Since the release of her 2016 EP, ‘Neo Nostalgia’, ALLANA VERDE has been on a steady rise, gaining support from the likes of Trevor Nelson, DJ Target, Complex and i-D. Continuing the climb, the London R&B singer unveiled her brand new EP entitled ‘Broken Records’ earlier this month.
An afterhours R&B (say, from the 90s era) receives a futuristic makeover from the bold and vibrant presence of electropop overtones. Together with Verde’s quirky yet somewhat sultry vocals, this mini collection brings on a real enticing and spine-tingling experience.
Over the years, I’ve seen many artists break out in a cold, nervous sweat when it comes to combining unlikely genres – but this newcomer burst onto the scene andpulled it off effortlessly with such Sade-esque style and grace. This one too good to pass up; have a listen.
Following the release of his acclaimed debut EP ‘Conversations’, East London vocal powerhouse, JEROME THOMAS presents a mesmerising performance in the new video – directed by Christopher Cargill whose portfolio includes Giggs and Emeli Sandé – for lead track, ‘The Stone’.
‘The Stone’ is one of the lighter more self-explanatory tracks from the socially conscious EP, tackling topics that still remain taboo within the music industry. It is a personal and sincere body of work, devoid of banality, inspired by Jerome’s observations of society and conversations with close family and friends.
The Dalston native has been championed by the likes of The Fader, i-D, Idol Magazine and MTV, as well as receiving key radio support from BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and Rinse FM. Having headlined a number of sold out shows at Bush Hall, Notting Hill Arts Club and Queen Of Hoxton, and aligning himself with revered industry peers such as Hannah Faith (Soulection), Black The Ripper, Footsie (Newham Generals) and Davinche, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the talents of this genre-defying artist….check him out!
It’s Bryce Alvord (left) and DJ Celsius911’s turn – aka SOHO KINGS – in the NEW LEASE MUSIC hot seat. Hailing from the Big Apple, the duo dominated the blog with latest track, ‘Life of the Party’, stealing the blog’s Song of the Week title for three weeks running in August and for two weeks this month (check out the chart show on Instagram). I think it’s about time we find out more about these guys…
NLM: First of all, thank you for agreeing to do an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC.
C: Anytime! We appreciate what you’re doing for independent artist and music overall.
B: Thank you so much for the support!
NLM: How did Soho Kings come to life?
B: Cel and I met back in the day when we were both young artists on a now defunct indie label here in NYC. We became friends and collaborators, and I used to front rock bands and Cel would perform with my band on stage. The label fell apart, and my band starting to head different ways so I started to produce myself. I was gonna make a solo pop album, but the very first track I made, it sounded like hip hop to me so I was like “Let me hit my boy Cel, the best rapper I know to get on the track”. It ended up being the easiest, most fun and best sounding track I ever made, all my music connects went crazy for it, and we just kept making records. Done about 50 together now I’d say….
C: Yeah it was just easy to collab with Bryce. It felt natural. Once we made that first song we just said we should be doing this more often.
NLM: Your track ‘Life of the Party’ went down a treat with NEW LEASE MUSIC’s readers. What’s the public response to the track beyond this blog?
C: It’s getting a lot of love and sounds great in the club. It was fun to record so I’m glad that people feel that energy and reciprocate it.
B: Yea people close to me and in the industry have said they think it might be our best yet. So, great!
NLM: You guys have a pretty electrifying discography. What’s your proudest work and why?
B: We try to progress every track. Honestly I think we both feel that every time we record it’s the best we’ve ever done. We have some unreleased stuff we’re sitting on and ‘Life of The Party’ is our most recent release. We’ve made some biting political tracks that I’m proud of that I wish would’ve gotten a little more attention, like “War”, “Who Will Save Us”, and “No Luck (Birds Chained to The Sky)”.
C: Those records are even more relevant now. We,ll always continue to speak our minds through music regardless of what people think.
NLM: How would you describe your sound to potential fans?
B: That’s a tough one. I’d say it’s a lot like what’s hot in hip hop now with the melodies and trap influence, but has elements of electronic music and alternative rock, and of course all with that Brooklyn edge.
C: We’re current because we love music but we’re also different for the same reason.
NLM: If you had to collaborate with ONE mainstream artist who would it be?
C: One is tough but I’d probably say Big Sean.
B: Damn, another tough one. I might go with Young Thug that dude is so sick.
NLM: If you had three wishes to change the music industry today, what would they be?
B: I remember being a little kid and really into music and the CD store was such a magical place. The artwork was more important, album releases planned meticulously, and you had to buy the cd or someone else had to show you the music. I wish there was more money for more people in the industry, there weren’t so many slimy dishonest individuals on the outskirts, and live shows had more musicianship.
C: More originality, less corporate . I also wish there were better music videos out there. I see a few independent artists and some major artists getting creative with visuals but overall there’s not too many good music videos out there.
NLM: So what are your plans for 2017?
B: Gonna hit a lot of college campuses and tour some this fall and winter, and release our best music yet. Hopefully you might hear us in some movies or TV shows coming up.
C: A lot of shows and a lot more music. We love making music and the process of continually trying to make better music. So look out for more music,shows, and more videos. Our best video yet is coming real soon. You heard that hear first!!
NLM: How can potential fans make contact with you?
B: @SohoKings everything, hit us up online, or come to our main hangout Pianos in the lower east side, we might be there!
NLM: Finally, if music didn’t exist, what would you do?
C: Something involving film so directing, producing, and writing. Though films utilize music so i don’t know if that’s the best answer lol.
B: I’d probably be concentrating on my acting. I love comedy and Improv. And nightlife, always partying!
In preparation for her upcoming project, ‘BANG BANG’, DUTCH REBELLE kept her supporters titillated and dropped a collection of sample tracks, forming the 11-track offering, ‘No Stems’, earlier of this month.
Her heavy bassline trademark makes no apologies and runs riot throughout the entire set – but deeper, harder and twice more infectious than her previous releases. The seriously dope, head-rolling combination is topped of by the female emcee’s tighter-than-tight flow. Go further along this project and there a slight reggae fusion working its way through that dense drive in track, ‘Is This Love?’
This is an excellent run up to the next big project – better hit that play button!
Must Listens: Young OG, Stripper, Not Sleeping, Miss Me
Canadian singer-songwriter MAGGIE SZABO has been winning over audiences worldwide with her stunningly soulful vocals and empowering pop anthems. After quickly becoming one of the most sought after songwriter/vocalists for DJs and notable film and TV placements, Szabo’s latest work has focused primarily on her solo project.
‘Don’t Give Up’ is the first single off of Szabo’s upcoming EP, entitled Worthy. It’s a beautifully authentic and heartfelt song dedicated to transgender youth around the world who live in fear and suffer from rejection and exclusion. ‘Don’t Give Up’ showcases an emotional rawness rarely found in music today, whilst addressing a subject which is imperative within today’s society.
Hailing from a Ontario, Szabo has found success with over 14 + million Youtube views and has been featured on high-profile media outlets including Billboard, Perez Hilton, Huffington Post and Yahoo Music! among others. She is also the vocalist on DJ Schiller’s new album, who has sold over 7 million records worldwide.
