Browsing Tag

Indie Debut

Unca John has unveiled his obsession-worthy eccentric indie debut, How the Hell?

Posted on 4 July 2023

It isn’t every day we find tongue-in-cheek indie acts that leave our hearts in our throats with their affable aural antics, but notably, Unca John comes from a far more endearingly idiosyncratic kettle of fish than your average rock singer.

With vocal lines that will awaken your soul as sweetly as Nada Surf and The Weakerthans paired with razor-sharp songwriting chops and lyrics that you can start relating to from the first verse, Unca John’s debut single, How the Hell? is unforgettably phenomenal. I know exactly where I will turn the next time I need a heady dose of sonic serotonin.

In his own words (that will just make you fall in love with him even more)

I’m a middle-aged economics professor living in the Baltimore suburbs, with all the fashion sense and charisma you would expect from an economics professor. I’m an average singer at best. I can’t even play guitar or piano. So what am I doing here?

The answer is in the songs. I write in the classic style—get ready for catchy riffs, hooks, harmonies and acid-tongued wordplay. You’ll hear all that and more in my debut single, “How the Hell?”, and later this summer in my upcoming single “Your Opinion” and my debut album “Midlife Crisis Vanity Project.”

My influences include the Beatles, Who, Stones, Velvets, Steely Dan, Costello, Buzzcocks, XTC, REM, Nirvana and Pavement. These are the bands that formed my musical sensibility, so naturally my sound tends towards retro. Nevertheless, I am inspired by the recent resurgence of great rock songwriting by Car Seat Headrest, Alvvays, Brittany Howard, Mitski, Big Thief, Snail Mail. Soccer Mommy and many others.

Stream How the Hell? by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Holy Joe has made an eponymous indie debut and enriched Liverpool’s cultural tapestry once again after his THE DECEMBERISTS legacy.

Posted on 2 June 2023

After taking what was left of the city of Liverpool by storm after the Beatles tore through the cultural fabric of it in the 80s outfit, THE DECEMBERISTS (no, not the American band who coincidently go by the same moniker), the guitarist founded his new project, Holy Joe, to prove he still has what it takes to make an audience shake, rattle, and roll to the sound of his ingenuity.

In the wake of working fret magic in several revered indie bands, the integral part of the UK indie landscape has stepped to the centre of the stage and established himself as a stellar singer-songwriter in his own right with his self-titled single. The rambunctious record has all the making of a perfect indie-pop release and plenty more in its arsenal.

With the quintessentially affable air of Half-Man Half-Biscuit fused with melodies that will grip the nostalgia-loving senses of the La’s and the Seahorses fans, the single is rhythmic raconteurial earworm which leaves enough room in the indie tapestry for a nuanced Americana folk twang.

Stream the self-titled debut single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Giovan has made a haunting debut with ‘Listen to My Demons’ featuring Aria Chablis King.

Posted on 25 June 2021

‘Listen to My Demons’ is the hauntingly introspective debut single from LA alt-indie artist Giovan. The tender ballad pulls in neo-classic nuances that run right alongside contemporary, artful styling that we hope will become synonymous with the Guatemalan-American singer-songwriter’s sound.

Listen to My Demons is easily the best duet released since Alex Cameron’s collaboration with Angel Olsen. Aria Chablis King’s quiescently vulnerable vocals bring an intense depth to the release. You won’t get much choice when it comes to falling into the pensive command of the release that is constructed with intricate piano progressions and layered vocals that conceptually never harmonise.

Giovan orchestrates music to help pull people through the hardest times in their lives; it is safe to say he succeeded in his debut. The way he brings beauty to the raw and alienating concept of your demons being your only friends amplifies the signal that you are never alone in your loneliness. Our superficial reality practically enforces it. Naturally, we can’t wait to hear what he has in store for his sophomore release.

Listen to My Demons will officially release on June 25th; you can check it out for yourselves via Spotify or Giovan’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Junebug delivers meditative empowerment in her debut indie-pop single, ‘cut you loose’,

Posted on 6 May 2021

If you’ve been putting off severing toxic ties, the debut melodic indie-pop offering, ‘cut you loose’ from up and coming Cambridge, MA-hailing artist Junebug offers plenty of extra incentives with a stunning melding of easy guitar chords and playful synths.

There’s intrinsic innocence to cut you loose. Usually, tracks in the same vain spin the same archetypal, spiteful, ‘better off without you’ narrative. Yet, cut you loose is meditative in the way it reminds you that you’re worthy of inner peace with the cool choral tones.

Any fans of Kate Nash and Big Thief will appreciate Junebug’s airy yet ardent style which is heavily inspired by Joni Mitchell and Laura Marling, paired with her conversationally narrative lyrics that bring her voice as a queer artist into the conversation.

cut you loose was created in collaboration with instrumentalist Chris Howat, who added more depth to the cathartically connectable single that was written, recorded and mixed by Junebug (AKA Carolyn Fahrner) who has been part of the intrinsic fabric of the Boston music scene prior to her Junebug debut.

With her debut EP, ‘Turncoat’, in the works, which promises to be her most vulnerable material yet while exploring queer experiences and growing pains, Junebug is well worth a spot on your radar.

cut you loose is now available to stream via Spotify.

Connect with Junebug via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast