INsiders Guide: Naylor, KEM, The Slashes, BEIJA FLOW, Mae Krell, Heidrunna, Naomi Campbell, Virginia to Vegas, WHIPPED CREAM, The Attire….

Despite the immense pressure that the pandemic has placed upon the music industry,  Naylor has found lockdown to be a rejuvenating and fruitful period of creativity.  In his solo productions to date, Naylor has been greatly informed by the expansive and ambient textures of Brian Eno. Aiming to get back to the “bare bones” of what music is, the London based artist draws inspiration from artists such as early Jamie xx, Bicep and Caribou.  With a project on the horizon, look out for more from Naylor very soon.

Nashville-born and Detroit-raised singer, songwriter, and producer KEM remains one of the most vibrant and vital voices in 21st century R&B. His catalog comprises classics such as the gold-certified Kemistry [2003], the platinum-certified Album II [2005], and the gold-certified Intimacy: Album III [2010]. Meanwhile, Promise To Love [2014] marked his second #1 debut on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart and third consecutive Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200. He has sold out shows worldwide and garnered hundreds of millions of streams. He reached another critical milestone with 2020’s Love Always Wins, setting the stage for more to come from KEM.

 “As a singer/songwriter capable of connecting romantic joy with spiritual renewal,” says one Rolling Stone writer, “Kem has a unique place in our musical culture.”             

The Slashes are a three-piece Post Punk, Border Goth band from San Diego. Band members include Esteban Rene (vocals/guitar), Beto Bautista (bass), and Carlos Robles (drums). They released their self-titled debut album in 2015, produced by Alan Sanderson, who worked with artists like The Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, and Elton John. Since then, they were nominated for a San Diego Music Award for Best Rock. They’ve played numerous shows around Southern California at notable venues like The Observatory in Santa Ana, the legendary Rainbow Bar in LA, and The Casbah in San Diego. 

Releasing their single “Heavy Bowie” in 2018, it immediately became a fan favorite, growing their fanbase in New York City, where they played shows in the Lower East Side and Brooklyn. Upon their return to the west coast, they recorded “City By” with Ben Moore of Singing Serpent Studios in early 2019, and released the single on all streaming platforms before returning to New York for the second round of shows.  

In 2020 they returned to Singing Serpent Studio with Ben Moore for the anticipated second record, Embalmers Blush. Released on all digital platforms and limited 12” vinyl, garnishing some critical praise from PostPunk.Com, being played on Mexican Radio and New York independent radio stations. 2022, they released a new single “Valentine Slip” on February 14th.

Credit: Graham Smillie

A Liverpool icon and creative wizz-kid, BEIJA FLOW has announced her latest single ‘Waiting For The Sun’, alongside a limited edition art print.

STREAM HERE

‘Waiting For The Sun’ is the second of a special trio of songs recorded at SPQR’s Yellowbird Studio and produced by Sam Baker, long-term collaborator and pal. Each single is accompanied by a limited edition signed and numbered art print featuring the single artwork created by Beija Flo herself. Previous single, ‘Heads or Tails’ gained Beija her first BBC 6Music play, courtesy of Tom Robinson assisted by a personal recommendation from Dave Monks at her local BBC Introducing in Merseyside. ‘Waiting For The Sun’ got its first radio play from Dave this week.

Beija Flo ended 2021 with an invitation to join American new wave trio, Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum on their first UK tour in support of their debut album. The band are fronted by Michael C. Hall, best known for starring in Dexter and Six Feet Under, alongside his notable work on Broadway, starring in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Lazarus, the creation of David Bowie and Enda Walsh. Beija opened for them across England in November and December. She embarks on new journeys in 2022 with new friends, live dates being added including Deer Shed Festival in July.

Fresh off a North American tour, New York-based singer & songwriter Mae Krell releases her new EP, ‘imposter syndrome.’ The 4-track EP is the culmination of Mae’s artistic and personal development over the past two years: “I’ve grown up, begun to gain confidence as an artist, and had the opportunity to have my voice really listened to in every step of the music making process. With all of this positive change still comes doubt; and often really intense imposter syndrome, at least for me. This record is about pushing through it because you know it’ll all be worth it.”

The EP is named after the final single to be released, “imposter syndrome,” but was actually inspired by an experience working on one of the other tracks on the EP. Explaining how it came to be, Mae says, “while working on ‘phantom limb,’ Jakob Leventhal (producer) brought in an incredible pianist to play on the track. While sitting in the studio I had this overwhelming feeling of not being talented enough and feeling like I shouldn’t be there. Imposter syndrome is such a common feeling, especially for people from minority backgrounds, and it really hit me like a truck that day. That was then followed by going home and writing this song. Over the course of the ‘impostor syndrome’ EP, Mae masterfully and heart-wrenchingly dissects the relatable feeling of self-doubt. The songs are melodic, intimate, and packed with cathartic lyricism that will strike a chord.

At just 22 years old, Mae exudes a musicality wise beyond her years. Influenced by revered singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, Phoebe Bridgers, and Gregory Alan Isakov, her songs are intimate reflections that confront trauma, self-love, and personal truths. With a distinct folk-pop sound and introspective lyrical chops, Mae has earned millions of streams across her repertoire with multiple tracks breaking 500K. With a multitude of career milestones already under her belt, Mae is taking it one day at a time and focusing on writing and recording songs that reach new emotional heights.

Iceland’s Heidrunna lounges in sweet musings with her latest sequence, ‘Daydreamer’ – lifted from the debut album ‘Melodramatic’, slated for release on April 21^st 2022, pre-save here.

 It’s a love song about meeting somebody and having a romance that I’m sure many people can relate to – that feeling of having some fun with somebody and wanting to do that all over again… and of course like most of my songs, it has a bit of a sad ending.”

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: Steven Meisel

International supermodel, activist, philanthropist, and mother Naomi Campbell for the March cover of British Vogue where Naomi opens up about motherhood on her own terms. As a supermodel, Naomi Campbell has always written her own rules. As a new mother, she’s intent on doing the same.

In May last year, Campbell caught the world by surprise as she announced the arrival of her first child. Now, photographed with her daughter for the first time ever, the British Vogue cover star describes her joy at becoming a mother at 50, reminisces on the hard work and glamor of the 90s fashion circuit, and explains why she still loves taking to the runway.

​​“I’m lucky my little one loves to travel like me – no whimpering taking off or landing,” she says, proudly. “She’s a good girl: she sleeps very well, she hardly ever cries and I’m told she’s very alert for her age. She’s just started waving, which is fun. She laughs a lot. She’s almost talking,” she says, adding, “I think she might walk before she crawls. And she’s got six teeth already.” Some grumbles through teething, then? “None! She’s a trooper.” Truly a model baby. A supermodel’s model baby.