KiNG MALA is an alternative Soul artist based in Los Angeles. AKA Areli Castro, the El Paso born musician pens songs which touch on themes from lust, sexuality and badass femininity. Not afraid to spill her guts, the songwriter set out with the hopes to spark confidence in both herself and her listeners, creating music that will make you walk taller and speak louder. Both her music and visuals experiment with masculine tropes, sharing "There's something about taking something traditionally masculine and wearing it as a woman that makes me feel really powerful." These masculine threads weave throughout everything she does, hence King rather than Queen and "MALA" which roughly translates to "bad bitch" in Spanish. Sharing her feelings from the bottom of her heart KiNG MALA encourages you to dig deep and connect with your inner-self. Life is messy and we shouldn’t feel ashamed to show our emotions and speak our minds.
​   Following KiNG MALA's hit release, "she calls me daddy" - her latest is titled “mercy”. The song focuses on the juxtaposition between bad habits and remorse from old behavior when she was growing. Lyrically shedding light on battling mental illness while balancing hauntingly beautiful vocal melodies. She confides, “I have said things I will regret forever and every day I search for the good within me and search for the proof that those things are not who I really am. Sometimes all you can do is forgive yourself and look for the good... that's what this song means to me.”
   The music video for "mercy" is set to be premiered on youtube July 23rd at 6pm!

IG & Twitter: @kingmalamusic
facebook.com/kingmalamusic

Images by @jadesdlr & @conner_sorensen

   Rod Wendt, Brie Deux and Michelle Primiani began playing music together in Tampa, FL in 2017 and shortly thereafter found their missing piece, Justin Burns, to form the modern dystopian bliss that is Glove. The stylish and magnetic 4-piece group underscores the best of the 1980’s synthetic New Wave sound with a contemporary Rock n’ Roll edge that is sure to propel the band to the forefront of the Alternative Rock genre.
   The fresh release coming from Glove, "Behaviour" is the second single off of their forthcoming album. Singer and Guitarist, Rod Wendt recently told spoke on the track, “We transformed our living room into an immersive cloud space for this live video experience. 'Behaviour' is about a static reaction to operate and perform as you’re told – a chain reaction of words and expressions.”
​
IG & Twitter: @glovetheband
glovetheband.com
facebook.com/glovetheband

​Glove Tour Dates
Saturday, July 31, 2021 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
Saturday, July 31, 2021 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean w/ White Reaper
Monday, September 20, 2021 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ White Reaper
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 - Ashbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony w/ White Reaper
Thursday, September 23, 2021 - Brooklyn, NY - Sultan Room
Friday, September 24, 2021 - Washington, DC - DC9
Saturday, September 25, 2021 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle w/ White Reaper
Tuesday, October 21, 2021 - Savannah, GA - District Live w/ White Reaper
Friday, October 22, 2021 - Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees
Sunday, October 24, 2021 - Lexington, KY - The Burl w/ White Reaper
Saturday, October 30, 2021 - Austin, TX - Levitation Fest

   Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and artist Natasha Pheko (BXB Love) — releases her new and extremely catchy Pop single, "Losers."
   Following the releases of BXB Love's first two singles, "matrix" & "IGNORANCE SONG" - “Losers,” LOVE invites the people of planet earth to cast off their masks, and take a good hard look at all the parts of themselves — the good, the bad and the ugly — with acceptance, love, and compassion. “’Losers’ is my claim that we are all really just losers trying to fit in,” LOVE says. “I believe, if we really committed to being who we are, and loving that unconditionally, we might all feel a little more free and a little less anxious about the potential perception of us that others may have.” Created with fellow songwriters and producers Jaime Estalella and Michele Canova, a mere few weeks before COVID-19 changed life as we know, “Losers” came together as a synchronistic dance of lyrics and sounds, entirely unrestricted by trends or genre limitations. “There was no goal or destination in mind, only a shared commitment to be in the present, in the process and following the joy, the excitement, and the inspiration,” LOVE writes.

Twitter: @4theloveofbxb
IG: @4theloveofbob
​

Photo Credit: Kobe Boateng (@kobeboateng)

   Hampshire (UK) Indie trio Drug Store Romeos have shared their new single "Secret Plan", taken from their upcoming debut album "The world within our bedrooms" - out 25 June via Fiction Records (preorder). The song emphasizes the lead singers  mesmerizing voice, thumping bass, twinkling synth melodies and beautiful change-ups.
   Drug Store Romeos formed in college nearby Farnborough when childhood friends Jonny and Charlie pinned an ad about finding a bassist for their new band to the school’s notice board - Sarah replied and quickly proved herself a better vocalist than either of them. Sharing affections for Suburban Lawns and Tom Tom Club, Drug Store Romeos cut their teeth playing live at college, Guildford Boiler Room and Aldershot West End Centre, rather than the familiarly trodden paths in London - although they did frequent the city as often as three times a week at one point; carrying all of their equipment back to Fleet by train as none of the band were old enough to drive. 
   While the band have since moved to London, by the time they came to record The world within our bedrooms, all three members were keen to hold onto that wide-eyed energy for as long as possible. Those 3am walks home from Fleet station, with amps and flight cases slung over their shoulders, would become a rite of passage; the quiet
countryside influencing their hushed atmospheric sound and nocturnal leanings, the tight bonds formed back home buoying their hypnotic and delicate blend of Dream Pop and synth-led explorations. ​
   Drug Store Romeos will play their biggest headline show to date at London’s Scala on 17 November – tickets are available now.

IG: @drugstoreromeosband
Twitter: @drugstoreromeos
facebook.com/drugstoreromeos

See Drug Store Romeos live in 2021: 
25 May | Oslo Hackney, London (SOLD OUT) 
27 May | YES, Manchester (SOLD OUT) 
29 July | SET, London (SOLD OUT) 
2-5 Sep | End Of The Road Festival 
25-26 Sep | Dot to Dot Festival 
9 Oct | Are You Listening? Festival 
13 Nov | Stag & Dagger Festival, Glasgow 
14 Nov | Stag & Dagger Festival, Edinburgh 
17 Nov | Scala, London ​

   binki has always been a performer at his core. Born to Kenyan immigrants in Pennsylvania, he grew up on a steady diet of his older siblings’ music preferences. But it wasn’t until studying to be an actor at UNC Greensboro that binki found himself gravitating toward music as a career.
   binki announces his debut EP - MOTOR FUNCTION - along with new single and video “Clay Pigeon,” binki explains, “Clay Pigeon is a song about vulnerability. A clay pigeon is someone I want to open up to me or invest time in, but I’m not willing to do the same. I wanna play along but I got no skin in the game. I was in a situation where I was more focused on my dreams than building a relationship. I think it happens to a lot people and I’m just trying to navigate those feelings in this song.”
   The song opens with an encapsulating bass line and features extremely catchy vocals. binki's music video for "Clay Pigeon" was directed by his brother, Justin Ongeri. The overall vision gets us excited for hanging out with our friends in the Summer (safely vaccinated!) after a long break of COVID-19 and has a wonderful vintage film mood. 

IG: @binkistinks
facebook.com/binkistinks

Portrait by Aidan Cullen

   The Toronto native multi-instrumentalist and producer, Luna Li (Hannah Kim) has shared her new single "Alone But Not Lonely." The lush orchestral composition places Luna Li’s technical proficiency in the spotlight as she kicks the song off with a sweeping melody played on the violin before dropping into a smoldering funk groove with ethereal synth pads and vocal harmonies to boot. The song hits incredibly strong and resonates deeply with many genres. After her graceful and confident chants of instantly memorable self-assurance, the song crescendos into a massive guitar hook that rises and falls with beautiful simplicity and acts as the antidote to her loneliness. The stunningly creative music video, directed by Maya Balkaran & Kostadin Kolev, accompanies the song extremely well.
   "I wrote 'Alone But Not Lonely' in my very first apartment which was cockroach infested. I was feeling really uncomfortable and lonely in the new space, and decided to write this song to cheer myself up and entertain my newfound insect friends." Says Luna Li. “The phrase ‘Alone But Not Lonely’ is a mantra I use to remind myself that time I spend with myself is valuable and special, something that should be celebrated.”

