New Track: Hearts In The Night – I.AM.Willow

Drawing influence from Kate Bush and Tori Amos, singer-songwriter I.AM.WILLOW reveals new single ‘Hearts in the Night’, following her recent release ‘Oceanful’.

Since her last appearance on NEW LEASE MUSIC, WILLOW has gained support from BBC Introducing, Q Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, and Time Out (Top 5 Rising Stars).

In 2009 WILLOW was nominated and won ‘Best Songwriter’ and ‘Best Female Artist’ at the Malta Music Awards, prompting her decision to move to England. The opportunities followed; from recording sessions with Grammy Award winning producer Steve Orchard, to appearances at festivals and venues such as Jazz Café, Bush Hall, The Royal Festival Hall and The Great Escape. She signed her first publishing deal with Fairwood Music, in 2013.

Over the past year, the alternative songstress has scored two No.1 album cuts in Spain (Ghost Town by Auryn and Head For The Stars by Sweet California), No.5 in South Africa (Elizma Theron), features with two of the biggest selling recording artists in Japan and China (Koda Kumi and China Lin Kailun respectively) and several song placements used in film trailers in the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany and China, including US TV show Chasing Life, and French film Boomerang.

WILLOW has also collected some famous fans along the way; legendary singer Annie Lennox offered her free studio time after hearing a private performance, and Sting booked her for his official after party during his Malta tour. She is the official co-writer on current pop hit ‘Daddy’, by Rotana. She now turns her focus to writing and releasing new material with an EP to follow later this year.

Listen to ‘Hearts In The Night.’

New Track: Love Me Like I’m Gone – Jaws of Love

Following the release of the stunning debut single, ‘Jaws Of Love’, Local Natives’ vocalist/pianist/songwriter, Kelcey Ayer makes a quick return with a touching love letter, ‘Love Me Like I’m Gone under his first side project, JAWS OF LOVE.

Featured in Will Arnett’s Netflix series ‘Flaked’, ‘Love Me Like I’m Gone.’ showcases Ayer’s heart-worn vocals lilting over fingerpicked acoustic guitar.

The latest single is the second release from debut album, ‘Tasha Sits Close to the Piano’ – named by Ayer’s wife about the couple’s dog Tasha – digitally on September 22nd, with its gatefold coloured vinyl release available in the UK on 3rd November via K-Rizzla/House Arrest.

 

Album Review: Meesh – Tunnel Traffic

It’s been some time (I think roughly a year and a half) since Adam Hachey, the brainchild of TUNNEL TRAFFIC, appeared on NEW LEASE MUSIC with his 2015 album, ‘Absolute Dreams’. Out of nowhere, this alternative folk-rocker recently emailed his new album, ‘Meesh, in which he produced while making his big shift to the City of Brotherly Love.

Unlike his previous collection, which was an atmospherically intense affair, ‘Meesh’ gets right down to it with bursts of zesty guitar licks through the first few tracks, ‘Lesson Learned’, ‘Pockets’ and ‘Anew’.

The psychedelic ride passes and makes way for a softer journey of lo-fi/new wave(ish) arrangements and the rich influence of that  70s inspired soulful rock, before turning up the tempo through efforts, ‘Maxwell’ and ‘All Day, Err Day.’

The latter part of the album is what I personally think is classic TRAFFIC TUNNEL. With the return of the zesty guitar plucks, the almost stripped back pieces becomes intense and personal, where you can not only hear, but FEEL every word uttered.

‘Meesh’ sees Adam comes out of his comfort zone and go down the experimentation route, which is great – but personally, he’s at his best when he perform songs that hone right into the soul.

Must Listens: Familiar, Slope Day, Mitch, Memorial

New Track: Hope – Aria

 

Living in London, hailing from Gloucester, with an Italian/Jamaican heritage, ARIA’s unique sound is an infectious dose of electronic pop laden with dreamy tones. Her previous release ‘Shot in the Dark’ was the perfect introduction for the singer-songwriter that sent her straight into the spotlight. The song amassed a surge of support from both streaming and blogs, followed by a remarkable live performance at The Garage in London.

Making a return with new self-penned single ‘Hope’, ARIA shows a more vulnerable side. She reaches the height of vocal limits with poise and ease, emerging with a colourful performance that creates remarkable pop thrills, resting on a bed of melancholic guitars and driving synth-bass lines.

ARIA’s propulsive pop qualities are adaptable and captivating. This is demonstrated in her EP set for release before the end of the year, which displays an eclectic mix of musical genres – spanning from electro-pop and soul to RnB.

You CANNOT miss out on this one…have a listen to this stunning single…

New Track: Stripping Season – Mizzle Money

MIZZLE MONEY has built his YenoMode brand up with success. With two back to back successful mixtapes with Been Outchea and FDM(Fuk Dey Mean), the hip-hop artist from Alabama drops a strip club anthem for the summer before releasing his upcoming album, ‘They Didn’t Believe Me’.