Ellen Arthur Blyth - Josephine Philip - Ben Talmi

Ellen Arthur Blyth - God Knows.

Dublin-based singer songwriter Ellen Arthur Blyth unveiled her long-awaited debut album ‘Nine’ in April. The collection of Ellen’s unique jazz-pop sound follows the release of the single ‘Young Ones’ and title track ‘Nine’ which earned Ellen support from acclaimed publications such as Notion, Hotpress and Nialler9.

The album is now followed by the release of a stunning new music video for ‘God Knows’, which expresses the themes of pain in the song with visuals of a captivating ballerina. “It's about the time in my life when I had to finally stop drinking. It felt like a relationship was ending, one I'd had from the age of 14. I thought I couldn't live without it and felt heartbroken.” - Ellen shares the meaning behind ‘God Knows’

Born in Dublin, the youngest of nine, in a house where the one who shouted loudest ate most, Ellen learned early how to sing for her supper. Dragged out of bed, dusted down, slung into a polyester frock, her early forays into musical performance consisted of pitch perfect renditions of Any Dream Will Do to family friends. But as success followed the clan, friends turned to ambassadors, heads of state, Hollywood actors and other visiting dignitaries passing through. 

Aged 9, she woke her father and told him she was going to be a famous singer and would buy him a racehorse. He told her to go back to bed. At 16 she made the live finals of Ireland’s ‘You’re a Star’ but lost her voice. Her early adult life was spent serenading drunk punters in a city buried in snow, before finally, she fell through a drunken crevasse. After reaching bottom, she started to climb back out and rediscover her voice.

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Josephine Philip - She Said.

She Said is a song about being a woman. The song unfolds from two perspectives – one being young, carefree and full of hope, but also feeling insecure and scared to make the wrong decisions. The other perspective is delivered from an older narrator, that has lived life – singing to her younger self, wanting to give advice, but not wanting to interfere, because she knows that life has to be lived and experienced, good or bad, wild and mundane. The track is a celebration of all women and a reminder to believe in oneself. Philip’s catchy vocals are supported by gritty drums, dynamic beats and sparse guitar.

Josephine Philip lives and works in Copenhagen. She is inspired by a wealth of artistic expression; choral works, contemporary art and performance, jazz standards, experimental music, film, literature and classical music, and uses this inspiration to tell her engaging tales and stories.

Philip released her debut single as a solo artist, Call My Name in May 2021 and her second The Clue in October 2021. Both songs have been in heavy rotation on Danish radio station P6 Beat and have been very warmly received on both Danish and foreign music media. In February 2022 she released her 3rd single No. 7 and in March 2022 her 4th single Little Boy.

“It’s a fragile, nocturnal piece of cinematic beauty, a track about love and longing, surrounded in an impressive musical setting. The anchor of this delicate tune remains Philip‘s stunning vocal performance which is equally strong and fragile”

The new album - We Get Lost And Found - is written and produced in collaboration with Copenhagen based producer and musician Lasse Martinussen and will be released on 20th May 2022. Josephine Philip was one half of the now defunct dynamic duo JaConfetti, was a founder of and served time in the all-female Ska outfit Favelachic and the dance floor popular sound system Dullen & Dyken.

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Ben Talmi - Berkshires.

As the opening and title track of Ben Talmi's upcoming record, this song really sets the tone for the tunes that follow. An ode to growing up in Western Mass, Ben takes us on a nostalgic journey through some of the most formative moments in his life. With a humorous and often self depracating tone, he describes "the night some friends and I paid tribute to The Ramones by hanging a giant “Rock 'n' Roll High School” banner above our beloved Pittsfield High School. No one saw it and the banner was taken down first thing the following morning." Other memories include going to a Smiths singalong party and feeling shame at not knowing any of the lyrics.

Musically, "Berkshires" introduces us to Ben's talent as an arranger, with a string quartet floating on top of his fingerpicked acoustic. It's as if you crossed Nick Drake with the twee pop of Belle and Sebastian or one of their 90s contemporaries. I love how simple the arrangement is, and the quartet never threatens to overwhelm the delicate stories being told.

As with the previous two singles "Ralph & Mary" and "Canoe Meadows," "Berkshires" epitomizes the kind of homespun nostalgia that jumped out at me upon first listen. Ben is singing about beloved memories from his past, and while we weren't there with him, we can feel the love and affection in his voice.

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Walter Martin - Laveda - Ellen Arthur Blyth - Heavy Salad

Walter Martin - Baseball Diamond.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Walter Martin unveiled today two new singles titled "Baseball Diamonds" and "Hiram Hollow." The tracks are the latest to release from his forthcoming album The Bear, out later this month on March 25th through his imprint Ile Flottante Music. "Baseball Diamonds" was the first song written for The Bear, which ultimately set the tone for the rest of the album, while "Hiram Hollow" is a waltzing tune that toys with American folk traditions as it wrestles with the pain of saying goodbye to a loved one.

"I see these two songs as two different ways of telling a story about my life and my family," stated Walter. "It's a story a lot of people can probably relate to - one with a lot of love but also a lot of sadness. That story is what this whole album is really about. 'Baseball Diamonds' lives very much in reality with real life details, while 'Hiram Hollow' takes a much more allegorical approach. These weren't really conscious style decisions, the songs just came out that way."

"Hiram Hollow" and "Baseball Diamonds" follow the release of "Easter," a somber and uneasy song that Flood Magazine called "a melancholy reflection on the past." The lead single and title track "The Bear" is also out now, which tells a story about the past, the present, and the future brought to life with humor and real-life detail. It was featured by Brooklyn Vegan, Under The Radar, and Stereogum who stated "Ever since the Walkmen embarked on their hiatus, several of the band's members have had prolific solo careers. But none of them have churned out music at quite the pace as Walter Martin."

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Laveda - bb.

Born out of untamed anger and frustration at the cruel state of the world, “bb” taps into a universal mood: its downcast melodies and restless guitar lines speak to the collective sense of agitation and boredom we’ve all experienced over the past two years.

Weaving together an ansty mesh of gossamer vocals, driving ‘90s guitars and a steady drum beat, the track was first penned in September 2020 when vocalist Ali Genevich found herself increasingly restless in the face of the seemingly never-ending pandemic.

Feeling disheartened by the “depressive daily routine” of being stuck inside with no social interaction — and even less inspiration to write songs — Genevich locked herself in her bedroom with a guitar when “bb” took its first breath and stirred to life.

Speaking of the inspiration behind the track’s moody sound, Genevich says: “In the winter of 2020, every day really started to feel the same for me. The pandemic seemed to be getting just as bad as when it began back in Spring and like everyone else all I had been thinking about was the possibility for life to feel normal again. For a while I was just thankful that most of my friends and family were in good health and that we were able to keep ourselves afloat in such a crazy time, but of course that’s not all I was feeling. Both Jake and I felt like the past year had been so wasted.”

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Ellen Arthur Blyth - Nine.

Dublin-based singer songwriter Ellen Arthur Blyth is set to release the title track of her upcoming debut album ‘Nine’ this March. The cinematic pop track follows on from Ellen’s recent release ‘Young Ones’, which garnered support from acclaimed publications such as Hotpress and Nialler9. Ellen shares the meaning behind the upcoming single ‘Nine’:

“Nine is about self doubt, the ongoing internal dialogue in your head that can keep you stuck. For me it's about realising it's always there and I need to live my life alongside it. I think in doing that there's real freedom.”

The track was recorded as part of her upcoming debut album ‘Nine’ in Hell Fire Studios, Dublin and produced by Alex Borwick, head engineer at the famed Grouse Lodge studios in Ireland. The music video for the track is a Hitchcock-inspired video and was shot in The Sally Gap in Co. Wicklow on a beautiful day in February. Directed by Rob Blyth, shot by Martin Osborne and starring Alexandra Moloney and Ellen Arthur Blyth.