Twitter, Tiktok & IG: @lunaliband
facebook.com/lunaliband
lunali.bandcamp.com

Image by Felice Trinidad

Luna Li tour supporting Japanese Breakfast:

9/14 – Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre
9/15 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall - SOLD OUT
9/16 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall - SOLD OUT
9/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
9/18 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
9/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
9/23 - Boise @ Treefort Music Fest
9/25 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune - SOLD OUT
9/26 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
9/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
9/28 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/1 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency
10/2 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent - SOLD OUT
10/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent - SOLD OUT
10/4 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
10/5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
10/7 - Sante Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
10/8 – Denver, CO @ Ogden
10/9 – Lawrence, KC @ Granada
10/10 – St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
10/11 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
10/16 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel 

   BXB LOVE, the nom de plume of Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and artist Natasha Pheko released her second single titled, "IGNORANCE SONG."
   Through genre-bending musical production, reflective lyricism, and multidisciplinary creative works, BXB LOVE captures the charm, discomfort, and introspection of being 20-something in the year 20-something. She steps outside the proverbial box, allowing her artistic expression to honestly reflect the world around her. By choosing a purposefully ambiguous and androgynous pseudonym, LOVE is able to explore the fluidity that is the human experience and liberate herself from the unspoken expectations placed on women of color in the music industry. Ready to breakdown personal, projected and perceived barriers, LOVE invites listeners to do the same.
   “IGNORANCE SONG” reflects LOVE’s ability to contain sonic and emotional multitudes within one song. Opening with the irrepressible chorus destined to be sung by future crowds, “IGNORANCE SONG” bursts into a bold, gritty Alt-Rock number that swells with infectious guitar, anthemic percussion, and hazy layered vocals. Lyrically and sonically, it’s an anthem that celebrates self-discovery and self-empowerment in a world that encourages us to define ourselves before fully understanding who we are and who we want to be.
“It’s about letting go of your perceived and projected identities, and realizing that we just ARE,” LOVE explains. “Life is a performance, and we can choose the labels and identities that we use to express our being, without being attached to them. We get to grow, evolve, change, shed. And there's really nothing to prove to anyone once you free yourself of the belief that you need to prove your worth, or validate/justify how you choose to express your being. It’s my anthem to a generation that is rewriting what identity means and the ways in which we choose to express that."

Twitter: @4theloveofbxb
IG: @4theloveofbob

   Alma Grace has been inspired by artist Frida Kahlo since childhood. As a second generation Mexican-American woman, Grace has always felt drawn to the way in which Kahlo redefined beauty standards — “she made me feel beautiful for my bushy eyebrows and dark hair” — and broke down the boundaries placed on gender, race and sexuality. The "Frida" EP is a project inspired by a feminist icon but it’s also an exploration of the ways in which Frida’s legacy has helped shape Grace into the woman and artist she is today. 
   Throughout the EP Grace pays homage to her bi-cultural upbringing by weaving together English and Spanish lyricism and traditional latin sounds with modern Pop melodies. Her narrative-driven lyricism is enchanting, with each song delivering dual stories that tie back to both Kahlo and Grace’s lives. “Aventura” is an ode to adventure and affairs, something that Grace has always admired in Kahlo’s rich life. “Girl Fight” is a queer, feminist anthem that was inspired by Grace’s favorite Kahlo story: after her husband Diego Rivera cheated on her, she had an affair with the same woman. “Aztlan” is about the mythical homeland of the Aztec people and pays homage to both Grace and Kahlo’s ancestors. Lastly, “Relámpago” is all about coping with pain — the physical pain Kahlo suffered due to her near fatal bus accident and the emotional trauma Grace dealt with after being sexually assaulted. 

IG & Twitter: @almagracemusic
facebook.com/almagracemusic
almagracemusic.com

   Klypi’s “Notice Me” music video is framed as a sexy-singles hotline for callers who indeed want to be noticed. Klypi sings, "messaged you on the phone, you didn’t respond, you’re not alone…” and “why won’t you notice me” while looking very ready-to-go-out yet still in their room; were they expecting their crush to call to make plans? To many the question feels inevitable - how do you get your crush’s attention, or rather, an audience? The concept for the video is both aesthetic and functional, as Klypi and fellow artist Rian Archer created the look, feel, and dialogue for Klypi’s Notice You Hotline: yes, you can call (or text) 1-(347) 7NO-TICE and be able to share your story of trying-to-get-that-hottie-to-notice-you, and if it was an epic fail or a sound success. Klypi intends to keep this active line for callers, texters, and anyone else who wants to talk. And last, Klypi dawns a set of custom hair clips, which they are selling a short run of. Get them before they are never made again.

IG & Twitter: @klypi__​
TikTok: @klypi
klypi.bandcamp.com​
facebook.com/klypi

Photo, styling, and makeup by Rian Archer

   Mini Trees is the solo musical project of the Southern California born and Los Angeles based songwriter Lexi Vega. In celebration of the announcement of releasing her debut album under Run For Cover Records later this year, Mini Trees releases her new track titled, "Spring".
   Lexi shares, “Spring' is meant to be somewhat of a lighthearted love song about growing old with someone. It confesses contrasting feelings of both fear and security that come with being vulnerable and fully known by another person. The underlying message is one of hopefulness though, resolving with the choice to believe this person will remain a constant in my life despite the changing nature of everything else."

Twitter & IG: @minitreesband
facebook.com/minitreesband

   Despite being raised by two opera-singing parents, it was Rock and Roll that Negrini found solace in at a young age. She credits her older sister, Gina, for drilling the entire Beatles discography into her brain well before the 4th grade, jump starting an obsessive hunger for nostalgic, Poppy melodies. Negrini taught herself to play guitar at age 12, constantly writing lyrics in the margins of her school work when her teachers weren't looking. As a young teenager, she grew infatuated with 90's DIY culture and the music that surrounded it, attending countless shows at underground Los Angeles venue, The Smell. Negrini began performing as "Janelane" in 2013, quickly garnering attention for her pop hooks and shimmery guitars with profound, melancholic lyrics, landing her first gig at The Smell with the beloved LA noise band, No Age. 
   "Celebrity Crush" is the Pop-Rock anthem and first ever vinyl release by Los Angeles-born artist, Janelane. Described as a "witty songwriter with a gift for earworm melodies" by LA Weekly, Janelane's frontwoman, Sophie Negrini, professes her unrequited love for a man she meets between the pages of a magazine in her newest song. Engineered by Joey Oaxaca (White Reaper, Mamalarky) and featuring guest performances by members of White Reaper (Elektra Records) and No Win (Dangerbird), "Celebrity Crush" is a perfectly Pop whirlwind drenched in harmonies and guitar solos so sweet, you might get a toothache. 

IG: @janelanemusic
janelanemusic.com

   Blending organic instruments with silky vocals and uniquely candid lyricism, Seattle-born and raised artist, songwriter & producer, ALITA, is bringing the honesty back to today’s music scene. Taking influence from artists ranging from India, Arie to LEON, ALITA’s songs share personal stories of navigating young adulthood, feminism, love, and loss through her own unique lens. All of her music has one common thread: it encourages her listeners to be more introspective & honest with themselves, in a day and age when it’s much easier to scroll endlessly and ignore our intuition.
   ALITA’s new single pivots away from her previous “feel good” Pop anthems and catapults her into a new dimension of unabashed honesty. ALITA describes it as, “a song about resistance & self - discovery in the face of modern romance; it explores the implicit & explicit expectations placed on women throughout history. And how empowering it feels to set yourself free from carrying someone else’s emotions on your back”. The story starts with ALITA singing about a specific relationship that opened her eyes to the subconscious role she had stepped into of “mothering” her lover, and evolves into a tongue & cheek anthem for women everywhere. The production & writing go beyond modern genre lines, blending live strings with thick bass lines, Pop synths, and addictive melodies. “I’m Not Your Mother” is co-produced by ALITA & Zach Nicita (VERITE, Anne Marie, MS MR), and co-written by ALITA & Grammy - award-winning songwriter Jesse Saint John (Lizzo - Truth Hurts").

