CHERITON and Lydia Clowes of Bad Honey want to ‘Say Hey’ with bright new single. Communication and reconnection is the song’s key message, as it floats between breezy and playful.
Seraphina Simone shares the rich and velvety ‘Blue Devil’, as part of a double release, also featuring a track called ‘Skin’. It’s another passionate and 80s-dipped alt-pop number from the rising artist.
German-born singer-songwriter and producer MatildaEyre returns with her newest offering, the raw and emotionally vulnerable indie-pop single, ‘Let Me Be’.
Introducing Toronto-based singer, songwriter and producer YASSiN, who invites us to escape with his uplifting new offering ‘Take My Time’. Teaming up with Sean Terrio, the track effortlessly blends folktronica, indie-pop, soul, and classic disco.
Seattle’s Slow Shudder releases her lockdown single, the self-produced, mixed and mastered, ‘Time Now for Ghosts’.
The track is inspired by unusually vivid dreams that sparked introspection about past relationships that never felt fully resolved. To celebrate the creative process of making the single, Slow Shudder has put together a playlist for us.
Ninajirachi – Alight
I’m a huge Ninajirachi fan. “Alight” is one of my favorite songs from 2020. The lyrics get me every time, as does the melody that effortlessly goes from introspective to soaring. The production is absolute fire. Just perfection.
Dizzy Fae – I’m Good
Dizzy Fae is such a star. Her artistry is next level. The production on “I’m Good” is so fresh. Highly recommend her entire discography, super inspiring all around.
The Motion – 3AM
I met Max when we were both at uni at Goldsmiths and I LOVE his music so much. “3AM” is my jam. The crunchy drums, the minimal slowed bridge when the melody skyrockets! Stunner of a song.
Zack Villere – Hair Cut
I’ve been listening to zack villere since his project, froyo ma, and he’s one of my all-time faves. His production is consistently super original and his writing is so versatile.
Claud – WISH U WERE…
OK so I love the original of this one but I CANNOT HANDLE how good this remix is. I think I’ve listened to it every day since it came out. All of Claud’s songs are phenomenal. If you don’t know their work already, go listen to all their songs and treat your ears.
Knapsack- valid thru the year
Knapsack is such an incredible artist. I’m obsessed with their new album, “the buzz of a lifetime”. The overall narrative arc stirs up tons of memories for me, their lyrics are perfection, and their production is unlike anything else.
Matilda Eyre, PALMR – Water
I met Matilda Eyre at a music production workshop in London a few years back and we’ve been friends ever since. She’s an exceptionally skilled vocalist, songwriter, performer and producer. “Water” is such a tune – amazing melodies, ultra cool production, and so interesting structurally. Love!
Jay Wile – Can’t Wait
I first heard Jay Wile’s work earlier this year and I was instantly hooked. Love his songwriting, his production, and his voice. “Can’t Wait” is such a dream, as are all his other songs.
Liyv – Toro
Liyv and I met in early 2018 and we’ve been close friends ever since. I’ve been a fan of hers since before we met and am repeatedly amazed by her talent, originality, and commitment to exploring new territory in her music. “Toro” is just one of many gorgeous songs within her exceptional body of work. I’m inspired by her every day and can’t wait for her to release the music she’s been making recently.
Holliday Howe – Rather Forget
Holliday Howe is another friend of mine from Goldsmiths and I’m such a massive fan of her songs. I could write a 10 page paper about how much I love this song. It breaks my heart every time I listen to it. The music video makes me cry every time.
Slow Shudder – Time Now for Ghosts
This song means a ton to me and I’m so happy that it’s out in the world! I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed writing and producing it.
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.
Folktronica poet Jolé celebrates his ‘Silver Lake’ EP with the magical song, ‘Tie Dye Sky’. Immediately painting a picture of beauty in the title, Jolé once again perfectly encapsulates his love of friends and family, and his time in Los Angeles.
