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Surf the 60s with Sheykh Forever’s Dreamy Indie Pop Hit, Run for Cover ft. Louella JC & Daniela

Posted on 23 December 2024

You can practically hear the 60s swinging through Sheykh Forever’s new single, Run for Cover, featuring Louella JC & Daniela. The earworm practically brims kaleidoscopic doo-wop bliss, which complements the endlessly ascending layered vocal harmonies that drift across the surf pop aesthetics.

Far from your run-of-the-mill attempt at sonic antiquity revivalism, Run for Cover is a slice of resonance wrapped within the consolation of nostalgia; when you melt into the oceanic breeze of the single, you become more than susceptible to the lyrical messaging which reaches out to life’s archetypes always seeking sanctuary. With romanticism nestled into the polished progressions, Run for Cover hits on every conceivable level.

Sheykh Forever is a self-described factory for infectious earworms, stationed somewhere between yesteryear and the distant future. By fusing disco, heavy rock, and hypnagogic indie pop, all slathered with a fat dose of booty-bouncing funk in their eclectic discography, they offer a musical palette that stands distinct in the modern pop scene.

Run for Cover exemplifies the enigmatic artist’s knack for bridging retro elements with contemporary commercial appeal; it opens up a whole new realm of melodic synergy as it grooves across the intersection of accessible pop and dreamy indie vibes.

Run for Cover was officially released on November 29th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cohen’s Protégé, Perla Batalla, is One of the Last True Chanteuses in ‘Awakened’

Posted on 23 December 2024

Between Grammy nods and praise from Leonard Cohen himself, there’s little doubt why Perla Batalla commands such esteem in the industry. Her most recent seminal single, Awakened, from the LP A Letter to Leonard Cohen, which was released on what would have been Cohen’s 90th birthday, proves she needs no coattails to ride upon. Cloaked in a sublime sense of grace, every note carries a cinematic magnetism that draws you into her soul-baring homage to the revered Canadian poet.

Batalla earned her prestigious industry stripes by touring and recording with Cohen for over a decade. Inspired by her upbringing in an immigrant household—an Afro-Mexican mariachi father and an Argentine mother who ran a record store—she developed a genre-blurring palette. In Awakened, her commanding voice glides alongside stirring melodies, reflecting the resilience that fuelled her return to the studio after a catastrophic hard-drive disappearance in Barcelona.

This release follows her first tribute, Bird on the Wire, which Cohen personally supported by attending sessions and contributing ideas. Dedicated to the late producer Hal Willner—known for orchestrating unorthodox musical collaborations—A Letter to Leonard Cohen also features Batalla’s two original compositions and includes special appearances such as Broadway luminary Patrick Page on Democracy, produced by the multi-Grammy Award-winning Mike Elizondo.

From sharing stages with Nick Cave and Rufus Wainwright to hosting sold-out shows worldwide, Batalla remains an essential interpreter of Cohen’s legacy, and Awakened resonates as pure melodic poetry from one of the last true chanteuses.

A Letter to Leonard Cohen is available to stream and purchase on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Discover more about Perla Batalla via the artist’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PRI// Talks Sonic Freedom, Narrative Albums, and What’s Coming in 2025 – An Exclusive Interview

Posted on 18 December 2024

In this exclusive interview with PRI//, the boundary-pushing artist reflects on a year of bold sonic narratives and lyrical honesty that’s set the tone for what’s to come in 2025. Known for leaning into instinctive creativity and crafting albums that feel thematically cohesive yet unshackled by convention, PRI// explores themes of solace, self-expression, and connection through music. With a glimpse into the upcoming releases and a promise to amplify the visual element alongside the sound, PRI// offers a candid look at the passion and process driving their artistry.

PRI//, welcome to A&R Factory! Thanks for the opportunity to connect with you as you close out a hyper-productive year! What’s been the highlight of 2024 for you?

So many highlights but I have really enjoyed creating my albums – bodies of work which have told complete narratives from start to finish. Not quite concept albums but almost. I’m thinking of Begging, Manufacture and Vagina Den Tata.

I’ve also enjoyed developing a bit more in the live setting on TikTok and leaning into the visual elements too. There are exciting things to come!

We love that you’re not afraid to go bold with your tracks and track titles; how does it feel to be so free through sonic expression? 

 I think it’s important to hold true to your instincts when you are an artist creating, you need to be aligned with that little voice inside and honour it, without trying to stifle it!

If you had to name one, what’s the main component which ties your eclectic discography together? 

I think the common thread is…me! Ha ha! People also seem to respond to the lyrics, and that is really great to hear. I want to create a body of work, a body of work that can help people, that can soothe them in times of distress and make them feel less alone.

Where do you typically find your lyrical inspiration? 