   New Zealand-based Pop duo Foley share their sophomore EP, "Vacation." Full of mesmerizing grooves, blissful Pop melodies, and infectious energy, the 5-track EP is a captivating journey from start to finish.
   As an overall concept, the "Vacation" EP is a mediation on what it means to escape from routine. Whether it’s a physical getaway or just being with someone who makes you feel at your best is up to the listener’s personal interpretation.
   Foley is the late night conversations, not-so-existential crises, and the genuinely unbreakable friendship of 20-somethings Ash Wallace and Gabriel Everett. Honest to a fault, Foley have quickly picked up a fanbase of young like-minded listeners for their confessions of love, loss and learning. With a sibling like closeness at their core, their transparency with each other and their audience makes for a hilarious, emotionally authentic and carefree relationship that will have you laughing and crying in the same breath. 

IG & Twitter: @wearefoley
facebook.com/wearefoley

   Today British songwriter Florence Arman releases a story about a friend that just dropped off the face of her world, appropriately named "Out of The Blue". Available everywhere via AWAL Recordings. The song shares its title with her upcoming EP out this Spring.
   Florence speaks in more detail about today’s release of Out Of The Blue, “Initially when I was writing ‘Out of the Blue’ I had a different singer in mind, but as I was writing the lyrics, they suddenly became quite personal. I told my brother about it and he said ‘You can keep the good songs for yourself too, you know’, so I did, and he then produced the song with filous. I sneakily wrote a lot of the lyrics during another session, where we were writing a different song. At the time I was having a hard time getting over a friendship that had ended in a very mysterious way. And in that session when we took a little break, I went to make myself a cup of tea in the studio kitchen and picked up a mug from the shelf that happened to have this friend’s name on it (not such a coincidence with hindsight, he has a pretty generic name). Then I had a little cry on the loo and wrote down a bunch of stuff I needed to get off my chest, and that became a large part of lyrics.“

IG: @florence.arman
Twitter: @florencearman
facebook.com/florencewastaken

Images provided by Marcella Ruiz Cruz

   "Inconvenient" is a brand new Neo-Soul release from 21 year old Emy Kabore hailing from Ghent, Belgium. EMY's voice carries the song through twinkle-y guitars, mesmerizing synth-breaks and booming bass riffs. Emy's unique voice pairs extremely well alongside her band who back her name. 'Inconvenient' is an impressive piece of contemporary Indie-Soul, produced by guitarist Brian Bogaert and Mathias Stal, and mixed by Tobie Speleman.
  The song was written to express the constant contradicting emotions and thoughts that originate while exploring love and intimacy. Confronted with the inevitable force of desire, EMY finds herself wandering in the never ending maze of the psyche where idealization, desillusion and confusion are repeatedly taking turns. The stunning music video which permeates the vision of the single so well, was directed by the artist herself.

IG: @emy__music
facebook.com/emybelgium

   Olivia Morreale debuts her second single, “PARASOMNIA,” from her forthcoming EP, SPACE DREAMS. “PARASOMNIA”  follows Olivia's previous single release of “NO ANSWER,” which was released in late January.
   “PARASOMNIA” creates incredible soundscapes within her production. Featuring beautiful vocal layering, magical synthesizers and a bubbly bass. They all tie together into a Synth-y Indie-Pop dream land. Inspired by the way in which subconscious thoughts and desires are unlocked through dreams, it was important to Olivia for the song to lyrically and sonically reflect the innermost psyche. “It sounds like a normal pop song until the breakdown/bridge, where it warps into a sort of nightmarish and dark space,” she writes. “We [Olivia and her co-collaborator, Eli Koskoff] let the idea of a nightmare and of the thoughts we can’t control be our guiding force during the production.”

IG: @olivia.morreale
Twitter: @olivia_morreale
oliviamorreale.com
Facebook

   stillblue releases melodious and romantic themed single, "Songs To Say Goodbye To". The song is a perfect one to unwind to, featuring a hypnotic lap-steel and Shoegaze-y vocals and guitar. stillblue is a Miami-based Indie Rock band comprised of Enrique Rosell (vocals & guitar), Sofia Soriano (vocals & guitar), and Daniel Estrada (piano/synth & lap-steel). The band pulls from a multitude of influences spanning from Folk to Indie Rock to Americana. The group found each other in the local Miami music scene after their past projects broke up. Now they share a love for sad songs, cathartic melodies, and a need to make music as honestly as possible.

