Aieysha Haws returns with the anticipated follow-up to her 2021 breakthrough track “Turmoil,” in a new single entitled, ‘INFINITY 4 U’. A hybrid of RNB, Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul & Gospel influence in the nuance of a beautiful connection to all aspects of life, the wonder & cherished inner-child. It was written to uplift, heal people who have lost, & encompass serenity, for growing love & appreciation of nature, whose depths exceed our senses; we’re compelled to journey & (re)connect.
Listen. Imagine where your heart will take you, & go wherever it leads! I dedicate these words to the Great Creator, the infinite essence within us & beyond, & my mother, who gave me the opportunity to travel, observe, & play in nature as a kid.
Rising Liverpool four-piece – KEYSIDE – have unveiled their retro-tinted new single, “Paris To Marseille”.
WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE || STREAM ON SPOTIFY HERE
A jangling slice of airy indie rock dripping with a distinct Liverpudlian edge, “Paris To Marseille” is a classic guitar track deftly updated for the modern day.
Reminiscent of indie icons like The Smiths and The La’s, or contemporaries like The Lathums or The Snuts, the cut blends airy acoustic guitars with twanging riffs and melodic bass-lines that see Keyside firmly stake their place as a new name to watch closely on the thriving Liverpool music scene.
Speaking about the track, frontman Dan Parker explains:
“”Paris To Marseille” was written sometime in winter 2021, and I had already written most of the lyrics apart from the verses. I remember walking by the Mersey at the time, which inspired the opening lyric: “across the water / moon lit reservoir”.
Premiered by The Big Takeover, the single is accompanied by a nostalgic official video that sees performance shots of the band superimposed over fuzzy footage of the French capital, watch it here: https://youtu.be/hIsAMRj4g00
Keyside are Dan Parker (vocals, acoustic guitar), Ben Cassidy (lead guitar), Oisin McAvoy (drums) and Max Gibson (bass, vocals). After forming just 18 months ago, the Liverpool four-piece released their debut single “Lights Out” last year, and gained praise from the likes of Gigslutz and BBC Introducing for their breezy brand of guitar-driven indie rock.
Hailing from all corners of the continent, Ben and Dan are Liverpool natives, while Oisin is from Ireland and Max from Spain. Endorsed by Carl Hunter of legendary Liverpool band The Farm, Keyside have already gained quite a reputation in their hometown — renowned for their unapologetic and confident sound that “is able to take you out of a darkened sweaty basement and into the fresh fields of festival season” (Liverpool Noise).
Play On Shakespeare, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare in performance through translation and adaptation, today announces their Spring 2023 Season.
Spring 2023 Season:
Building upon Play On Shakespeare’s mission to enhance the understanding of Shakespeare’s plays in performance, Play On Podcasts bring timeless tales directly to modern audiences. The series – presented by Next Chapter Podcasts in partnership with Play On Shakespeare – has released Macbeth, Pericles, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coriolanus, King Lear, Twelfth Night, Henry V, Measure for Measure and The Winter’s Tale over the last two years.
On April 10, Play On Podcasts will release episode 1 of Kenneth Cavender’s The Tempest, with star actor Jay O. Sanders as Prospero. Director Andy Wolk says of the series: “In 1611, Shakespeare ventured into a territory he had never gone before, writing a wholly original play – The Tempest – about someone who could be him; a playwright manipulating characters, stage-managing spectacle, and spinning a fantastic story of love and revenge.”
Additional 2023 titles will be announced shortly.
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Coriolanus
Actors’ Shakespeare Project
Modern verse translation by: Sean San José
Directed by: A. Nora Long
Dates: March 29 – April 23, 2023
Location: Boston, MA
A political drama and war epic, this play tells the story of general Caius Martius Coriolanus as war and famine threaten to destroy the Roman republic. Political plots arise and Coriolanus must win over the voice of his people—but will his pride stand in the way? José’s translation allows us to clearly see the impact of violence on marginalized populations.
Tickets and further information here.
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Romeo and Juliet
Two River Theater, in partnership with NAATCO
Modern verse translation by: Hansol Jung
Co-directed by: Hansol Jung & Dustin Wills
Original music composed by: Brian Quijada
Dates: April 8 – April 30, 2023
Location: Red Bank NJ
In this world premiere, Hansol Jung’s contemporary modern verse translation of Shakespeare’s tragic love story amplifies Shakespeare’s humor, allowing audiences a deeper connection into this timeless tale. Tickets and further information here.
Romeo and Juliet
NAATCO, in partnership with Two River Theater
Modern verse translation by: Hansol Jung
Co-directed by: Hansol Jung & Dustin Wills
Original music composed by: Brian Quijada
Dates: May 9 – June 3, 2023 [opening night May 14]
Location: New York, NY
Moves directly Off-Broadway to Classic Stage Company (136 East 13th Street, NYC). Performances will run May 9th through June 3rd only. Tickets and more information can be found here.
Mia Katigbak, NAATCO Co-Founder: “I had the great fortune to be introduced to Play On Shakespeare almost seven years ago, when they asked me to participate in a reading of Cymbeline, translated by Andrea Thome. Over the next couple of years, I did readings of seven translations, and was a member of the company for the Play On Festival in the summer of 2019. I was impressed that on March 25, 2020, within a couple of weeks of lockdown, Play On was already experimenting with how to do readings on Zoom. From the get-go, I was intrigued by the project, stimulated by the discussions around language, contemporization, contextualization, and dramaturgy that the translations inspired. Romeo and Juliet was the last reading I did before the festival, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I aggressively pursued obtaining the performing rights, and fortune was with me again when Hansol Jung, the translator, agreed and when Play On wholeheartedly and generously gave its support to NAATCO. I’ve always believed that Play On’s spirit is one founded on its being a labor of love, passion, and rigorous scholarship. This spirit is compatible with NAATCO’s, and our presenting R&J with an all-Asian American cast fills me with joy and gratitude.”
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Richard II; Henry IV Part 1; Henry IV Part 2; Henry V
Modern verse translations by: Naomi Iizuka (Richard II); Yvette Nolan (Henry IV Parts 1 & 2); and Lloyd Suh (Henry V)
Produced by: Shakespeare Dallas
Dates: April 20 – 30, 2023
Location: Dallas, TX
Following the success of presenting Shakespeare’s first tetralogy (“The Wars of the Roses”) in 2021, Shakespeare Dallas will host staged readings of The Henriad at the outdoor Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre.
Richard II: April 20 & 27 (Thursdays)
Henry IV Part 1: April 21 & 28 (Fridays)
Henry IV Part 2: April 22 & 29 (Saturdays)
Henry V: April 23 & 30 (Sundays)
Tickets and further information here.
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ACMRS Press [Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies] continues releasing Play On Shakespeare’s translations in print. All 39 titles will be published over the next several years.
Indie rock band, Phoneboy is thrilled to release their new album Moving Out that is out now.
In support of the new album, the band will be hitting a 29-date nationwide run kicking off today, March 24 in their hometown Asbury Park, NJ and wrapping up May 11 in New York, NY. See all tour dates below.
[fohn • boi] noun
1 someone consumed with their phone, unable to tear themselves away from a distraction
2 Gen-Z’s newest indie-pop trio spinning off shimmering licks over toe-tapping beats so danceable it’ll make you put your phone down
Fresh out of school and poised on the verge of adulthood, Phoneboy’s sophomore entry accentuates the power-pop elements of their earlier releases while honing in on a drum-tight enthusiasm that’s defined their signature sound. The appropriately named Moving Out collects a wise-beyond-their-years bittersweet Gen-Z sensibility of a generation forced to contend with not just typical adolescent grievance, but a world continually inundated with ephemeral fame, transient praise, hollow accolades, oh yeah and a global pandemic. Yet as dour as the circumstance, Phoneboy astounds with yet another record chock full of undeniable toe-tappers and bittersweet bangers determined to fuel get-togethers from blowouts to dormroom dance parties..
In an age of hyper-stimulated doom-scrolling and over-polished social media stars, humble New Jersey three-piece Phoneboy are all about putting down the phone and living in the moment.. Singer/guitarist Wyn Barnum and Ricky Dana met at a technical college without much of an indie scene and pulled in Wyn’s childhood friend, bassist James Fusco. While in undergrad the three college boys bonded over a love of midwest emo and first built their band to soundtrack the semester’s keggers.
As students at a small technical school where indie bands aren’t so common, the ‘Boys don’t distinguish between their friends and their fans. “We respect artists who want to make music just for themselves, and it’s not like we don’t, but we trust our friends the most. If they like the song, we know it’s good.” And it’s not just their friends who like it. Phoneboy’s early efforts quickly earned a following on social media. Serving as a de facto street team, classmates shared the band’s breakout, ACID GIRL far and wide. Before they knew it these floppy haired crooners had racked up over a million streams across the web. It’s the kind of word-of-mouth buzz that makes you think the internet wasn’t such a bad idea. “There’s definitely a tension there,” says Wyn, speaking to social media. “There’s all this distraction, all this fake fun everybody’s pretending to have, but at the same time the discovery potential is insane.”
Memphis hitmaker NLE Choppa joins forces with rap legend Lil Wayne for the blistering new single “Ain’t Gonna Answer”.Packed with raucous energy, dizzying wordplay and boundless attitude, the collaboration is the latest taste of Choppa’s highly anticipated Cottonwood 2 album coming April 14th via NLE Entertainment/Warner Records.
The track arrives a matter of weeks after his hard-hitting anthem “Mo Upfront,” the triumphant “Champions” and defiant “23.” Since topping Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart for a record-breaking 24 weeks in 2019, cracking the Billboard 200 top 10 with 2020’s Top Shotta, and earning a spot on last year’s Billboard 21 Under 21 list, his star has continued to rise.
“Tell me baby, what we doin’, what we doin’? Makin’ money,” the multi-platinum MC spits over driving percussion and frantic strings. “What they doin’ hatin’ on us? If they want it, take it from me.” Weezy then steps up to contribute one of his trademark spitfire verses. The hip-hop cohorts know exactly how to bring the party and “Ain’t Gonna Answer” is no exception. This banger was made to be blasted as loud as possible.
Now, Choppa’s using his platform of over 35 million combined followers to inspire and advocate for the youth through his “NLE Reading Challenge,” vegan & holistic lifestyle, and social activism. With “Ain’t Gonna Answer” and Cottonwood 2, Choppa is ready to take his place at the pinnacle of hip hop.
| Cottonwood 2 will be released April 14, 2023, via NLE Entertainment/Warner Records.Pre-save the project HERE. |
Combining sleek production, traditional pop and modern chart sensibilities, FLØRE is sure to provide a top alternative listen this week with her new single ‘ALIEN’ out via Valeria Music. The song was written by FLØRE who herself feels a bit out of place in this world finding somebody that’s similar.
Give the song a listen now; https://open.spotify.com/album/77q5rzXfqUWyuWr0cUn4Bp?si=glZnUgZyRBG7iT-dRVUK_A
Speaking about the song, FLØRE explained “ALIEN’ is about finding a true friend, someone who makes you feel like you found your home. The song deals with the feeling of being a freak most of the time, but once you find a like-minded person you realize you’ve never been wrong and you’re perfect the way you are.
“It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve written so far. For me it feels like a love song to one of the greatest things we can have, which is true friendship. I think feeling like a freak or a weirdo is something I will never get rid of. But there’s so much beauty in it, when you find friends who share the weirdness with you. So the song embraces the fact that you’re never wrong or strange in any way, because there are other ALIENS out there who are searching for you, too.”
FLØRE writes songs “to give this weird existence a meaning”. Feeling like an alien for most of her life, she spent her childhood playing guitar, singing and dreaming of the universe. She’s inspired by the darkness of growing up, the beautifully broken and the feeling of what it must be like when life begins. Or what it must be like when it ends. Or what it is at all. She calls herself a moonlover, who expresses the loneliness in her songs, revealing her touching voice telling stories about her own fragileness, devotion for unusual human beings and broken love.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that time is fleeting.
So don’t waste my time, and I won’t waste yours.
My song “Waste My Time” was inspired by a friendship that was tiptoeing into a relationship. It’s cheeky, flirty, and even has an unexpected lyrical reference in the chorus to “Kiss The Girl” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Writing this song helped me to recognize that not every song I write has to be deep and pensive, I can write things that feel light.
It’s also stacked with absurd amounts of harmony – a signature of my vocal style!Hear the dreamy “Waste My Time” on streaming platforms everywhere now
Sophisticated women don’t lose sleep over boys.
The singles “Waste My Time” and “Make Sense” from my upcoming EP, A Late Bloom, are both out now.
xoxo
Eleanor
Chicago-based psych-pop multi-instrumentalist Elijah Montez, the frontman and sole songwriter of Daydream Review shares the candid and groovy psych-soul title track out everywhere now. The kaleidoscopic debut album Leisure, due out April 7 and available to pre-order now via Side Hustle Records. There is also a limited run of the LP on vinyl available to pre-order now.
Daydream Review is currently taking the new music around his home city of Chicago, IL in celebration of the release. After a performance at G-Man Tavern last month, the artist will bring the mesmerizing show to Cole’s Bar for the official album release show on April 8 and will conclude on May 26 at Schubas Tavern with tickets on sale now via linktr.ee/daydreamreview.
The title, track out today, confronts the adverse effects of a brutal work culture that capitalism has bred and made routine in today’s world. Daydream Review explains, “This song is about the absolute compression of your soul and destruction of your time that work culture and capitalism has made commonplace. There’s an uncertainty that it creates in terms of how you view your life, and how you’ll look back on it, how you can take care of yourself and your loved ones.” It continues Daydream Review’s theme of poignantly and swiftly examining existential questions with a unique freshness that makes getting lost in the music come naturally. “Sonically,” he continues, “it has elements of psychedelic soul, so there’s a groove in it, but I think the arrangement communicates the exhaustion that’s baked into the lyrics.”
Canadian singer/songwriter Tara MacLean has been an internationally renowned and award winning recording and touring artist for 25 years. She released her first album with the Nettwerk Music Group in 1996 and Sony Music Publishing Canada. Since then has been signed with Capitol Records and EMI Canada with her band Shaye. She has made six solo albums and two with the band.
Tara has recently received the Senate of Canada Medal for her activist work in her community. She finished a run of three summer seasons with her hit theatre show that she wrote, produced and directed called, “Atlantic Blue- The Stories of Atlantic Canada’s Iconic Songwriters.” in Charlottetown, PEI. The summer of 2019 saw Atlantic Blue produced by the world famous Charlottetown Festival playing three nights a week to sold out crowds.
Tara received the SOCAN songwriter of the year award as well as Solo Recording of the Year for her latest album, “Deeper” at the PEI Music Awards in 2020. Deeper was nominated for Pop Album of the Year at ECMA 2020. Her duet with Catherine MacLellan, This Storm, received the award for Song of the Year. She performed “Songs from Atlantic Blue” in Concert with the PEI Symphony Orchestra. She received the Stompin’ Tom Award for outstanding contribution to music in the region at the 2021 ECMAs.
New York City/Los Angeles-based alt-pop group MisterWives usher in a new era with their incendiary, exasperated, and bold single “Out Of Your Mind,” out everywhere now via Photo Finish Records. The once technicolor days of the band are now drenched in the blackness of sacred anger, as they embrace their whole selves — especially the emotions that are hot to the touch. “Out Of Your Mind” also comes with an empowering video that acts as a metaphor for giving that much needed permission to embrace the parts of self that aren’t sunshine and roses. Breaking out of the mental cage takes tenacious strength when alchemizing pain into power.
Equipped with renewed energy, newfound creative freedom and glowing determination, MisterWives are ready to re-introduce themselves with their unapologetic anthem, “Out Of Your Mind” and reignite the five-piece in a completely new way to propel them into 2023. The latest track sees the band step out of their comfort zone, embrace uncomfortable feelings and take more artistic risks. They’re choosing both “truth” and “dare” — something they haven’t had the full autonomy to do previously. Frontwoman Mandy Lee says, “Stepping out of our comfort zone and not masking uncomfortable feelings with arpeggiated synths and sweet progressions was a pivotal moment needed to let go of pain and anger that was no longer mine to carry, while also giving us creative freedom to not feel boxed in to what might be expected from us.”
