Browsing Tag

Pop Singer Songwriter

Joseph Trem explored the darkness the mind can conjure while creating a moment of connection in ‘Ruminations’

Posted on 25 November 2023

Joseph Trem’s latest single, Ruminations, is a masterful exploration of the darkness the human psyche can harbour, delving deep into the agonising feeling of invisibility and the fear that even if you were to fade away into less than a spectre, your absence wouldn’t be noted nevertheless mourned.

The heart-wrenching reality of feeling worthless is a sentiment that, unfortunately, is all too universal for people battling with depression. Trem did so much more than vent his emotions with Ruminations; he extended validation to anyone who can relate. To amplify the earnest sincerity of the release, the track is anchored by striking piano keys, each note resonating with a sense of pensiveness around his rich and emotive voice which weaves through melodies to draw listeners into an exposition of vulnerable introspection.

The moment of connection within Ruminations positions Joseph Trem as one of the most promising names on the indie-pop scene. His sound, reminiscent of John Legend in ‘All of Me,’ is both haunting and beautiful, filled with a raw honesty that is rare in today’s music landscape. As we look towards 2024, Trem is undoubtedly an artist to watch.

The official lyric video for Ruminations premiered on November 17; watch it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jake Speikers captured a daydream of longing with his 80s-swathed new wave single, Nostalgic.

Posted on 17 November 2023

With music fans clinging to nostalgia like there’s no tomorrow, the Minnesota singer-songwriter Jake Speikers has shown them the future of 80s-integrated pop with his choral dream of a new wave single, Nostalgic.

With Phil Collin-esque drum fills punctuating the dreamy atmosphere of the release which finds the middle ground between The Midnight and Cigarettes After Sex, the nostalgic pop wheel wasn’t reinvented, but it was creatively reimagined in this impassioned earworm that captures a daydream of longing in panoramic picture that you’ll want to expose yourself to time after time.

If you can’t get enough of the DIY pop artist’s achingly sweet sonic signature, you won’t have long to wait for the release of his debut, which traverses his experiences of coming out, heartache and coming of age. We’re already invested.

Nostalgic will hit the airwaves on November 17; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skinny G Radio’s latest hit ‘Whatcha Gonna Do?’ is a euphoric indie earworm worth tuning in for.

Posted on 10 November 2023

Skinny G Radio rode their authentic indie pop signature across the cosmos in the latest exuberantly sweet hit, Whatcha Gonna Do? The sugared-with-uninhibited passion vocal lines run in parallel to the experimental instrumentals which dabble in 80s new wave nostalgia while carrying the histrionic flair of a polyphonic pop opera. It is impossible not to get swept up by the soul in this loved-up hit that is potent enough to give even the most melancholic nihilists lust for life.

By taking influence from Billy Joel, Mark Ronson, and John Mayer and always staying true to his own rapturously distinctive style, the Connecticut-born & raised LA-based songwriter, producer, and performer is an unforgettable indie pop icon who is set to make major waves with the release of his sophomore LP, The Heightening, which is due for release in 2024. Whatcha Gonna Do is just a taste of what the rest of the presumably infectiously hook-y album will deliver.

Whatcha Gonna Do is due for release on November 10th; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rukudzo called time in her fiery pop hit, Big Things

Posted on 6 November 2023
https://soundcloud.com/officialrukudzo/big-things/s-JAxKBcm0i5R?si=93386f371a984dd49ab5fd05eeee9c87&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The Hertfordshire, UK singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rukudzo exhibited what a perfect pop hit should sound like in 2023 with her latest hook-rife and soul-lavished single, Big Things, which allows indie guitars to weave an intricate melodic tapestry across the lush layers of reverb and the Afrobeat rhythms that give the genre-fluid track a solid backbeat.

The sonic ingenuity, which also leaves room for Rukudzo’s signature rock attitude, is only matched by the poignant lyrical message which unravels as a fiery vignette of a depiction of the necessity of knowing when to be forbearing in a relationship and when to draw the line and call time.

In every conceivable way, Rukudzo made an unforgettable impression with Big Things. You’ll be humming the melody for days and revelling in the introspection for even longer.

Big Things will drop on November 3rd, stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robin Ashcroft rocked the pop beat in her latest electrifying vindicative earworm LIAR

Posted on 2 November 2023

Radio DJs will be lining up to add LIAR to their A-lists; the hook-proliferated hit which demonstrates Robin Ashcroft’s flawless command over her dynamic vocal lines with the enliveningly immersive atmosphere of the track will resonate in your heart, soul, and rhythmic pulses.

After an intro that will pull you in as forcefully as the prelude to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Maps’ or Toxic Airborne Event’s ‘Sometime around Midnight’ the track veers into a pulsating electro-pop anthem with glistening guitars and a backbeat so strong it makes this earworm a heavyweight champion.

