, Toro Y Moi, Brockhampton, Akurei
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
Australian producer, Golden Vessel (aka Max Byrne) returns with a new track called ‘Wave’, which features the gorgeous female harmonies of Brisbane duo, OKBADLANDS.
Like many of Golden Vessel’s tracks, ‘Wave’ started out as a simple beat he’d created on his laptop. He then added a piano melody throughout before asking Joe Thiang (of MTNS) to lay some drums over the outro of the song. Then it came to working on the vocals & lyrics, and the first people that came to mind were Sally and Kate from OKBADLANDS.
“I’d been working with Sally and Kate over the last few months producing tracks for their debut ep. I really loved working with them, and they are both immensely talented, so I decided to see whether they wanted to collaborate on this track. After a quick creative discussion over some burgers, I got stuck into finishing up the instrumental and OKB had the vocals finished within the week”
Golden Vessel will be releasing his debut ‘Before Sleep’ EP next week, but you can order ‘Wave’ on iTunes now.
