Following his appearance on the blog with track ‘Girlplay’ last June, R&B smooth bad boy BRANDON RIVERS is back with his latest single ‘Delete My Number’.
Speaking of the release, the 23-year-old singer/songwriter says: “Delete My Number was written about the notion of ‘ghosting’ and the role it seems to play in attempting to form relationships within my generation. Like all my music, it was written from an autobiographical perspective. I think it’s now a normality that if someone is removed from your life completely from any social platforms, they are no longer a part of your life at all, how I used this track to translate this idea is through its imagery, using race, jealousy and fairly obscure references to William Blake, Byron, Richey Edwards and even Usain Bolt to convey theconcept that it’s easier to get over someone by removing them completely from your life, as sad as that may be.”
Brandon has already been heralded by BBC Introducing as “One To watch” with his blend of ‘after-dark pop’ which have seen him grace the stages of Bestival and Victorious Festivals, building a loyal fanbase by performing at venues across the UK.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Brandon thrives on being different. Being alternative was something instilled at birth for Rivers, being a mixed-race kid from the New Forest on the South Coast of England. Growing up on 90’s R&B and House mixtapes along with early 00’s Indie, Brandon began making music from a young age. His unique mix of Trap, Pop and Alternative R&B has drawn comparisons to artists such as Drake and Ariana Grande.
This promising hot property has a packed schedule for 2020, with ‘Delete My Number’ the first of many releases, with a number of festival slots of be announced shortly.
As regional rappers rise up through the barracks of UK music, LIL SAGO is the first to make his debut from the most northern city in England, Carlisle. Teaming up with Risky Roadz for the video release, ‘Taught Him A Lesson’ comes with a burly trap beat and a straight-talking northern accent that is set to shift the spotlight on to the previously untapped scene.
Growing up through the Channel U era and taking inspiration from the raw, vibrant D.I.Y music scene, Lil Sago tucked himself away in the forgotten corners of the north west and invented himself as a bedroom musician. Self-taught through experience and his careful analysis of his favorite musicians, he soon learnt to rap and produce his own records, gaining confidence along the way. Breaking away from the typical career avenues around him, Lil Sago has battled a number of obstacles and negativities to remain focused on his craft. ‘Taught Him A Lesson’ is an ode to the negativity and a reminder that his own passion and progress is paying off.
Building his own repertoire and learning how to self-release, Lil Sago has previously dropped ‘Homer’ with Manchester producer BeatsByAce, self-produced ‘Drippin’ and a seven-track album ‘Real Talk’, an intermixture of Hip Hop, Grime, Trap and Drill. A huge fan and contributor to the scene, he regularly hosts and performs across the county of Cumbria where he’s not only gained a loyal following but also helped build a thriving live scene.
A pioneer of British Black Music from one of the farthest corners of the country, it’s time to keep watch on Lil Sago as he teaches us all a lesson…
Originally hailing from Winchester (Hampshire), DJ/producer in Tom Guyer – aka TOM ONE – usually deals with house/dance music – but for his latest single, ‘Hey’, he switches direction and teams up with New Zealand born/East London based singer Lauren May for a carefree and laid-back vibe.
With the piano providing the platform for a classical soulful/jazz feel, the latest effort is enhanced by 27-year old May’s sultry vocal performance – arguably a cross between Amy Winehouse and Jorja Smith.
Tom One has built a name for himself for playing across the country, including his residency spot at Royal Holloway Univeristy’s Student Union, as well as supporting artists such as Chase & Status, Sigma and Becky Hill.
Released yesterday (27th January), ‘Hey’ is available on all download/streaming sites. Have a listen to the stunning single below…
Canadian singer/songwriter DORIAN THORSON should be on your radar for 2020. His debut album, ‘The Come Up’, released last October, claimed the blog’s Album of the Week title for two consecutive weeks last month and went on to claim the number five spot on NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Albums of 2019 list.
NEW LEASE MUSIC has linked up with the newcomer-on-the-rise to discuss the album, his plans for 2020 and more…
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How’s 2020 treating you so far?
DT: Well thank you for asking me to be a part of it. So far, the year has been great! I was able to play on the biggest stage in my home city (Saskatoon) to end 2019 and two of my featured collaborations have been released already this month. It’s been a great start.
