Award-winning artist Amity explores the other side of love with single, ‘To Be Known’.

After making an expressive entry on the blog with debut piano-led single, ‘Bite Me!’ – which claimed the blog’s Song of the Week title for two consecutive weeks over on Instagram – award-winning singer/songwriter AMITY returns to the spotlight with a compelling follow-up, ‘To Be Known’.

While the music industry is forever saturated with love songs that glamorises the idea of the perfect loving relationship, ‘To Be Known’ addresses the grey areas of the topic, which is often overlooked. Delivered with a delicate piano backdrop, the 18-year-old adds that perfect touch of vulnerability to his usual soulfully raw vocals and explores how love can be a frightening experience, especially if one is not use to receiving such intense feelings.

This is why this young music maestro in the making became an overnight sensation; Amity is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve and explore topics that most would shy away from. Such bravery, coupled with uniquely compelling storytelling, has earnt Amity flowers from the likes of the Guardian and the BBC. Starting his music journey during lockdown, using music as a coping mechanism, Amity hopes to inspire and encourage his rapidly growing fanbase and prospective listeners to speak up in what they believe in. His latest single, To Be Known’ is a true testament to Amity’s artistry as the stunning ballad offers a safe space to ponder on the dubious areas that love can sometime presents.

‘To Be Known’ is the second single from Amity’s Albert Hall-backed debut EP, set to release with a launch show at The Royal Albert Hall itself in July…but for now, have a listen to the compelling single below…

Connect with Amity via:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amitysings/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/amity_sings/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@amity_sings
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/amitymiller
Website: https://amity.music/

OUT TODAY: Megzz shares new single, ‘Love Tonight’ – a delightful cocktail of R&B, Afrobeats & Pop

Out today (23rd August), across various music platform, MEGZZ‘s single, ‘Love Tonight’, is an irresistible blend of R&B, Afrobeat and Pop that embodies the feeling of an everlasting summer. Already receiving national radio play on BBC 1Xtra, the not-so-typical love song brings friendship and platonic love to the forefront, in a bid to knock romantic love off its pedestal.

Megzz shares her inspiration behind the single: “I found growing up that popular music tended to focus on finding the one, rather than appreciating/noticing love that is already around you. I think it’s important to remind people love comes in many valuable forms, and so Love Tonight was born”.

Megzz breaks down the track, describing how the warm guitar tones against Afrobeat inspired percussion immediately evoke images of summer. By the time ‘Love Tonight’ leaves the first verse, the layers of interweaving guitar parts open out into a gloriously catchy chorus that is impossible to listen to without moving to the beat.

The production is complemented perfectly by the bright vocals and harmonies, and the lyrics (which are just as bright), remain true to Megzz’s style and are full of meaning. Lyrics such as ‘your love feels like home, got no need to wander’ and ‘I was too scared to fall until you showed me loving’, capture the sentiment of how important meaningful connections and friendships are to our lives, and why this is the perfect feel-good pick me up everyone needs this summer.

In short, ‘Love Tonight’ is more than a song; it’s a call to action to come together, and to love and be loved.

Hailing from Northamptonshire (UK), Megzz’s ‘unapologetically honest’ style of music has garnered an array of supporters, including AMEX Gold who crowned her as one of their Top 6 Unsigned Artists in 2022/2023. Megzz then went on to star as one of the main subjects of the Amazon Prime documentary ‘Unsigned’ that followed the AMEX experience.

The remainder of 2023 saw Megzz gain a number of firsts in her career – including her first award ‘Pop Artist of the Year’ (Local Music Awards), her first Radio 1 play and her first major festival performing at All Points East. Believing music is a powerful therapy to herself and others, Megzz’ lyricism has always focused on transparency around mental health, self-love and empowerment – and she firmly established this in her most recent EP ‘Through The Motions’ released in September 2023.

Megzz’ now shares her first release since her EP – ‘Love Tonight’ – out today (23rd August) across various platforms. Why not have a listen below…

Connect with Megzz via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/officialmegzz
X: https://x.com/official_megzz
IG: https://www.instagram.com/official_megzz/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@official_megzz

Song of the Day: Unfolded (Put a Little Love) – Karmacoda

Following the recent release of their soulful single ‘Try At Me’ back in January, KARMACODA returns with another irresistibly soul piece, ‘Unfolded (Put a Little Love)’ released via Sola Musa Music.

‘Unfolded (Put a Little Love)’ is a sweet and stirring ode to the beautifully charged moment where you can no longer contain your feelings of love for somebody. Sonically, it is tender and moving – sprinklings of delicately soulful keys, lush yet minimal jazz percussion tinged with a hint of trip-hop and romantically cinematic synth strings gently pull the listener into that gooey feeling of smitten goodness. Jessica’s vocals, as usual, soar richly over this tapestry, singing passionately of the joy, power and rapture of new love blossoming.

