Not only does this mark the first record in a forthcoming package of music from Katie and Max, but it follows the two-year journey of their beloved 2020 album, ‘Butterfly Effect‘ sitting at 25+ million streams, in addition to a ‘Deluxe’ with 10 remixes and ‘Acoustics’ featuring the stripped-down hits.
This year sees Koven step into deserved headliner status, as they unveil their most true-to-self live show for fans at Tomorrowland, Rampage, Let It Roll, and more. The new music was created entirely with Katie on vocals and Max on production, during an intimate writing camp in the countryside. “Take It Away” reflects difficult personal growth and a level up in their careers.
New York City-based indie-pop singer-songwriter, Aubrey Haddard releases her effervescent second single, “Green As Ever” today, along with its accompanying summery music video. Haddard’s second full-length album, Awake And Talking, will be out August 19, 2022 and is available for pre-order now, via Beverly Martel Records.
The project’s first single, “Just A Wall,” which premiered with The Line of Best Fit, saw Haddard examine her own reflection and begin to find self-acceptance. The Line of Best Fit wrote that it’s “sublime, emotive and anthemic,” and that “Aubrey Haddard channels Orpheus.“
Similar to “Just A Wall,” “Green As Ever,” sees Haddard continue to draw on themes of mythology within her lyricism. Haddard’s airy vocals float over a synthy beat, “According to mythology we play a role / Don’t tell me when the summer ends / I’ll be gone.”
Flowerless is the alter ego of Nightwell’s lead singer and frontman, Jason Emsallem.
The project delves into emotional alt-pop with nods to the Toronto underground hip hop sound. With abstract vocal manipulation paired with luscious walls of harmonies, flowerless aims to be as dynamic as the pop punk scene he grew up with while paying homage to the buttery RnB sound he fell in love with along the way.
Flowerless has a lengthy background in songwriting, having collaborated with Paul Marc Rousseau of Silverstein on Nightwell’s debut single, “Drive,” as well as with Brendon Padjasek of Structures and Northlane for their latest string of singles. The artist has collected over half a million streams with his other projects and is aiming to make a name for himself within Toronto’s underground scene.
The artist was also re-shared by Toronto legends Billy Talent for his cover of “Worker Bees.”
Combining heavy bass, buzzing sawtooth synths, and “catch you on the first listen hooks”, “FK ME UP” is an unapologetically apathetic and relatable track about allowing yourself to break down and embrace life as a chaotic process. The trippy, purple-hued, accompanying visual shows a parallel love story about giving in to the potential of heartbreak: “Just f**k me up till it gets easier to love”. His highly refined sounding debut arrives with a roster of talented collaborators, including mixing from David Levin (Blood Orange, Tove Lo). SAiiNT will be releasing a string of new singles through 2022, in addition to returning to the live circuit this summer.
With People is both new territory for Diane Coffee, as well as a full-circle return to their roots. Shaun Fleming’s fourth album is their most intimate and personal to date, a collection of diaristic ruminations and contemplative observations of the people in their life, yet also feel universal in impact. Combining the breezy wistfulness of classic folk-rock with orchestral pop’s broad sweep, With People marks an exciting new era for Diane Coffee, chronicling an artist’s revisitation of their upbringing as they look at the horizon for what’s ahead.
The follow-up to 2019’s exquisite Internet Arms, With People came about in the early stages of the pandemic as Fleming’s songwriting took an unexpectedly personal turn. They began zooming in on not only their own emotions and experiences, but the people that have impacted their life—whether over an extended period, or through smaller, short-term interactions—many of the songs centering on a specific moment or memory from their own history. “It was a way for me to see all these people I couldn’t see, and to be with them in a time where that was impossible, in the form of song,” Fleming explains. The transportive nature of this creative process grew to encompass their upbringing in the suburbs of Agoura Hills, California, to which Fleming returned before recording as a way to recapture the feelings of their past. “Since most of the songs are about people from my hometown, I decided to fly out a week early and drive all around my old stomping grounds,” they recollect. “My school, all my childhood homes, skate spots…I took lots of pictures and even printed a few of them up to hang in the studio to keep myself in the right headspace. I wanted to feel super close to these memories.”
JULIANA EYE is an alt-pop artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Toronto. Her love of pop melodies, 90s & early-00s guitars, combined with her alluring vocals has helped EYE create a unique blend of melancholic nostalgia.
Born and raised in the Toronto suburb of North York, JULIANA took to music obsessively at the early age of thirteen as an act of teenage rebellion and an outlet for finding herself. She spent the majority of her adolescence playing guitar and writing songs in her bedroom, jamming in basements with her friends’ obscure bands, and venturing to downtown clubs to watch local artists perform. While attending University for art & graphic design, EYE toured and recorded with indie-rock band, The Ruby Spirit, as a backup vocalist and self-taught keyboard player. JULIANA has since pursued a career as a live support musician and has performed with a number of artists including CARYS (Warner Music/Atlantic Records), Juno-nominated AMAAL (Universal Canada), and LØLØ (APG) to name a few.
JULIANA EYE will be releasing more singles this year as a lead up to her EP in late 2022.
South Florida-based artist/producer Mad Kelly brings back early ‘00s rock vibes with his newest single and video “Hostage,” out Friday, April 15th via Uncomfortable Records. Infused with nu-metal elements, the track is an explosive trip with blood-rushing riffs and dark, broody lyrics that addresses the restless feeling of being shackled by your own wrong decisions despite wanting to do what’s right. Keeping listeners suspended in both chaos and despair, “Hostage” also arrives with an official video directed by Abraham Rasmussen (Lost Noise) which captures Mad Kelly through a fish-eye lens, trapped in a hauntingly minimalistic space as he loses his sanity while wrestling with his inescapable surroundings.
Findlay gives another taste of her upcoming new album with new single, ‘Ride’, the track is the latest in a series of singles anticipating the full length ‘The Last of the 20th Century Girls’, due for release on May 13, i.n partnership with Kartel Music Group, the album will be available on CD, black and coloured vinyl, plus exclusive bundles via Findlay’s official store. LISTEN / WATCH ‘RIDE’ HERE. PRE-ORDER ‘THE LAST OF THE 20TH CENTURY GIRLS’ HERE.
With ‘Ride’ and its effortlessly DIY music video, Findlay channels her most driving, upbeat, all-out indie-rock persona and takes us on a California road trip. “I’d had enough of the UK winter weather – this song deserved to be shot somewhere warm to reflect the meaning and lyrics ‘on we ride into the sun’ – that feeling of not caring, being in the moment and enjoying life again,” she enthuses.
Diving deeper into her writing process and the inspiration behind the music video, Findlay explains; “I wrote this song coming out of the last lockdown, there was one incredibly sunny day that inspired me, everyone was back out in the parks, drinking beer, being together again, there was a feeling of hope and joy, people could be closer than six feet apart and everyone had a lot of stored up love to share. I hadn’t seen my friends in California for years and it was a pretty spontaneous decision to pack a bag, throw in my camcorder and leave for Los Angeles, then we rode around California for a week, exploring the deserts and the beaches and drinking margaritas until we couldn’t walk”.
Franz Von unveils the new video for ‘Her Frequency’ which, like the single itself, is a collaborative artistic work across the Channel. Visual creative teams exchanged ideas between Marseille and Sheffield and captured a performance of praise and gratitude to the infinite power of the universe.
WATCH: FRANZ VON – HER FREQUENCY
French artist Cynthia Bahy delivers a beautiful and captivating vocal performance from Le Bunker des Calanques in Marseilles, whilst Franz oscillates between city centre Sheffield and the Peak District. Franz Von’s debut EP ‘People Di Powa’ will be released on 20th May 2022 via Firebelly Records.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD: FRANZ VON – HER FREQUENCY
The track features Marseille-based artist Cynthia Bahy who delivers a beautiful and captivating vocal performance, the result is an exploration of lively, dynamic, and contemporary sounds fusing golden-era hip-hop with jazz. A production collaboration connecting two scenes – Marseille based producer Labo Klandestino and Sheffield based Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist / Onipa) – the track started life in Labo’s studio in France and was then reinterpreted back in Excell’s Sheffield studio. A flow of ideas and inspirations passed between creative minds and spaces.
“Spaces,” the latest single from my upcoming Hurting EP out on May 20th, is a heartbreak anthem for anyone going through the motions, trying to heal and move on but struggling.
It was inspired by missing an ex and having a hard time trying to fill the void of them not being there. I kept wanting to call them back up but also didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing that I was still hung up on them.
Listen to “Spaces” on your go-to streaming service.
You grew out your hair, said that you never would is one of my favourite lyrics from this song because it symbolizes the changes of what was and what is.
So often after a breakup, that person ends up doing something they said they never would do. It’s always the little things that usually only you would know.
Thank you for taking the time to listen,xx NOA
Punk-rockers Red City Radio has released the live version of “In The Meantime…” taken from their new live album, ‘Live At Gothic Theatre’. The album is set for release on the 6th of May, 2022 via Pure Noise Records.
Speaking on their latest choice cut, the band comments: “What can we say about this track besides it’s about all we did during covid quarantine –we’re sure most can relate!– smoked weed and played our M f-ing guitar! Also a fan favourite, this one is fun for us and represents RCR to the core. “
Australian producer and singer-songwriter GG Magree returned to Monstercat today with her angsty anthem, “Already Dead.” Each new single from her highly-anticipated EP, ‘Dichotomy,’ sees GG lean further into her foundational rock influences and Courtney Love aesthetic. Her gritty vocals carry the guitar-driven hooks and punchy drums that conjure notes of nostalgia in their punk-fueled stylings. Beneath the power chords are stories of GG’s past, facing her inner demons and self-inflicted heartbreak.
GG Magree shares, “I think vulnerability is so hot and I’ve fallen in love with all my “broken” parts. Love is the most addictive feeling in the world. It’s just two people fighting to feel alive. “Already Dead” tells a story about me trying to find the balance between pleasure and torture. It’s a beautiful disturbance and I couldn’t be happier about it.”
Accompanying the single is a cinematic music video featuring tick tick…BOOM! star Alexandra Shipp, who plays GG’s romantic interest alongside model Christian Tasiopoulos. Directed by Janush, the dual relationships symbolize GG’s flawed narrative of love, balancing self-absorption and isolation inside a tangled web of her own dichotomy.
Janush says, “‘Already Dead’ is a brave concept. It’s about self-awareness. It’s an inside look at why GG’s character’s relationships fail. The failures feel inevitable. The story is very open-ended. You can decide for yourself. Is she aware of her shortcomings? Is she trying to do better, but she can’t help it? Or is she taken over by an obsession, an urge to hurt those closest to her?”
GG adds, “I was so lucky to have my best friend and wifey [Shipp] play the lead in one of the relationships, as we already have a love for each other that is deeper than words and she’s one of the most insane actresses I’ve ever witnessed. The chaos in our scenes is beyond beautiful. Christian really portrayed the ‘submissive’ in the second relationship which drove the story home and he’s so aggressively good-looking he’s almost too hard to look at. My guy Janush, who directed and brought the vision to life, went crazy on this clip. This is the second video I’ve worked on with him and his attention to detail is wild. I’ll tell him my vision and he takes it from a 6 to a hard 10. It’s always been tough for me to find people to connect with visually on my art and Janush crushes it. He’s a god.”
Shingo Nakamura is a Tokyo-based producer and DJ. Hailing from Ibaraki (Japan), Shingo is especially known for a progressive house style that blends deep and lyrical sounds with classical piano. Growing his footprint beyond a dedicated fan base in Asia, he has performed sold-out shows at regarded venues in the US, including San Francisco’s beloved Audio SF and New York’s National Underground. Shingo’s debut album, ‘Sapporo’ (Monstercat Silk), reached #1 on Beatport’s Progressive House Chart, followed by his second album, ‘Days’ (Otographic Music) which reached the top of Beatport’s Progressive House and Trance Charts. His discography also boasts records with tastemakers like Jody Wisternoff and James Grant on the prolific Anjunadeep imprint.
Shingo’s highly-anticipated 2021 album, ‘Glow’ (Monstercat Silk), received widespread acclaim with multiple singles peaking at #1 on SiriusXM Chill, followed by album-themed guest mixes on world-famous radio shows, “A State of Trance” and “Group Therapy.” Shortly after, Shingo performed a continuous live mix of ‘Glow’ on a boat in Tokyo Bay, which has since received over 330k views on YouTube. The album’s sweeping success caught the attention of Grammy-nominated producer and composer BT, who contributed an official remix of Shingo’s single, “Darling Midnight,” to his ‘Glow (The Remixes)’ EPs. Fellow Monstercat Silk artists and talented producers, including Julian Gray, Matt Fax, and Meeting Molly, also delivered stunning reworks on each package. Boasting over 100k monthly listeners on Spotify, Shingo has cemented himself as one of the world’s leading talents in the melodic and progressive house space. Further proof of his respected artistry across the music industry, Shingo was recently selected to help launch Spotify’s new ‘DJ Mixes’ global initiative.
Marian Hill @marianhillmusic for all socials
The album almost didn’t happen at all.
Before the pandemic Sam and Jeremy had gotten so exhausted and jaded that for a moment they felt like they might walk away. Then the world ended. And for the first time in eight years they were apart. In those lost months they remembered how much Marian Hill meant to them, and meant to all their fans over the years. How the connection they found through their music was literally magic. And they knew they needed to finish this record.
Marian Hill gave them the lives they’d always dreamt of, and kept them going during the worst year of their lives. When Samantha found herself turning 30 in her childhood bedroom and Jeremy suffered an onset of chronic pain in both of his wrists, the music they made gave them moments of joy to hold onto in a world full of uncertainty. For a few moments each day, they could get lost in a song, and pretend they were playing it for you.
Chances are you’re familiar with the established duo- comprised of producer Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gongol – who released their debut EP, Play, in 2013. Two years later came Sway, an expanded collection of songs, this time officially released through Photo Finish and Republic Records. The seven-track project featured the smokey, trap-jazz hit “One Time,” which went viral on Vine and rewarded Lloyd and Gongol with a gigantic bump in popularity. “One of the most amazing things about being discovered on the internet is you don’t have to tough it out at bars and shows, it kind of happens over night,” Gongol says. “But it also didn’t give me time to figure out my performance, to become confident.” ACT ONE, their debut album, arrived in 2016 and brought the spotlight of virality onto the duo again. Apple featured the album’s single, “Down,” in an AirPods commercial nearly a year after ACT ONE’s release, boosting the infectious single to #21 on the Billboard 100, and pushing Marian Hill through the mainstream bubble. The duo have garnered 2.2 billion worldwide streams, have played coveted late night shows like Fallon, and have toured the world playing festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza.
French composer, songwriter and producer Ulrich Forman gives another taste of his upcoming album with new single ‘Wish I’d Love You More’, the third single taken from his upcoming album ‘Chapter IV’, due for release on May 27th. Stream ‘Wish I’d Loved You More’ Here. Watch the video here. Pre-order Ulrich Forman’s upcoming album ‘Chapter IV’ Here.
A collaboration with rising Alt-pop French singer Bergmann and French rapper Days, ‘Wish I’d Loved You More’ follows the release of previous singles including the powerful, ‘At Last’, and the intimate ‘Breathin’, which introduced Ulrich Forman’s emotive journey through the pain and joy that comes with love, vulnerability and songwriting he explores in his upcoming album ‘Chapter IV’. While ‘At Last’ reflected on the aftermath of love and ‘Breathin’ explored the emotions of “falling in love without warning”, in ‘Wish I’d Loved You More’ Ulrich continues exploring the theme touched upon with ‘At Last’, the relationship is consumed, love is dead.
On the 29th April, one of the UK’s brightest new soul stars, Mica Millar returns with her triumphant and empowering new single ‘Heaven Knows’ – the title track from her forthcoming debut album out June 10.
With her sights set firmly on breaking into the UK mainstream, ‘Heaven Knows’ bursts with confidence, showcasing Mica’s immaculate, powerful vocal performance atop a bed of gospel infused musicianship – a song and performance bursting with the undeniable depth and spirit that has all of the makings of a timeless Soul classic.
Exploring the complexities of faith and fate and the duality of moving between mindsets – from that “deep-down-in-your-gut” knowing to the over facing fear of failure, ‘Heaven Knows’ sees Mica poetically explore a tightrope of human emotional states, reminding us to “come back down” and root ourselves in the reassuring belief that everything will be ok. Outlining the duality of “heaven knows” as a sentiment, “…the universe knows all vs “who the f***k knows?” – Mica explains why this became the title track:
“For me, the sentiment of Heaven Knows brings together a lot of the lyrical themes from across the album. The duality of the title is about moving between emotional states – fear and hope, love and loss. On reflection, I think Heaven Knows was about reminding myself of that grounded place in between – finding a sense of peace or acceptance in the balancing act. Sometime I feel like there’s a higher power or a divine destiny and other times, I lose that sense and feel totally lost – and I think that’s OK”.
DJANGO DJANGO – have announced a special 10th Anniversary Edition of their self-titled debut album.
Hailed for its fresh take on psychedelic-tinged rock, its instrumental innovation and its enticing electronic flourishes, ‘Django Django’ set its eponymous makers apart from the pack when it was released back in 2012.
Far from being the “underground album that would sell a few hundred copies” that the band expected it to be, Django Django’s groundbreaking debut album catapulted them to an unforeseen levels of success, culminating in a Mercury Prize nomination, mentions in end-of-year polls from both NME and Rolling Stone, and features in video games including FIFA 13 and Grand Theft Auto V.
Giving the band their reputation as perennial “prog-indie alchemists” (The Guardian), the album’s genre-blending brand of far-out indie/electronica saw the Djangos deliver a debut filled with tracks that have since become long standing fan favourites; from the hypnotic ‘Hail Bop’, to the buoyant and buzzing ‘Default’, the laidback psych cut ‘Life’s a Beach’ and beyond.
Fast forward to 2022 and Django Django are commemorating its tenth anniversary in style with a deluxe special edition package. Speaking of the upcoming re-release, singer and guitarist Vincent Neff says:
“Our debut album is 10 years old! It was the album that set us on our way and it’ll always be a special one to us. It reminds us of recording in Dave’s bedroom, playing at small club nights up and down the UK and taking in all the new music that was being made in East London at that time. When we released it, we had no idea what would happen, but it ended up being the start of a crazy journey for us.”
Ray Laurél Reveals spellbinding Debut Single ‘Hunter Schafer’// Watch The Video Here
Ray Laurél steps out today with the reveal of his stunning debut single, Hunter Schafer. A British Asian Singer-Songwriter hailing from his bedroom in London, Laurél combines personal lyrics with almost psychedelic productions, tackling heteronormative structure with queer, genre-bending anthems.
Influenced by the likes of Prince and Frank Ocean, the sprawling Hunter Schafer is an indie-electronic tour de force showcasing a winning combination of razor sharp vocals and innovative production. Speaking on the release, he states:
I started watching euphoria, and like everyone else got obsessed with Jules (Hunter’s character). During that time (summer of 2021) i was going through quite the identity crisis. the show really helped me feel comfortable in my skin again, especially with my newly-realised sexuality. I started dressing different, talking different even – i felt me again. I decided to make a dramatic purple rain-esque bop almost as an ode to myself and my new found freedom. It’s called hunter. cuz Hunter is the embodiment of Love.
Our new single, “Instabeat,” inquires about success. Is it something that comes hard and fast, gone in an instant? Or does it build slowly and methodically? It looks different for everyone, but consumes all of us.
Stream “Instabeat” via Apple Music + Spotify now!
Attaching our self-worth to numbers… Do you or I really need attention to validate our efforts? Does this notion of success even matter? Or is it just like a nice car without an engine? Maybe we focus on statistics too much when there is more meaning in other things.
“Instabeat” was the name of the demo guitar riff we were going to post exclusively on Instagram. But when it later took on the theme of authenticity, we felt it fit super well, like the idea of making a song only for media consumption.
Ludic – Max | Rhett | Ayla
Matt Taylor returns with his gorgeous new offering April 13th.
Navigating matters of the heart with impressive and cathartic songwriting, Matt Taylor’s new single April 13th is a stunning insight into his world. Born from a conflicting time, April 13th is an emotive dose of weightless alt-pop. Sharing more, Matt explained: “After I took some time away I met back up with him in mid September to put it all to rest, and it’s really just about that whole conversation.
I knew where the conversation was ultimately going to go, but I was kind of shocked by how dismissive he was of it all. It was so confusing to me that everything was changing, from why it had all happened in the first place to why he even spent time with me.
What hurt the most was when he told me that the only reason he had been spending so much time with me was because he had nothing better to do. It hurt so much because it’s so cowardly. He couldn’t even take responsibility for the choices he made. After this conversation, I cut him out entirely and I wrote the track about three weeks later.”
With a new season brings change and growth. Texas-based R&B/pop-soul artist Tina Rix rings in the spring season with her upcoming motivational anthem “I’m Winning,” scheduled to be released on Friday, April 15, 2022. A soulful upbeat track with elements of Latin music, Afrobeats and hip-hop, this single embodies what Rix aspires to share with the world – hope. “I’m Winning” celebrates achievements, big or small, and champions a never give up attitude. The song is the latest release from the multi-talented artist’s upcoming album No Looking Back, scheduled for release on Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
Blending the multiple sounds of the diaspora, in addition to fusing modern R&B, Gospel and pop the Texan creates a genre that is uniquely her own. A strong proponent for creating music with a meaningful message, the artist aims to heal listeners with every track.
Fresh off the heels of SXSW and the release of his latest single “Exercise your demons,” Montreal singer-songwriter Gus Englehorn is happy to share: “A Brief History of Gus Englehorn”.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Inspired by a Leonard Cohen’s NFB documentary “Ladies and Gentlemen…Mr. Leonard Cohen,” the video directed by Estée Preda offers a glimpse into Gus’ life as a former professional snowboarder.
The new video arrives as Gus prepares to release his sophomore albumDungeon Masteron 29 April via Secret City Records. It’s undoubtedly the cutest, heaviest, strangest rock’n’roll record you will hear this year. Gus and Estée are currently on tour across Canada with Plants and Animals, before heading to Europe to play in Paris, Brighton and more.
Estée – Gus’ indispensable sidekick, wife, and drummer – directed the short doc and shares her thoughts on the process: “I thought it would be fun to shoot a documentary on film after watching Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen. The whole Canadian Film Board archive is a real treasure trove of inspiration. Originally, we were going to get a friend to narrate, but the city was in lock down so Gus had to do it himself – it turned out to be the funniest part.” As for Gus, “the part I liked the best was trying to find my voice as a narrator. I wanted the pace to be very deliberate. I was also excited to share some of my favorite snowboarding shots with the music community, demystify my boarding origins and take people through my transition into songwriting.”
Psychedelic alt/indie masterminds the impliers are making strikingly original music for the future from the bones of the present. The songwriting and production duo of multi-instrumentalists Dan and Charles is currently emerging from the Denver underground, riding a sound wave crafted from oddly-tuned guitars, textured synths, electronic beats, pumping bass and complex Beach Boys level vocal harmonies.
Dan and Charles began making music together at age 15 and had an immediate impact on the underground indie scene that also produced Future Islands, Valiant Thorr, and Municipal Waste. By age 17, their songs earned placement on compilations alongside diverse popular acts such as Of Montreal, Fugazi, Jawbreaker, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Converge. Eventually, the duo embarked on their own creative paths into mastering self-production but remained connected through shared interests in art, mental health, and the unknown. Each contributes unique skills and artistry that seamlessly interlocks with the other and allows their music to go from tight, vivid arrangements to raw, ethereal ambience and back again.
Indie rock band Spirit of the Bear are thrilled to release their new single “Live On The Sun” that is out now.
Ethan Schwendeman (keys) says, “’Live on the Sun’ has an energy that I don’t think we have ever created before. We have made many strong dynamic songs in the past, but never to the extent of where I feel Live on the Sun is at. It’s powerful and emotive, while still having a smooth 70s flow. The hook of the song might be the catchiest thing we have made too, for I find myself bumping it in my head from time to time. Of the whole release ahead, I can see this one being the one played over and over streaming and live.”
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