Dream pop newcomer and Chicago native, Tommaso Veronesi – aka TOMMASO – unveils his eagerly-awaited sophomore offering ‘Better On T.V.’. A friendly reminder not to get too caught up in the digital world, this is a must-listen.
Sometimes uncomplicated bedroom pop is best. Cue Daniel Allan and his delectable new single featuring Perrin Xthona, which will very likely be sticking in your head all day.
Seraphina Simone delves into the smoke & mirrors world of fame in her sophomore single ‘Hollywood $$$’. Having experienced the celeb world from an early age (her godparents’ were Prince, Miles Davis, Christie Hynde, Pete Townsend and Mary Greenwell), she knows all to well the “predatory darkness under the glitz“.
At just 16 years old, Gillian Heidi treats her music as a conduit for truth and her sync-ready track ‘Desperate’ is no exception. Underscored by layered harmonies and full-bodied instrumentation, Gillian’s R&B-infused pop vocals take centre stage as she sings of the guilt and thrill that comes with having a crush while in a relationship.
London-based songwriter Hedara shares her self biographical song about living with anxiety. It’s a track that showcases Hedara’s raw songwriting ability by stripping the production down to just piano & vocal, resulting in an affecting and honest piece of work from a talented performer.
Following a life-changing move to Toronto from London, Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Malory releases her sophomore album, ‘Killer Cut Offs’.
Completely self-produced, the album is full of quirky pop bangers, and Malory has kindly put together a playlist of influences for our readers.
Tove Styrke – I Lied
Tove’s album ‘Sway’ was huge inspiration for me early on when I was writing this album. The production is so cool, the songs are catchy, pop but so fresh and not cheesy at all. I love the lyrics in this one and the playfulness of the vocals.
Ashe – Choirs
Found this on my discover weekly and fell in love with it. The plucked and percussive production was something that inspired my production on songs like ‘Daydrunk’.
Rostam – In a River
I was so stoked to discover Rostam, I’d always loved Vampire Weekend but he’s just insanely talented on his own too. I really look up to him as a writer and producer. The way he builds this song, it’s so cinematic and warm. I love his ability to combine organic, world instruments and electronic sounds, this one totally inspired my production of ‘Alone With You’.
Still Woozy – Habit
This one is so funky and cool. The harmonies and melodies are awesome. His attitude and patter definitely inspired me on ‘Killer Cut Offs’.
Fortunes, Justin Bieber
These two are awesome, love love their lyrics and used to listen to this on repeat. Their hip hop influenced beats and chill production helped inspire ‘Puppy Love’.
Skip – SuperParka
Addicted to this song. The melodies, attitude and that driving bass line are pure genius. Seeing Superparka live at The Great Escape inspired me to strive to be more experimental and unafraid to be DIY in my production.
Charli XCX – Boys
I’m not alone when I say this one’s an absolute hit. The video game style production and Charli’s attitude were definitely an influence for me.
Vibes – Touch
My talented sister Taylor aka VIBES! She’s always been a huge influence on me and does everything herself. ‘Touch’ is one of my favourites, it’s so playful, glitchy, catchy and has so much sass which I adore. Love that line ’I promise to behave soon’.
Tove Styrke – On the Low
The main bass /synth line on this was a huge inspo as a starting point for my song ‘Killer Cut Offs’. The lyrics are so beautiful and honest too. Just another lovely choon from my main gal Tove.
Rostam – Wood
This was the first song of Rostam’s I heard and I totally fell in love. It reminds me of the Darjeeling Ltd. (Wes is also one of my fave directors). The composition and orchestration are glorious and his vocals are like a lilting lullaby.
Tove Stryke – Say My Name
Again, the bloopy synth bass line and her patter on this are just soooo cool. Not to mention it’s a BANGER. Lyrics, hooks and vibe it’s all there.
Accomplished singer Alara shares the beautiful, ‘Demons’, a perfect antidote to current times.
