Up-and-coming London-based, Glaswegian indie-pop artist Alex Amor today announces her new EP 'The Art Of Letting Go' will be released via Young Poet (WOOZE, Khartoum, Conor Albert) on 14th October. The EP announcement coincides with the release of new single "Bad Tattoo", released today in collaboration with Manchester outfit The Deep Blue.
Fresh off the road after supporting Thomas Headon on his recent UK tour, Alex Amor teamed up with producers including Karma Kid (Poppy Ajudha, Shygirl), Mack Jamieson (Mahalia, Sad Night Dynamite) and Gianluca Buccellati on new EP 'The Art Of Letting Go', the latter known particularly for his work on Arlo Parks' Grammy-nominated album Collapsed In Sunbeams. Glowing with star quality, Alex Amor strikes a delicate balance between indie-pop and dreamlike alt-pop, blending a myriad of sonic and aesthetic influences such as Blood Orange, Kurt Vile, Porches, HAIM and Men I Trust.
Written with Manchester indie-folk group The Deep Blue who also lend backing vocals to the track, "Bad Tattoo" is a swirling, crystalline account of the aftermath of a relationship turned sour. Possessing an irresistible indie-pop pulse, intertwined with rich lap steel sections and an intricate, spiralling guitar refrain, Alex Amor's prose are earnest and cutting in equal measure - "Carved our initials on a bathroom wall / So we could last forever / All that's left is a crossed out heart / We paid the price for pleasure".
Speaking more on the lyrical inspiration of the new single, Alex said: "Bad Tattoo was written about a time when I wanted to forget someone. They kept making unwanted appearances in my thoughts across the day: while I was walking home, doing chores, lying in bed awake at night. I find it bizarre how it’s much easier to forget the good times but impossible to forget the bad times. It seems that our worst memories are stored somewhere deep inside of us and as much as I wanted to erase this person from my head, they persisted on my skin like a bad tattoo. Like one of those drunken tattoos you get in Ibiza at 3am and regret for the rest of your life."
The fantastic debut album from London singer-songwriter Carmody - 'Imperfect Constellations' is released today.
Carmody's music evokes the timelessness of Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading while nodding to the modern alt-folk of Laura Marling and Big Thief and the jazz-flecked soul of Lianne La Havas and Jordan Rakei.
'Imperfect Constellations' follows Carmody's 4 previously released EPs and her 2014 collaborative EP with Tom Misch, 'Out To Sea'. Tom Misch returns to feature on Imperfect Constellations alongside Alfa Mist, Conor Albert and Laura Misch, as well as co-writes and co-productions with Avi Barath (Berwyn, Priya Ragu, Pa Salieu), Calum Duncan (Rachel Chinouriri, Alaskalaska) and Rahm Silverglade (of altopalo).
Carmody recently sold out the new Amazing Grace venue in London Bridge, and the new record adds to her catalogue which boasts over 70 million+ streams, strong press (Notion Magazine, Clash Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit, Wonderland, Dummy, LISTEN Magazine + more), radio airplay from BBC R1 (Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri), 6Music and BBC R2, alongside huge support from Spotify and Apple Music.
Up-and-coming London-based, Glaswegian indie-pop artist Alex Amor releases her new single "Colour Me" on UK Indie label Young Poet. Fresh off the road after supporting Thomas Headon on his recent UK tour, Alex Amor teamed up with Mack Jamieson and Gianluca Buccellati who produced “Colour Me”, the latter known for his work on Arlo Parks' Grammy-nominated album Collapsed In Sunbeams.
Glowing with star quality, Alex Amor finds a delicate balance between indie and dreamlike alt-pop as she gracefully describes the arrival of a special person using a lyrical pallet awash with colour: "Pocket full of sunshine / Need shades to see her / Golden in the day time".
Speaking on the release of “Colour Me”, Alex Amor said: "When you’re in a dark place, life can seem grey, monotonous and stale. But sometimes, all it takes is for one person to come crashing into your life for the world to come back in blazing colour. Falling in love makes the leaves turn greener, the sky bolder and the sun shine brighter. It’s like you’re viewing the world through a saturated lens, where the boring parts of life become not only bearable but enjoyable again with this person by your side."
Hailing from suburban Glasgow, Alex Amor takes an uncompromisingly direct and emotionally honest approach to songwriting, marrying together an alt-pop aesthetic with biographical accounts of her experiences growing up; combining the sincerity of Billie Marten, the versatility of Phoebe Bridgers and the pop sensibilities of Olivia Dean.
Alex’s debut EP ‘Love Language’ released in 2021 has been streamed over 1.5 million times and received widespread support from Spotify, Apple Music, BBC Radio 1 (Jack Saunders, Annie Mac, Sian Eleri), BBC Scotland, BBC Introducing, The Line Of Best Fit, CLASH, Notion, The Sunday Mail and The Scotsman. 2022 has already seen Alex play The Great Escape and Road To The Great Escape showcases, following previous appearances at Dot To Dot Festival and a UK tour with Thomas Headon.
Summer is coming! The Hengles give you their new single Flowers In The Rain. Many of us will cherish those vivid memories of a long-gone childhood, when life seemed simple and the music was good. Flowers In The Rain brings you back to the days when you were just listening to the radio and enjoying the summer breeze that seemed to go on and on forever. Of course, it didn’t, but those happy days will stay with you for a lifetime.
The Hengles were asked to write a song for ‘The Floral Album’ art exhibition this year. That song became Flowers In The Rain. There are of course many Flowers In The Rain to be picked, but don’t worry, you just can’t go wrong here, because everything will be all right!
The Hengles have made considerable progress internationally. That resulted in airplay on radio in among others: Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, USA, UK, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Phillipines, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Hungary and Austria. Singles from the band also entered the iTunes / Apple Music charts in: Netherlands, Finland, Belgium and Switzerland.
The distinguished gentlemen of The Hengles started in 2015 as a 100% cover band. After signing to Dutch digital label TCBYML (January 2019), the band made the transition to recording self-penned music only. Influenced by more than 60 years of British and American pop music, The Hengles manage to blend this into their own style and give proof of their skill in writing and recording melodic, catchy pop songs with a twist.
Wy are a band strongest at their most vulnerable. The Malmö indie duo, Ebba and Michel Gustafsson Ågren, have showcased their musical skills across three albums, 2017’s Okay, 2019’s Softie and 2021’s Marriage which gained them recognition from KEXP, Line of Best Fit, NBHAP, Tonspion, CLASH and more as well as tours in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. But what makes them stand out as a band is the raw, brutal emotion they capture in their music. A Wy song at their best sounds like opening it all up, and letting the feelings flow where they will, letting the pain, anger, fear, hope and love steer the song. Those emotions are spun into the band’s skyscaping, cinematic sound, and turned into music that has a force behind it, a power that hits you, even when it's at its softest. High Score is the second song from new EP Something Amazing which is out on all platforms and a limited CD including a six page booklet (which also includes Marriage) on June 17th.
High Score "expresses some sort of catharsis. Letting go of that control and letting things be the way they are. It’s a message for everyone who, like the both of us, have been struggling all their life to conform and fit in."
Something Amazing picks up where Marriage left off, exploring dramatic life changes, including the experience of knowing that there soon will be a third person in the family. It is the second release since signing to Rama Lama Records (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) and continues the path from last years Marriage, leaving the more produced style of second album Softie behind, it turns to the simpler sound of their earlier work for music that’s rawer and sharper.
The duo describes it as being about “the light at the end of the tunnel. About narrowing your circle and focusing your gaze on what is important - the people close to you. About a door, opening wide into a completely new life, with entirely new challenges and overwhelming beauty. ”
London based singer/songwriter Carmody has released her new single "Trespasser", the latest taster of upcoming debut album Imperfect Constellations out 6th July via Young Poet, which will feature collaborations with artists including Alfa Mist, Tom Misch, Conor Albert, and Laura Misch.
Carmody has long been using music as a way to uncover her subconscious, examining the complex web of relationships that surround her. Rich in detail and emotional substance, her music evokes the timelessness of Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading while nodding to the modern alt-folk of Laura Marling and Big Thief. In the face of memory and generational grief, Imperfect Constellations is split into four main parts (or 'Constellations') and draws on her own experiences of alternative therapy, entering a world of discovery and recognition.
Co-written with and produced by Young Poet label-mate Conor Albert, "Trespasser" merges captivating folk songwriting with modern production flourishes to stunning effect; written about relationships that leave a lasting imprint on you: "I can’t forgive my mind / summons you at night"
Speaking more on the lyrical meaning behind the track, Carmody said: "It’s about the frustration you feel when your body still remembers, despite the passing of time. Even if you would like to forget them, there is always a constant pull towards their memory. I took this track to Conor Albert who produced it and added some beautiful piano lines that really brought the track to life."
Carmody's debut album Imperfect Constellations follows Carmody's previously released EPs: 2020's 'My Jupiter', 2019's 'Catching Blue', 2018's 'Five Kinds Of Loveless', debut solo EP 'Skin' in 2016 and her 2014 collaborative EP 'Out to Sea' with Tom Misch – accumulating over 70 million streams along the way, securing strong press (Notion Magazine, Clash Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit, Dummy, LISTEN Magazine + more), radio airplay from BBC R1 (Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri), 6Music and BBC R2, alongside huge support from Spotify and Apple Music.
With soft and gauzy atmospherics countered by anxiety-inducing sprawls of melodic mastery, ‘Relax, blabla’ is another paradoxical release that comes in two parts. Arriving just in time for the heady nostalgia of a sun-baked summer, the two-sided release consists of two enticing new tracks: one bristling and upbeat, and the other more supine and slowed.
Recorded and mixed by Árni Hjörvar (The Vaccines), the first and fastest of the two new cuts, “Jelly Belly”, plays out like a heartwarming group therapy session, with past pains and trudged up traumas meeting a 157 bpm outburst of agitation and infectious joy. With a sense of urgency driven by a fast-paced guitar line that threatens to run away with itself, overflowing background chatter mixed with injections of fuzzy feedback and a lucid approach to vocal delivery, the track evokes the intense bodily sensation that is triggered by deep-rooted and unshakeable memories of toxic relationships.
With playful rhythms masking a more sombre subject matter, the track comes complete with a prismatic official music video created by Icelandic filmmaker and TV director Ugla Hauksdóttir (The Power, Hanna, Snowfall, Trapped). Touching on the numbness that comes with covering up your own feelings in shame and the heavy burden of grappling with rigid gender roles and unhealthy peer pressure, the video sees its mishmash of characters search for, find and reinvent themselves in a warped wallpaper utopia. Of the video, Ugla explains:
“The music video for “Jelly Belly” is a playful ode to childhood, celebrating the freedom of self expression. It is a reminder for us not to take ourselves too seriously and instead remember to have fun.” Also reaching to the past to touch on painful memories, the release’s second, slower cut “New Moon” is more atmospheric and airy: boasting the duo’s genre-hopping breadth as soft acoustic guitar twangs meddle with almost whispered vocals and a sparse landscape of instrumentals that seem to fade away into nothingness.
Reflecting on memories of an estranged and isolated youth — and the feeling of being “the only blue-haired person in a schoolyard full of blondes” — the track is tinted with adolescent nostalgia as its whispered melodies drift by like a lone tumbleweed in a desolate stretch of desert.
to Cal Folger Day's first single and video for "Act 2" from her upcoming LP Piece-dye out on 06.03.22. "Act 2" introduces to Irene Nally - Day's documentary subject for Piece-dye and introduces us to Day's inverted world of idiosyncratic pop and folk music.
Piece-dye is an avant-pop journey through the lens of the documentarian's attention to detail. Lyrically, everything you hear are verbatim quotes from an interview Cal conducted with Irene Nally - a distant aunt and Irish immigrant.
The interviews chronicle her experience arriving in New York City in the post-war boom and explores the unique set of intricacies, contradictions and ground-level observations of navigating the rapidly changing cultural climate of New York City labor. Musically omnivorous, each "Act" moves from bombastic to reverent, centering the narrative thrust of Irene's recollections (paying special attention to each nuance of speech) while Day's elastic and multi-disciplinary musical directions spread out from the center.
London based singer, songwriter Carmody releases new track "Moon", lifted from her upcoming debut album Imperfect Constellations - out 6th July via Young Poet. "Moon" forms part of Constellation C – 3 tracks which hone in on the subject of family – including the previously released "Hurricane" and new track "Brother". The full Imperfect Constellations album will feature collaborations with Alfa Mist, Tom Misch, Conor Albert, and Laura Misch.
Carmody has long been using music as a way to uncover her subconscious, examining the complex web of relationships that surround her. Rich in detail and emotional substance, her music evokes the timelessness of Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading while nodding to the modern alt-folk of Laura Marling and Big Thief. In the face of memory and generational grief, Imperfect Constellations is split into four main parts (or 'Constellations') and draws on her own experiences of alternative therapy, entering a world of discovery and recognition.
Co-written with Rahm Silverglade (of altopalo) and co-produced with Avi Barath (Berwyn, Priya Ragu, Pa Salieu) and Calum Duncan (Alaskalaska, Rachel Chinouriri, Jones), new track "Moon" explores Carmody's relationship to Judaism - pairing lush finger-picked guitars with atmospheric electronics and soothing percussion.
Speaking on the release of new track "Moon", Carmody said: "My dad was brought up in the Jewish faith and my mum was born into Catholicism. I always felt as if I were between religions. Although I was not recognised as Jewish, I went to Friday night prayers and celebrated the festivals throughout my life. I spent time singing songs and praying in Hebrew, with no idea of their meaning, and I was exposed to a culture I was part of, whilst also being seen as an outsider. Judaism follows a lunar calendar, so the dates change every year and I use this notion to illustrate how Judaism is part of my identity, even though I don’t follow the same calendar. It was written with my friend, and fellow Jew, Rahm Silverglade. The lyrics came very easily as they seemed to encapsulate our shared experience of living in two worlds. The spoken word excerpt is from my Great Aunty Rahma, when I was in Israel I asked her to record a message for my grandfather and I thought it was so beautiful as it encompassed the song’s spirit.
Toronto’s Cherry Blaster pushes intimate bedroom pop musings into curious and full sonic dreamscapes. Brainchild of Iulia Ciobanu, Cherry Blaster was born out of a laptop synth project and has morphed alongside Iulia, growing in sound, scope and members.
Currently a three-piece, the band explores longing and uncertainty while striking the perfect balance of closeness and detachment. Playful, with aggressive edges and an eccentric approach to rhythm, Cherry Blaster hints at the vocal stylings of Mitski while recalling Metric and St. Vincent at their earliest and most compelling.
Yet their approach is innovative and fresh, shaking up and pushing past what is expected from indie song structure. Cherry Blaster is eagerly prepping new material with which to return to Toronto’s intimate and dynamic music scene.
London based singer, songwriter Carmody releases new single "Hurricane", lifted from her upcoming debut album Imperfect Constellations. Out 6th July via Young Poet, the album features collaborations with Alfa Mist, Tom Misch, Conor Albert, and Laura Misch.
In matters of healing, we often don’t know how much we are carrying until we truly pause to take stock. Carmody has long been using music as a way to uncover her subconscious, examining the complex web of relationships that surround her. In the face of memory and generational grief, Imperfect Constellations is split into four main parts (or 'Constellations') and draws on her own experiences of alternative therapy, entering a world of discovery and recognition.
Co-written and co-produced with Avi Barath (Berwyn, Priya Ragu, Pa Salieu) and Calum Duncan (Alaskalaska, Rachel Chinouriri, Jones), new single "Hurricane" opens Imperfect Constellations in magisterial and captivating fashion, paying homage to a specific family member, painting her character into full tumultuous vision.
“My Grandma once told me that she doesn't dream, and that if she does, it’s not in colour. I was just like wow, that line has to go in a song,” Carmody laughs. “We have a strange relationship, because she's quite a difficult, but very loveable woman. She’s quite rude, she's really crass, she's got a lot of love but she can't often feel it. It's about me trying to get through to her, but also recognising that I feel like I am quite like her. I wouldn’t call it depression, but I struggle with sadness, and there’s a lot of sadness that she's had in her family that she's just carried. That hurricane feeling; I feel like I carry some of that too.”
Over the years, Carmody has crafted a sound that fits her well, complimenting her lyrical dexterity with melodies that evoke the timelessness of Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading while nodding to the modern alt-folk of Laura Marling and Big Thief. When Carmody began work on Imperfect Constellations, it was this sound that she was aiming for, rich in detail and emotional substance.
Commenting further on the release of "Hurricane", Carmody said: "I am very close to my grandmother, she is the matriarch of our family and the thread that holds us all together. She looked after me a lot when I was younger and taught me how to sing. She is quite an unusual character. I think she struggles to live in the present and acknowledge the love that orbits around her, we are quite similar in this respect. This track explores my frustration with her, and with myself, to appreciate the things we do have, rather than what we’ve lost."
Further teasing their forthcoming self-titled debut album, Manchester’s most raucous, riff-fuelled jam band Chew Magna are getting philosophical with newest release ‘4232’ – an anthemic eruption pounding to the traditional teaching of ancient thinkers, in pursuit of freedom.
“Lyrically, ‘4232’ is a joyous song about existential freedom, perhaps even alluding to the concept of authenticity,” tells the band’s singer and nominated spokesperson, Laurie, of the track’s inspiration. “The song stems from the wisdom of German philosopher, Martin Heidegger. He said, to be human is to navigate the correct way to live in the world when most things occur without reason or are the result of an accident. Ultimately figuring this out, he says, leads to a more authentic life because you can question expectation.”
Serving up their own alt-rock antidote to lifelessness in the modern age and delving deeper into the band’s poetic and philosophical fascinations, ‘4232’ is powered by Chew Magna’s tried and tested approach to ‘spontaneous’ song writing. Melding ideas together in the former furniture warehouse where they rehearse, melodies emerge from endless instrumentals and boundless imagination to capture the raw emotion of live performance.
Selected from the Chew Magna album sessions recorded with SWAYS producer Martin Hurley in The White Hotel, Salford, ‘4232’ hurtles along with a chorus akin to alternative Sonic Youth tuning. Playfully screwing with structure, added instrumental ‘choruses’ embrace elements of Krautrock, Post Hardcore, Punk, Noise Rock and Shoegaze as Laurie calls out; “You’re running cos you can’t slow down / You’re running cos there’s time to save / Running cos you figured it out yeah / Running cos you can’t be late.”
“Sonically, 4232 is our most intentionally shoegaze track to date,” Laurie tells. “Its title comes from the weird timing parts in the verse, although we changed it so the numbers are wrong and don’t suit the structure… it should really be called 4323!”
Amitida Is a 18 years old Singer Songwriter from Iran. An inspiring artist with her catchy lyrics and top line vocals. I love working in different genres such as (rock,electro pop ,house ,dance indie/pop) but currently I’m focusing on Electro Pop House and Dance Music. Music is my passion it’s what’s inside me and Since the age of 13 I have been songwriting and singing . In the last few years I have also been learning production.
I had been using a vocal coach to help me with my performances and to help me find my true voice but everything else was completely self taught. My musical inspirations and the people who make me want to do music are Adele and Taylor Swift they are amazing artists. My biggest fan and supporter is my Dad helping me and encouraging me to follow my dream. Recently being signed to Happy Sounds Productions in London with the first Single “Tricky Boy” produced by BOI SYCO. With more release to come from these two in the coming months.
Also working with other artists from the label on other projects the 2nd single to be release is “CLOSURE” with Alberto Merelo. The duo are also working on another project together, to be released in 2022 I plan on working with different producers and artists and regularly release music on streaming platforms also performing live at gigs and showing the world what i have to share.
Alberto Merelo is a Uk based Music Producer/Composer born in Cádiz (Andalusia, Spain) in 1990, Starting his music career at the age of 17 When he learnt how to produce and compose music by himself. Starting in the hip hop genre and making tracks for different artists, He then begun to produce in different genres such as Rap, R&B, EDM, Pop, Reggae, Dance Hall, Reggaeton and other Latin music genres. Since coming to the Uk Alberto is working as a social worker and has a Masters in Studies and Intervention in Inmigration, Development and Vulnerable Groups from the University of Huelva (Andalusia, Spain).
Starting his own music production company in 2017 called 'Greedy Game Muzik'. Working with lots of different artists and genres. Also working on his own album hopefully to be released late 2022. In 2021 Alberto was signed to a London based record label Happy Sounds Productions Ltd where he has started working with different artists from the label. The first release will be a track called “Closure” in collaboration with the amazing Amitida.
“Like It’s The First Time” is a chipper cut from the band’s latest album ‘A Matter of Life & Love’, a raucous record that pays homage to all the greatest things in life.
The exultant song celebrates the thrill of being on the road with a gang of your best mates, set to a foot-stomping beat, dizzying melodies and elating vocal harmonies. As frontman Dan Heptinstall says of the track: “‘Like It’s The First Time’ is a well-trodden ode to life on the road as a touring musician. The travelling, the shows, the hangovers and, most importantly, the connection with the friends and supporters of the band that we get to hang out with along the way. That feeling of often being so far from home yet so utterly at home.”
Creating the mood and atmosphere reminiscent of the final moments of a rowdy night out — when the bar is closing, eyes are blurry and you have a fuzzy feeling in your stomach whilst you jump around to a forgotten throwback track blaring on the radio — “Like It’s The First Time” took on a more bittersweet undertone when touring and “good times with good friends” were put on hold. Something that they were also keen to capture in the official video accompanying the track. As Heptinstall adds:
“It’s a track made all the more poignant for us in the wake of the pandemic, which saw us take a lengthy break from touring. It's been great to be finally back on the road ‘doing it all over again’. The video perfectly mirrors the images I had in my head when writing the song. It’s great to have such memories captured this way, and serves as a reminder to look forward to those we’ve yet to make. Bring it on!”
As they prepare for the release of their new album 11:11 this Friday, New Jersey-based group Pinegrove have shared today a new video for the mini-epic lead track "Habitat." A robust, textural masterpiece, "Habitat' was inspired by long drives around upstate New York with dilapidated houses covered in plantlife spotting the landscape along the way."
Of the song, singer/guitarist Evan Stephens Hall stated, "'Habitat' collages imagery from across the 2020's - monuments to the past torn down, vandalized, and thrown to the waves, making much needed room for new symbols to ornament our world with."
Pinegrove have also announced a full band live performance will take place this Friday, January 28th to celebrate the release of 11:11. The livestream will begin at 8pm EST and will be available for 24 hours. Tickets can be purchased on their website at www.pinegroveband.com.
Hall is big on multiple meanings. The leader of Pinegrove titled their sixth album 11:11 because of its layered significance: the numerals gesturing to a row of trees, or striped corduroy; the cornfields of upstate New York, or people shoulder-to-shoulder. But it’s also a special time, a “wink from the universe,” as Hall says, for those who witness it on the clock to wish for something brighter. “Calling the record 11:11 should be a heartening statement, though there's certainly a range of emotion across the album. There's much to be angry about right now, and a lot of grief to metabolize. But hopefully, the loudest notes are of unity, collectivity, and community. I want to open a space for people to feel all these things.”