ANGEL X STAR are a brother and sister duo from Hertfordshire, UK. Creating infectious Afro pop, R&B anthems, their music brings to mind the likes of Brandy, Aaliyah, Tems and Rema. Having grown up in a musical family, Angel and Star started singing together at church and other local events as a trio with their other sister. Sadly, their younger sister passed away, and refusing to let go of what held them together, they decided to continue with their music and honour her legacy. Experiencing loss and navigating grief, the duo expressed their pain through music, confiding, “We felt that we couldn’t relate to other artists and decided to make music for us and for our own healing, but then realised that this could also be helpful to those experiencing something similar too.”
Their latest release “Jolene” is a fun take on Dolly Parton’s 1974 hit song. Beginning as an experiment, the duo wanted to create a modern version in the Afro R&B genre. The two share, “This is a heartbreak song inspired by Dolly Parton. We took the vision and the hurt from that song and related it to our own heartbreak. Angel is singing about a girl he ‘’fumbled’’ yet to find out that that was his love, his first love and Star comes from a different perspective asking questions like, “you could have told me that love will hurt like this”.”
“Jolene” combines two different backgrounds of pain, but all rooted in love. With a throbbing, bouncy beat, soulful, layered harmonies and playful synths, the duo put their own stamp and twist on the 70’s anthem.
ANGEL X STAR have performed to sold-out audiences and received airplay on radio stations including BBC 1Xtra from the likes of DJ Target. 2023 is set to be a big year for the duo, as they enter into a new chapter with their fresh sound.
Brooklyn noise-pop trio A Very Special Episode return today to announce their sophomore album Freak Me Out and share the new single and video “Strobes”. Freak Me Out arrives on June 23rd via Hidden Home/EWEL Records and also features the cult-inspired single “Heaven’s Gate” which was released in February.
In comparison to the brooding menace of “Heaven’s Gate”, “Strobes” arrives as a high speed, fever dream; a technicolor mad dash down the highway at 100 mph. AVSE’s vocalist/bassist Kasey Heisler reflects on the track, “Art and media are at their best when they feel dangerous, dancing a fine line between providing the audience with an exciting and groundbreaking misadventure and not coming off so intimidating and aggressive that you alienate them. “Strobes”, both the audio and video, is a celebration of that idea and feeling and how fun it is to dance around that line without being completely sure of how close you are to crossing it or not.”
Connecticut born and bred artist Jake Huffman creates a euphoric realm of indie pop rock, bringing his anthemic energy to a global audience. As lead vocalist and drummer, the multi-instrumentalist was previously known for his time in the viral alt rock band, McLovins. Having taken the time to rediscover who he is as a solo artist, Huffman returns with a complete arsenal of new music, all of which has been entirely written, performed and produced by Jake himself.
Huffman’s latest single “Babe” was created when the artist was going down a rabbit hole of indie pop/rock/funk songs. He shares, “Something about the bass lines and the hard hitting syncopation really hit the spot. I wanted to capture that vibe and put my own spin on the genre. What’s cool and different about this track is how haunted and dark it feels. I think I captured an 80s sci-fi horror mixed into a twisted fantasy like day dream.” A standout song on the upcoming EP, “Babe” will metaphorically skulk through the shadows of your ears.
Thematically, “Babe” is left open for listeners to interpret however they desire, allowing the feel-good song to let the music do the talking. Huffman explains, “I didn’t want to cloud the energy of the song by over-thinking the lyrics or trying to insert deeper meaning into the song. It’s my opinion that some surface level situations end up more significant overtime. The song was created by chasing that feeling, what’s interesting is even now when I listen back I find more nuance than I originally intended.”