Everyday life. Or it can be something I read or watch. A line of dialogue will set me off. Or it can be something that someone says or the way someone looks. It can take me by surprise.

You’ve teased a string of upcoming releases in 2025; can you give us an inside view into what will be dropping onto the airwaves? 

There’s more stuff coming and I’ll be leaning into the visual element more. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s an exciting time!

How did these tracks come to fruition? 

I am spinning a lot of plates, so I try to use my time in a productive way but that also feels free and conducive to making something honest. So I like to have my instruments on hand and easily accessible to create when the spirit moves me

How do these singles tie into your broader ambitions? 

My main ambition is to create music that makes people feel less alone that is like a virtual hand, held out to give support. The artists I love have been like that for me.

Stream PRI// on Spotify.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Saasil on earth – 5:30: A Cosmic Neo-Soul Embodiment of Empowerment

Posted on 13 December 2024

Saasil on earth, the North West London neo-soul artist renowned for their otherworldly introspection-infused grooves, delivered a sonic salve for fractured hearts with her latest single, 5:30.

From the opening slick-with-remorse apologetic voicemail, she draws listeners into a narrative charged with unresolved tension. The track’s dual perspective, intimately painted by Saasil’s silky vocals and the tempting honeyed tones of a lothario, takes you straight into the discordance of a relationship that’s well past its breaking point. The seductive contemporary grooves, laced with organic textures and an empowering arcane quality, build a backdrop that is as evocative as it is rhythmically refined.

As the narrative unfolds, you’re caught in a vice-like grip of curiosity, aching for some sense of resolution. All too often, artists fail to paint in strokes as messy as reality, yet Saasil on earth captured the often chaotic nature of love in one of the most original RnB tracks of 2024.

With a flair for weaving cerebral emotional depth into ethereally luxe neo-soul aesthetics, the conduit of soul orchestrated a track that’s equal parts relatable and transcendent with her sensuously silky harmonies which resound as though they belong outside of our material world.

Stream 5:30 on Spotify now, and connect with Saasil on earth via Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Indie Pop Meets Folk Symphony: The Dynamic Contrasts of Woodstone’s ‘Touch of Adrenaline’

Posted on 13 December 2024
Woodstone

Woodstone, a rising indie pop singer-songwriter from New Jersey, offers an emotive glimpse into his forthcoming fourth LP with the release of ‘Touch of Adrenaline.’ The track captures the essence of early 2000s indie pop while throwing back a little further to 90s Britpop, evoking memories of Plain White T’s and stoking the nostalgia of Oasis while infusing his own raw, heartfelt style.

This intricately crafted track intertwines folk elements with chamber pop strings, allowing contrasting layers of ornate orchestration and winding folk guitar lines to showcase Woodstone’s skill in bending and blending texture and tone into affecting aural contours. Reflecting on the ephemeral nature of intense feelings, Woodstone demonstrates a sophisticated approach to scintillating the senses of his growing fanbase.

Woodstone Said:

“Touch of Adrenaline is about a relationship with an end date, with both parties knowing it will end, and the last fleeting moments being marked by intensified emotion. 

The single explores what it really means to truly feel and be present with someone you love for the last time while conveying an image of romance in the midst of a dystopian world. 

Like all songs on the upcoming concept album, it was inspired by a relationship that could have worked but wasn’t the right time, and life forced us to drift apart.”

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Touch of Adrenaline will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from December 13th, with Woodstone’s fourth album, Glass Skin, set to follow in early 2025.

Follow Woodstone on Instagram to stay up to date with all of his latest releases and news.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denim Dan sought sanctuary in his latest seminal 70s folk-rock single, ‘Circe’s Song (Save Me)’

Posted on 9 December 2024

With another album to round out the year, Denim Dan has served the airwaves once more with his tender harmonies, nostalgia-beckoning instrumentals and lyricism that always knows which emotive triggers to aim for.

As the standout single on Circe, the 70s-inspired orchestral folk-rock ballad, Circe’s Song (Save Me) exhibits Denim Dan at his most affecting; while he never comes in heavy-handed, the delicate ornate grace of this release allowed the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist to reach his diaphanous zenith.

The way the chamber orchestral strings pull against the steady rings of the acoustic guitar beneath Dan’s organically aching timbre ensures this plea for sanctuary resounds with raw humanist realism.

Between the reflections on existential plight and the poetic projections of a need to find a soul to bolster your own, everyone can find a fragment of themselves within Circe’s Song (Save Me); the lucky will meditate on the single with gratitude for kindred spirits and soul mates, while the lonely will find consolation that they’re never as alone in their alienation as they feel they are.