Those soaring with soul vocal lines and the vindicating energy of the release that will bring waves of catharsis to anyone feeling frustratedly naive for believing the fallacies that gaslighters can’t help but spin is the perfect introduction to one of Scotland’s most promising solo powerhouses.

LIAR will drip scorn onto the airwaves on November 2nd; check out the official lyric video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Anike stylised the archetypal perennial pop earworm in her sophomore release, Victorious

Posted on 30 October 2023

Following the success of her debut single, Beautiful Fate, the unforgettable electro-pop originator Anike took a year to hone her sound and sharpen her sonic signature before unleashing her superlatively stylised sophomore earworm, Victorious.

With as much experimentation in her sound as Warpaint, Cherry Glazerr, and Blonde Redhead fused with a sticky-sweet bubblegum pop sensibility, Victorious bridges the gap between two pop worlds with her synth-carved melodies and rhythmically arresting progressions. The track is an overpass you’ll want to revisit time after time for the feel-good factor which has all the euphoria of a guilty pleasure and all the gravitas of an artful pop-hooked Tour De Force.

Victorious was officially released on October 20; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Angel Sinclair came of ‘Strange Age’ in her ethereal alt-indie pop sophomore release

Posted on 27 October 2023

After coming in all melodic guns blazing in her debut release, Soldier, the Canadian alt-indie-pop singer-songwriter Angel Sinclair invited us into an ethereal realm with her sophomore single, Strange Age.

Capturing the disorientating surrealism of coming of age and feeling alien within your own skin better than Brett Easton Ellis’ novel Less Than Zero within a soundscape which carries reminiscences to the artfully quiescent air within singles from Lucy Dacus, Soccer Mommy and Torres, Angel Sinclair effortlessly succeeded in her mission to envelop you in an intimately raw atmosphere where confessionalism spills around the accordance.

She may not have reinvented the wheel with Strange Age, but she asserted her mainstream appeal in the contextually tumultuous release all the same. Angel Olsen may want to watch out, there’s another Angel reigning supreme.

Strange Age was officially released on October 13: stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Clear the cobwebs of contempt with Laura Musgrave’s pop-rock hit, Rent Free

Posted on 22 October 2023

As rock ‘n’ roll as Joan Jett, as infectious as Taylor Momsen, as authentically captivating as conceivably possible, Laura Musgrave has the talent, charisma and songwriting chops to put the music industry at her feet after she released her latest single, Rent Free.

The track efficaciously alludes to how cutting ties with someone is only the first stage of letting go, making sure that they’re no longer living rent-free inside your mind and unshackling yourself from the anger which only serves to hurt you is a far harder feat. With this electrifyingly unforgettable track on your playlists, you’ll find all the motivation you need to clear the cobwebs of contempt.

We can’t wait to hear the latest installation of confessional guitar-driven pop-rock from the award-winning artist who picked up the International Female Singer of the Year award at the 2023 International Singer Songwriter Association Awards in Atlanta.

Rent Free was officially released on October 13; get your kicks from it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jennifer Jess conjured reclamation in her dark-pop hit, Dark of Night

Posted on 19 October 2023

For her latest single, Dark of Night, the Atlanta, Georgia singer-songwriter Jennifer Jess artfully darkened her pop signature to deliver the ultimate aural reclamation of power. Anyone who has experienced losing themselves in a relationship, which proves that no monster can match the insidiousness of a narcissist, will find fistfuls of resonance within Dark of Night.

The cinematic synthesis of hammering ballad-esque piano keys and the turbulence of the electronic aesthetics, which push Jess’ sound far beyond the contemporary curve, created an arresting platform for her vocals that switch between sultry allure to gravely to strident and back again to deliver an authentically well-rounded hit.

After racking up over 1 million streams on Spotify alone and amassing an engaged audience of 18,000 on Twitch TV with her live pop performances, Jennifer Jess is rightly reigning supreme with her captivating song crafting and vocal range that lingers within the angel-devil dichotomy.

Dark of Night was officially released on October 13; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brighton’s sharpest lyrical narrator, Francesca Morris, lamented deception in her indie-pop hit, Where’d You Go?

Posted on 16 October 2023

Brighton’s sharpest lyricist, Francesca Morris, has unleashed her sophomore single, Where’d You Go, which achieves the impossible by capturing the ephemeral idea of a lothario intent on deceiving his way into the sheets and the hearts he will inevitably break.

The sentiments may be raw, but tonally, the indie pop track couldn’t be sweeter. The synthy new wave-esque instrumental hooks around the magnetism in Morris’ rich vocal register which borders on the realm of the ethereal converge to create a track that you will want to sing from the top of your lungs and carry with you in your darkest moments.

Deception-lamenting tracks may not be new to the airwaves, but with lines as striking as “Did you get me just for the sport, you’re not anything I thought”, it may as well be. Every verse is a revelation, which leaves you desperate for the next installation from the artist who pulls inspiration from Lizzy McAlpine, JP Saxe, Gracie Abrams, and Dodie.

Where’d You Go was officially released on October 6th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast