ELEANOR is a singer-songwriter with an R&B leaning sound, coloured in hues of soul and indie. She takes a narrative approach to songwriting, based on experiences of grief and overcoming to shape stories that are robust and deeply felt.
“I make music because it would be harder not to, it’s a very natural extension of my personhood,” says the artist, whose debut album, ‘A Late Bloom’, has come to fruition. “I hope that in being honest on this project, listeners will feel less alone.” Largely produced by 3x JUNO nominated artist John Fellner, stream it in full here.
The mini set includes previously released singles, ‘Make Sense’ (which claimed the Song of the Week title last December) ‘Waste My Time’, and ‘Former Friend’. With guitar plucks giving a rich soulful sound, debut single, ‘Make Sense’ chronicles a conversation with her mother, reflecting on the frustration that comes with not reaching certain milestones ‘on time,’ such as marriage and home ownership.
Processing a mesmerically hypnotic backdrop, ‘Waste My Time’ was inspired by a friendship that was tiptoeing into a relationship, whereas ‘Former Friend’ leans towards a folklore feel, reflecting on self-worth when a friendship comes to an end
The closing track, ‘Faintest Hope’, is both beautiful and unsettling, a cry for hope from a vacant and barren tundra.
‘A Late Bloom’ was released last Friday, 6th October across various music platforms below…have a listen below…
Must Listens: Make Sense, Former Friend, Bow, Faintest Hope
JESSICA WILDE is a torchbearer for a fresh true bred style of rap, soul & RnB. She bares all with some brutally honest lyrics, melding her sharp-witted lyricism through spoken word/rap alongside her more familiar husky and powerful singing vocals. A native of South London, Wilde’s first concept album told her story like diary entries from mad parties, addiction, toxic relationships, to self-empowerment, and living sober. She gained heavy support across BBC Radio including from Radio 1’s ‘Future Artists’, 6Music, features in CLASH, Wonderland, Complex, The Independent, editorial playlist support across major DSP’s and much more.
She now returns with ‘Freak Out’ which is the first single of a powerful forthcoming album project which features some of the most insanely talented artists on the rise- Josh Barry (Nile Rodgers / Rudimental), Zoe Kypri (Black Coffee) and James Newman (Writer of Brit award winning song ‘Waiting all night’ by Rudimental’).
‘Freak Out’ is about stepping into your power, following the call of spirit, the healing that comes from dance and moving our bodies – “I just want everyone listening to wanna Freak the f•ck owwwwt!”, says Wilde. Musically, the track sizzles with bass loaded, rhythm inflected dirty alt-Hip hop / pop vibes, with Wilde’s candid and intelligent rap lyrics weaving around infectiously. Produced by Wilde herself, with atmospheric snappy percussion flourishing and quirky vocal samples scattered throughout making a truly unique sound with the distinctive finishing touch of co-production by Tom Maine (WU-LU, Kid Cruise).Wilde on a journey of healing and letting go!
Wilde will be celebrating the release at the Iconic Hootananny Brixton with a ‘FREAK OUT PARTY’ on the 21st September in conjunction with her own platform PxSSY PWR. Wilde created PxSSY PWR to spotlight exceptional female identifying talent on the rise, and the platform has grown from its start as a PxSSY PWR Spotify playlist, to a clothing line with FAME Magazine, radio show, residency at Hootananny Brixton with multiple sold out shows and artists such as Etta Bond hitting the stage.
Wilde has collaborated with Rudimental, Emeli Sande, Grammy award winner Kizzo and this summer she dropped a vocal feature with the legendary house DJ Todd Terry and Carly Wilford.
With the heavy, grime-esque bass running riot from the start of Manchester’s hip-hop collective ILLERSTATE‘s new banger, ‘Mirroring’, it’s hard not the take notice. The rampant bass is immediately topped off by the raw, razor sharp flow, which makes it so satisfyingly good.
Illerstate’s distinctive mixture of aggressive melodies, heavy bass and metal guitar has hailed them as legends in the Manchester’s hip-hop scene. They’ve also gained a solid fan base throughout the UK, receiving support from notable music makers such as DJ Semtex.
‘Mirroring’ was released yesterday (8th September) via Mr. Jone’s label, Manchester Music Group. Mr. Jones was previous featured on the blog with tracks, ‘You’, ‘Brand New’ and more recently, ‘Laid-back.’
A dynamic Nashville based guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, McMILLIN is a jack of all trades and an artist in every sense of the word. Gaining inspiration from pop, rock, and funk genres, McMillin cannot be put into a box, but rather mends genres seamlessly, becoming what he calls a “fusion artist.”
His new single ‘What It Was’ off starts strong, with four ear-piercing distorted guitar notes quickly followed by a much more mellow beat under a groovy bass riff. McMillins’ smooth voice comes in with “Maybe it’s just better off this way / Some say you begin to die when you refuse to change.” The guitar music stays mellow throughout the chorus with lots of variation in the drum set, a steady beat along with the occasional closed hi-hat and loud crash of a ride cymbal. The song builds throughout each verse adding more and more riffs from the lead guitar and bass guitar giving it that rock-pop sound. McMillin sings “And then it hits you all at once / It never will be what it was.” McMillin accepts that with time comes change but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss what used to be.
Hailing from the music capital of the world, Nashville TN, McMillin has been playing in clubs and bars in the heart of music city and beyond. Combining the elements of poetic dark pop with funk and rock components, McMillin creates a truly immersive, revolutionary musical adventure.
Currently, McMillin is representing Rolling Stone as the frontman for the Rolling Stone Rock Room featured on Holland America Cruise Lines. McMillin describes the guitar as “his one true love” and this is clear as his talents of lead guitar playing, as well as his impressive rock vocals, are on full display in this electrifying show. Their itineraries include the Mediterranean and Scandinavia, as well as most of the Caribbean.
‘What It Was’ is out today (1st September). Have a listen below…
Much of ‘Radio Red’, the first full length album LAURA GROVES has released under her own name, was written, produced and recorded by Groves in her studio, watched over by two radio transmitting towers. “I became very drawn to them and they became like symbols to me; they were always awake, sending their messages, the red lights always came on at night and watched over whatever was going on in my life.” The album deals with themes of communication – missed and intercepted signals, chance meetings, synchronicities, the channels through which we try to express our true feelings, the outside interference that can get in the way and the joy of letting go and allowing the messages to flow freely.
Working its way through years of Laura’s life as an artist – early experiences of releasing music, live performance, touring, build up and breakdown, the record was a way to tune in to the many, often conflicting signals of fragmented memories. “I’ve always been very sensitive and open to what’s happening around me, and also struggle with the sheer amount of noise sometimes. There was a radio tower on the hill opposite the house where I grew up – I would look out at the network of streetlights winding up towards it and it all had a sort of mystery to me. It was a kind of escapism and a comfort, with an undertone of melancholy that was hard to put into words. I think that glow, that strange feeling, is what I’m always searching for and exploring through making music and artwork.”
This is the wavelength Laura is tuning into and trying to pin down in ‘Sky at Night’ and the ‘faraway feeling’ that she talks about being consumed by in the hymn to miscommunication and determination ‘Any Day Now’. This faraway feeling makes itself known as the need to open up and show emotion in the chord voicing of ‘Synchronicity’, true friendship, togetherness and isolation in our online world in ‘Sarah’ and the heartbreak that can come with the breakdown of communication in electric piano love song ‘I’m Not Crying’. The ‘Silver Lining’ of the final track, which returns to Laura’s early love for fingerpicked guitar, leads us back to the power of the redemptive love that always seems to show up just when everything seems lost.
A singer all her life, Groves has spent over a decade developing a practice as an autonomous multi-instrumentalist and recording artist as well as a collaborator (Ragz Orginale, Darkstar, Sampha, Jamie Leeming), releasing EPs on DEEK Recordings and the 2020 EP ‘A Private Road’ on Bella Union. Much of the creation of Radio Red was solitary, but a small group of people helped bring it to fruition. A meeting with mix engineer TJ Allen (Portishead, Adrien Utley) through her work in Bat for Lashes’ live band led to an important creative relationship. “Working with Tim provided me with a safe and nurturing studio environment in which to finish the record. It also means a lot to have Sampha’s voice on ‘D 4 N’ and “Good Intention”, because we first met near the beginning of this journey and so much has happened since then – singing together again feels like coming full circle in the most positive way and a reminder that there are constants running through it all.”
‘Radio Red’was released 11th August. Have a listen below…
Must Listens: Sky At Night, Good Intention, D 4 N, Any Day Now,
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