'Moon Maidens' is the third song from Porteau's debut album that we have featured this year, and the Indie folk couple continue to impress. Club Kuru share some fabulous psych pop/rock in the form of 'By The Windowpane' a dazzling piece of creativity.
Porteau - Moon Maidens.
Vancouver duo Porteau debut album, Water’s Gate has just been released. Heavily influenced by both traditional folklore and the West Coast landscape, Porteau uses this imagery as a backdrop to explore and unearth personal experience.
Porteau is the creation of Victoria Williams and Craig Stevenson. The Vancouver duo’s debut album Water’s Gate transports listeners to a world of pragmatic mysticism. Layers of lush vocals and washes of light, modulated guitar are the foundation of their songs. Pulling the record into diverse moods and through vivid textures, their sound weaves through folk-inspired passages, celestial soundscapes, and electronic flourishes. Ethereal and expansive, Water’s Gate is Porteau’s open space for experimentation, and carves a wave into their own unmapped styling.
Collaboration between the couple came about by happenstance. Victoria saw a painting of Andromeda by Gustave Doré and was instantly captivated. She asked Craig if he could help her write music that sounded like the painting looked – cold, urgent, yet liberating. A mutual understanding and inspiration was found from this piece of art. It was a driving and unifying force that was the genesis of Porteau. Using this as a catalyst, a record naturally revealed itself. Sounds which had been independently cultivated now flowed together and a confluence of ideas began to occur. They were heavily influenced by both traditional folklore and the West Coast landscape. Porteau uses this imagery as a backdrop to explore and unearth personal experience.
Club Kuru have shared their new single 'By The Windowpane'. Following on from the release of ‘Cherry Bloom’ earlier this year, which earned plaudits from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and more. Both singles are taken from the band's new highly anticipated sophomore album 'Meet Your Maker'.
Following on from the band’s critically acclaimed 2018 debut LP ‘Giving In’, which featured their BBC 6 Music B-listed single, ‘The Memory Junkie', the duo’s new material sees them further explore their multifarious and eclectic sound, developing new textures and further pushing the boundaries of their meticulous and far-reaching brand of psych-pop.
Speaking about the single, Erskine says: "I spend time each day sitting at my first floor window and watching the people going by in the street below. ‘By the Windowpane’ was inspired by the times I sat there. Every now and then, I’d catch a reflection of myself in the glass, so I was looking through the glass and at myself at the same time. I felt sometimes that I was caught there: trapped in the windowpane. It made me think about the people who have disappeared from my life and how I couldn't see them anymore. And sitting there, rather than missing those people, I became content to watch the world go by and accepted how all things change."
Having recently completed a short run of dates with Jungle, Club Kuru are also planning further headline dates for 2019, with a Paris and London date already confirmed for May the band will be announcing further details in the coming months.
I am Boleyn serves up some intimate synth pop, her melodic vocals drift above a thoughtful soundtrack, this is hard to resist music. Gothenburg's Beverly Kills share a feisty indie rocker, the band are tight and refined and the vocals add even more hooks. Zinnia's brand of art pop is quite addictive, she sings with real feeling above a musical arrangement that slowly builds into a magnificent backdrop.
I am BOLEYN - Limit Of Love.
London based Synth-pop singer-songwriter I Am Boleyn is poised to release her new single with the arrival of ‘Limit of Love’ and follows on from her recent release 'Too Much'.
She says: "Limit of Love is about the secrets that we all keep, the dark feelings or guilt that we hold very close but one day have to show someone to really love them and let them love us. What is the Limit of Love? What could we find out about someone, or reveal about ourselves what would push those limits too far? In the end the honesty of sharing our real selves is liberating and leads to a deeper connection".
I Am Boleyn spends her time shuttling between London and Stockholm, working with Swedish based music production collective FMLY STHLM. Influenced by Robyn, Mo, Goldfrapp and MS MR, her take on electro-pop brims with hints of neon lit 80’s Berlin bars with a futuristic twist of Blade Runner.
I Am Boleyn grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia, went to Oxford University to study history and has been writing songs and singing in bands since she was young.
Beverly Kills are creating an impressive name for themselves as one of Gothenburg’s up and coming bands to watch. Last year saw the band release ‘Fourteen’, ‘Melodrama’ and ‘Dreamless’, gathered great acclaim from both local and international press including being mentioned as one of the “Best Swedish Indie Debuts 2018” by HYMN and being nominated for the" Breakthrough of the Year” in the Gaffa Awards.
