Having established herself as one of Australia’s most important voices and striking songwriters of recent years, Melbourne-based artist Eliza Hull has proven the longevity of her art, and continued evolution. With the release of her new single ‘Running Underwater’, the songwriter and musician embraces a beautiful new chapter of creative and personal expression; the threads of experiences from both sides of her being knitting together beautifully in creating a gorgeous piece of new music. ‘Running Underwater’ saw Hull work with ARIA Award-winning producer Pip Norman (Baker Boy, Missy Higgins) on production, recording the track at BIGBANG Studio. Mixed by Simon Lam (Woodes, Cub Sport) and mastered by Idania Valencia (Sam Smith), ‘Running Underwater’ – in its final form – lets the dynamism of Hull’s vocals and arrangement take prominence, flourishing with each sonic swell. ‘Running Underwater’ is the first song Hull has written about being disabled and living with a condition called ‘Charcot Marie Tooth’. The condition, a degenerative nerve disorder, has affected Hull’s walking for a long time; it was a disability that she kept hidden, specifically in the music industry. In recent years however, Hull has emerged as an accessibility advocate within the industry; her determinism and approach to educating and spurring on change in perspective and structure, when it comes to the way disabled musicians are treated within the industry, has been incredibly influential. ‘Running Underwater’ is a powerful musical representation of Hull’s strength, and an example of the artist coming further into her own.“For a long time I hid my disability, especially in the music industry. This was due to under-representation of disabled musicians and I was constantly shown that disability was a deficit or something that should be feared and hidden. It was such a heavy weight holding onto these beliefs, it was exhausting to constantly hide. This song is about pushing up against society’s view of disability, it’s about letting go of the fear and being authentic and true to myself and showing that it’s ok to be different.“ Working with director Keiran Watson-Bounce, Hull has also produced a moving music video for ‘Running Underwater’, filmed at The Goods Shed in Castlemaine. Featuring the talents of dancer ‘roya the destroya’, the experience allowed Hull to bring the song to life in a beautifully unique way onscreen. And in doing so, has represented disability onscreen in a way not generally seen. “The music video features my very good friend ‘roya the destroya’. She is a brilliant disabled dancer who moves like nobody I know. She actually started busking with an early version of the song and sent me a video of her performing with it. When I watched that video I knew I had to collaborate with her on the official music video. She has a beautiful ability to inhibit what I am feeling in my music and then express that through movement. In the music video she is like my alter-ego, almost like the spirit part of what I am feeling in the lyrics. Keiran Watson-Bonnice is the director of the music video. We have worked together in the past on the ABC Kids TV show And Then Something Changed, which I produced and wrote the music for. We shot the clip in one day, in mostly one take in the Goods Shed on a freezing winter’s day.“

Next month, Christine And The Queens are releasing a new album, PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE, recorded with super-producer Mike Dean. We’ve heard ‘To Be Honest’ and the 070 Shake-featuring ‘True Love’ from it so far, and now Chris is sharing another new one, ‘Tears Can Be So Soft.’ “Tears can be so soft was born out of the marriage of a Marvin Gaye sample that caught my attention, this intoxicating, elegant, almost poised in its melancholy string arrangement,” Chris said in a statement, adding that they wanted to create “this deep sense of almost womb-like, hypnotic space where the voice could soar in its loneliness, [an] interplay between the suffering that motivates tears and the gentle healing effect they can have.” [via Stereogum]

In June, This Is The Kit will release a new album, Careful Of Your Keepers, which follows 2020’s Off Off On and is produced by Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys. We’ve already heard lead single ‘Inside Outside,’ and now they’re back with another album track, ‘More Change,’ which comes with an animated video created by Benjamin Jones. Jones explains of the video: “With this video I wanted to create something that felt homemade, organic and very much alive. Using very simple puppetry with some old coat hangers and some basic stop motion (and some surprisingly willing neighbors who lent me their faces) I’ve tried to create a few characters and scenarios which are connected in some ways, but also reflect the themes I picked up from the music – sadness, compromise, exploring new ground, and finding new ways to help each other move forward.” [via Stereogum]

Water From Your Eyes have released a new single and video ’14’, the latest preview from their forthcoming album and Matador debut Everyone’s Crushed, out May 26. A crescendo of swelling strings, pizzicato and electronic drone moving around a cyclical vocal refrain of “How many is 14?,” the band describe the song as “a quasi-serial inkblot signifying submission to personal demons and the realization that change is both necessary and inevitable.” Watch the widescreen black & white video directed by the band’s Rachel Brown below. On the video, Brown says: “I was largely inspired by Meshes of the Afternoon, Last Year in Marienbad, and Spirited Away, as well as the painting The Triumph of Baccus by Diego Velázquez, a favorite of Nate’s. I wanted to capture the feeling of being haunted by one’s own inner turmoils and the act of letting those conflicts go.”

Late last year, art-pop masterminds Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian announced that they’d joined forces to form a duo called Decisive Pink. Next month, they’ll release their debut album Ticket To Fame. Now, they’ve also shared a joyous piece of spiky weirdness called ‘Dopamine.’ ‘Dopamine’ is a six-minute piece of deadpan art-funk about the emptiness of consumerism. Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian chant the names of products with arch, sarcastic glee as their music mechanistically tics away. In the video, director JJ Stratford films the two of them in theatrical makeup as they work in a warehouse full of boxes. Both musically and visually, ‘Dopamine’ recalls some of the artiest post-punk of the late ’70s and early ’80s. [via Stereogum]

Ashnikko has unveiled the official video for her single ‘WEEDKILLER’, directed by Furmaan and Vasso. It follows the release of her other recent singles ‘You Make Me Sick!’ and ‘Worms’, which will appear on her highly anticipated debut album of the same name, due to arrive imminently via Parlophone Records. “This song is the one that gave birth to the whole album,” stated Ashnikko. “It’s the climax of the record, the epic fight scene in the wasteland. Swords drawn, roots deep into the ground, I have come here to photosynthesise and eliminate the weedkillers. It is a violent fantastical storytelling set in my realm.” [via Dork]

Louise Post – of seminal band Veruca Salt – is sharing the video for her first debut solo track ‘Guilty,’ a perfect reverie of guitar haze. Directed by Meeno and written and produced by Post, the video showcases a married couple’s relationship on the fritz with no one person more guilty than the other in their wrongdoings. About the song, Post reflected, “I wrote this on a Tuesday and recorded it on Thursday, writing most of the lyrics on the drive from my house over to the studio. This song literally poured out of me. I was sleeping when it woke me up and demanded to be written. The first verse and chorus landed as an accusation, but then I realized it was far more interesting, and much more true to life, to have everyone in the song be guilty of something. To have the narrator own up to her own guilt, and then acknowledge the universality of it all. I mean, what would we be without our secrets? The song is ultimately about not taking ourselves so seriously.” [via AntiMusic]

Singapore-born, London-based artist Yeule has released a new single, ‘Sulky Baby’, alongside news of new US and UK headlining shows later this year and their signing with Ninja Tune. ‘Sulky Baby’, which is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by Yeule themselves and Jaxon Whittington, is a melancholic tune that blends 2000s alt-rock and shoegaze. Yeule said of the newly released track via a press statement: “‘Sulky Baby’ was like a 2000s alt-rock shoegaze hybrid tinted in sad satire. I felt like I was talking to a younger version of me, stopping her from crying, looking back at the ways I betrayed and neglected that innocence from myself. I failed to protect her and I felt like I needed to go back in time and fulfil what she was starved of. So that she could return to my side. So that I can smile like a little kid again.” They continued: “The song gives quite vivid descriptions of a depression I felt with almost a burning passion, yet I tried to give it a light-hearted tone. I think romanticizing is not always that bad. It helps to do it sometimes when you’re dealing with a repressed memory. I think it is called an advantaged delusion? Sometimes, that’s the only way I can remember parts of me I don’t want to remember, so that I can lay her to rest and heal. My mother used to tell me as a child, not to sulk all the time. I guess that’s why sulking is so special to me.” [via NME]

Lana Del Rey has released the 10-minute music video for ‘Candy Necklace’ featuring Jon Batiste from her new album Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. The video, directed by Rich Lee and shot in Los Angeles, sees the singer take on the role of numerous Hollywood starlets throughout history like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Short, also known as the The Black Dahlia. The black and white video features behind the scenes shots of Del Rey through the camera finder, in the make-up chair and alongside collaborator Batiste at the piano. “The whole thing about the video — why it was all supposed to be behind the scenes — was because all these women who changed their names and changed their hair, like me,” Del Rey tells the crew at one point in the video. “It’s like they all fell into these different snake holes. So the whole point is like, how do you learn from that and not fall into your own thing?” [via NME]

‘The Most Wanted Person In The United States’ — the recently released 100 gecs track — has finally received the goofy visuals to match its irreverent sonics. The new video finds Laura Les and Dylan Brady masking up to steal packages off of porches, brandish plastic swords at Ring doorbell cameras, kick a life-sized plastic horse, and hold up a convenience store with automatic weapons made of Monster Energy cans, among other misadventures. [via The FADER]

Borderline Toxic have made their long awaited return, releasing latest single ‘Sir Satan’. The band’s desire to explore emotive, personal lyricism paired with a raucous background of scuzzy riffs is exhibited in full. Featuring another flamboyantly crafted video, Borderline Toxic continue to illustrate why their sound has struck a chord with press both at home and abroad. ‘Sir Satan’ delves into themes about our own character, our flaws, our strengths, our relationships and how these individual traits are influenced by both positive and negative experiences that have shaped us. Hypnotic front-woman Kerry Glass delivers the line, “…nothing is A-Ok, said Sir Satan…” with stinging aplomb. Kerry is telling the listener that our demon is always in the back of our mind causing doubt and, ultimately, sabotaging the healthy relationships we create. Kerry’s own personal rebuke to the paternal issues she has faced growing up are laced throughout the song and are cocooned by filthy, face melting guitar riffs, biting drum beats and a grooving baseline.

Sweden’s Hot Breath returns with the new hot single and visually stunning music video ‘Keep On Calling’. The track is a highly energetic rock explosion with powerful vocals and thrilling riffs, of which the band comments: ”’Keep On Calling’ is a song about trying to break free from forbidden duets – even though your body is as tense as a bow-string”.

Ukrainian refugee and pop singer-songwriter Natisa Gogol has shared the video for her latest single entitled ‘Aesthetics’. The disco-infused dance pop anthem is a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, especially those in Russian occupation who are further discriminated against. Natisa confides, the song “is a tale of love that is more powerful than life itself, overcoming injustice, prejudice, and any obstacles it may encounter.” The futuristic video is a dedication to the LGBTQ+ community, portraying a love affair between two women that transcends space and time. ‘Aesthetics’ further highlights many people’s concerns that if Russia occupies Ukraine, the LGBTQ+ population will have their current rights taken away. Natisa’s music delivers a powerful message about holding onto strength and hope, even in the most disastrous and dark of times, as she herself was forced to flee her home in Ukraine to begin a new life.

Toronto–based songstress Sam Casey wears her authenticity like your favourite pair of well–worn jeans. Her unfiltered and unapologetic songs are inspired by the past two years of her life: all the breakups, the makeups, the drugs, the dancing, the crying, the anxiety and the love. Her passive aggressive song, ‘7 Second Superstar,’ was inspired by TikTok fame. It comes off as judgmental because it is. Sam and her co-writers, Julianna Eye and Chloe Kay, felt critical of social media – TikTok in particular – and how it promotes a culture of one hit wonders. “Julianna, Chloe, and I wrote this song over Zoom in 2021 with TikTok reaching its height of popularity and all of us being quite literally forced to participate on the app,” Sam explains. “After a conversation regarding our experiences in the early-2000’s and late 90’s (before social media existed), we decided to try a blink-182 vibe and about 2 hours later we had a song.”

Grace Potter is gearing up to release her fifth studio LP Mother Road via Fantasy Records on August 18. An audacious and heart-pounding map of the soul, Mother Road finds Grace deconstructing her deepest fears and darkest regrets, charting the fallout with brutal honesty and emotional daring. To celebrate the release, Potter has shared the inviting, irresistibly twangy title track. The single comes alongside an endearing Pulp Fiction meets Thelma and Louise styled video. Grace Potter reflected on the meaning of Mother Road, saying, “In Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck called Route 66 the ‘The Mother of all roads…the road of flight.’ As I zeroed out my odometer and started west on my road trip across the US, I hoped that driving the road of flight would give me a bird’s eye view of my life. But it didn’t take long to realize that I was not flying; I was running away. In the solitude, I found myself smashing open the piggy bank of deeply-buried memories. Those gems of my real-life exploits spilled into my creative consciousness and emboldened me to write an album that reaches far beyond what actually happened–launching me down the alternate-reality roads of what could have happened.” [via uDiscoverMusic]

Grammy-nominated Nigerian dance-pop vocalist Kah-Lo releases her new single ‘fund$’ on Epic Records. Spinning a tale of greed and glory, Kah-Lo’s latest single sees her fierce vocals cut with a darker edge. A powerful anthem that flaunts Kah-Lo’s intrinsic ability to seamlessly blend genres at her will, ‘fund$’ commands attention with its shiny synth stabs, punchy basslines, and rhythmic percussion. Kah-Lo’s playfully audacious lyrics add a feminist flare to the track as she sings, “Girls just wanna have funds, can’t have fun if you don’t have funds”. As with all of Kah-Lo’s originals, her vibrant persona shines through on ‘fund$’ as she teases her more rebellious side. ‘fund$’ arrives with an official music video that sees Kah-Lo take a murderous turn to enact revenge on those who have done her wrong. Portraying a femme fatale in this Kill Bill-esque music video, ‘fund$’ is an enticing introduction into Kah-Lo’s villain era. [via Find Your Sounds]

Madeline Kenney has announced her fourth album, A New Reality Mind, arriving July 28 via Carpark Records. Following 2021’s Summer Quarter EP, A New Reality Mind was produced and recorded by Kenney in her basement and processes the abrupt end of a long-term relationship. Along with the album news is a lead single, ‘Superficial Conversation,’ which also has a self-directed video. “‘Superficial Conversation’ is my way of looking back at the ways I shrunk myself or ignored my own needs in favor of the needs and desires of others,” Kenney explains. “While I wish I had acted differently, I want to be kind and forgiving to my past self and be able to grow and move forward with more power and love.” Of the video, Kenney says: “I wanted the video to show a forced transformation, from the inside and out. Jess Bozzo’s choreography really captured what I wanted to evoke; a painful change that becomes a pretty joyous opening with room for desire and play.” [via Stereogum]

Australia’s acclaimed alternative dance trio Haiku Hands have returned with a new single and music video. Claire Nakazawa, Beatrice Lewis and Mie Nakazawa are on fiery form on their new track, titled ‘Nunchucka’. A dancefloor cut with punk energy, the addictive track offers an instant sonic adrenaline rush. “A super charged high energy self affirmation anthem for anyone who wants to wipe off the patriarchal stain of self-loathing,” the band says about their single. “A song to listen to before you go out, when you’re out, and when you get home. Enjoy your life.” The accompanying music video, directed by Triana Hernandez, sees Haiku Hands and a set of mysterious characters matching the rebellious spirit of the track. [via The Brag]

Up next from LA’s resident femme-punk royalty, The Aquadolls, comes ‘Far Far Away,’ the final single before the June 2 release of their album Charmed. A slice of upbeat summer optimism, the song featuring production by Chris Szczech (The Goo Goo Dolls), is a call to arms for anyone looking to ferociously take back their independence. In the single’s official video directed by longtime creative collaborator Jenna Houchin, the band is drenched in a retro malaise as they attempt to bust out of the norm. Lead singer Melissa Brooks said, “’Far Far Away’ is a fairytale twist on the working class, discussing that the only person who can truly save you is yourself. Recorded by Chris Szcech, this up-tempo track features surfy guitar licks reminiscent of early Vampire Weekend and hand claps to ensure that anyone can clap and chant along to this modern self-love fairytale.” Bassist Keilah Nina chimed in saying that this is, “A tune about struggling with work-life balance. The painful reality of getting trapped in the same 9-5 routine and feeling blocked or detached from personal growth, success, and/or love as a result. It’s also a tale of acceptance, sometimes you have to pull yourself out of the dirt, and that’s okay!”

Sarah Kinsley is pleased to share details of a new EP, Ascension, for release next month via Verve Forecast/Decca Records UK. The EP is released on June 9, and previewed with ‘Lovegod’ and accompanying music video. The video is produced by Sarah who also hand-crafted the ‘Lovegod’ character who features throughout the video. The song itself was written, performed, recorded, produced, and mixed by Sarah. Sarah Kinsley on the new track: “’Lovegod’ is the most devious I think I’ve been in my writing, My own ‘lovegod’ is a perfect lover, an answer to a prayer, an antidote for romantic pessimism. Where can one find love these days? Why do we need it? Why do I find myself begging for some spiritual deliverance?”

Berlin-based, Belgium-raised rising pop icon MOLI returns with her dreamy new single ‘It’s Not My Fault’. Produced by JUNGLE’s Tom McFarland, this nostalgic new cut evokes the 80s with its shimmering electro-pop leanings, wavy synths and MOLI’s signature delicate, soulful vocals. Speaking on the single, MOLI said – “‘It’s Not My Fault’ is about coming to the realisation that you need to leave something that is bad for you and finally feeling a glimpse of that sense of freedom you were missing after feeling pulled down and heavy for so long. I personally felt like certain romantic situations I was in really weighed me down. They felt very one sided. Always chasing people, putting them on a pedestal and putting so much of myself and emotions into it only to end up feeling like I was never enough for them. I would feel so vulnerable and susceptible to being taken advantage of. I didn’t feel like being my true self was okay as I was so focused on pleasing the other person. Making it to the other side of that and experiencing healthier relationship dynamics made me feel so much lighter, confident and independent. It is so freeing to be unapologetically me. At the same time, I have been learning to navigate a very male dominated industry. I feel a lot of growth has happened for me over the last few years. I have my own opinions and I am confident in what I do which has made such a big difference if ever I do end up in a room with someone who I do not feel respected by. It is a very liberating feeling to not be so dependent on someone else’s validation, opinion and it’s that sense of freedom and confidence that I hope ‘It’s Not My Fault’ portrays.” The single arrives with a slick and sumptuous video shot by director Marek Partyš and inspired by the drama and hijinks of old films. Transporting viewers back to the 80s, the visual is set in a casino following a host of glamorous con-men manipulate a roulette wheel, before MOLI in her most baddass, empowering performance yet, unexpectedly swoops in and steals the final riches. Speaking on the video, Partys said -“The first time I listened to the song It is not my fault, I got a whiff of the 80s. The mysterious club, the strange characters, the detective, the casino, the smoke, all popped into my mind while listening to the song. It was a fun ride to piece all these elements together into a story where the singer Moli herself plays one of the main roles. And I’m convinced that she did it perfectly. The whole crew deserves a lot of thanks and respect for helping us with the whole production process.”

Sydney Sprague has released ‘smiley face’ via Rude Records. The video, which was done entirely through CGI and a phone app called “in3D”, which takes viewers through an metaverse driven, wild world of Sydney and her band as avatars, complete with dancing and an epic ending of Sydney flying into the sun. “The visual parts of making music can be really stressful for me,” explains Sydney” “… so going into the making of this video the most important thing to me was that everyone involved was having a good time. That’s why I really love this video, because every part of it was us going “what’s the dumbest thing that could happen” and doing that.” “smiley face: dance-y indie pop/rock. I wrote ‘smiley face’ about this dream I had that made me wake myself up because I was laughing really hard out loud, ” she continues.

Turning the page to a new chapter, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs shares a confessional new single entitled ‘Baggage’. Bishop also announces the arrival of her highly anticipated new EP, When Everything Went Dark – out June 23. On the track, Bishop embraces her stark humanity like never before. She adds, “I am not perfect. In fact, I’m quite messy. I could say life is messy, which it is, but part of becoming an adult has been acknowledging the messiness that I have too. ‘Baggage’ is the first song where I stand in the mud and triumphantly stomp my feet in it. I can only hope that others feel empowered to own their version of messy and know that they aren’t alone in it. I have found that when I unabashedly show my imperfections and my wounds I am growing. So, there you have it, that’s my baggage.” Re: the striking accompanying music video for the track, Bishop comments: “I didn’t know how well I could hide my sorrow until I did it. Outwardly I would have fleeting moments of socially acceptable niceties and then the minute I was alone I would dissociate, completely unable to function. How could these two extremities exist in one body? It was and is exhausting. I wanted this music video for ‘Baggage’ to show that our blue circles aka our trauma can be meticulously hidden even if someone appears okay on the outside. I hope that whoever watches knows that they are not alone and that there’s a community of people waiting to be supportive.”

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

SPIDER has dropped a new track, ‘America’s Next Top Model’. Following her debut mixtape C.O.A, she explains: “I started ‘America’s Next Top Model’ after a conversation with my friend Earl Saga about how safe music can feel right now. We found it really interesting that in a time where artists have the most freedom to make the most opinionated art, it sometimes feels as a collective like we are shying away from it. The video is about my own experiences online, and accepting the fact that if people already feel the need to get rid of me, that means that I’m doing something right. I’m asking the people who target the content of minority creators, “why the fuck are you so scared?” People don’t feel the need to silence something that’s not making an impact. So while it hurts and it’s confusing and it’s scary and slightly scarring, it’s only an indication that the message is being received. I hope ‘America’s Next Top Model’ stirs that revolutionary spirit, and is a big hit of confidence for those who need it.” [via Dork]

Back in December, Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV, both estimable artists on their own, announced that they’d gotten together to form a new duo called Decisive Pink, and they also shared their hugely promising debut track ‘Haffmilch Holiday.’ Kate NV has her own solo album WOW out, and now Decisive Pink have also announced their own debut LP. The Decisive Pink album comes with the presumably-ironic title Ticket To Fame, and it’s coming out later this year. New single ‘Destiny’ is a woozy, pretty art-pop track that builds a serious feeling and uses Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV’s overlapping voices in cool ways. In director Sasha Kulak‘s ‘Destiny’ video, the two artists appear as moving paintings. [via Stereogum]

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has shared the official video for her recent single ‘Breaking The Circle’, which is taken from her seventh studio album HANA released on June 2 via Cooking Vinyl. She has also announced an intimate London album launch show on June 30 at Lafayette. Filmed in London by Remi Laudat, the video flits between reality and fantasy and sees Sophie both awake and in a lucid dream performing in different rooms within a house, ending in an angular dance routine finale.

LA-via-Gainesville-via-Paris duo Pearl & the Oysters revealed last fall that they were signing with Stones Throw Records, and now Juliette Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack are revealing their plans for their first release through the label: Coast 2 Coast will arrive April 21, followed by a headlining tour of the US the following month. The space-age pop duo’s third album notably features contributions from Stereolab’s Lætitia Sadier, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Riley Geare, and Mild High Club’s Alex Brettin, as well as Neon Indian and Dent May. Following the release of ‘Pacific Ave’ in November and ‘Konami’ in January, their latest single ‘Paraiso’ is the third we’ve heard from the upcoming project, this one seeing Davis addressing our surroundings in relation to how advertisers see them. “[It’s] a song pondering on our own eco-anxiety by skeptically conjuring paradisiacal images as presented in classic California tourism ads of the last century, when the idea of the Endless Summer felt more like a luxury commodity and less like a looming menace,” the band shares. “We had a lot of fun stepping out of our maximalist comfort zone and experimenting with a more sparse and intimate (for us, that is) arrangement approach on this track.” The song also arrives with a grainy video directed by Nikki Milan Houston which depicts more edenic images of paradise than those often sold to us, with the duo spending a day in unpopulated spots across the West Coast, from beaches to deserts—all embellished with a bit of animation and stop-motion imagery. [via Flood]

After a year of touring and hobnobbing with NYC’s cool kids, lighting up the underground circuits in Brooklyn and Manhattan, May Rio is releasing the single ‘Need You Like.’ The fairy-synthed, indie-pop single and troll-filled video is Rio’s first release after a banner year of features (The Dare’s ‘Girls’ and Blaketheman1000’s ‘Blake 2,’ to name a few). The whimsical video, co-directed by Arjun Ram Srivatsa and Lena Greene and choreographed by Sharleen Cidiac, features a handful of buzzy NYC musicians and artists including Marcus Maddox, Owen Drum, Lulu Frost of the Frost Children, and EJ O’Hara. While May Rio’s dreamworld guest list might be less fantasy and more… exactly who you would expect to attend this kind of artsy outing, the offbeat humor and oddball love story are sure to pull you in. In the fairytale book of ‘Need You Like,’ romance is as ghastly as braced teeth and prosthetic noses, and social media influencers touting make-up are instead witches crafting love potions. May Rio, the pop project of May Sembera, has an ever-growing music catalog of quirky and lovable head-boppers. Learning from the streets of Ableton and time spent in her bedroom during quarantine, her off-kilter pop songs about ’20s hedonism are only getting weirder and better. [via PAPER]

piri & Tommy Villiers have shared a new video for ‘updown’. The first new track to come from the pair in 2023, it follows up on last year’s mixtape froge.mp3. Both piri and Tommy are said to be currently working on solo, collaborative and brand new piri & Tommy Villiers music, following on from recent MJ Cole collab ‘Feel It’. [via Dork]

News of ALMA‘s new album Time Machine arrives alongside a Miikka Lommi-directed video for her January single ‘Hey Mom Hey Dad’, which will appear on ALMA’s new album with last year’s ‘Everything Beautiful’, ‘I Forgive Me’ and ‘Summer Really Hurt Us’. [via Line Of Best Fit]

LA-based dark pop duo Boy Deluxe (Hope and True Murra) return with a brand new music video for last year’s single ‘Left Behind.’ The track is a moody, mid-tempo electronic ballad that examines the complex emotions of feeling special yet overlooked. Originally written on a Fender Rhodes, it came to life with True’s signature production and Hope’s brooding vocals. Of ‘Left Behind,’ Hope wrote: “The song’s haunting synths, shimmering soundscapes, and introspective lyrics paint a vivid picture of the struggle to find one’s place in a world that often overlooks what makes us special. ‘Left Behind’ conveys a sense of hope and resilience, reminding listeners to never give up on the pursuit of their true selves. ‘Left Behind’ is a powerful meditation on the beauty of individuality and the strength it takes to shine in a world that often fails to see our true worth.”

Vosh is here to darken your day up big time with their latest single ‘Bleed As One.’ The single draws from early Ministry and Depeche Mode as much as it does Sisters Of Mercy and Killing Joke, drawing an overall blood-soaked and monochrome picture. “‘Bleed As One’ changed its shape many times,” said Vosh frontwoman Josephine Olivia. “For a while we weren’t sure if it would make the cut of the album, but it ultimately became one of our favorites. Carson Cox worked with us on this one, so it’s obviously a winner. It’s a ballad, a love song, but it’s up to the listener to decide how it speaks to them. Instrumentally, we wanted it to rise and fall. It feels more epic than the other songs, a real storyline that the listener can follow sonically.” [via Metal Injection]

Hailing from Tallinn, Estonia, Alexandra Elizabeth Ljadov has been in fierce pursuit of her creative dreams since she moved to New York at age 16 to work as a model. A year later, her stunning looks and poise landed her over 80 fashion shows and the title of “Victoria Beckham’s Muse”. Shortly after this ordeal, and not content with just dominating the world of fashion via the runways, Alexandra created the Pop Diva persona Majorlilkween to give her an outlet for all of her talent and creativity not limited to fashion and modeling. The thing nobody tells you about following your wild dreams, is that reality and the past don’t stop hurting, and Alexandra’s pain turned into a fire that both kept her motivated and tempered her character into the badass chica that is now Majorlilkween. While she readies for her upcoming EP, ‘kween has released a brand new single with an awesome music video to boot. ‘Karma’ is the name and it is an honest-to-God pop-punk anthem like those of its early 2000s heyday. Filled with spunky riffs, the vigorous and upbeat track is about finding the inner strength to move away from past toxic relationships and becoming your own person. The music video draws heavy inspiration from the beloved 90s Spooktacular Halloween film Hocus Pocus. With a direct hand in its creation and look, Majorlilkween stylized the visuals by drawing inspiration from Quentin Tarantino and the many early 2000s pop videos that no doubt were a huge part of her formation into the powerhouse pop star she’s shaping up to be nowadays. [via Flaunt]

The multi-media project of Nashville-based Aotearoa artist Kelly Sherrod, Proteins Of Magic has returned to her homeland for a release tour this month, celebrating immaculate new single / video ‘Divine Physics’. Sherrod handed the reins for the song’s video component over to filmmaker / director Rory White — who also directed the clip for P.O.M.’s ’22 single ‘Lethal’ — complementing the ballad with fog-enshrined, monochromatic imagery, evocative outfit details and a powerful expressive performance by Sherrod. The singer / producer’s astounding vocals achieve an almost religious fervour, while delicate piano arrangements and pounding percussion keep the song semi-grounded on earthly soil. The first official release from P.O.M.’s forthcoming Angel Hieroglyphics EP via Particle Recordings, Sherrod explained how the creation of ‘Divine Physics’ felt like a personal breakthrough… “I started peeling away under the moss in my brain pieces of where I wanted to be. Through that struggle it felt like a divine moment when I wrote the first section of the song. It was like something telling me what to do to have access to my new world. It’s the first song where I felt like this was really me.” [via Under The Radar]

Bristol-based trio Grandmas House have dropped a new video. ‘Who Am I’ is a cut from their EP of the same name, with both out now via Brace Yourself Records. The EP also features the singles ‘How Does It Feel?’, ‘Body’, which the three-piece describe as “an anthem for anyone that’s ever felt uncomfortable in their own skin”, and ‘Desire’. Discussing the title-track, the group comment: “‘Who Am I’ is about being judged by someone without them really knowing you. Written from the point of view of someone being judged for the negative stereotypes of their zodiac sign, it’s an anthem by gemini’s, for all the other gemini’s out there.” [via Dork]

Critically acclaimed alt pop phenomenon Skott has released Roses N Guns via Cosmos Music, her anticipated sophomore album featuring her new single ‘Roses N Guns.’ Skott has also unveiled the mesmerizing, self-directed video for ‘Roses N Guns,’ an emotionally charged synth-pop ballad that explores destructive, all-consuming love that is as incredible as it is intense through shimmering synths and breathy hooks.

Finding humour in self-loathing, award-winning Vera Ellen is back with the second guitar driven single, ‘Lenny Says’ from her upcoming album, Ideal Home Noise, which is out digitally and on both red or black vinyl and CD on Friday March 31 via Flying Nun Records. “I wrote ‘Lenny Says’ to make fun of myself at rock bottom. It was actually initially for my album Beat Yr Name (2018) but I felt it was too cheesy at the time. Now, I can see the humour in it. The two verses were genuinely written three years apart — though clearly the angst did not dwindle. It’s a track for us whining broke losers with unattainable dreams; having a laugh and a moan at the same time.” The video for ‘Lenny Says’ is the second instalment in the three-part series was directed and produced by Sports Team, and made with the support of NZ on Air. About the video, Vera Ellen says “If you cried in Carpenter, you will scream in Lenny Says. My band joins me for some diabolical plotting and scheming… but what exactly are we planning?? What we do best of course. And, listen, I won’t have any of your judgement. We all do crazy things to maintain our youth and glory!” [via Flying Nun]

If you’re in the mood for some heart-racing, soul-stirring beats, then look no further than Salt Ashes’ latest single, ‘Heart Attack.’ This London-based singer-songwriter has returned with an intoxicating track that showcases her expert ability to blend dream-like vocal melodies with electronic dance rhythms that are sure to leave you wanting more. Salt Ashes has always been one to fuse together a variety of influences to create something unique, and ‘Heart Attack’ is no different. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Bjork, Depeche Mode, and Change, she has honed her craft to produce introspective electronic music that boasts a dark, disco-esque flair. [via Wonderland]

Breakout singer-songwriter Mimi Webb has released her debut album Amelia via RCA Records UK. The release is accompanied by the music video for ‘Freezing,’ one of the new tracks off the record. Directed by Drew Kirsch, the stunning visual brings the lyrics to life as Mimi journeys through the process of leaving her past relationship, rediscovering her happiness, and moving forward with confidence.

