Canadian singer and songwriter ANNABEL GUTHERZ‘s latest single, ‘Shame,’is an open-hearted single about acknowledging and overcoming relationship insecurities. Underscored by full-bodied instrumentation, Annabel wields her sharp lyricism and sonorous vocals to explore anxiety, comparison, and self-doubt.
She elaborates, “‘Shame’ is about the ruminations that can arise about your partner’s former relationships and the invasive fears that often emerge as a result.”
‘Shame’ follows the success of her last single, ‘Eclipse,’ which continues to introduce listeners to Annabel’s unique blend of classic rock influences and modern pop sounds. ‘Shame’ was co-written with and produced by Mikal Blue (OneRepublic, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat) and Bret “Epic” Mazur (Crazy Town, Prince, The Black Eyed Peas).
Brooklyn-based rock outfit EARTHQUAKE LIGHTS barely fits within its self-described alt-rock genre. Orchestral strings litter the dense arrangements, elevating the songs to something more refined and nearly classical feeling. But there’s a distinctive jazz influence to the grooves and harmonic richness that the band is hesitant to compare to jazz, though the comparison is something they contend with regularly. Still, the rock influences are clear, and Earthquake Lights sounds something like Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and Beck.
Their music has garnered millions of streams to date. Their latest album Desert Bloom charted nearly 30 times on the iTunes and Apple music charts, and somewhere along the way they managed to snag a feature on Vulfpeck’s The Joy of Music, the Job of Real Estate. They have also received praise from the likes of Wonderland Magazine, NOTION, The Line of Best Fit, Ones to Watch and Earmilk to name a few.
In an age when mental health is waning, Earthquake Lights gives us a look at the cultural phenomena of social media and how it affects all of us through their latest release ‘Pictures’ featuring Lindsey Lomis. Written allegorically, ‘Pictures’ tells a story of mutually unrequited love. The song loosely examines a personality that reluctantly romanticizes the nostalgia of a past relationship, friendship, acquaintance or fling prolonged by the ever-present role social media plays in our lives.
Rodenhouse explains, “Maybe you only feel connected to that person because of how immediate the internet and pictures have seemed to make them. But seriously what even are these connections you have with other people on the internet? Just because you see a picture of them it doesn’t mean they’re actually important to your life.”
Tinged with a dark and moody undertone, ‘Pictures’ features an enchanting melody, where sultry, velvet vocals collide in perfect harmony. Lomis sings, “Am I just a picture? Do you ever look for me? And I wonder if you saw me, would you tell me you remember my face?” Rodenhouse shares, “The lyrics were inspired essentially by an era that’s defined by pictures and feelings of missing out, or wondering about someone that may be in some memory, possibly just out of reach but still barely relevant. Wondering if they actually care to remember you, or if it’s even worth remembering one another and losing any sleep over.”
Speaking on Lomis, Earthquake Lights share, “She’s an athletic, excellent singer. Her unapologetic focus on her vocal ability really makes her a perfect fit for this tune.” Lomis was featured on Jacob Collier’s latest album on the song “Cinnamon Crush” and is about to embark on a tour with him in April.
With wildfires ripping through Texas back in February and hail storms flooding the streets of Northern Italy in sheets of ice last July – there’s no two ways about it – climate change is a pressing concern.
This serious issue that threatens the global population has spurred on artist LOVE, BUILDER OF WORLDS – to pen and produce debut single, ‘Scared For The Climate?’ during a surprisingly mild winter in Dublin, Ireland. The single was released on 9th April, just in time for Earth Day – 22nd April.
‘Scared For The Climate?’ was originally geared up to be a reggae song but a friend of the flamboyant artist suggested turning the single into a raucous anthem to release all the pent up frustration about environmental disasters.
‘Scared For The Climate?’ turned out to be a post-punk pop delirium of the Noughties, which invites the prospective listener to, not only to release all the pent up frustrations, but to lose themselves in the moment with an instantly addictive bass line. While Love, Builder of Worlds begs the question, “Can I be scared, for the climate?” this isn’t an attempt to elicit fear, but to garner interest in the climate.
Love, Builder of Worlds is a multidisciplinary anti-binary person who uses all and any pronouns, because – in her/their words – really and truly, why not! She/they are part of Olólùfè Collective, which provides an outlet for a group of disabled artists to air today’s issues through poetry, fiction, visual art and music, with the latter proven to be the greatest outlet for their sentiments on the rollercoaster that is climate change.
To continue to use their greatest outlet to air their concerns, Love, Builder of Worlds will be performing the single at Ignite: Burden Re-Telling, an online event on 26th April.
MAGGIE ANDREW‘s latest single, ‘Come Clean,’ is about starting over, saying whatever’s on your chest and looking forward to a positive future.
I had a falling out with someone I thought was a friend, but they ended up ghosting me in life completely, Maggie explains the inspiration behind the song. “I felt really sad for a while because it left me confused and hurt, especially because I didn’t do anything wrong. It was like a breakup for no reason.”
The moody, rain-soaked intro sets the tone, which is immediately joined by the brooding electric guitar and heavy trap drums, both topped off with a real gritty grungy, cinematic alt-rock feel. Have a listen to ‘Come Clean’ below…
A fresh mix of electronic rock with a few drops of synth pop are the secret ingredients of the Vancouver-based band, OURGLASSZOO. In 2022, they released their album, ‘Aftermath’, which included the single ‘Free’ in collaboration with JUNO-award winning hip-hop artist Prevail (Swollen Members). The track was remixed by producer KutMasta Kurt (Linkin Park, Beastie Boys) and features hip-hop legend Moka Only.
This all-star team has come together again for ‘Free Remix’ with a catchy hook, a retro vibe and a powerful message about equality that encourages freeing yourself from stereotypes and moving forward as one.
Sing and dance along to “Free Remix” feat. (KutMasta Kurt, Moka Only & Prevail) below:
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