This also saw the band playing Gothenburg music showcase festival Viva Sounds and a side show at this years by:Larm Festival along with shows supporting Agent blå, Moaning (USA- Sub-pop) and Västerbron later this March. The release of Beverly Kills brand new single ‘Revellers’comes with the announcement of their debut physical release ‘In This Dim Light/Melodrama’ limited edition 7” vinylthrough Australian Indie label Hell Beach.
‘Revellers’ encapsulates the very essence of Beverly Kills, emotionally charged and full of energy, as they seemingly blend driving, raw and catchy sonic landscapes with dark and complex lyrical content. The energy of the song is set by a punchy and aggressive rhythm section laid down by Viggo Mattson and Hampus Höggren, which is perfectly matched by John Jonsén tight rhythm guitar playing. Dreamy synths and atmospheric guitar tones act as points of relief throughout the song as Alma Westerlund’s vocals float effortlessly throughout the track delivering catchy vocal melodies and most importantly the lyrical content.
The idea behind the lyrics came out of a spiraling, weird thought that John had after reading about the increasing numbers of the ‘Bystander Effect’ in Sweden. This got Johnthinking about a potential world where we’ve killed off everything and everyone just to satisfy our need to see deathand chaos, “until there’s nothing left to kill but ourselves”. ‘Revellers’ clearly demonstrates Beverly Kills song writing prowess and further establishes their emergence in the ever-exciting Gothenburg indie scene.
Zinnia is the Toronto-based art pop project of Rachael Cardiello. With layered synth and driving beats, Zinnia brings an explosive range to Cardiello's writing, equal parts intimate and fierce. Zinnia’s debut album Sensations in Two Dot is due out in 2019.
"There are statistics that had always seemed far fetched and distant when I was young. As I've gotten older I've watched those statistics very much become a reality for the women in my life.
Bullets was written four years ago on an old upright at my mom's house in Montana. I've carried it with me since then and sifted it through many arrangements and band settings.
Though written in response to specific events, it has been heartbreaking to see the song remain relevant over these past years as the same struggles appear in the lives of those close and far.
Wasuremono continue to ramp up interest in their June album release with 'Are You OK?' where synth textures and layered vocals combine with melodic hooks. Hafdis Huld's fifth studio album is a collection of thirteen incredible cover versions, where she reinterprets some classic songs in a really imaginative manner. Julia Rakel's new E.P. is shared in full, it's a creative affair as she digs into relationships, doing so in a very individual and colourful way. 'Willow' from Junaco is a desirable indie song where the vocals are beautiful as they drift above a clever musical backdrop.
Wasuremono - Are You OK?
Wasuremono have announced their new album 'Are You OK?' will be released on June 14th, they have also shared the title track from the album after teasing the news with previous single 'Lonely Type'.
In 2018, Wasuremono made quite the impression; with the release of their self-titled debut album, Steve Lamacq’s invite to record a live session for BBC 6 Music at the legendary Maida Vale Studios, Lauren Laverne describing them as a “favourite”, supporting both the The Flaming Lips and Phosphorescent on tour, and playing at iconic venues such as Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
New album, ‘Are You OK?’ was written and recorded by multi-instrumentalist William Southward in his shed. On the newly released title track, Southward has said that the song, "seemed to turn into a pep talk to myself, with themes and sounds of the seaside and clearing the mind asking yourself or someone else ‘Are you ok?’. It’s got a really 80’s vibe to this song with the help from the Linn Drum Computer pounding through the song backed up with synth sounds played on an old Yamaha Dx7."
With the enlistment of friends Madelaine Ryan, Isaac Phillips, and Phoebe Phillips, Southward’s songs come to life. Wasuremono will be performing across the UK this summer in support of 'Are You OK?', with stops at festivals including Live at Leeds, The Great Escape, Bluedot, and Dot To Dot, as well as a headline show at the Sebright Arms in London on June 19th.
Hafdis Huld - You're the First, The Last, My Everything.
Hafdis Huld’s fifth studio album 'Variations', is a collection of her own versions of songs by other artists. Consistently different, she and producer Alisdair Wright devised simple arrangements that focus attention on the lyrics, often revealing stories with surprisingly dark and twisted undercurrents beneath the smooth surfaces.
In another twist, tracks will be digitally released, two at a time between 1st February and 26th April, building into a full album. With typical consideration for her fan-base, members of Hafdis’ mailing list were able to buy pre-release copies of the physical album two months before the digital releases began.
Fearless covers of power ballad giants Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Queen and Whitney Houston sit remarkably comfortably alongside more eclectic choices. Unexpected songs from The Divine Comedy and Loudon Wainwright III, songwriters’ songwriter Boo Hewerdine and the Walrus of Love himself, Barry White, serve to underscore the fact that Hafdis loves to shake things up.
She explains: “Stories are what interest me and each one of these has a great story to tell. When you’re not distracted by musical fireworks, a surprisingly different message can emerge from the lyrics.”
Umeå-via-Malmö Swedish musician and producer Julia Rakel is the latest addition to Stockholm indie label Rama Lama Records' (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) roster. Singles PDFILWM and People was released early 2019 and have since grabbed the attention from influential Swedish media as well as international blogs, calling them "lo-fi gems". Debut EP 'indie fEElz', the first collection of and look into Julia's peculiar bedroom pop, is out now on all platforms and limited vinyl.
The EP is the result of hours of music making in the lonesome bedroom. Julia works at the well-known Malmö studio Tambourine and her credits include sound design for the award-winning short film Plankton. With her expertise as a producer she's refined her stripped-down sketches to a daydreaming beautiful soundscape that develops with every listen. This, put together with Julia's individual vocals and often ironic lyrics, create an intimate and memorable sound.
Julia Rakel says that "indie fEElz” is an EP where I try to describe the very different kinds of relationships we have with each other - and ourselves. This with a lot of irony, drum machines and way too many choirs parts. People is about forced acquaintances, A love letter is of course about love, You’re not getting it a desperate attempt to be understood, PDFILWM a sad celebration of friendships, Evel Knievel how we feel about our ego, and Moviestars - a flirt with how ridiculously we’ve all tried to be somebody we’re not."
Junaco is the foundation of Shahana Jaffer and Joey LaRosa. Born in the unincorporated mountain town on the outskirts coastal Northern California, the duo found an escape from musical conventions. Fleeing the rituals of rushing through songs, away from the nonsense of worrying, a budding partnership was found based equally on half-parts progression and melody. Mellow bursts of epiphany and pleas of gentle seduction give way to driving grooves in Junaco’s music, leaving the immediate fan with a delicate, instantly familiar and completely unassailable batch of songs.
Jaffer, a natural talent whose limbs were too long to dance, met a counterpart in LaRosa, a guitarist and percussionist’s dream who from a young age had been told that “musician” wasn’t an achievable career. Though conventionally unlikely on the global scale that a Pakistani songstress would find her way into the creative adventures of a drummer from Indianapolis, they found in their partnership a desire to make music for music’s sake; to write honest songs that meant something true enough for themselves, that someone else might be able to take it and make it true for them, as well.
The forthcoming EP helmed by Omar Yakar (War on Drugs, Perfume Genius) from Boulevard Recording, whose engineering and production prowess brought this young and refreshing outfit’s mountainous incubations to life. The duo initially set out with the intention of nothing but creation and expression and resulted in a stunning collection of tracks detailing the emotions of freedom. Jaffer reveals, “The underlying theme is about coming to terms with experiences and hardships we have faced and finally putting them out there. It’s very healing”.
Leading single ‘Willow’ features warm dark tones, ominous instrumentation and soulful vocals which glide gently atop the jangly guitars. The single emits an accurate and organic feeling through its use of storytelling lyricism and atmospheric soundscapes. Thematically ‘Willow’ is inspired by emotions. “Emotions are often intensified by our surroundings. We rarely separate the two - when we are inspired by a feeling it is all encompassed by the environment we are in. The message of this music is to except those feelings rather than trying to mask them”, confides Jaffer.
Junaco hope to create music that will leave listeners feeling a sense of connection and closeness to. With the aim to remind others of our innate human emotions, Junaco’s debut EP highlights just how similar we are at our cores.
Around six weeks back we featured 'Tulip Stone' by Mags On Earth and the video for 'Old Ford Road' is a welcome follow up, as once again we are treated to another inventive and alluring song. It's our third feature for FEVA in a couple of years, this time with 'Undone' a potent and mesmerising alt rocker. Julie Kember is a fabulously soulful singer and yet adds so much more in her music, whether it's folk, rock, or blues, as 'Lived A Million Lives' helps demonstrate.
Mags On Earth – Old Ford Road.
Following the January release of her debut single ‘Tulip Stone’, Mags On Earth today releases her second single ‘Old Ford Road’. It’s another example of her delightfully crafted, dreamily melancholic, electronic-touched pop music, drawing inspiration from the sultry pop sounds of artists like Lana Del Rey and Lorde. And just like her debut single, ‘Old Ford Road’ comes with another self-produced video, which Mags shot in London.
Recorded with producer Jose Manuel Cubides in London, Mags explains the inspiration behind the single “My whole EP is very self-judgemental as it deals with pressure of youth, and pressure of the concept that you are the designer of your own life. To think we can all be anything is a beautiful thought, but it has a very dark side too. It places so much emphasis on self-fulfillment and comes hand in hand with feeling like a failure if you can't live up to your own expectations”
“All songs on the EP address these feelings, but in Old Ford Road there is self-compassion, self-forgiveness and a sense of enjoying life in the imperfect present. Being in London definitely plays a role in those hopeful emotions for me. Big cities do something to me, they free me. I like the rush and anonymity. I love just walking around for hours in different areas of the city, stopping for a coffee somewhere, watching people passing by, maybe checking out some second-hand-shops and just keeping walking. It’s one of those things that make me feel very grounded in myself, like it’s just me and the city. That’s the sentiment that ‘Old Ford Road’ is dealing with”.
Hauling themselves right back under the indie spotlight, Newcastle’s Feva share scorching new anthem Undone, a relentless rocker that only further cements their status as one of the region’s most exciting emerging acts.
Fresh from supporting fellow Geordie risers The Pale White on a sold-out UK tour, the quartet are firing on all cylinders and demonstrate their trademark anthemic qualities in this latest effort, providing more evidence of their unbridled potential.
“Undone is another step towards us finding our sound”, the four-piece stated. “From the beginning we’ve wanted to write huge, heavy tunes that remain upbeat and have a hook, not dissimilar to soul and pop songs, and we feel as though we’ve done that here and hopefully have a chorus that’ll be stuck in people’s heads for days”.
With festival dates alongside Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Vaccines already lined up this summer, the band’s widespread tastemaker approval and radio support (BBC Radio 1) is sure to increase in the coming months with further new material in the pipeline.
With critical acclaim, chart success, international TV syncing and awards a-plenty, it is hard not to see Australian songstress Julie Kember as a bona fide overachiever. The beating heart of all her wild success is wonderful music that touches the soul. Built around the gorgeous timbre of her voice, Kember's songs are majestically poetic, cinematic and relatable – providing her with a passport to tour the world. From Tamworth and Boyup Brook, to Nannup and Nashville, Julie Kember's music is at home anywhere it touches the ground.
Capturing her story in all its globetrotting glory, Julie Kember is proud to announce her album, Million Lives. As the title implies, Kember has woven her experiences throughout the album, documenting her trials and triumphs over the years through honeyed melodies and honest yet inviting lyrics. The album's somewhat title track Lived A Million Lives is wonderfully autobiographical – a musical retrospective diary. Driving the song is the same power that fuels all of Kember's work: love.
Commercial success has flowed effortlessly for Kember, whose list of musical accomplishments spans the live arena, recording, film and TV. A true storyteller, her songs paint a vivid picture that has won the hearts of people far and wide. Her talent has been recognised all over as Julie has continued to tour the planet – from the global hubs of country and folk, to the Middle East, Solomon Islands and Australian outback. From her hometown of Eneabba to the stages of the world, Julie Kember has joyfully committed herself to the life of a troubadour.
With a WAM Award for Outstanding Regional Artist, and several coveted WA Country Music Awards in her trophy cabinet (including 2019 WA Songwriter of the Year at Boyup Brook Country MF), it would be easy for people to assume Julie Kember is a genre specialist. Alas, the multi-talented songwriter is better known for a more sophisticated, nuanced sound. Incorporating the best aspects of blues, soul, folk and pop, her music is versatile and creative – expanding beyond one style into a wondrous new thing all its own. Sewn throughout all of Julie Kember's deeply personal songs, this beautiful uniqueness is what makes Million Lives an exceptional work of art.
