SEYBLU‘s latest offering, ‘Honest’ was initially directed at someone that couldn’t be honest with themselves, even while alone in their thoughts… but as she progresses in writing the single, Seyblu realised that it was a message to herself.
‘Honest’ features Seyblu’s cousin, Eve Parker Finley, who adds the emotive violin strings to the soulful backdrop and the brooding electronic bass, which perfectly adds that level of visceral tension that’s needed to drive the message of the song.
‘Honest’ was released last Friday (23rd June) across various music platforms…why not check it out below…
Toronto’s THEO TAMS released his take on the R.E.M. single, ‘Losing My Religion,’ on June 1st to coincide with Pride Month.
The artist’s moody and intense rendition of the song has a personal resonance, given his queer identity and the toxic role that religion played in his upbringing. Beginning as a piano ballad, the song develops a darkly electronic tone as it unfurls.
“There are so many members of the LGBTQIA community that have been burned by religion and the hate that is often disguised as ‘Christian love.’” says Tams.
“I was raised in a really strict reformed Christian household where I felt from the get go that who I was at my core was ‘wrong’ and needed to be ‘cured.’ So many lyrics of this song resonated with me; I often felt like I had to choose being my authentic self or push it all down and choose God. It’s such a dangerous and sickening way of growing up.”
The song’s themes extend to Tams’ design choices for the single cover, which he describes as having a ‘Jesus-esque’ look about it.’ The rainbow sunbeam serves as an accent to this religious imagery.
“I’ve always held on to the light of authenticity and truth throughout these moments of darkness and judgement,” Tams adds. Have a listen to Theo’s take on ‘Losing My Religion’ below…
MALI HAF takes a new direction with her brand of alternative pop through new single ‘SHWSH!’ which bursts of empowering pop that urges its listeners to be themselves in the worlds of Reality TV and social media. There is empathy for how we have to navigate the bombardment of media advice, designed to create dissatisfactions. The last verse wishes that we could be free to allow love into our lives.
The other clear message in the lyrics is that your gender identity is personal to you, no-one should dictate how you should express it. The single will be accompanied by a video which depicts Mali being auditioned for the part of playing a “woman”.
‘SHWSH!’ is the first single leading towards an EP in the Autumn. This new material is a collaboration with the South Wales based producer Minas. Have a listen below…
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…
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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