Stream Denim Dan’s latest album, Circe, in full on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JANAYAH – Sober: From the Bottom of the Bottle to Pop Supremacy

Posted on 5 December 2024

Artistry and addiction have been hand in toxic hand since the dawn of the music industry, yet few artists have been so candid about their relationship with the bottom of the bottle as JANAYAH in her latest single, Sober.

By revealing the myriad of reasons behind her desire to numb herself in the days of her misspent youth in the pop hit through her signature high-octane soul harmonies, JANAYAH exposed how the substance is rarely the problem for those struggling with addiction while acting as a conduit of consolation for anyone struggling to come to terms with their own tendency to hit the self-destruct button.

The balance of 80s pop aesthetics and pinches of contemporary pop ensures Sober stands as a timeless power pop ballad amongst the throwaway pop tracks which litter the airwaves.

As one of the most affecting icons of pop, the London-based artist is well on her way to scaling the charts with her ability to project pitch-perfect emotion through her vocal melodies while wearing her heart on her harmonies.

Sober was officially released on November 15th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jack Orlove’s Gospel of Peace’ Why We Fight?’ Ft the Santa Cruz Chapel Choir, Breaks the Silence Permitting Conflict

Posted on 1 December 2024

With a voice capable of commanding your heart, body, and soul into standing to attention, Jack Orlove’s hymnal triumph, Why We Fight?, delivers a sermon for peace that seduces the doors of perception wide open.

Featuring the Santa Cruz Chapel Choir, this introspectively transcendent anthem strips away any sense of reservation, replacing it with the sheer mesmerism of Orlove’s gruff-in-all-the-right-places, euphonic-in-the-rest vocal register. If anyone can challenge Hozier’s reign, it’s Orlove, whose tour de force transforms a plea for unity into gospel that transcends mere lyricism.

Born out of the uncertainty and brutality of modern times, Why We Fight? is a call to arms for pacifism, set against the stark reminder that for all our innovations, we are still plagued by the primal carnage of war.

The accompanying music video echoes these themes, offering a sobering reflection on how leadership and decisions can lead us astray from what truly matters. Orlove challenges us to choose love, peace, and understanding over division and struggle. With Why We Fight?, he stands poised at the vanguard of a revolution for unity.

Stream the official music video for Why We Fight, which has already racked up over 121k streams since its debut on November 7th, on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Caleya Black – Stay with Me: A Homecoming for the Soul

Posted on 30 November 2024

Love may be a hard emotion to put into words, but when Caleya Black weaved it into her organically seraphic single, Stay with Me, those four little words transformed into a universal language. The old-school soul instrumentals, complete with staccato guitars carving the contours of delicious groove pockets, cradle the singer-songwriter’s arcanely transcendent vocal register. Through her harmonies, the classic tones she touches transform into a timeless tonality, proving that soul music doesn’t need reinvention to feel relevant.

Black’s artistry harks back to an era when soul ruled the airwaves, as Urban Magazine noted about her breakout single Our Song. The Motown-inspired artist from New Jersey, steeped in gospel roots, knows how to craft music that defies trends. Her debut EP, Still Loves, and standout tracks like Go There and Love Come Down, have cemented her reputation as an artist who respects the legacy of soul while asserting her place within it.

In Stay with Me, the restraint in the instrumentation highlights Black’s command over her vocal expression. Every note feels deliberate, every harmony meticulously placed to pull listeners into the raw honesty of the lyrics. This is the kind of track that doesn’t demand attention but earns it with its authenticity, proving Caleya Black doesn’t just make soul music—she embodies it.

Stay with Me is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kendra Erika let her beats talk rhythmic anatomy in her latest EDM Pop earworm, Body Language

Posted on 30 November 2024

Kendra Erika’s latest hit ‘Body Language’ is a monumental dance-pop anthem that could easily hold its own among the illustrious hits of Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris. With its kinetic euphoria pulsing through every beat, this track is a masterclass in rhythmic anatomy.

The music escalates from shimmering disco-pop crescendos to deep, heart-thumping drops, creating vortexes of ecstasy as Erika’s harmonies weave through the meticulously polished layers of the track, binding seductive hooks with a vibrancy that resonates deep within the psyche.

The success of ‘Body Language’ is evidenced by its ascent to the number two spot on the iTunes Chart and the virality of its accompanying music video, which has amassed over a million views on YouTube. This achievement is punctuated by its rotation on MTV’s “Spankin’ New” Music Video Show, signalling Erika’s undeniable impact on the EDM scene.

Further solidifying her influence, Kendra Erika has secured a distribution deal with KDM Music, expanding her reach across 19 Asian territories. Collaborations with industry heavyweights like Ellis Miah, Marvin Buessau, and the GRAMMY-nominated DJ StoneBridge, who remixed the track, underscore her pivotal role in shaping the dance music landscape.

Body Language is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast