Tag: Unsigned artist

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…

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AMAARA shares her great escapism single, ‘Bright Lights’ + Video

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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London-based Ghanaian artist psykhi distills his timeless sound into new Forest People EP

PSYKHI‘s new EP, Forest People, was born out of the dichotomy of observing the patterns of human thought and behaviour while also musing on the musician’s own approach to life. The Ghanaian creative is profoundly introspective and that pensiveness is evident through every strain of his punk, indie, rock, and rap laced EP, which features five tracks of pure expression. Now London-based, he has already introduce the EP with tracks ‘Sitting On Ice’, ‘Don’t Disappear’ and ‘Dry’, the last of which was picked up by CMU Daily, Ones To Watch, FAULT Magazine, EARMILK, Notion, Elevator and more. Joining this triad of punk-infused tracks is title-track ‘Forest People’, an anthem for all of those who’ve “gone astray”, and lead single ‘Dyed In Wool’.

Speaking about the new EP, psykhi shares: “Forest people for me felt like the harnessing of spirit. To find love for oneself and to be able to stand up for what you believe in.”

Introduced by an 80s-esque keyboard melody, the focus track takes after the idiom ‘dyed in the wool’, often used to describe someone who is steadfast in their opinions and stubborn to change them; and it’s such a person that psykhi directs his poetic lyrics towards. In his distinct breathy tone, the artist rhythmically delivers uncompromising lines like, “Think you’re flawless since you feel this way/ Tell me what’s expected/ Tell me what’s addictive/ You usually shake your head like a disappointed friend/ I hope you don’t pretend/ You can be more than specific.” Backed by elastic bass and upbeat drums, these cadenced verses ramp up into cathartic choruses in which the instrumentation and psykhi’s usually brooding voice lets loose. The whole track functions on the push-and-pull mechanism in which moments of restrained lyrical potency are exchanged for fiery punk-rock riffs, and vice versa.

The official music video for ‘Dyed In Wool’ was directed by No Format (@no___format). It’s a greyscale performance video that’s reminiscent of the late 70s and 80s punk aesthetic. While the collage effect reflects the disparate parts of psykhi’s creative mind coming together to produce his affecting and unforgettable songs.

‘Forest People EP is undoubtedly a collection for the outsiders; for anyone who has been lost, for anyone who has receded into the overgrown jungle of their mind and come out the other side to tell the tale…Have a listen below…

Must Listens: Dry, Forest People

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Critically Acclaimed Canadian R&B Pop Artist, Myles Lloyd Shares New Single, ‘Shadows’

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…

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Song of the Day: IG – Wxndchime

WXNDCHIME is a British-Jamaican artist from South London who much like the musicians who influence her, utilises her music as a tool of expression against injustice. Having lived in both England and Jamaica, her sound which creates allegorical reggae/neo-soul infused melodies, overtly reflects on the Black/Caribbean influence on British society and the reverberations of this.

She explains her name as the symbolism of making peaceful noise from collisions. She removes the ‘I’, replacing this with the militancy of ‘X’.

‘IG’ is the first single from Wxndchime’s EP ‘IOUSZ’ which features eclectic sounds heavily influenced by the reggae, hip hop and neo soul/jazz she grew up on.

The song is an introduction to the complexity and dynamism that is Wxndchime, with distinctive lyrical verses and R&B hooks inspired by the harmonic arrangements of her gospel choir days. Through upbeat, playful melodies the song explores deeper realities of chauvinism, mental health, and a world heavily focused on image and surveillance.

The song features North London’s afro swing artist Tape, and the music from Alabama producer Yunnie is a collaboration which can be heard throughout her EP along with tracks produced by SpaceAgeRasta and Sena Beats. Have a listen below…

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