Tag: indie music

Song of the Day: Ain’t No One – Cilla Raie

Following her last single, ‘Masterpiece’, which racked up over 30,000 plays on SoundCloud, gaining support from MOBO Awards, BBC 1xtra and Link Up TV, CILLA RAIE makes her way to today’s hot spot with her latest single, ‘Ain’t No One’, produced by Joey Dyer (Iggy Azalea – Fancy, Katy B).

Combining her love for R&B and soul music, ‘Ain’t No One’ delivers soft and sultry vocals with heartfelt lyrics, drawing inspirations from the likes of Aaliyah, Mya, Brandy and Toni Braxton.

The North London singer/songwriter began recording music at just 14-years-old, with grime producer DaVinche (Stormzy, Skepta, Wiley) being one of her key mentors during the early stages of her musical journey. Having secured successful sessions and connections with key UK and US producers and writers, this birthed her first self-titled debut EP ‘Cilla Raie’ produced by the likes of Sillky (Mabel, Mahalia, Craig David) and The Arcade (Doja Cat, Khalid, Migos). She later embarked on a national school tour with UK Music and delivering music workshops to students across the UK.

This year will see Cilla releasing a series of singles as well as a body of work due to be released in 2021, which pays homage to R&B and embodying the growing pains of love and life as a young black British woman.

Check out the self-produced video for ‘Ain’t No One’ below…

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EP Review: Away From The City – Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer

MELANIE CREW and ROSS PALMER have been performing together for several years but EP, ‘Away from the City’ is their first release as a duo. The EP features six songs, three by each writer, and was produced at their home in south London, including two songs that were written and recorded during lockdown (‘Nobody’s Watching’ and A ‘Different Place’).

Melanie leads the way on the EP with the purest of vocals, later supported by a male light baritone performance in guitar-led piece, ‘Seven Mountains’, setting the intimate theme of the collection. BBC Essex/Kent-backed artist went on to add a real mystical glow to spellbinding ‘Holborn Hill’ and ‘A different Place’, which boasts warm glow of country/indie folk.

Also beginning with a stripped-back performance with guitar-led, ‘Restless Heart’, Ross then takes the EP on a slight soulful route, giving the acoustic theme a full-body sound in ‘Nobody’s Watching’, where his soothing vocals eases into the arrangements, that somehow has a revival, Dr. Hook twang. Ross – also a BBC Essex and BBC Kent-approved artist – concludes the set with ‘Darkest England’ which carries on that full-bodied sound to the almost stripped performance, which allows his rich storytelling to take centre stage.

Even if you’re not the greatest fan of the folkore, singer/songwriter approach, you will find the ‘Away from the City’ appeasing as the moment you hit play the set, there’s a comforting warmth that immediately releases any weighty troubles away. Hear for yourself; have a listen below…

Must Listen: Holborn Hill, Nobody’s Watching, Darkest England

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Check Out Jeru The Damaja’s Video For Compelling Single, ‘Power’

After a year long hiatus, Brooklyn’s rapper JERU THE DAMAJA jumps right back to it with brand new track entitled ‘Power’. The accompanied video features the conscious contender addressing the unjust social system that plagues society and suggests that unity is the answer to overcome the difficulties we face as humanity enters into another inevitable phase of unavoidable change.

Jeru first performed the track live on NPR Tiny Desk home concert back in April way before all of the civil unrest and worldwide protest.

Check it out below…

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Noa Opens Up About Love With Latest Single, ‘Patience’

Sporting a colourful yet edgy vibe, NOA‘s latest single, ‘Patience’ is probably her most honest work to date…the song is an introduction to the Canadian singer/songwriter and her relationship to love.

Noa explains: “I grew up with divorced parents, which didn’t give me the most ideal picture of love. With “Patience,” I dove deep into where my reservations with relationships lie, and the difficulty I had with letting my guard down; which I know is something many of us share.”

Noa also produced ‘Patience’ as an anthem for anyone opening up to love and learning to have the courage to be vulnerable. Check it out below…

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Song of the Day: Trapstar II – Kwazi Cort

KWAZI CORT, a rising star in the UK Grime scene, serves a notice to all the non-believers who’ve been too quick to dub the genre as a thing of the past.

Using his single, ‘Trapstar II’ as a means of showcasing his multi-faceted artistry, he quite literally navigates the space between Rap and Grime to craft his own original sound, knotting together the kerrangs of Rock with the soulful harmonies of RnB.

Written as a diary of experiences, ‘Trapstar II’ serves as an ode and love letter to the South London streets which made him. Diving deeper into the complex feelings of negatively affecting your neighbourhood to make a living and fund studio-time, his aspirations are set way beyond any street cred. Kwazi Cort refreshingly vocalizes the challenges he faced as a recovered conscious gangster – sentiments which are not expressed enough in today’s music! Supplying listeners with the highs and lows of being a Trapstar, along with the burdens placed on his relationships, as a consequence of prioritizing the roads; finally giving real meaning to the phrase “married to the streets”.

“It’s kinda mad, I thought everybody went through similar things like me… I was wrong. My South London story morphed friends to foes, cats to catwalks, macs to models” Kwazi continues,“Trapstar II is an autobiography, recording my journey from hustling in the streets to barring in the booth. Grinding in order to better my position due to the lack of opportunities, meanwhile at war with my conscience, aware of the damage it’s causing my loved ones as a result.”

Check out the video for ‘Trapstar II’ below…

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