Owner of NEW LEASE MUSIC blog, which showcases the latest releases from indie and unsigned artists, and NEW LEASE MUSIC PROMOTIONS, which promotes indie/unsigned artists via blogs/magazines, radio, independent and Spotify playlists
When THEO TAMS wrote single ‘Quit U Love’, he was at the height of his alcohol addiction.
He said about his experience: “Drinking constantly, I reached a moment of clarity where I started to see my addiction for what it was – an abusive relationship that I just didn’t know how to leave.
The next morning, I woke up early, packed my laptop and microphone, then walked to a lookout point on a hill where you can see for miles. I chose to record the demo at this spot – a place where I could see into the distance – because so many areas of my life felt like they had come to a standstill.“
‘Quit U Love’ is taken from Theo’s EP, ‘Trilogy II’, a collection of songs that are each unapologetically him.
Have a listen to his steady journey into sobriety below…
Singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist CAUTIOUS CLAY‘s track, ‘Strange Love’, featuring rising Chicago rapper Saba, is about the push and pull of identity in late capitalism.
Cautious explains further. “We’re constantly told we need x, y or z to let the world know who we are, inundated with information about what the latest and greatest and coolest is. I love fashion and clothes and putting them together to telegraph myself to the world, but sometimes it’s hard to separate what I like from what I’m being told to like. I think it’s a struggle lots of people can relate to.”
The smooth R&B/pop banger is taken from his long-awaited debut album, ‘Deadpan Love’ – out now independently via The Orchard – includes previously released singles ‘Wildfire’, ‘Karma & Friends,’ ‘Roots,’ ‘Dying In The Subtlety,’ and ‘Agreeable,’ and wraps influences from R&B, hip hop and indie pop in Cautious’ trademark sophisticated songwriting and jazz- and blues-inflected instrumentation. The album finds Cautious collaborating with a host of notable co-writers for Deadpan Love including Tobias Jesso Jr. (Adele, HAIM), Jim-E Stack (Caroline Polachek, Empress Of), Daniel Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, FINNEAS), Jesse Shatkin (Sia, Kelly Clarkson), Ammar Malik (Maroon 5, Halsey) and Sir Nolan (Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez).
Since the release of his breakout debut single ‘Cold War’ three years ago, the 28-year-old has been on a whirlwind ride. He’s released three EPs—Table of Context, RESONANCE, and debut Blood Type—that have earned critical praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR, TIME, Complex and many more. His songs have soundtracked key scenes in films like Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and TV shows like Issa Rae’s “Insecure” and Selena Gomez’s “13 Reasons Why.”
JESSICA WILDE lands a surprise A/B side release, ‘Cruel P2’/ ‘Drugs Don’t Work’, as a 2nd part to her latest single ‘Cruel’ which landed her a feature on the official UK ‘Pride’ Spotify Playlist.
‘Cruel’ see’s Wilde delving back into a relationship that enabled her to come out as bisexual but also led her into addiction – a subject she’s tackling on her debut forthcoming album.
‘Drug’s Don’t work’ dives deeper into this toxic love story, a brutally honest description of what went down and how a relationship was controlled by addiction. This song takes on a raw, stripped back sound with gritty guitars and Wilde’s rap to tell the story, ‘When the Drugs don’t work, we just get hurt’.
The track comes with a one take visual, Wilde boldly telling the story to camera as she walks through the streets with onlookers caught off guard as she belts out the lyrics.
‘Cruel P2’, keeps the original ‘Cruel’ beat produced by Jay Nebula and Grammy award winning producer Kiris Houston (The Disciples, Little Mix). It embodies a summer haze 90’s classic hip hop and R&B vibe, layered with Jessica’s sultry, pleading vocals. This version has a twist, on the second verse we hear rising RnB star Laville who has collaborated with the likes of Big Narstie, Foreign Beggars, opened the O2 stage for John Legend and racked up over 500,000 streams for his latest album ‘The Wanderer’. His powerful and soulful vocals intwined with Wilde’s silky tones take the track into a whole new world.
Coming off the back of impressive Double A side release explicitly titled ‘Wasted’ / ‘F*ck U I’m Sober Now’, ’Body’ and ‘Cruel’, all part of her forthcoming album, a ride through mad parties, drunken nights, toxic relationships, love, regret, self-loathing, self-empowerment, self-love and going sober. Wilde opens a doorway into her past, returning full circle to her South London roots.
Time to check out Wilde’s Double A side release below…
Canadian singer/songwriter SEYBLU wrote ’26:06′, in anticipation of reuniting with her partner.
She says of the single: “When the first lockdown hit last year, I was living in London. Suddenly, I had to fly back to Canada, fearing the borders would close and I would be unable to return home.
I quarantined for two weeks upon my arrival, counting down the final 26 hours and 6 minutes until we could see each other.”
Oozing a smooth fusion of soulful R&B and jazz, ’26:06′ is the second single from Seyblu’s EP, Silk Sessions, released last Friday (25th June). Have a peek at the official video music video below…
Ahead of his highly anticipated Soul Merchant EP Today, Edmonton rapper ARLO MAVERICK unveils another track from the EP titled ‘Tap It’, a soca-inflected observation on the pursuit for generational wealth and security.
Directed by Maverick, the accompanied video revolves around a young woman from an immigrant family who disrupts the path expected of her to gain more social status. After moving to a new city for higher education, she loses focus and gets caught up in the party scene. Her father works hard to create opportunities for his daughter, as does her fiancé to ensure a better future for their own prospective family. In return, she racks up her father’s credit card without any concern for his debt, manipulates her fiancé back home to fund her lifestyle while meeting others on dating sites, and surrounds herself around other entitled people that encourage her behaviour.
A comment on socioeconomic mobility and narcissism as a social epidemic, the track is a chopped and mixed stew of soca, reggae, electro and hip-hop, elevated by vocalist Oozeela who brings his own Dominican roots to the song.
‘Tap It’ follows Soul Merchant’s lead single, ‘Hashtag,’ a song of protest about racial profiling and police brutality, which drew attention from Exclaim, CBC Radio, The Strombo Show, and CKUA Radio, among others. The EP explores the rapper’s personal reflections on the current state of the world, weaving brainy wit into his wordplay and an amalgam of influences. As with all Maverick releases, each track on the EP comes with a message to spark further conversation.
The Soul Merchant EP arrives on all streaming platforms on next Friday, 9th July…but for now, check out the video for ‘Tap It’
