Rising singer-songwriter David S. Gray continues to surprise us on his sonic flexibility, returning to 2022 with an assertive, new remix and reimagined music video for his hit single “Talk 2 Me Nice”.
The self-proclaimed “urban-pop artist with a country twist” enlists the help of Alabama-bred rapper Yung Bleu and Nigerian artist Runtown to add a new flavor to the record with a blend of up-tempo vocals and feel good production over a low-key electronic island foundation. The remix’s music video is a continuation of the original single’s video where the new visual offering seemingly drops us back into the summer house party and Yung Bleu is on the guestlist.
“I made this record with an aAfrobeat-Caribbean vibe and immediately could hear Yung Bleu hopping on it. I was out in Atlanta and our managers connected us. He loved it and cut a verse and part of the hook. Then we got the stamp of Nigerian approval when Runtown got into the mix,” explains David S. Gray
New York-born and Mississippi-raised, David S Gray is a small town country boy turned rising R&B/pop star who always knew music was his destiny. Although he grew up on a farm in Mississippi with a family of 10, he had bigger dreams than inheriting the family business. David began making music at a very young age citing early influences of his father James Douglas Gray who played the trumpet at home and made him play on the pots and pans. David is now a multi-instrumentalist, having taught himself to play the piano, drums and guitar.
Over the years, he picked up piano, guitar, and the drums, finding influence from the greats like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. At 17, he made the big jump to leave his high school basketball career behind and commit his all to music. He found networking opportunities in Atlanta, where he wrote and recorded music with fellow writers and producers in the industry. He also secured opportunities for himself as a hip-hop dancer and instructor, making him a triple threat.
After moving to Atlanta full time, David found himself broke and homeless while grinding to make his dream a reality. David discussed his knack for networking and eventually pulled himself up, soon finding the heart of his sound in a rich blend of country, pop, and R&B.. During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, David decided to release his debut single “Found Love” as a way to use his music to motivate and inspire others through dark times. David has since carved out his own lane and is gearing up for the release of his debut project this Spring 2022.
Psychedelic indie rock artist, QUESTA, has released his debut single, “Feedin’“, available on all music platforms. Ahead of QUESTA’s debut EP release on June 3rd, 2022, “Feedin’” will be featured on an upcoming episode of the hit TV show Servant, streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Produced and directed by Academy Award-nominated director M. Night Shyamalan, this psychological thriller follows a married couple coming to terms with a recent tragedy. “Feedin,’” the latest release from QUESTA will appear in season 3, episode 6 of Servant airing Friday, February 25, 2022.
When the pandemic shut down all live theatre performances around the world, Cuesta’s role in NYC as the lead character in I Am Nobody by American playwright Greg Kotis (Urinetown), was put on hold. He dove right into writing and producing music, and he began creating music as QUESTA.
When Toronto’s Graham Ko hits the stage, nobody sits still. Audience members lose themselves in the infectious, colourful melodies and lyrical messages. Graham is an accomplished guitarist with a soulful voice. His music can best be described as soul-rock, with a nod towards the stylings of John Mayer and Joey Landreth.
Graham’s musical journey began at the age of 9 when he started working in musical theatre, film and television. Much later, one of his shows was attended by musician Jann Arden, and her praise encouraged him to pursue music as a career. Graham holds a Bachelor of Music Degree (with honours) at Toronto’s prestigious Humber College. His schooling presented opportunities to work with veterans of the music industry, and he became a private student of the legendary Rik Emmett (of Triumph). Emmett taught him guitar and helped him develop the craft of songwriting.
“When I reached high school, I would listen to my female friends complain about their boyfriends, who were all emotionally immature and unstable, and I couldn’t understand why they would waste their time on these idiotic boys instead of loving those who supported and loved them – like me. So, ‘Bite’ is a song written from the perspective of a young bisexual girl, such as myself, telling a friend to leave her boyfriend and be with her instead” Mills explains.