Birdy returns with new single ‘Raincatchers’. Incoming LP Portraits shakes it up once more, transforming her music into something more theatrical, more pop, but no less communicative. New single ‘Raincatchers’ is out now, reminiscent of Kate Bush in her Imperial phase – profoundly English, but also timeless, continually reaching outwards. A sign of what lies ahead, there’s a gothic streak to ‘Raincatchers’, a darkness coupled with enigmatic appeal. As ever, her bold, vivacious delivery takes the song to the next level, something she’ll echo onstage at an upcoming European tour. [via Clash]

Loren Gray has released her dance-pop single ‘Told You So’ — and revealed that she’ll be dropping her debut album Guilty on April 21. “This is my first album, and there isn’t a single song on it that I’m not incredibly proud of. It’s a reflection of my journey coming into my own, and learning how to be my truest self through music,” she tells Rolling Stone. “It’s been such a long process, but a very therapeutic and healing one. I hope it gives people the opportunity to connect with me, and I’m beyond excited to share it with the world.” The new album is named after the single Gray released last year, which she says “changed the course” of the debut project. “I felt my most open, and that was my goal from the beginning of the writing process,” she says of the track which touched on her struggles with depression. [via Rolling Stone]

Mckenna Grace has just debuted her very first EP Bittersweet 16. The 16-year-old actress and budding singer released her first body of work on Friday, which features eight songs, including five brand new tracks. In addition, Mckenna dropped the music video for her new single ‘Buzzkill Baby.’ “I’m so happy to finally be releasing this ep! I’m excited for everyone to finally hear them. Getting into music has really been a dream. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve learned a lot about myself,” Mckenna shared in a statement. “Music has been a different type of creative outlet for me. It’s way more personal. Writing has been therapy, it’s been really heart breaking and I’ve cried writing and listening to songs, but it has also been fun and has brought me so much joy. I hope ya’ll love this project as much as I do and dance around your house. ’Buzzkill Baby’ is definitely one of my favorite songs on here, and I’m really excited for people to be able to jam out to it,” she adds of her latest single. “I hope anyone who listens to my music and can relate to the darker feelings will know that eventually it passes and it’s normal and okay to feel things- happy, sad, angry, lonely, frustrated…just don’t give up.” [via Just Jared Jr]

Giving in to demands of fans across social media, London-via-Türkiye pop force Selin comes through with the theatrical ‘sad girl’ anthem ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’ – her second official English single under Warner Music Türkiye. With highly personal yet relatable lyrics written by Selin with Gil Lewis (Blithe, BEKA, Aleyna Tilki) and acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Close, ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’ takes shape as a powerfully emotive, sweeping ballad about a lost love affair which didn’t get the fairy-tale ending it perhaps deserved, as well as the maturity of having to learn from the past and move on – further realized in the music video’s stormy, dramatic visuals. Artistically off-setting with the pop-rock vibrancy of last August’s ‘cool’, the cinematic production on ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’ is the perfect backdrop for Selin’s rich and full-bodied powerhouse vocals to take centre stage in a truly spectacular vocal performance – delivering the poignant, heartfelt lyrics with candour, which have already begun resonating with fans on TikTok, who have organically started creating POV videos using the track. Speaking about ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’, Selin said the following: “I had been wanting to write about a specific situation playing on my mind; as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that I needed to come face-to-face with what those feelings were. The song talks about that feeling of ‘what could have been’ with somebody; on the day I wrote about it with Sarah and Gil, it all just sort of came out. I didn’t want to fully forget about it, so I think writing this was almost like finishing a book, and now it’s ready to be shelved – but who knows, maybe one day this book will be revisited… I hope you can sing, scream, cry, and laugh to this song.”

Purple is the color of imagination and creativity and is associated with the transformation of the soul. Purple is bold, unique, independent, and introspective. Purple is a way of life. Embodying these qualities, purple- haired rock goddess Anastasia Elliot is a trailblazer in the Indie Art Rock world as she debuts the latest single ‘Bones’ and accompanying video from her highly anticipated full length visual album La Petite Mort. On the inspiration behind ‘Bones’ and the debut album, Nashville-based artist states, “La Petite Mort (‘The Little Death’) explores my relationship with the phases of trauma and rebirth following my plane crash in 2013. I wrote ‘Bones’ as a snapshot into the bandaid trauma bonding type of relationship that we often seek after going through something cataclysmic. The kind of childish love that makes us chase the red flags while also becoming the red flags. ‘Bones’ is the ultimate distraction of fun, the comic relief of La Petite Mort if you will. The part of the story where I started seeking to control others since I couldn’t control my insides or my situation. It can be easier that way sometimes, but it never ends well. This song came from my first misguided attempts to take back my personal power, looking for it in the wrong places that came easy to me and devouring many innocent hearts in the process. With the violence that is weaved into the more carefree and playful soundscape of this song, it shows the internal knowledge that at this time, there was no happy ending in a relationship with me. When you are searching for a partner from a broken place, it will always end in another little death.”

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