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…
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, R&B/pop artist, MYLES LLOYD possesses a vocal presence and songwriting that is filled with a careless emotion that can be defined as vulnerable, honest and when at its best, confusing. Filled with complex stories and real-life scenarios that have come to his attention over the past years, his music acts as a release when his thoughts are finally transformed into lyrics.
His new single ‘Shadows’, is a mellow refusal to let inner demons dictate your next move and start making your own decisions. With transitional monologues and soaring energy, Lloyd’s latest single soars with euphony. In collaboration with global producer Nepaondabeat, as well as 4nghts and Niketaz, their seamless writing efforts formed the foundations of a tune that highlights creativity at its core, and catharsis in its choruses. Lloyd explains, “I don’t think I can ever leave the negative thoughts aside entirely and this song is explaining just that. I just have to learn to live with it and embrace my flaws. Shadows will always follow.”
‘Shadows’ narrates the idea that, sometimes, our actions implement our feelings, rather than our truth. In an ode to empowerment, he continues, “I hope this song encourages others to recognize if you have any flaws or stuff that you should work on and get right to it. Don’t wait to be your best self.”
Racking up over four million streams for his previous releases and garnering acclaim from the likes of Complex, Teen Vogue, Wonderland Magazine, Rolling Stone, PAPER, Live Nation’s Ones to Watch & On The Radar, Exclaim!, Source, Revolt, Sniffers and Hip Hop DX, to name a few, Myles Lloyd is tipped to be one of the hottest artists for 2023 and beyond. Have a listen to the stunning single below…
Always pushing boundaries, you can expect the unexpected from alternative-pop artist MAGGIE ANDREW. Her signature sound meshes dreamy, synth-laden melodies together with edgy lyrics.
Inspiration can come from the most unpredictable places, like maybe when you’re trying on your first grill at the jeweller’s! Maggie’s bold and upbeat song, ‘Biting Ice Cream,’ came from that icy, white image of wearing a grill and thinking about getting ice cream on a hot California afternoon.
The track is 75% attitude and 25% sexy with bouncy 808s and playful melodies. Check out the official ‘Biting Ice Cream’ music video below…
Brasstracks is the Grammy award winning project of New York based musician and producer Ivan Jackson. Over the years, Brasstracks has evolved from a hip-hop-jazz-big-band to an ever-morphing landscape where Jackson sets the framework.
The Brasstracks rap sheet runs for miles. The group scored two GRAMMY wins for their production work on Chance The Rapper’s seminal “No Problems” in 2017 (Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Album). They’ve also since been nominated for their work with Harry Styles during the 2021 GRAMMYs for Best Pop Vocal Album, ultimately taking home the Best Pop Solo Performance award for their work on “Watermelon Sugar.”
Brasstracks has appeared on Saturday Night Live, performing alongside Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson, the latter of whom is a frequent collaborator. Other collaborations include Anderson .Paak, Khalid, Mac Miller, and BTS. Basstracks has also performed songs from their debut album on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The new Brasstracks era sees Jackson as an architect for this larger project of incubating artists and allowing them the space to grow.
The latest single ‘Anesthesia’ featuring Mandy Lee of MisterWives, is the second single from Brasstracks’ upcoming album. Lee soars as she sings, “Doppelgänger, I can’t hate you even though I know the grass is greener”, crooning a sneering congratulations to a nemesis who always seems to be one step ahead. The title itself is a nod to the numbness that accompanies this feeling. The vibrant single shimmers with oscillating synths and Lee’s velvet vocals, emitting an overall colorful and contagious aura. The playful track refuses to let listeners stay still, with fast-paced beats and layered instrumentation creating an all-encompassing atmosphere, captivating you from the very first second.
The upcoming album is a unique addition to the Brasstracks catalog: brimming with technical wizardry and maximal, brassy bombast, but intensely personal, rife with self-loathing and heartache. The album’s undeniable joyousness stands in unflinching contrast with its subject matter, and ‘Anesthesia’ is a microcosm of its ethos: a shimmering, groovy, soulful house record about, above all else, jealousy. The album weaves in and out of itself seamlessly, with ‘Anesthesia”’sampling Brasstracks’ previous FATHERDUDE + TOBi flanked single, ‘Nobody’s Fool’. Despite its seething subtext, ‘Anesthesia’ is a quintessential warm weather banger, and was a highlight of Brasstracks’ sold out, 6-show Blue Note run this March.
With their dreamy, dark, sensual sound, ARULA & QUIET SON form a duo whose music combines the qualities of both urban electronica, dance, and experimental folk with an infusion of melodic pop sensibilities. Initially starting as a remote song collaboration between the two California artists & producers, the project blossomed into a fully realised LP that winds through themes of self-discovery, reclamation, climate consciousness, and romantic vulnerability.
In just a little over a year, Arula & Quiet Son have played shows throughout California, touring with acts like Random Rab & Desert Dwellers. The first single and title track from their debut album, ‘Found’, explores the power and direct connection between the feminine and nature.
Excited about the release, Arula says: “‘Found’ is a reclamation of the power that can only be harnessed from within. It is an ode to anyone who has ever felt lost, confused, or like they don’t fit it. It is a reminder that we can always be found within ourselves, and within the receptive energy of nature and earth”
Quiet Son elaborates: “The production of this song is really special to me. It was such a unique challenge, because when I heard the initial demo I realised the message of the song is so clear that I had to make sure the production supported Arula’s vision precisely. It was an exploration in creating and subsequently releasing tension: to build the sound around Arula’s vocals as the message of the song evolves from one of self-doubt into one of complete reclamation, empowerment, and ecstasy. It was fun to let that huge bass synth take over in the last chorus; I think it really opens the song up and symbolizes the feeling of relief and blessing we can feel when we give ourselves permission to take control of our lives and destinies.”
Arula continues: “Our hope is that this song reminds you that you are powerful and enough, just because you exist. May you always feel found within yourself.”
Take a peep at the stunning video for ‘Found’ below, directed by Jade Sanchez of Earth Based Media.
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