NLM: You released your album ‘The Come Up’ last year (which secured a well-deserved place at #5 on New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2019). Have you received other accolades on the album?
DT: That was a highlight for 2019 for sure. So far, “The Come Up” has gotten some coverage on a few blogs across the world. Your blog certainly showed it the most love up to this point. The biggest milestone from its release was when “Flex” achieved over 100 thousand streams over all platforms.
NLM: What inspired you to produce the album?
DT: I’ve been striving to be a professional musician since I was 13. Early on I was fortunate to be a part of a record label, but that experience was cut short before any real ground was covered. This album holds most of my story from then (2012) until now. The biggest challenge was doing everything myself in the production.
On another note, when you reviewed it back in December, I was really pleased to see you caught on to the “stages of a relationship” concept. My intention was to make a series of singles tell the events that brought me to this point of my life and career.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
DT: My personal favourite is “Better.” Even though the hook from “Done” was the first melody conceived for the whole project, “Better” was the first song completed for the project. The voice recording in the middle of the track was a cool story. I’ve just finished recording most of the song and I send my brother-in-law a clip on snapchat. He called me immediately and what you hear in the voice memo was the phone call. That song signified a change in my style, something really shifted after that song was made. Of course, It’s important to keep growing but it was a big step in the right direction.
NLM: Do you have any plans to release a video for any of the songs on the album?
DT: There are two out already actually. One for the first single “Trust Issues” and one for “Flex.” They are on my YouTube channel.
NLM: So how would you describe your sound to potential fans?
DT: I haven’t really figured that out myself yet, haha. Truth is I don’t really sound like anyone else. I’m heavily inspired by early Mike Posner (when he was a Hip-Hop singer), the pre-pop star version of The Weeknd, Drake, and Ne-Yo. Some compare my style to Tory Lanez because I fit right in the middle of Rnb and Rap, but at the end of the day I’m just my own thing, “Dorian Thorson.”
NLM: If you had the chance to collaborate with ONE mainstream artist on the album, who would it be?
DT: Drake feature would fit perfect.
NLM: If you had three wishes to change the music industry today, what would they be?
DT: I’m just enjoying the ride and thankful I can get paid to do what I love to do, so nothing on the industry’s part. When it comes to the people that I’ve run into outside of the industry, I wish they weren’t such haters. It’s funny how some will congratulate you when you’ve become successful, but their blood leaves their face at the same time. That’s when you know they’re hoping for you fail. I’d say that would be the one thing that I’d like to change. Everyone be more supportive, man! That hater shit is whack.
NLM: How can potential fans contact you?
DT: You can find my music on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Tidal, Deezer, and all by searching “Dorian Thorson.” If you want to contact me, Instagram is best. I’m on Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tiktok via @dorianthorson. Twitter is a bit different at @dorthorson.
NLM: Finally, any New Year’s resolution(s)?
DT: I was hoping to take a break from making music for a while, but now I find myself busier than I’ve ever been. I’m just going to be consistent with giving my followers new music and hope to grow the following worldwide. On a personal note, I’m looking to get my physical and mental health back in order.
Having topped the UK charts and performed on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ before having released his debut album, ‘Good Things Come To Those Who Don’t Wait’, JOSH KUMRA suddenly found himself with a major record deal and under pressure to capitalise on the sudden exposure brought by his collaboration with Wretch 32 on ‘Don’t Go’. The single shot straight to #1 in the UK upon its release.
Most would assume this is the definition of ‘making it’ as a musician, but for Josh the unexpected publicity meant losing the original idea of ‘writing music from the heart’. He went on to admit: “Instead of having the time to perfect songs that reflected my life experiences and create an honest album, like I’ve always imagined, I felt vulnerable and lost against the many opinions and expectations from people around me”.
Stepping away from the rat race, Josh circles back to his true self to produce and record his latest single, ‘Stubborn Love’ a raw and honest piece which reflects the struggle of dedicating yourself to something for all the wrong reasons.
Available now on all download/streaming sites, ‘Stubborn Love’ is the first release Josh’s upcoming EP, ‘Pull Me Back In’ – slated for release in April.
Get the first taste of the EP and have a listen to ‘Stubborn Love’ below…
Following his appearance on the blog with track ‘Girlplay’ last June, R&B smooth bad boy BRANDON RIVERS is back with his latest single ‘Delete My Number’.