IG: @stillblueband
Twitter: @stillblue_band
stillbluetheband.bandcamp.com

   Huron John follows up his single and music video release of “Arthur,” with hot off the press track, “Trapped In A Lava Lamp.” The brand new jammy single is reminiscent of the mid-2000's displaying essences of Pop-Rap and follows Indie themes. Huron's music video for the track executes the perfect vibe, alongside bright visuals and nostalgic VHS graphics [directed by Chase Denton and executive producer John Wallace Conradi]. “TIALL” is the 2nd track released off of his sophomore LP, Cartoon Therapy. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on Huron John this year for more.


​IG: @huronjohnny

Images by Chase Denton

   The New York City-based Bedroom Soul artist Tymie Tuesday releases the beautiful and completely refreshing single, "Golden". Encapsulating and stunning vocals from Tymie, the song features Indie musical outfit Surfliner providing the smooth instrumentals. The song completely sets the tone of your day, and gets us excited for the warmth of Spring on a Sunday morning.
   Tymie has been making music since before she can remember. She started sharing her music at the age of 17. Tymie explains, "Music has always been at the forefront of my life- I'm currently studying Music Business at NYU because of it. I attended an arts magnet before NYU, and grew up in the Dallas art scene, but upon moving to NYC have been heavily inspired by the city and it's creators."
   Her musical influences include artists all over the genre spectrum ranging from Alabama Shakes to Lorde. Right now, Tymie describes her music as a Bedroom/Indie Soul artist, but ultimately, just wants to create music that speaks to people, regardless of genre. 

IG & Twitter: @tymietuesday

   Lindsay Reamer is a Singer and Songwriter from Massachusetts, currently living in Philadelphia. Although Lindsay was raised by two musicians, she didn’t start writing her own music regularly until this past year. Equipped with the skills she taught herself on guitar at age 13 and childhood voice lessons from her grandmother, she steadily began recording the songs that would make up her first EP. 
   Lindsay Reamer's second single "Today" from her debut EP "Lucky" is out...today on Philadelphia-based Dear Life Records. Lucky is a fascinating document of a young musician finding her voice while drawing on the idiosyncratic approaches to pop found in Arthur Russell and R. Stevie Moore.  
   During April 2020 Lindsay began recording the EP. Recording was as new to her as songwriting, but she studied the production of her favorite records and learned as much as she could from Youtube and other musician friends. When the songs started taking shape, she enlisted the help of members of one her favorite bands, STIG. Artie Sadtler (bass), Ryan Stigmon (pedal steel), and Thomson Knoles (keys) helped complete the songs with their intuitive contributions. 

​IG: ​@lindsayreamer

   West Coast Indie Pop meets Gen-Z existential dread in the second output from newcomer Wallice. In a world of highlight reels, hustle culture, and collective burnout, the LA Singer-Songwriter's new single "23" emerges as a tongue-in-cheek contemplation on the urgency to come of age. “23” follows Wallice's debut track "Punching Bag" released in 2020, an instantly relatable Lo-Fi anthem on unrequited friendship. The track gained immediate support from the likes of Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 and Steve Lamacq on BBC6Music and top placement on Spotify’s ‘Lorem’ playlist, with the Sunday Times Culture calling it “An organ-drenched, Lo-fi Indie-Pop delight."
   Through a series of witty, self-effacing refrains, "23" oversees Wallice lament her life’s choices. She’s trapped somewhere between a premature nostalgic mourning for her youth - “tell me what is wrong with me, I miss my Ohio fake ID” - and delusions that turning a year older will bring her stability - “Maybe I’ll get married soon, and buy a house with three bedrooms, and settle down, and get a dog, and make my partner get a job.”  The tracks video encapsulates and reflects this feeling perfectly.

IG: @wallice
Twitter: @wallicew

Streaming now on Spotify and Apple Music!

   Nat Lee (she/they) is a queer, gender non-conforming, Asian-American solo artist that goes by the title of Manley. In true DIY nature, the project is entirely self-recorded and self-produced. Manley says, "My music is defined by soothing vocals, melodic guitar riffs, and heart-wrenching lyrics. I Picked My Scab and Now There’s a Scar is a confession of genuine ruminations and evocative of a friend crying on your shoulder. The somber, emotional Indie Rock sound is inspired by other modern-day queer/female Indie artists,"
For fans of artists such as Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, and Clairo.