As a native New Yorker, Liam Davis grew up influenced by an array of music. While his father’s love of classic rock engraved the iconic soundprints of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd into him as a child, his studies of classical percussion (such as Bach’s ‘Violin Concerto in A minor’ for marimba) and jazz (Max Roach’s ‘Max’s Mode’) would shape him into a well-rounded musician as he aged.
Picking up piano at the age of eight and guitar at fifteen only deepened Davis’s musical character and gave him the ability to put whatever he hears in his head into a real space. Influenced by many of the greats (Elton John, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney) as well as more modern acts (John Mayer, Nothing But Thieves, Billie Eilish), Liam has developed a broad writing style that blends numerous genres.
Liam’s career began with the release of his single ‘In My Dreams’ (2020), a contemporary folk ballad about a past relationship that took a downfall due to personal issues. While the release of this song was a huge accomplishment for him, he’s deeply motivated to expand his sound and has been working on a plethora of new songs that will be released in the coming years.
Here's what he had to say about it: "I started writing 'Make Me Cry' when I was still in college. My girlfriend at the time had hurt me really badly, and I channelled that hurt into my songwriting". He continues, "While it's only my second release, it feels like so much more; I focused in on honing my sound, and was able to take influence from the traditional styles I was raised on while still creating something entirely new, unique, and true to my voice as an artist".
London artist Alice SK's new single “Run Away” is a striking vintage-noir track about being trapped in our minds and how this can lead to us being our own worst enemy. Alice’s haunting, soulful voice sounds classic yet modern through the influence of cultural icons, such as Ella Fitzgerald & Joni Mitchell, and present-day acts, like The Strokes, to create something fresh.
The single comes from Alice SK’s forthcoming debut EP “Electric”, produced by Muca (Los Bitchos, L.A. Salami). “Run Away” is the fourth track to be unveiled from the EP, following the release of Muca’s single “Until We Meet Again” and Alice’s tracks “Another Girl's Man” and “Hidden Paradise”. Alongside Brazilian bossa nova legend Roberto Menescal, Alice featured on “Until We Meet Again” which caused a stir during the summer and the track will also be released as part of the EP package.
Written in lockdown, when we all had a lot of time to reflect on life, relationships, and our own thoughts, “Run Away” captures the moment at when we start to overthink and analyse and start on a self-destruction landslide without realising that it’s happening. The track’s production has an organic feel and an unsettling intrigue with a vinyl crackling backdrop and dark enveloping moods that build to great effect. Portishead vibes are blended with the uniqueness of Alice’s deep and low vocal tones as the track grows out of control.
The video for the single, directed by Henry Harte conjures late 90s nostalgia. On the video’s concept and style, he reveals, “I wanted to capture not only the vibe of the song but the story, and with that I incorporated the backdrop of a harsh city scape paralleled with imagery of escaping or 'running away' by car as a visual metaphor for being more hopeful for the future. I used super 8 sim to portray the nostalgic aesthetic and texture.”
Carmody releases her new single "Morning" lifted from her much anticipated debut album Imperfect Constellations, out 6th July via Young Poet. Co-written and produced by Tom Misch, "Morning" also features percussion and synth contributions from rising London producer and artist Conor Albert. Addressing grief and ultimately hope in the aftermath of loss, the song's instrumentation oozes positivity, with Misch's uplifting guitar work and Conor's soulful beat-driven percussion juxtaposing the track's affecting, personal lyrics: ["I see your face now, in everything / cause my heart it won’t believe / In the unspoken and unnamed, for a life I can’t reclaim"]
"'Morning’ is about grief and the way the world continues even after someone you love has died," Carmody notes. "It’s also about hope, the idea that although they’re not physically present you can carry them with you in your mind. I wrote the track with Tom Misch, who also produced it and recorded some eerie, but beautiful, high-pitched ooo’s, as well as playing a solo guitar line. Conor Albert made the drum beat and also recorded some wondrous synth lines."