Huffman’s latest project is an amalgamation of his musical influences and vast heritage of experience. At the age of 14, Huffman and his band McLovins posted on YouTube a cover of Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself” from his parents basement in Connecticut. Overnight the video went viral and sparked a rabid following of fans around the world. Since then, he has shared the stage with Blink-182, Foster The People, BB King and The Flaming Lips. Huffman has garnered humbling praise from the likes of the Rolling Stone, US Weekly, NPR and legendary XPN Radio Programming Director and DJ Bruce Warren, as well as also having caught the attention of Emmy, Grammy and Tony award-winning producer and composer Bill Sherman (Hamilton, In The Heights, Sesame Street) and Glee producer Michael Novick. Meanwhile on television, the musician has left an imprint as a composer and lyricist for Sesame Street, writing dozens of songs for artists like Ed Sheeran and Leon Bridges. With plenty more on the horizon, it looks like 2023 will be an explosive year for Jake Huffman.
I’ve always loved the word “blue.” It’s so melancholic. It’s a piece of ink etched into my skin.
My song, “blue,” is a remorseful reflection on a breakup. It’s written from the point of view of someone that felt like they weren’t the best version of themselves for the person that maybe deserved that the most.
I feel seen by “blue.” It’s for the lovers that are trying to unlearn past toxic tendencies.
Hear my new cinematic sad soundscape on your preferred streaming platform.
Dive into the “blue” of the official visualizer on YouTube.
For some reason, I have a fixation on loneliness when it comes to writing and my music. Even when I’ve been in love, I can’t help but write from the point of view of losing that love.
I feel like that’s when you realize how vulnerable you are, when you’re in the midst of something great – you realize what’s at stake.
“blue” began with a voice note I recorded of “I’m so fucking blue,” which became part of the song’s hook. Stevie Aiello and Cici Ward collaborated with me to bring “blue” to life.
This song is really for the self-sabotaging, self-reflecting hopeless romantics. I hope that it can find you.
Iaye
Legendary singer, songwriter and performer GRETCHEN PETERS has announced what will be her final ever tour of the UK.
Over 25 years since she first set foot on British stages, the Nashville-via-New-York star will be returning for one last hurrah as she confirms a Farewell Tour across the country throughout May 2023.
Bowing out with a series of special appearances between 4th – 26th May, Peters will be touring some of the nation’s finest theatres, promising an evening of reflective conversation and a retrospective performance including deep cuts from across from her expansive songbook. Gretchen will also be touring with the support of longtime musical accomplice and *special guest* Kim Richey.
Opening-up about the special place the UK occupies in her heart and hinting at what audiences can expect from her upcoming farewell shows, Gretchen says:
“It’s really important to me to let UK fans know just how much their support has meant to me. I literally don’t think I’d have a touring career without them. They were always there for me, steadily growing in numbers year by year, even when I wasn’t touring or doing much in the US. And around the time Hello Cruel World and Blackbirds came out, things really amped up and our UK audience seemed to grow by leaps and bounds. I want to have the chance to express my gratitude to them directly; to say thank you for decades of support and love. I expect it to be emotional, to say the least.”
GRETCHEN PETERS
UK FAREWELL TOUR 2023
WITH SPECIAL GUEST KIM RICHEY
REMAINING TICKETS ON SALE NOW HERE
Tel Aviv-based producer Roy Rosenfeld is excited to announce the release of his latest EP, Simi, out March 31 via Lee Burridge’s All Day I Dream imprint. Showcasing Rosenfeld’s unique blend of melodic house music, the three-track EP is sure to captivate listeners with its intricate rhythms and ethereal sound.
On Simi, Roy Rosenfeld seamlessly blends melodic and atmospheric sounds to create a transcendent listening experience. From the groovy and energetic title track opener ‘Simi’ to the hypnotic and calmer ‘Sansi’ and closing with the darker, heavenly ‘Moonshine’, this EP showcases Rosenfeld’s exceptional range, and ability to craft music that goes beyond the dancefloor.
With an extensive catalog, Roy has released music on Guy J’s Lost & Found label, Guy Gerber’s imprint Rumors, and on the legendary Kompakt Records. His music has gained recognition and support from superstars such as Solomun, Black Coffee, Dixon, and Keinemusik, to name a few. As a DJ, he has performed at some of the largest festivals, such as Tomorrowland in Belgium, Zamna in Tulum, We Are Lost in Buenos Aires and Amsterdam, and multiple All Day I Dream events across the United States.