“Girls know girls better than anyone, and especially throughout high school when people are exploring their sexualities and urges, I felt myself wanting to scream it from the rooftops.”
The debut album from 19-year-old artist Sofia Mills, Baby Magic intimately details the most pivotal moments in her coming-of-age experience: breakups with careless boyfriends, coming out as bisexual at age 15, a longtime struggle with mental illness. As shown on her breakthrough single “Coffee Breath” (a self-produced track that’s amassed nearly 100 million streams on Spotify to date), the Massachusetts-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist imbues her storytelling with both startling clarity and profound sensitivity, an element echoed in her warmly textured brand of indie-pop.
Written entirely by Mills, produced by John Mark Nelson (Taylor Swift, Allison Ponthier), and mixed by Jim Eno (Spoon), Baby Magic arrives as a complex and captivating body of work, built on a potent tension between her dreamy romanticism and intense self-awareness. The album takes its title from a gorgeously aching track graced with the delicate string work of composer Rob Moose (Phoebe Bridgers, Perfume Genius), a stunning backdrop to Mills’s self-revelation. Baby Magic is both a celebration of the magic of youth and an honest reflection on unstable relationships and “dating the worst boys in the world.”
Montreal songwriter and producer JESSE MAC CORMACK is back with the new single “NHFN,” taken from his upcoming album SOLO.
“Losing freedom and privileges made me realize how great and important they were”, describes Jesse. “Going through a hard time in a relationship and looking forward to happiness gave me purpose. It really helped me find what nourished me and made me stronger. Everything wasn’t about passion anymore. I started thinking, taking good decisions for myself, and remembering what I wanted in the first place”.
The new track follows the release of lead single “Blue World,” which is similarly brimming with pulsating beats and an expansive palette of sounds that reflect Mac Cormack’s impressive production skills.
In the deepest depths of the Pandemic, with a relationship in its ending, Mac Cormack recalls sending a text to his therapist: “I’m not meeting with you every week just to hang out,” the bilingual musician wrote. “Je veux que ça saigne”—for the work to “bleed.” To mean something. The next time they met, his therapist explained: “That message you sent me? You were really sending it to yourself. You were taking a decision.”
Photo by Adam Kelly
If it’s all right with you now, I’d like to tell you the truth.
Opening up is such a relieving feeling. It’s like letting out a sigh. “Since I Met You“ is vulnerable yet hopeful, revealing to a close friend that you’re in love with them and always have been. It’s a risky situation, so the verses meander around the subject, but the chorus comes out with it and lays everything on the table.
Watch the accompanying “Since I Met You“ visualizer on YouTube.
I had rewatched the movie Garden State and was listening to that soundtrack a lot, thinking about how special it was. I wanted to write a magical song that could fit in a film, delicate at the beginning with electricity developing like fireworks.
This is one of six songs about memories, heartbreak and letting go. Click here to pre-save If It’s Not Forever, ahead of its April 1st release. Can’t wait for you to hear the rest of my debut EP.
Cassidy Mann
Toronto native singer-songwriter, Mia Baron, is a 14 year old emerging artist ready to make waves in the music industry.
This past year, Mia has been writing and recording her original songs and is excited to be releasing her sixth single, “Rules Are Mine,” this March 2022.
Wichita, Kansas-born and Los Angeles-based singer, artist, Dropout Klub Founder, and sonic disruptor Damien Styles releases a brand new single entitled “Fcked Up Teeth” via 10K Projects. Get it HERE.
“’Fcked Up Teeth’ is a song about defying both the beauty and social standards of today’s society, and embracing who you truly are inside and out,” says Damien. “This song means a lot to me because I always felt like a misfit growing up as an emo kid before it was cool to be one, with bucked teeth and an artistic mind that was never interested in sports or academics. My hope with this track is that it reaches those who can relate and impacts them in a meaningful way.”
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