Pop/neo soul songbird Megzz goes ‘Through The Motions’ with latest EP

With sold-out gigs, music video directing credits, a performance at All Points East, and an Amazon Prime documentary under her belt, Northamptonshire singer-songwriter MEGZZ topped off a stellar year with her EP ‘Through the Motions’.

Blending her own mix of R&B, neo-soul, and pop, Megzz has taken 2023 by the horns by releasing two singles off her upcoming EP after featuring as one of the subjects of the Amazon Prime documentary ‘Unsigned’ (following the journeys of AMEX’s unsigned artists) at the end of 2022. Believing music is a powerful therapy to herself & others, Megzz’s lyricism focuses on empowerment, self-love and transparency around mental health struggles.

“The EP is an unapologetically honest and personal body of work that explores themes of consent, boundaries and self-love, grief, mental health struggles, and most importantly – recovery”, Meggz said. “Though it explores difficult topics, Through The Motions remains empowering and inspiring; encouraging others to find strength in expressing their feelings and owning their own story.”

Through the Motions will feature two brand new tracks, including ‘Motions’, a song that Megzz has held close to her heart for years. Written in 2019 as a personal mantra before becoming lyrics, ‘Motions’ is described by Megzz as “the sunset on the bad days, and the sunrise on the good days”. Rather than being written reflectively, ‘Motions’ is about the present “going through” of mental health struggles and dealing with how “horrible, uncomfortable feelings come in waves, and it’s all about riding out those waves”. Waves and the sound of water are an integral part of Through the Motions, as the EP is all about going through the motions, allowing feelings, and taking power in the process.

Through The Motions is accompanied by the release of short documentary style video, documenting Megzz’s journey of creating the EP whilst battling with her own mental health struggles. EP Through the Motions will is out now via various music platforms. Check it out below…

Must Listens: Love Me From A Distance

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…

Song of the Day: Coma – Susan Hisey

SUSAN HISEY‘s debut single ‘Coma’ is a vulnerable track about coming out of a mental nadir to a changing world. The lyrics goes on a journey through struggling with intense mental health issues while dealing with change amidst a fast-paced society. Simplistic piano chords allow Hisey’s crisp yet emotive voice to come alive as she recounts how she lived her life in a constant “fight or flight” before gradually coming out of this mental coma.

A soul Pop/Country singer-songwriter from Elyria, Ohio, Susan strives to preserve her authenticity throughout her music career, focusing on real lyrics that people can relate to. While Susan is gentle at heart, she is strong in song with vocals that have been professionally trained for years through musical theater and choir, and as a Commercial Music major at Belmont University.

While in school, she performed alongside Trisha Yearwood, Laura Bell Bundy, and Cece Winans, and performed in an acapella group with Imogen Heap at the Ryman Auditorium. She most recently performed in a Matt Davenport Production tour “American Big Band: Home for the Holidays.” Currently, she works as a vocal coach and a mentor for teens moms with an organization called “Young Lives” in Nashville TN.

‘Coma’ shows us it’s okay to not be okay; a message we could all stand to hear more often. Have a listen to this stunning ballad below…

Hector Who Lived Releases Debut Single ‘Monkey’

Bristol-based indie-pop / electronica artist HECTOR WHO LIVED‘s debut single, ‘Monkey’, was written when the first lockdown hit as an acknowledgement of one’s headspace being the first step towards self-help.

With sharp DIY production and earnestly self-aware lyrics, it’s a raw communication of mental struggles throughout lockdown and slipping into bad habits. Noise samples from a gameboy are sprinkled throughout to add texture to the track. ‘Monkey’ widens as it drops into the chorus where it sits atop a pulsing, funk-infused electronic bass. It reaches its pinnacle as it enters the final chorus; the vocals becoming stronger and more confident as they represent the willpower to get through bad mental states.

Hector has an array of musical achievements under his belt since his move to Bristol in 2017, having played venues such as The O2 Academy Oxford, The Bullingdon, Jericho Tavern and Truck Festival with his band ‘The Outside’. With his current band Try Me, Hector has a variety of festivals coming up this year including Dot To Dot. Hector has also featured on a charity album ‘Poland Has A Task’, alongside Lynks, Jessica Winter, Brodka and more; raising awareness for Women’s and Queer rights in Poland.

‘Monkey’ is now out on various digital music platforms. Why not have a peep at the accompanied 70s-inspired video below…

Song of the Day: Ziamonds – ATO

ATO claims the song of the day spot for the second time with single ‘ziamonds !!’, which touches heavily on mental health and healing to move forward.

Speaking on the track, ‘ziamonds!!’, ATO says, “I have found the power of the imagination to be vital to rediscovering myself. You can learn a lot from things that are not real. When I wrote “ziamonds !!”, I was in a dark and confused state. The song blurs the line between reality and fantasy. It makes light of living with mental health issues and finds a silver lining to begin painting something brighter and forward-facing.”

A follow up to the experimental, genre-flipped offering, ‘no caroline’, ‘ziamonds!!’ is taken from his new EP, ‘Side A’. Check out the official video below…