Jessica shared: “It’s that feel good song with admittance of loving someone and letting them know how you feel. You can’t keep it a secret anymore. You gotta tell them, hoping they will feel the same. Mad crush vibes with a tinge of nervousness, when you finally let the cat out of the bag. Like “are you feeling what I’m feeling?” If so, let’s take this friendship to the next level, and I’m feeling excited so… put a little love in your heart and match me.”

KARMACODA comprises Jessica Ford (vocals), Brett Crockett aka B. (vocals and producer), and Japanese-American multi-instrumentalist Eric Matsuno (bass and unique elements). With an extensive discography and numerous awards, the trio has explored electronica, chill, trip-hop, R&B, rock, and dream pop in their two-decade career. Ever-evading genre constraints, KARMACODA’s evolving sound now blends soulful R&B and jazz lounge, earning comparisons to powerful artists like Adele, Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis, and Lana Del Rey. Check out ‘Unfolded (Put a Little Love)’ below…

Bain And The Foreign Exchange’s Nicolay Team For Third Single ‘Here To Stay’

Minnesota-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist BAIN is the latest addition to the growing roster of +FE Music, the label founded and run by Phonte and Dutch producer Nicolay (also known as the Grammy-nominated soul duo The Foreign Exchange). With two full-length albums already under his belt with producer Afrokeys (2014’s Love In Blue and 2019’s Around The Sun), Bain teams with Nicolay for his third full-length album Lifetime, due out later this year. The pair shared the forthcoming album’s new single ‘Here To Stay’, available on all digital streaming platforms via +FE Music/EMPIRE.

“‘Here To Stay’ was created when I packed up the key elements of my home studio and embarked on a sojourn to a remote cabin on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. I have always found this great lake to be an endless source of inspiration. After spending a few days alone in the woods, I came away with three songs I was content with. ‘Here To Stay’ was the upbeat, electronic-based, universal love song of the bunch. The tracks were then sent to Nicolay who added his instrumentation and fully produced and mixed the song. Over the driving bass line, blends of organic guitars, and dreamy synthesizers, I sing of a bright and clear message that love is here to stay.” – Bain

As a fourth-generation singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, music is literally embedded in Davis Bain’s DNA. Like his forefathers, Davis has harbored a passion for stringed instruments since his youth. He quickly fell in love with the electric guitar in particular, and enjoyed playing R&B, funk and gospel music in various bands performing in the Minneapolis area.

Davis set his sights on becoming a recording artist after discovering the albums that his estranged father would record and release from his farmhouse studio. From that moment forward, he has focused on writing, performing and producing his own songs.

Together with his long time friend, music producer Afrokeys, Davis has co-produced and released two full-length albums under the moniker “Bain”: 2014’s Love In Blue and 2019’s Around The Sun. For his upcoming third full-length album, he has linked up with Grammy nominated music producer Nicolay, best known as one half of independent soul duo and label-operators The Foreign Exchange. As the lead single and title track, ‘Lifetime’, illustrates, Davis Bain is fully leaning into the artistry that seems to have been bestowed upon him at birth. Have a listen below…

Alt Pop Duo Hooked Like Helen Shares Stunning Ballad ‘Winter’

Ohio-born and based Alt-Pop duo HOOKED LIKE HELEN has unveiled a rather stunning version of Tori Amos song ‘Winter’, released last Friday (6th January) via Stipp Manor Music,

The single is deeply melodic and despite Nikki’s hauntingly powerful vocals, ‘the track ‘Winter’ possesses an elegant warmth, which allows one to engage with the compelling production.

Nikki and Jon tell us about the inspiration behind their cover of ‘Winter’ (Tori Amos Cover): “When our friend/fitness instructor asked us to play “Winter” by the incomparable Tori Amos, within minutes of dissecting the first few bars of the song we quite frankly fell in love with it. We realised that it needed to become a more significant part of our musical journey and we decided to record a full-length cover of “Winter” for release to the world”.

Nikki adds, “Winter is about a girl’s relationship with a father figure who believes in her and sees greatness in her that she might not see in herself. Ironically, I did not have anyone in my life who fit that role for me as I was growing up, but I think this might be the very reason the song resonates with me on such a visceral level. Music allows us to escape, to imagine, to build castles in our minds. When I sing and play “Winter”, I am (for 4 minutes and 30 seconds) one of those girls with a dad who loves her”.

Hooked Like Helen is husband-and-wife duo Nikki and Jonathan Stipp, whose sound embodies a unique vein of alternative music; dark lyrical themes of unresolved trauma and existential pondering providing a refreshingly authentic perspective crafted from their home studio in the woods outside Cleveland. Their combined musical influences include artists such as Queen, Michael Jackson, Twenty One Pilots, Green Day, Tori Amos, Mariah Carey, Nirvana, and Prince whilst Nikki’s powerful vocals bring to mind artists such as Kate Bush and Ellie Goulding.

Have a listen to ‘Winter’ below…