Carmody's long-awaited debut album Imperfect Constellations is due for release on 6th July via Young Poet and will be split into four separate "constellations" – with each constellation housing tracks that are all thematically linked. "Morning" stands as the first to be heard from 'Constellation B' - 3 songs that focus on "loss and learning to accept a new world without the person you love in it", following 'Constellation A' which offered "a group of songs that explore how we remember".
Carmody went on to say: "'Morning' in particular focuses on this as I write about carrying them with me in my mind, although they are not physically present. 'Strange' is about a walk I took through a cemetery, I was really inspired by observational lyric writing and how artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Alex Turner make the everyday sound beautiful and I wanted to emulate this in the song. 'Yosef' is also about grief, but I am mourning someone who is yet to be found, almost a loss in reverse."
Background - The somewhat humourous new video for “On Monday” is one of the stand-out tracks from Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease’s debut album Catholic School. The album is officially out digitally now through Burnt Toast Vinyl and The Giving Groove, with the vinyl edition to follow in late October/early November.
All releases on The Giving Groove include a charitable component, and the release of Catholic School is no exception… half of all profits from album sales, both digital and physical, will go directly to Rock To The Future, a non-profit organization that provides music education for Philadelphia’s underserved youth, at no cost to them or their families. Sweeney & Co will also be celebrating the album’s release tonight in their native Philadelphia with a proper album release show at Everybody Hits.
Over the past 25 years, Joey Sweeney has become a staple of Philadelphia’s influential songwriting and literary scene… he got his start as a music critic, before eventually fronting acclaimed Philly bands like The Trouble With Sweeney and The Barnabys, as well as recording and performing as a solo artist. Combining AM-friendly classic rock influences with what Bandcamp Daily calls “riotous” and “…jagged-edged, bristling Americana”, Catholic School is album is so steeped in dad-rock influences (and lots of sax) that it’s wearing a Members Only jacket and trying to get a job working for the city.
It’s also an album very much about cities, and the way Sweeney's city or your city is changing. You could say the city is the central character, but there’s also much about hope, falling in and out of love, being with your friends and not being with your friends... all set against the backdrop of looking for some kind of grace, while down the street, they’re tearing down your old church. TWITTER.
We have already shared a couple of tracks from the brand new 'Catholic School' album and 'On Monday' plus the new video are equally welcome. There is a moody late night groove to the song, some refined melodic vibes and those "oh so" rock and roll vocals. If you like the song check out the previous features and dive right into this amazing album.
Background - A regular guest vocalist for Tom Misch since his debut EP back in 2014, South-London singer-songwriter Carmody has just returned with a second single from her forthcoming solo EP ‘Caching.
The track is a slow-burning tour de force, drawing on deep bass, electronic and R&B influences to explore the ephemeral and incendiary first stages of a relationship. Both haunting and sublimely danceable, ‘Summer Rain’ pairs Carmody’s trademark lyrical skill (“Freefalling through the clouds, you chase a fantasy / I can hear a song in every sigh / Unspoken melodies”)with one of her most powerful choruses to date: a harmony-soaked celebration of love in its purest form, where rain-soaked couples dance and ‘Move unheard / Weaving patterns of light into each day”.
Carmody began writing ‘Summer Rain’ at home in South London and (in stark contrast to the sun-drenched blissfulness of the song itself) completed it with Silverglade in the depths of a freezing cold Chicago winter, surrounded by 10 inches of snow.
About the track Carmody says: “I'm a big romantic when it comes to rain in the summer time. There's something about the heat, coupled with a fleeting downpour of rain, that I love. It's momentary and beautiful. ‘Summer Rain’ is about those ephemeral moments when you fall in love; when there is no doubt - just pure elation - lost in each other's minds and bodies.” TWITTER.
Carmody's soulful and intimate vocals are sublimely enticing on 'Summer Rain' a song that oozes class and refinement. The arrangement and production does this piece justice, as all elements shine through and the hooks dig deep.
