Heavy Feather - Yndling - Postdata - Ontarians - The Sarandons
Heavy Feather release "Sometimes I Feel", the fourth and final single leading up to the Swedish root rock band's upcoming sophomore album "Mountain of Sugar". "Sometimes I Feel" stands out from the rest of the album as guitarist Matte Gustafsson takes on the role as lead singer. Delivering a psychedelic, organic tune that brings the true sound and feel of the late 60's to the modern world. "Sometimes I Feel" is released on The Sign Records February 26.
When Heavy Feather's first album "Débris & Rubble" (2019) was released, it became praised by both press and audience; taking the band out to tour Europe. Now it ́s time for their second album, "Mountain of sugar"; an even rawer, heavier, and harder release than the previous one, still with the root rock and psychedelic touch at the very core.
“Mountain of Sugar” consists of 11 roots-rock tracks oozing with a 70‘s sound and feel, filled with attitude and raw vocals from blues singer Lisa Lystam. Catchy hooks and roaring guitar riffs are based on influences from the greats of the 60s and 70s, drawing inspiration from bands such as Free, Cream, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band then adds their own unique touch to the tracks, creating a unique and intricate sound that few can deny.
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Yndling is the dream pop project of Norwegian artist Silje Espevik. This musical endeavour is the result of wanting to take complete creative control over her music. Through delicate soundscapes and oscillating synths, Yndling invites listeners into her own world, offering a place of escapism and resonance through her lyricism.
Her debut single “Childish Fear” is composed of a hushed, muffled bassline, beatific drums, flows of shimmering synths and hypnotic, celestial clouds of production, creating an engrossing paradise of sound and a melancholy atmosphere. Produced by Adrian Einestor Sandberg, the track drips in intimacy creating a stunning contrast to the story behind the tune which entails her fear of intimacy. Yndling divulges, “The song is about that stage in a relationship where there isn’t really that much new and exciting to discover about each other, and capture the fear that I might not be enough once the shimmering glow of first expressions fade.”
The dream-pop artist has an ability to create magical, dreamy soundscapes that are haunting and emotive, originating a fresh new sound and giving insight to an array of mixed emotions allowing listeners to have a raw view of her heart. “Childish Fear” gradually develops a thicker texture resulting in a full bloom of sound. The vocals are tender and ethereal, the backing vocals are almost unrecognisable as a voice floating throughout the track creating a wash of a dazy utopia to indulge in. Yndling shares, “I wanted to communicate a mood or a feeling with the song that evolves and becomes more consuming as the track unfolds.”
Yndling takes influences from artists and bands such as Beach House, Tops, Crumb, Hatchie and Mazzy Star. When it comes to songwriting, the Norweigan artist often allows her feelings or experiences to engross her for a while in order to fully submerge herself in the reality of the emotions. She explains, “I think there is so much power in letting a feeling or experience be all-consuming, just for a little while, and I really need that to write music.” Along with always trying to be as honest and vulnerable as possible, Yndling has an understanding that when writing, it is important to “throw away the fear of being too honest or maybe telling a truth that’s not recognized by everyone else and that may feel a little too close for comfort.” Yndling offers a kaleidoscope of imagination and feeling throughout her music and ensures her lyrics are just as positively affecting.
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POSTDATA, the solo music project of Wintersleep frontman/songwriter, Paul Murphy, is to return on March 5, 2021, with his third record, Twin Flames (out via Paper Bag Records) tipped so far by MOJO, The Guardian, Secret Meeting, Brooklyn Vegan and more. He's today sharing his new single, "Inside Out", which features Murphy's friend, Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit, on synthesiser/keys.
A breathtaking and introspective new album, brimming with deep wonderings and intricately excavated soundscapes, Twin Flames – which comes co-produced by Bristol-based Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Portishead) – borrows its namesake from the centerpiece song on the album. Twin Flames is about a storm, but perhaps more importantly, it’s also about a fire burning through it. Paul says that being in a storm can be a freeing and powerful experience. “You’re navigating this place…you can’t really see super far in front of you,” he says. “I kinda like that place.”
"Inside Out", which comes off the back of the Guardian, FLOOD and Under The Radar-tipped single, "Nobody Knows", is one of the new album's crucial cornerstones, welding together crystalline indie-pop sensibilities with a swooning melody and an infectious singalong chorus. It arrives as something that is unashamedly optimistic with Murphy keen to create something which acts as a guiding light through the pandemic, something which celebrates rather than dwells. Speaking about the track, Murphy says: "I didn’t really know what to do with this song at first. It has this open-hearted feeling to it and I usually try and mess with a song lyrically or darken it up when there’s something musically so light and warm. I don’t know why that’s always the inclination. For this though, and maybe it was because I completed it during the first lockdown period, I wanted to really celebrate that warmness or joyous quality, to lift it up. I hope that it lifts you up a little bit too."
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Canada's new alt-country heroes ONTARIANS release "No Regrets," the second single from their debut album The Greatest Short Story Never Told, due out March 12. Like its preceding single "Time," "No Regrets" -- available on all digital platforms and Bandcamp -- evokes the spirit of the alt-country insurgency's heyday of the 1990s, with its simple video offering a glimpse of the freedom we've all been missing over the past year and hope to get back to soon.
ONTARIANS singer/guitarist Frank Deresti describes the band's approach in broad terms by saying, “Between glasses of Pernod, car troubles and lots of laughter we wrote songs about various stages of life we found ourselves in—past, present, and a hypothetical future. Once we had a clear goal in mind, it was like a reservoir of creativity was released that had been building up for a long time.”
The band's other co-founder, multi-instrumentalist Craig Smith adds, "“The general guiding rule has been ‘anything goes.' Frank and I pursued any idea either of us came up with, as long as it felt good. And even though the album took two years to finish, when we were together in the studio there was a real sense of urgency to be productive. We didn’t have the luxury of living in the same city, so I think all of that concentrated effort really comes across on the album.”
The members of the band ONTARIANS don’t live in Toronto, although their sound isn't far removed from the distinctive brand of country rock that ruled Toronto’s Queen Street West during the glory days of the Horseshoe Tavern, the Cameron House and the Rivoli.
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The Sarandons - Caught In A Dream.
This past year has been the ultimate test of whether familiarity breeds contempt. When you're marooned at sea together, all sorts of things start to creep in. More insidious than contempt, the people we're locked in with start to become a piece of furniture in our lives.
Days on repeat. Love ignored.
Our producer Dan Hosh (City & Colour, Arkells) asked us if we had anything slower and more melancholic to round out the upcoming EP. "Caught in a Dream" is it. Lightning struck and within a few days all the pieces, including the dreamy intro/outro, fell together.
Lyrics were drawn from the zeitgeist (pre-capital raid, so talk of enemies at the gates and insurrection must have been in the ether) to describe those mundane struggles of a relationship.
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