Born in Dublin, the youngest of nine, in a house where the one who shouted loudest ate most, Ellen learned early how to sing for her supper. Dragged out of bed, dusted down, slung into a polyester frock, her early forays into musical performance consisted of pitch perfect renditions of Any Dream Will Do to family friends. But as success followed the clan, friends turned to ambassadors, heads of state, Hollywood actors and other visiting dignitaries passing through. Aged 9, she woke her father and told him she was going to be a famous singer and would buy him a racehorse. He told her to go back to bed. At 16 she made the live finals of Ireland’s ‘You’re a Star’ but lost her voice. Her early adult life was spent serenading drunk punters in a city buried in snow, before finally, she fell through a drunken crevasse. After reaching bottom, she started to climb back out and rediscover her voice.

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Heavy Salad - Joggers From Mossley To Malibu Beach.

Heady and frolicking — and embracing the notion that life’s challenges are nothing but positive opportunities — “Joggers From Mossley To Malibu Beach” is a jovial new cut that comes just a week before Heavy Salad touchdown in Austin, Texas for an official showcase slot at SXSW. Packed with playful rhythms, carefree “sha la la”’s and a whimsical, vintage tinge, the track was produced and mixed by Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) and is plucked from the band’s forthcoming second record, ‘Long Wave,’ set for release later this year.

Brought to life when guitarist Rob Glennie noticed hoards of people out jogging as a way of coping with the initial COVID lockdown in his hometown of Mossley, frontman Lee Mann explains of the track: “The story of “Joggers…” sees our protagonist embrace jogging as a means of getting out of the house, but their world is changed through what starts as a way of coping with the lockdown that then blossoms into the realisation that there’s a whole world out there! Their journey eventually leads them to a new life in California inspired by the song’s melodic, West Coast feel.”

And, for all its sunny melodies and Californian surfer-town twinges, the track includes several nods to the band’s hometown roots in the North of England. Name-dropping everywhere from Mossley and Malibu to Tameside and the Pacific Coast Highway, Heavy Salad manage to traverse geographical borders just as neatly as they do genres. Merging 60s-inspired backing vocals with slacker-rock riffs that Pavement would be proud of, “Joggers…” uses its cheery sonic stylings to embrace a serendipitous and happy-go-lucky approach to the limitless possibilities that come with our seemingly mundane lives.

Expanding on the track’s back story, Mann adds: “The song was also partly inspired by a chance encounter with a Venice Beach bike hire shop owner who it turned out was from Rotherham and originally lived in the same part of town as my in-laws. Having travelled to Brazil for Carnival in the 70s our bike hire shop owner had travelled to California on his way home and never actually made it home! The song is about the possibilities of life, to embrace changes, to see challenges as positive things and to embrace random opportunity in the short time you are alive.”

HEAVY SALAD · Joggers From Mossley To Malibu Beach

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Ellen Arthur Blyth - Dana Gavanski - Many Voices Speak

Ellen Arthur Blyth - Young Ones.

Ellen Arthur Blyth is a Dublin based singer songwriter. Her unique, soulful sound blends classic artists such as Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee with contemporary hints of Katie Melua and Lana Del Ray. Honing her craft over the years Ellen is excited to unveil her debut album ‘Nine’ in 2022. Leading up to the album release is her new single ‘Young Ones’. With a seductive vocal line and jazz-infused instrumentation, the new offering is a tantalizing tease of what we can expect more of from Ellen Arthur Blyth.

“It's less about falling in love and more about choosing to stay in love, trying to find magic and playfulness with someone in the mundane of the everyday. It's striving to be someone’s safe place in a world that can seem overwhelming at times. Love is a choice and so it’s important how we frame it.” Ellen shares.

The track was recorded as part of her upcoming debut album ‘Nine’ in Hell Fire Studios, Dublin and produced by Alex Borwick, head engineer at the famed Grouse Lodge studios in Ireland.

The impressive sound walks a tightrope of consonance and dissonance, nostalgia and joy, resulting in a finely poised drama of soft, lilting melody and haunting wistfulness. The vocal, at once resonant, is at times achingly honest and captivates from beginning to end. With the plethora of talent behind it, ‘Nine’ does not sing like the debut album it is, but instead stands as an accomplished piece, unapologetic, stylish, and yet encapsulating the fears and aspirations of a nine-year old girl tottering about in her sister’s high heels whilst belting out numbers into her hairbrush.

 

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Photo - Clementine Schneidermann

Dana Gavanski - Indigo Highway.