Despite being heavily influenced by the power of Grimes, Alara’s music is also soft and hazy, with a soul-healing quality. Her new single is about finding solace in the idea that everyone is going through something, and we’re not so different after all.
Los Angeles-based artist Chris Wills shares the addictive ‘Pyro’.
Finally in a place to accept himself, Wills decided to write music and just give it a go. The result is a quirky inner reflective track, which he uses to find the answers he’s been craving.
Delivering powerful and mystical R&B leaning pop, her new single ‘Slow Down’ touches on the topic of feminism and empowerment, and considers the topic of women finding difficulty in expressing their wants and desires.
After a long hiatus, dream pop band Mt. Wolf returns with their misty new single ‘Tayrona’ featuring Tamsin Wilson from Wilsen.
This is the first single from a forthcoming collaborative project, to be released via Akira Records, and is complete with hazy, layered soundscapes that ebb and flow into a folktronica masterpiece.
Sounds like: Daughter, Phoria, Still Parade, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Active Child, Bon Iver
Despite the inflicted isolation, Copenhagen-based Ernest keeps us moving with their smooth and funk-tinged single, ‘Never Leaving’.
A story conjured up following the band’s encounter with a beautiful cashier during a recent visit to the supermarket, the guys manage to dig up and present big emotions from everyday situations.
Sounds like: Liss, School of X, Frank Ocean, SILQUE
Love You Later is the brainchild of US-based 21-year-old singer/songwriter Lexi Aviles.
‘Blindfolded’, the final song on her latest EP, ‘Heaven Is Without You’, is the perfect crescendo to the lush and dreamy collection of songs, and pushes for self-realisation and liberation after shedding old skin from a recent breakup.
Sounds like: Imogen Heap, Broods, The Japanese House
Syd Silvair is endlessly inspired by the rich visual narratives of the deck, and the ways in which their divine messages manifest in our physical realm.
Using The Magician tarot card as her guide, her single ‘Moth’ encourages to reclaim the power on your own terms, and is equally as fierce in its presentation.
Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Octavio Herrera aka OCTAVIO is a 19-year-old artist making a unique concoction of hip-hop and indie music.
Whilst in his new song ‘Nineteen (Sad For No Reason)’, there are plenty of reasons to be feeling glum at this moment in time (and he’s by no means alone), we should join Octavio in celebrating his past year.
Nashville-based pop artist Jillian Steele‘s new single is written about unexpectedly falling in love in New Orleans.
But this isn’t her first crush, Steele has been performing from a young age, having formed an early love for performing, including singing and acting in commercials. Listen below.
Sounds like: Savannah Sgro, Violet Skies, Charlotte Sands
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Molly Svrcina – aka SVRCINA – shares the wonderful Bree Marie Fish-directed visuals for ‘Flowers’, ahead of her debut full-length album release.
Having scored her first publishing deal ten years ago (she is only 23 years old!), this talented artist has blossomed and blossomed with her sparkling, yet vulnerable take on sync-ready synth-pop.
Speaking about the song, SVRCINA explains,
“‘Flowers’ is about the beauty that can be seen and created in every circumstance. It’s about clinging to an anchored hope that nothing in and from our lives will be wasted – even the worst, most painful aspects,” she admits. “The truth is that pain and suffering in life are unavoidable. Choosing to search for beauty in everything doesn’t ignore reality, but it believes and resolves that our spirits won’t be eternally crushed or blemished by the valleys we walk through.”
Matt Couchois of atmospheric indie-pop project, fakelife, releases invigorating new single, ‘Drugs All Night’.
You can almost sense the energetic tension as Matt sings about a tumultuously toxic romantic relationship – what more could you want from a nightclub pop anthem?
Sounds like: The Knocks, Great Good Fine Ok, RAC, La Poré
Born from a simple plan – make music friends in a flatshare in former East Berlin, BLOODHYPE is a Berlin-based, independent gang of four that demand to be noticed.