Simi is a transformative sonic experience that will surely captivate any listener. The EP is out now on all major streaming platforms, and fans can catch Roy Rosenfeld’s tantalizing sound at upcoming shows listed below.
3.31 @ Private, Cancun, MEX
4.01 @ Funk Club, CDMX, MEX
4.02 @ Vagalume, Tulum, MEX
4.06 @ Harmonizz, Emek Iyzrael, IL
4.08 @ All Day I Dream, Austin, US
4.20 @ Hive, Tel Aviv, IL
4.21 @ Capella, Tel Aviv, IL
4.28 @ BNP, Cordoba, ARG
4.30 @ BNN, Buenos Aires, ARG
5.05 @ 1134, Denver, US
5.06 @ Wonder Gate, San Diego, US
5.12 @ Karmey Yossef, IL
5.13 @ Lost Miracle, Steel Yard, London, UK
5.18 @ Subois, Montreal, CA
5.19 @ Do Not Sit, Miami, US
5.20 @ All Day I Dream, LA, USA
5.26 Villa Oliver, Marrakech, MA
London-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist – CLIFTON 2.5 – has unveiled “Outskirts of Nowhere”, the second single and title-track of her debut EP due 14 April via Leafy Outlook.
STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE
A lush slice of opulent and airy alt-pop, “Outskirts of Nowhere” sees Clifton 2.5 find a shimmering synergy between gentle acoustic melodies and fluttering electronics, served with a side of crystal-clear vocals and an ethereal sense of optimism.
Standing as the first song she ever recorded, it is also one influenced by the evocative settings depicted in Delia Owens’ celebrated coming-of-age novel ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’. As Clifton 2.5 explains:
“”Outskirts of Nowhere” was written after I finished reading the book ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ as I was inspired by the landscapes painted in the book, especially the marshes and the imagery of a lonely, heartbroken girl who had been left behind. The song just landed in my head in about 20 minutes and I knew it would be the first song I recorded.”
“Outskirts of Nowhere” follows Clifton 2.5’s glimmering recent release “Under Attack” and arrives as the title-track of her forthcoming debut EP.
Spanning a wide range of both genre and influence, the ‘Outskirts of Nowhere’ EP includes Clifton 2.5’s two recent singles alongside “Crossed Lines”, a song about “how it feels to let love go” that was recorded using a half-broken electric organ found in the studio, and “Are you singing to me?”, a retro-tinted cut about “standing in the audience watching someone sing and believ[ing] that their message is meant for you alone”.
Set to land on 14 April via Leafy Outlook, the four-track release was produced by Ross Dorkin (Beatenberg).
WHAT: GRAMMY award nominated, multi-platinum artist JOZZY announces her Songs For Women Tour presented by LOVE Records and Roc Nation. The 3 city tour kicks off on Tuesday, May 2 at SOB’s in New York making a stop in Atlanta before wrapping up in Los Angeles on May 10 at The Roxy. Jozzy’s 2023 shows are in direct response to the overwhelming fan support she’s received as her debut EP recently surpassed 3 million total streams, in addition to reaching #1 on Itunes R&B charts and Amazon’s Best Sellers list.
WHERE & WHEN: Tues May 2 – New York, NY – SOB’s
Thu May 4 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
Wed May 10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy
“I can’t wait to hit the road. I’m so ready to touch everybody. I hate to call them fans. I hate that word. Supporters. Yeah, I can’t wait to touch the people who listen to songs for women.”
– Jozzy
“Jozzy is a very special and dynamic talent that only comes around once in a generation, so I’m excited to see how her music sets a new standard for R&B,” said Sean “Diddy” Combs. “Her skills as a writer and performer, matched with her style and energy has the potential to make her one of the greats and I’m proudto play a part in shaping the next chapter of her career.”
HANNAH ROSE PLATT returns with the hauntingly beautiful new single: “Feeding Time For Monsters”.
An all-consuming record that will devour your attention whole, the Ed Harcourt-produced track stars on Platt’s upcoming album ‘Deathbed Confessions’, which arrives on 19 May via Xtra Mile Recordings.
