Tag: Music

April Jai tackles mental health issues in new single, ‘You Didn’t Notice’

A rising force on the London pop scene, APRIL JAI returns to her sad girl roots with new single, ‘You Didn’t Notice’.

Fusing delicate acoustic guitars with brooding synths, ‘You Didn’t Notice’ explores the duality of emotion and dealing with the sense of abandonment from the happier half of yourself. Ending with an explosively emotive bridge, the single takes an uphill journey as its dynamics builds towards a heartfelt ending.

Speaking of the inspiration behind the single April says: “Healing from mental illness is not always linear and sometimes dark thoughts creep up when you least expect them. If you’ve ever been in a place where you don’t notice you’re slipping into a dark spiral until it’s too late, this is for you.”

Making her name for herself in London’s pop music scene with chilled productions and emotionally-charged lyrics, April TikTok viral hit, ‘It Ends With Us’ generated over 500K on Spotify. Her previous sultry single, ‘Stop Fighting It’ emerged as her first release since her sold-out tour in December at London’s Troubadour – proving her ability to translate online viral attention into a real life fanbase.

With a growing catalogue of heartfelt releases under her name, April’s pop releases matched with her natural storytelling abilities sees her continuing to attract listeners from around the world, tapping into ups and downs of navigating life and relationships.

Continuing her progression into the pop world, ‘You Didn’t Notice’ is another honest and heart wrenching effort from April Jai. Have a listen below…

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Song of the Day: 23 – The Burma

Opening with a touch of the psychedelic, THE BURMA‘s latest single ‘23’ (released via The Burma Music Group) is an airy blend of retro-filtered synth stabs and indie rock grooves. The track captures the longing for what could have been dabbed with a touch of nostalgia that brings the work of Beach House, Real Estate, and Beach Fossils to mind.

Offering insight, The three-piece indie rock act from Ireland describes how the song was born: “‘23’” is the first song we wrote and recorded for our second album. It’s one of those songs that came together really quickly. The song you hear now has barely changed from its initial conception, which is a rare thing for us!”

2023 is looking to be a big year for the band: their sophomore album is due for release later this year. Additionally, they will be performing their first-ever live show in the UK on Saturday the 19th of August in London.

Their debut album, Sucker For Stars, was the No. 3 best-selling Independent Irish Album the week of its release, landing on the Irish charts and placing in both the Irish Homegrown Top 20 Singles and Top 5 Irish iTunes Singles.

Named after The Burma Steps in Cobh, The Burma has been praised by recognised webzines such as The Rolling Stone India, CLASH Magazine, Hot Press, Atwood Magazine, NOTION Magazine, and Medium.com/Pop Off and more, while receiving spins on RTÉ 2FM with Dan Hegarty.

Have a listen to ’23’ below…

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AMAARA shares her great escapism single, ‘Bright Lights’ + Video

AMAARA is the multimedia project of musician, actor and filmmaker Kaelen Amara Ohm. From 2013-2016, she joined Canadian indie-folk band Reuben and the Dark as a lead guitarist and keyboard player, touring North America and opening for acts like St. Vincent, Vance Joy and The Counting Crows. She is now set to release her first official LP as AMAARA, Child of Venus, on next month (7th July). The Canadian-born singer-songwriter and producer’s third collection of songs (following 2017’s Black Moon EP and 2020’s Heartspeak EP) is reminiscent of classic-era dream-pop as well as Radiohead’s most spectral and haunting moments – and yet the resulting sound is entirely her own, teeming with detail in a way that draws listeners in and keeps them coming back.

Following up on lead single, ‘New Love’s Mortal Coil,’ the track ‘Bright Lights’ is about a road trip AMAARA took from Los Angeles to Berkeley, California through Big Sur to clear her head after a really challenging situation she had just been through. Reversed guitar riffs and washed out synth pads give the song a very spacious and open quality which is often how AMAARA feels when driving – especially on the coast.

Watch the official video for ‘Bright Lights’ below…

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London-based Ghanaian artist psykhi distills his timeless sound into new Forest People EP

PSYKHI‘s new EP, Forest People, was born out of the dichotomy of observing the patterns of human thought and behaviour while also musing on the musician’s own approach to life. The Ghanaian creative is profoundly introspective and that pensiveness is evident through every strain of his punk, indie, rock, and rap laced EP, which features five tracks of pure expression. Now London-based, he has already introduce the EP with tracks ‘Sitting On Ice’, ‘Don’t Disappear’ and ‘Dry’, the last of which was picked up by CMU Daily, Ones To Watch, FAULT Magazine, EARMILK, Notion, Elevator and more. Joining this triad of punk-infused tracks is title-track ‘Forest People’, an anthem for all of those who’ve “gone astray”, and lead single ‘Dyed In Wool’.

Speaking about the new EP, psykhi shares: “Forest people for me felt like the harnessing of spirit. To find love for oneself and to be able to stand up for what you believe in.”

Introduced by an 80s-esque keyboard melody, the focus track takes after the idiom ‘dyed in the wool’, often used to describe someone who is steadfast in their opinions and stubborn to change them; and it’s such a person that psykhi directs his poetic lyrics towards. In his distinct breathy tone, the artist rhythmically delivers uncompromising lines like, “Think you’re flawless since you feel this way/ Tell me what’s expected/ Tell me what’s addictive/ You usually shake your head like a disappointed friend/ I hope you don’t pretend/ You can be more than specific.” Backed by elastic bass and upbeat drums, these cadenced verses ramp up into cathartic choruses in which the instrumentation and psykhi’s usually brooding voice lets loose. The whole track functions on the push-and-pull mechanism in which moments of restrained lyrical potency are exchanged for fiery punk-rock riffs, and vice versa.

The official music video for ‘Dyed In Wool’ was directed by No Format (@no___format). It’s a greyscale performance video that’s reminiscent of the late 70s and 80s punk aesthetic. While the collage effect reflects the disparate parts of psykhi’s creative mind coming together to produce his affecting and unforgettable songs.

‘Forest People EP is undoubtedly a collection for the outsiders; for anyone who has been lost, for anyone who has receded into the overgrown jungle of their mind and come out the other side to tell the tale…Have a listen below…

Must Listens: Dry, Forest People

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Dizzy Rambunctious Returns with EP, ‘Dizzy and Friends’.

Over drill beats and in your face antics, producer extraordinaire and New Jersey native, DIZZY RAMBUNCTIOUS rally up an exciting line-up for his long-awaited EP ‘Dizzy and Friends.’

Smashing the competition into bits, he called on a treasure trove of artists and from New York to Jersey and…let me tell you…they all delivered. From Willy Gonza to Allen York, to Free Samuda to even jersey club pioneer DJ Jayhood. Dizzy shows his wizardry in producing from trap beats to jersey club – he even threw in a bit of his Cuban spice add add some extra heat.

When Dizzy Rambunctious gathers his Friends around the round table, please be prepared to have the speakers knock your face off…check it out below…

Must Listens: Money Hungry, Baddest, Too Much Now, Spolight

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