This week we have a crush on Dutch artist LUWTEN, with her latest EP release titled “Generations”!
Speaking on the process of creating her latest EP LUWTEN said, “During the making of Draft there was another story that surfaced. These songs belonged on a separate release: Generations. I feel a lot of comfort in zooming out and looking at the intergenerational processes underlying our times. To put things into context. These songs are inspired by generations, the past and the present. LUWTEN comes from a religious background that presented her with ideals that she felt caged her. This went against her nature and it was only when she let go of those ideals that she was able to flourish. With this EP, she’s taken inspiration from that time in her life to give us songs that challenge those beliefs. Discussing the track “Restless Before Bed”, “I wrote this song in my car while driving. I think this sums up what this song is about quite much. I feel that most of us, and my generation for sure, are quite distracted by effectiveness. We wake up feeling restless because we woke up too late. Every hour counts but for what exactly?” A similar theme is observed in her track “Nothing New''; a song about breaking patterns. Both songs feature sounds from different religions to illustrate the loss of a collective belief. “Generations” is another amazing exposition of LUWTEN’s introspective, deep thinking and unique vision. She continues to show us that she is an artist in every sense of the word!
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Returning with another deeply emotional, touching track, Sheldon Riley has just uncovered his latest single “AGAIN.” Influenced by the cinematic style of SIA and the dark modernism of FKA Twigs, this track sits well within the newly established, continued style Riley handed us in his previous single “Left Broken.”
Speaking on the track Sheldon said, “Again is about recognising self sabotage. I’m an artist who writes music about resolving pain, finding strength and confessing heart-ache. I wrote this song at a time where everything was going so great. I was working on myself, putting hurt behind me and found myself on a supported path where for the first time in a long time I felt a sense of control. It was at that moment that I realised I’m actually very uncomfortable living in my own happiness, almost like I felt guilt in feeling so happy. I recognised that as someone who has quite the history of being let down, I had created my own comfort in expecting things won’t go right and to never trust the possibility that happiness could be sustained." A powerful introspective piece, the track looks deep into his own self sabotage and torment, and consequently his inability to sustain happiness. Turning his own experience and introspective thoughts into hypnotic, brooding songs seems to be Sheldon’s strong suit. We can't wait to see where Sheldon Riley takes us next. 
Sydney based songstress Abbey Lane has released her debut indie pop single, “Hypnotised.”
Abbey maintains strong pop roots in the song, however she also incorporates stunning instrumentals that create a noticeably Australian indie pop aura, paired with songwriting inspired by Australian pop icons Vera Blue, Eves Karydas and Nicole Millar. “Hypnotised” expresses the idea of knowing someone so well, that you’re able to open yourself up to them emotionally and physically. It’s when you’re so close to someone that you’re able to let your guard down and be completely comfortable around them. “I started writing ‘Hypnotised’ since I really wanted to write a song with an anti-chorus, so the rest of the song was created around that idea. It took heaps of experimenting with different lyrics and melodies before I eventually found the one that I loved.” said Abbey. Abbey Lane is a 22 year old singer-songwriter from Sydney. Her indie electronic-pop sounds have been developed over 10 years of musicianship, influenced by artists such as Vera Blue, Charlotte Lawrence and Eves Karydas. Abbey has been evolving her craft, winning various national songwriting competitions since 2016. Over the past 3 years, she has been co-writing with acclaimed writers such as The Banton Brothers, Sycco, Yung Blu and Tenille Arts, as well as having her co-write picked up by the US National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators. She is also no stranger to the live music scene, having performed across NSW over the past 8 years featuring on lineups with Tyne JamesOrgan, Diesel, Polish Club and I Know Leopard. This catchy, confessional single is only the start of the releases Abbey Lane has lined up for the next year. We can’t wait to see how else she opens up to us! 
This week have been blessed by AURORA’s fresh new pop anthem “Give In To The Love”, a new soundscape for AURORA to experiment with, featuring her signature airy yet soaring vocals and dark pop inspired beats, this release is something new we haven’t heard from her before yet holds tones of nostalgia that make it impossible to not dance to as it builds up to an inspirational upbeat chorus with soaring vocals.
"I was thinking about Prometheus, and how he stole the fire to sculpt us - the humans.” Said AURORA on creating “Giving in to the Love”, “And how the human’s current obsession with beauty makes us forget and devalue the fire that rests within us. Our inner self, and the most important part." The Norwegian songstress is truly showcasing her remarkable versatility as an artist with this fresh pop anthem, an incredible follow up to her recent hit single “Cure For Me” and another taste of what’s to come with her fourth album release “The Gods We Can Touch” announced today via Glassnote Records. The perfect extension of her 2019 record “A Different Kind Of Human (Step II)”, “The Gods We Can Touch” elevates AURORA’s music to new heights. “The Gods We Can Touch” is an elegant and celestial but provocative album about shame, desire and morality, all seen through the narrative prism of Greek mythology. In each of the album’s fifteen songs we meet a different god. On “Exist For Love”, it’s Aphrodite, on “Cure For Me” it’s Panacea, on “Heathens” it’s Persephone and more to be released. Speaking on the inspiration for her upcoming album, AURORA notes "The Greeks had gods and goddesses for everything, For anxiety, for wine, for sex, one that was neither man nor woman… Long ago when this concept of gods and goddesses started they were more human, more relatable, and almost touchable. Most importantly, they had flaws." And it’s through those flaws — or perceived flaws — in even gods and goddesses that Aurora has been able to explore the redundant concept of shame. “In short, this album is a celebration of all the things we should never be ashamed of,” she adds. “A celebration of being human, and what makes us human.” Somewhere in the middle of it all we find are core values like instinct, empathy and a sense of adventure and exploration. We also find acceptance. Acceptance, in AURORA’s words, “of what makes us different." We couldn’t be more excited to hear what's next! 
This week we are crushing on the brilliant mind, skill and determination of Robert DeLong. American Indie, electronic artist has returned with another perfectly orchestrated single “Own Worst Enemy”, an introspective track.
Famous for his one man band philosophy, DeLong has poured his heart, soul and time into this one and the hard work has paid off. While touching on a vulnerable subject “Own Worst Enemy” remains sonically playful and upbeat. It’s a total party anthem. "’Own Worst Enemy’ is a song that was born of the idea that my greatest life battles are not from the outside world, but are internal. Self-doubt, procrastination, self-consciousness, over-consumption: these are the things I struggle with on the daily, and they are all a result of a dialogue in my own head.” Robert said “I wrote this song with K.Flay - she and I share certain perspectives and struggles, so she did an amazing job of helping me take these ideas and conceptualize them in lyrics and melodies. I took the song and produced it a dozen different ways - the process itself mirrored the content! I really wanted to capture a rock anthem through the lens of modern psyche-electronica, and was very happy to feature prominently my dad's old Ludwig drum set. Enjoy the ride! DeLong has been hitting milestones since the beginning of his career, through the thick of live performances across various stages including Coachella, hitting millions upon millions of streams and sharing headlines with big names Twenty One Pilots, Charli XCX, Bleachers and AJR, Robert has done it all. We can't wait to see where the DIY king will take us next. 
Gang of Youths have captured our hearts once again with the emotional single “the man himself”, from their latest EP total serene.
Frontman Dave Le’aupepe created this song to pay homage to his deceased father. “the man himself” takes us on a journey through Dave’s heart as he deals with this pain. He reflects on the impact their connection had on him and how he’s had to cope with no longer having him in his life. The combination of violin, atmospheric piano, and samples from field recordings of Indigenous Polynesian music create a mixture of grief and enlightenment that captures the experience of suffering through the loss of someone you love. Dave Le’aupepe commented, “If I ever have kids I’m not really sure how to raise them without my dad helping me out.” This year has brought a lot of success to Gang of Youths as they’ve made their comeback with an elevated sound; showing everyone they’ve still got it. “the man himself” is another installment that shows us the extent of their talent and depth that’s gotten them this far. 
Proving herself to be an indie-pop queen that’s not afraid of opening up, Taylor Janzen is back with her latest emotional single “Something Better”.
An introspective tune that’s a mixture of acoustic and pop elements, “Something Better” speaks on Taylor’s personal experience dealing with trauma. She gives us an insight as to how she’s felt and what she’s thought as her journey towards healing has progressed. On writing “Something Better,” Taylor said “I wrote Something Better about how our childhood experiences shape who we are as adults. Over the past year I’ve learned a lot about nurturing my inner child, hearing them out, making room for them. A lot of the things I struggle with now as an adult are patterns that started from generations before me, wounds that were never healed, born from people who never learned how to heal. This song is about wanting better for myself, tending to my fears and trying to find new healthy ways to exist.” Taylor Janzen has perfectly captured the emotions during the difficult path that is processing traumatic events from your life in a way that will resonate with her listeners. “Something Better” showcases her ability to use music as a means of healing and connection. 
Tommy Harris has finally indulged us with his EP Butterflies and Feels. Showcasing his range and talent, Tommy didn’t hold back on expressing all his feelings.
“Florence” reflects on the ups and downs of relationships, life changes, and the emotions that accompany them. On the flip side, “Broken” focuses on the aftermath of a breakup reminiscing on that love as Tommy opens up about his heartbreak. “Butterflies” uses a sweet acoustic melody to tell the tale of falling in love and making memories together. With a bit of a pop influence and echoing vocals, this one's an instant classic. “Die With U” has a groovy vibe and lively energy that makes it destined to be played at parties. Tommy channels the raw sentiments from an old relationship to fuel “Love for You”, but maintains listeners engaged with an upbeat piano. He makes it clear where he stands on that past love. Similarly, with “Night & Day”, he slows things down with a sincere guitar that carries his honest feelings. “The EP is all about the life experiences we all go through and how things in life start to change with ups and downs, relationships changing and both the happy and painful emotions that come with that,” said Tommy. “Butterflies & Feels represents my anxiety and nerves (‘Butterflies’) and the full range of emotions and pain (‘Feels’) that come with all these new feelings. Working with Taka Perry on the whole production of the EP was such a huge learning curve. He is such a legend and taught me so much about producing and songwriting and really mentored me through the whole release process.” Tommy Harris has been uncovering his style within the alt-pop space. He’s created his own pop fueled, danceable place while remaining introspective and sharp. 
Ben Gillies has won our hearts once again! This time with his latest irresistible single “Dangerous Distractions.”
Ben uses a catchy synth pop sound that’s driven by an energetic beat, mimicking the rush of a high stakes situation. In this case, one where you have to choose between feeding into an attraction you can’t deny or stepping away. With this unique sound, he takes listeners on a journey to experience all his feelings. Of the track, Ben Gillies said, “Dangerous Distractions is not one mood but many, and all of them part of the same grand adventure.” It opens with the fizz of discovery and attraction - the dangerous distractions - expressed through a subtle yet driving beat. This song portrays the push and pull of wanting and no wanting - of finding someone or something irresistible but wishing you didn’t - through the bop and swirl of immediately catchy synth pop that make the listener feel what the singer is going through, so that we hesitate then dive in right alongside him. “Dangerous Distractions” is the fourth teaser from Gillies’ upcoming EP, the relative relatives EP. Much like his previous releases, he’s proven his talent as an independent musician by creating an intricate song that draws from his personal and professional life. 
LUWTEN has given us a sneak peak of her upcoming EP with her latest single “Nothing New''!
Featuring sounds from different religions, the single speaks on the ideals found in the foundations of multiple faiths and how they contradict the nature of those who dare to think outside the box; like LUWTEN. “Nothing New'' is a song about breaking patterns, regarding things like tradition and religion that get passed on from generation to generation. Pointing out that it’s nothing new but posing the question of: can it change? Do we change? And if so, how do we do that? LUWTEN is using her voice to communicate her experience as someone who comes from a religious background and has challenged the beliefs she was presented with. With “Nothing New” she is not only sharing her point of view and thought process, but also connecting on a deeper level with her listeners who have lived through the same circumstances. |
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