Masterminded by frontman Weyland and UK producer John “P Nut” Harrison (AmyWinehouse, AliceMerton), their new single ‘Violent Heart’ caught us from the get-go. It’s an addictive slice of modern indie pop full of 80’s inspired self-pity.
Churchgoer-turned-open mic singer Tina Boonstra has shared her interesting new track, ‘Out of my depth’.
With a sharp emotional intensity, you can feel the angst bubbling underneath as the track progresses into a crushingly honest rage against the universe, God and insomnia.
German-born, Los Angeles-based indie artist NoMBe shares ‘HEELS’, a catchy AF funk-laden jam.
Oozing sass upon sass, it’s taken from his upcoming concept album, ‘CHROMATOPIA’ which is built upon the spectrum of colour and the spectrum of sexuality.
Foreign Fields is US-based Eric Hillman and Brian Holl, who create a bewitching melting pot of acoustic sounds.
As with all promising folk contenders, the duo wrote and recorded their upcoming album, ‘The Beauty of Survival’ in the winter in a back-to-basics cabin with no heating built by a two-man father-and-son team in Western Wisconsin.
Bronze Whale like to walk a lot. During this time, they talk about things they want to accomplish, music stuff and dinner.
This where the lyrical inspiration came for ‘Let’s Go Walk’, a resonating and atmospheric electronic piece about love, loss and learning. It’s out now on their own label, MagicMagic.
Sounds like: Glass Animals, Alt-j, OTR, CLN, Golden Vessel, Autograf
Multi-instrumentalist Zoë Phillips combines country with beautiful folktronica. Think DollyParton meets BombayBicycleClub.
Set for the same level of fandom, Phillips has already seen plenty of support from the BBC, and her new single ‘Love Is Gone’ is going to propel her closer.
Looking like they are having the best time, the video footage was taken from many of their past videos plus some extra shots from 2010 to 2019.
HUMANS is a Canadian indie-electronic duo made up of musicians Robbie Slade and Peter Ricq. Focusing on performance and production styles of both the past and present, HUMANS have consistently impressed upon audiophiles with their technical and compositional skills.
Introducing Zach DeGaetano and Bridget Boltz – aka Mannequin Online.
Pushing sonic and ideational barriers with gritty, yet refreshing off-kilter pop, may their sound forever remain bright, gritty, and unapologetic. Listen to ‘I Do’ and check out the glorious Gorgeous guitar solo.
Sounds like: Goldroom, Poolside, VHS Collection, The Knocks, Miami Horror
Introducing Derbyshire-born Sophie Kilburn and her debut single ‘Indigo Fever’.
It’s a beautiful fiery alt-pop number that showcases Kilburn’s powerful songwriting with an anthemic backdrop – “How can you love your body, when nobody is loving you?”
Listen below.
Sounds like: KT Tunstall, Florence & The Machine, Angie McMahon, Emma McGrath, PJ Harvey, Jade Bird
Touring drummer for MØ and Major Lazer, Copenhagen-based Rasmus Littauer spends the majority of his time on the road. When he does get some rare downtime, he spends it writing and producing tracks for his solo project, School Of X.
His evocative synth single, ‘Write My Name’ is the final single release before his ‘Destiny’ EP, which takes us on a journey of leaving doubts behind and looking forward.
Indie music often alludes to themes of adolescence, but what happens when indie bands grow up? Should their songwriting not follow suit? Stranger Girl are the perfect example of that, they retain all the trademark sonic tropes but their songwriting addresses navigating love in their twenties, hoping to ‘Find The Humour’ post-breakup.
Listen below and check out the warm fuzzy guitars set the perfect backdrop for frontwoman Melissa’s Blondie-inspired pop-rock vocal melodies.
We’re not going to feel bad for digging a band that racks up similarities to The Killers and U2.
The band in question is vibrant Leeds-based The Chevin, and we can’t help but admire their nod to energetic, 90’s rock in the new single, ‘Big Machine’.
Sounds like: The Wombats, The Killers, INXS, Duran Duran, U2
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.