STREAM “FEEDING TIME FOR MONSTERS” ON ALL SERVICES HERE
WATCH THE ANIMATED VIDEO HERE
“Feeding Time For Monsters” unlocks the haunted house that lies within all of us. A paranormal and psychological thriller to stand your hair on end, it’s a song that sees Hannah face-up to the demons of the past that lie behind every door, while shining a light on those darkest of secrets that define who we are.
Complimenting the song’s ghostly narrative, Hannah has teamed up with esteemed animator William Davies to produce a spooky ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’-style video that needs to be seen to be believed. Watch it here.
Speaking about “Feeding Time For Monsters” and its innovative animated video explains:
“If a house represents the psyche – what would haunt the rooms of our very own haunted houses? I explore a mix of my own ptsd experiences and personal ghosts in this song. Ed and I wanted to create a sense of chaos and dissociation with woozy vocals and thrashing guitars (and the animation by William Davies is just astonishing! Check it out!).”
Post-classical pianist and creative coder – LARKHALL – celebrates Piano Day 2023 with the release of an elegant new collaboration with Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres.
Enlisting the award-winning classical composer for his upcoming project ‘And You Were: Say You’re With Me Reworked’ (out 26 May), Hamilton-Ayres has provided a remarkable rework of the Larkhall track “Vincennes”.
LISTEN TO “VINCENNES” (ALEXANDRA HAMILTON-AYRES REWORK) HERE
Profoundly moving in its intimacy and cinematic in its scope, Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres offers her signature stylistics to a track that initially featured on Larkhall’s 2022 album ‘Say You’re With Me’. Stripping back the near ten-minute original to home-in on a particular motif, the rework of “Vincennes” unearths a different kind of beauty in its clipped new form. Adding to its sensory and climactic feel, Jo Quail’s cello playing sits beautifully in the piece.
Speaking about the collaborative rework of “Vincennes” and how it came about, Larkhall says:
“I’m a longtime fan of Alex’s music, so when I made a list of artists I’d like to work with on a remixes album her name was one of the first ones I put down… Thankfully she was really into the track and up for reworking it. I think what she’s done is wonderful. Rather than use the full structure of the piece she found this transitional moment where the cello is doing these layered harmonics and the piano is slowly building up into the piece’s final explosion. And she just zoomed in on that and extended it and brought in these washes of synth and tape delay that are so atmospheric and evocative.”
LA-based multi-instrumentalist rocker Graham Czach announces his genre-bending, hopeful full length concept album Originalien, out May 26 via Ropeadope and available for pre-order now. Alongside the announcement, Czach shares the first taste of the project with smooth single and self-directed, artificial intelligence-generated video “Follow Me and I’ll Follow You” featuring GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter and keyboardist Rachel Eckroth out everywhere now. The newest track looks closely at love’s capacity to heal, unite and endure.
The solo forthcoming LP Originalien was born out of the life-altering effects of the pandemic, the drive Czach has to bring about positive change, and the support the artist had from his closest friends and family. Expanding on the significance of the album, Czach says, “It feels like a culmination of my long and diverse career in music that tells a story about universal messages and issues I’m passionate about to help make a difference.” He continues, “The world has changed a lot in the last few years, and this is my way of trying to bring people together to realize what’s important in this fleeting life, which is love, kindness, compassion, and respect.” It was throughout this creation process that Czach turned inward to expose his deepest vulnerabilities, culminating in his most realized, honest work to date.
Over eleven tracks, Originalien blazes a new path where music doesn’t need to fit into a genre or be classified, rather it ties together a wide range of influences from the past and present to propel the music forward into the future in a new light with a completely unique sound free from any constraints. Czach’s work commands instant attention with its sincerity wrapped in soundscapes rich in texture and depth. Czach expands on his process and the new album, articulating, “I’m a very visual composer inspired by real life experiences, issues, and causes, where I can see the scene and story unfolding through the music. This album comes from a very deep place in my being during some of the hardest times the world, myself included, has seen and lived through.”
Email: neill@outloudculture.com