There’s something mesmerizing about the fingertips of Dana Gavanski. Conducting each note with a light gracefulness, they appear to dance whilst aiding their owner in expressing the stories behind each of her lighter-than-air tones. Stories which, on her new album When It Comes – out April 29 via Flemish Eye (and Full Time Hobby outside of North America)  – may never have been heard if not for healing ‘lost’ vocal cords and a lesson in taking the rough with the smooth.

“In many ways this record feels like it is my first,” Dana tells. “When I could use my voice, I had to focus so there is an urgency and greater emotional trajectory than before… it’s very connected to vocal presence, which extended into an existential questioning of my connection to music. It felt like a battle at times, which I frequently lost.”

Arriving where introversion and extroversion meet, When It Comes is Dana’s most vulnerable record to date. A Canadian-Serbian artist unafraid of extremes, she seamlessly blends her love of music from the 50s-70s with mythology. Led by instinct in its purest form, Dana’s latest chapter is an ode to the voice as an instrument – its power, and how intricately it can deliver words to tug at, and tie knots in, every heartstring. “Words can be taken quite literally, but to me, a lot of the time, they are pivots. They point in a direction but don’t necessarily stay there,” she says.

The follow-up to her 2020 debut Yesterday Is Gone was started in Montreal, ended in Belgrade, recorded back in London at Total Refreshment Centre, and then mixed by Mike Lindsay (Tunng, Lump). It offers something altogether more atmospheric and widescreen, as heard in the idiosyncratic carnival arpeggio grooves of the first single "Indigo Highway."

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Photo - Julia Mard

Many Voices Speak - Seat For Sadness.

Many Voices Speak has announced her return with second album 'Gestures', released on 29th April via Strangers Candy. Many Voices Speak, the project of Swedish musician Matilda Mård, has always found its power in its ability to capture an eternity in an expression. Mård’s elegant, yearning dream-pop makes the world seem to slow down around it, where time stretches out, and you can get lost in the deep pools of memory and emotion. After the success of her 2018 debut 'Tank Town,' her new album 'Gestures' showcases her growth as a songwriter, one more comfortable in her own skin.

The first single taken from the new record is 'Seat for Sadness'. “The verse of this song kind of came to me all at once. Then it took quite a long time until I got the rest of the song out of me", Matilda recalls, "I lived in Berlin at the time and rented a piano room at a music school, and most of the hours spent in there I was searching for the rest of the song. It wasn’t until me and Petter Nygårdh had started recording the album back home in Sweden, that I came up with the melody that would become the chorus. The new chorus pushed us in a new direction by making the whole song require something more. We had only brought a small part of the home studio to a country house to escape the noise from the neighbour’s renovation, but we found an acoustic guitar in that house that ended up being an important part of Seat For Sadness, and later on an important part of the album as a whole.”

Working with longtime producer Petter Nygårdh, the writing process, and how Mård thinks about it, grew into something new on 'Gestures'. She wrote the early versions of the songs on piano, as she always has. But before, she thought as a singer-songwriter, determined to make the songs stand up on their own, in their stripped-back version. Here, she wrote them merely as beginnings, aware of the possibility to evolve them into something more. “I want to capture these things that I can’t really put my finger on”, says Mård. “The lyrics have become more important for me. I’ve put a lot of trust in the text this time. I could explore this darker and more cinematic sound, I didn’t just think about writing a pop song”. That step made for an album that presents a more mature, developed vision of Many Voices Speak.

As well as an artist, the album has seen Mård grow as a person through writing it. Each song represents an issue she has struggled with - they tell a story of unspectacular, but deeply meaningful, transformation. Mård says “What unites the songs is a need for inner change, to handle the things in life that can’t be changed. I’m creating strategies for myself - new ways of thinking, so I can live with certain things. The title comes from that. I’ve figured out that gestures are important because they’re proof of love, and that’s the only power we have against death and separation”. It’s a theme that’s very personal to Mård, but one that resonates with a lot of people – something that could be said about Many Voices Speak itself. The stargazing mood of Gestures makes for an album that’s powerfully moving, one that creates a space apart from the noise of the world around it – a little retreat for Mård, and her listeners, to call their own.

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