IG: @whereismanley
Apple Music

Images from @jondelreal

​   Huron John is a self-taught songwriter, producer, and visual artist hailing from Chicago, Illinois. Born John Wallace Conradi–the young 21-year-old strives for a direct and personal connection to his audience. This output is accomplished by having hands on every step of the creative process: from all parts of song creation, to being the executive producer on all creative. Fusing a wide range of influence from artists he idolized growing up such as Daft Punk, Mac Miller and The Smashing Pumpkins John’s mix of sonic flavors is definitely something new for the internet age of music listeners. From the constraints of his basement studio John has amassed over 12 million streams worldwide. His last album was a major success -earning him the cover of Spotify’s coveted playlist Lorem, and placements on New Music Friday, Bedroom Pop, and POLLEN to name just a few. Apocalypse Wow also captured the likes of tastemakers such Lyrical Lemonade, EARMILK, Coup De Maine and also a feature on the Spotify For Artists Homepage.

IG: @huronjohnny

Image by Chase Denton

  London four-piece ISLAND return with their new single, Octopus out via Frenchkiss Records. Recorded in semi-locked down London last summer, ISLAND's new single sees the band relinquish their traditional self-production duties to collaborate with producer Mikko Gordon (Thom Yorke). The result is a single that sees the band experimenting with more complex production and introducing new textures, instrumentation and recording techniques to expand and further hone in on a sound that has been theirs since their inception. 
   Speaking about the single the band says, "'Octopus’ describes the feeling of looking back on rebellious teenage years from a time where an impulse to cause trouble has been replaced with new sentiments. It’s about the conflict felt as a musician between wanting to grow older and wiser and wanting to stay young, and it asks if we as a world are only interested in stories, and whether normality is something to be desired. A world in which you might be persuaded to change yourself to fit in, like an octopus changes color to adapt to its surroundings. The song ends by flirting with the idea of reverting back to old ways, and getting back to making trouble."

IG: @islandislandisland
Twitter: @islandbanduk
facebook.com/islandislandisland

Photo by Christian Cargill

   Chelsea Wolfe's fresh release with Emma Ruth Rundle has been teased up until the release, and it's the mystical and ethereal track of your dreams. 
 Chelsea Wolfe always been a conduit for a powerful energy, and while she has demonstrated a capacity to channel that somber beauty into a variety of forms, her gift as a songwriter is never more apparent than when she strips her songs down to a few key elements. Today she has released her gripping and reflective new single Anhedonia, which features guest vocals and guitar from label-mate Emma Ruth Rundle and was mixed by Ben Chisholm. Out everywhere via their label Sargent House.
   Chelsea shared, “I wrote Anhedonia after I experienced it during summer of 2019, then tucked the song away and moved forward with my acoustic album and subsequent North American tour. When COVID-19 hit and stay-at-home orders began in 2020, my European tour was canceled and I had to fly home. Restless, I started listening through my archives of unfinished songs and little unused ideas. When I heard Anhedonia again, it hit me how strangely relevant the lyrics felt to current times. I’d been wanting to work on a song with Emma for a long time, so I recorded it and sent it her way. She graciously added her gorgeous vocals and lead guitar, and then Ben mixed it, adding his signature sound landscape as a fortress around the song. As I listened back to the final version, I was finally able to set free those emotions which I couldn’t feel back in 2019. I had worries around releasing the song, not wanting to romanticize the condition of anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure), but I also understood that it could possibly be cathartic for others who are struggling, as it was for me, to sing and dance my way out of a depression.”
   Rundle adds, “I was moved to tears when she sent me Anhedonia, which made getting through the tracking very emotional and slow on my end. I love the way the guitars I tracked morphed in Ben's mix. The whole song swirls in a poignant eddy of sorrowful sound and still takes a hard swing at my heart hearing it now.”
 
IG: @cchelseawwolfe
Twitter: @cchelseawwolfe
chelseawolfe.net
facebook.com/cchelseawwolfe

Twitter: @EmmaRuthRundle
IG: @emmaruthrundle

Photo By Kristin Cofer