Just A Leo
Following a series of lineup changes, countless covid caused setbacks, and a year of introspection, Melbourne electro-pop duo Just A Leo can say they’ve finally discovered their true artistic identity with their latest release, ’15. How Do You Live With Yourself’. Inspired by the evocative vocal stylings of Bon Iver and the glitch-infused production of Flume, ’15. How Do You Live With Yourself’ is an ethereal meditation on human suffering and the rampant lack of empathy that we are all guilty of. “Think of when most people encounter a homeless person on the street. More often than not, they choose to look away. The suffering is too much to bear,” explains the duo. “Imagine for a moment how much this dismissal of human tragedy devastates the person who is suffering. ’15. How Do You Live With Yourself’ is asking more of all of us: In a world where tragedy and suffering are guaranteed, why not spread a little more kindness?”. ’15. How Do You Live With Yourself’ was entirely produced, recorded and mixed by the duo, with the mastering being handled by Adam Dempsey (Angie McMahon, Courtney Barnett). ’15. How Do You Live With Yourself’ was written with a unique songwriting process they call ‘songwriting blind.’ This technique sees Kalliope (vocals, keys, producer) and Andie (drums, bass, keys, producer) contributing to the song separately, unaware of each other’s parts. This method adds an element of surprise and has so far yielded successful results for the duo. Listen below.

Alina
Alina, a 22 year old British singer-songwriter living in Amsterdam, has released her third single entitled ‘Pillars’, bringing strawberries and sunshine to the pop-rock genre. Looking at the pillars of life (generally these are love, family, health and wealth), all of Alina’s seemed to be falling into place simultaneously for the first time. This doesn’t mean that life was perfect, but the song is about a recognition of gratitude… a thing that is often overlooked. ‘Pillars’ immerses us in a world of appreciation, reminiscence and savoring the now. It is a pop-rock, self-written, personal yet relatable song that feels timeless. Writing songs since she was twelve and singing before she could talk, Alina has been working towards the career of a singer-songwriter and performer since before she can remember. Influences for Alina’s music come from a wide spread; these include Adele, Lily Allen, Maisie Peters, Fleetwood Mac, Billie Eillish, Alannis Morrisette, Carole King, Miley Cyrus, dodie and Katy Perry to name a few. Listen to ‘Pillars’ below.

Cheery
Kansas-native and current Liverpool resident Cheery releases their single, ‘True Lover’. “This track was written in the midsts of being trapped in an extremely abusive relationship and daydreaming of a time when this will not be the norm,” explains Cheery. “It acts as a warning to anyone who believes you get infinite chances at happiness, to appreciate what you have and to recognize true love. It also warns those experiencing violence in their relationships to retreat as opposed to building up a tolerance.” All of this dark lyricism is set to a tense and choppy instrumental, meant to replicate the feelings of being tied down and pushing and pulling your way out. This track was produced by Eric Davis (Hembree). Listen below.

L33A.P
Electronic artist L33A.P releases her second track of the year, ‘L1K3 TH3 RAIN,’ a simultaneously moody and euphoric dance track, featuring UKG/Bassline and House influences. “Her tears fall slowly like the rain” is the opening vocal line that drives the track, which eventually develops into an all out euphoric but stormy ending, complete with thundery cymbal crashes. The track is entirely written and produced by L33A.P. L33A.P (pronounced Leah P) is a producer, singer and songwriter from NY. She grew up playing classical music and learned 10 instruments by age 13. She started dabbling in music production in college and exploring different styles of electronic music. Her current productions express her love for UKG, as well as various other musical influences collected throughout the years. Listen to ‘L1K3 TH3 RAIN’ below.

AlexStella
AlexStella, the visionary London based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, is wired to constantly push the boundaries of her sound. The Swedish native, ventures into a captivating blend of EDM, avant, alt and art-pop genres. Influenced by artists like Sevdaliza, Poppy, BABii, ARCA and FKA Twigs, her music delves into creating immersive sonic landscapes. With the inclusion of operatic vocal sections and an interplay between synthesizers, pianos, and guitars, her sound is rich and dynamic. Vocal delays and irresistible grooves fuel AlexStella’s music. Her lyrics often delve into themes of love and anger, rooted in a sense of not fully belonging. Growing up as a second generation Polish immigrant in Sweden, her songs are a reflection of her own journey as an artist, and a woman, capturing the highs and lows of life. She stands behind the meaning of embracing yourself, and so, fueled by anger built up from life experiences and encounters she stands prepared to unveil her true essence with her new single ‘Methe’. Listen below.

YVA
Amy Holford is the independent singer and writer behind the moniker YVA, based in the north of England. She released her debut EP, HYPE MACHINE in 2021 and she also features heavily on producer and composer Nitin Sawhney’s recorded works, as well as touring live as a permanent fixture in his band. ‘I Have Seen’ is the first single from her second EP, Delusions of Grandeur. “Written when I was 17 and carried through much of my twenties, it’s a song about confronting, even accepting your demons,” she explains. “It’s about every dude who secretly wanted me to stay in my place, not to learn. It’s the devil in me, the demon on my back, the anxiety that doesn’t want me to try. To name it and it be known and not let it overwhelm me. Recorded and co-produced at my own home studio with Khushi and Jonathan Hibbert.” Listen below.

Beige Girl
Beige Girl is a 22 year old conscious female rapper on a mission to shake up the hip-hop scene and ignite change through her politically charged rhymes. With a fierce commitment to feminism, social justice, and inclusivity. Her music is a reflection of her values and experiences, tackling issues of race, gender, and class head-on. Through her music she embraces the fluidity of gender and sexuality, recognizing the spectrum of identities beyond the traditional binary. Her commitment to social justice extends beyond her music, as she actively uses her life to advocate for change. With a mix of Hiphop, rap and rock Beige Girl is one to watch. Her latest single is called ‘Weareyourfriends’. “‘Weareyourfriends’ is about abortion laws, norms and women not supporting each other but mostly care for the attention of men and career building,” she says. “Its a fucked up game to destroy each other when we need each other the most. I made this text, I made this song to express my mind and frustrations. hopefully some good can come out it.” Listen below.

ELLA FAE
Essex-based artist Ella Fae drops her highly anticipated debut EP Magazine Dreaming. A 5 track alt-pop project exploring her fairy world, where she bravely tackles topics such as heartbreak, mental health and finding her way in the world.The EP Magazine Dreaming channels the dreamy and trippy vocoder-based pop of fellow contemporaries such as Allie X, Caroline Polachek, Muna and Billie Eilish, with swirling electronic production, washed-out pianos and catchy gang vocal choruses that interweave with Ella’s haunting vocals. The fragmented style of the instrumentation throughout the EP frames Ella’s lyricism well and was a key part of the writing process with producer Tragic Sasha: “‘The hardest song on the EP to write was definitely ‘Pretty (Fucked Up)’. I want to start an honest conversation about mental health that others may be able to relate to after hearing my music. I have found that Eating disorders is a taboo subject within the music industry, so I wanted to break that boundary and openly discuss the topic, so that others who may be struggling or have struggled feel seen and not alone. In the studio, I remember it being a glorified therapy session. I spilled some of the darkest parts of my teenage years to my producer and cowriter Tragic Sasha, who sprinkled her magic on the production and made this song everything I ever dreamed it could be,” says Ella. Listen below.

Melissa Menago
Echo The Optimist is Melissa Menago’s 2nd full length album, releasing everywhere Aug 25.A multi-instrumentalist and seasoned songwriter, Menago blends a unique mix of indie and alternative pop, singer-songwriter and modern folk on Echo The Optimist to touch on love, loss, grief, reflection and relationships of all kinds. Menago’s solo career started off on NYC’s Chesky Records with her debut album, Little Crimes. Also known as the lead singer and songwriter of indie rock band, June Divided, Menago has shared the stage with Twentyone Pilots, The Pretty Reckless, Walk The Moon, Rise Against and others. “I knew ‘Echo The Optimist’ would be the title track as soon as I wrote it.” says Melissa. “This album is like a snapshot of my life thus far, and this song is a bit of an explanation of myself. The way we are wired is often determined by influences and circumstances beyond our control, even things that happen before we arrive. This song touches on that idea. This is one of a few songs on the album where the guitar part was set in stone before much else. I had the lyrical concept running around in my head, but sitting down and writing this guitar part was one of those magic black-out moments. It wasn’t an easy part to figure out or play but I suddenly just sort of… had it. Then everything else fell into place. It’s the first track on the album and I think it sets the tone for the rest of it.” Listen below.

Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

Naila
‘Saved Me’ is the new single by London singer-songwriter Naila. This new single is Naila’s take on the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ metaphor. It’s a reflection on life and feeling desperately low at points but being able to get through with the right love and support around you. Naila says, “The song was written at a time when I felt deeply jaded about human relationships. I’d been gaslighted by my best friend at the time, let down by those close to me. I was trying to make sense of the world and the friendships I had,and it was interesting to see who supported me and which relationships fell away. I wanted to capture the depths of sadness and feeling low. I hope it resonates for others. Experiencing the changing nature of relationships can be toughat times. Writing this song helped me to process those feelings, what was happening and to get through.” Listen below.

OROPENDOLA
New York City artist Oropendola has released her new single ‘Knocking Down Flowers’. This is the first single from her upcoming album Waiting for the Sky to Speak out March 17. In ‘Knocking Down Flowers,’ Oropendola finds life in the least likely of places: a construction site. Here, she recognizes and illuminates the power of living at the intersection of contrasts. Of the song, she has this to say: “In January 2020, I started recording myself improvising every morning – “morning pages” inspired by The Artist’s Way, a creative self-help book. I recorded morning pages #1 soon after a pivotal, complicated, on-and-off relationship reached its end. Round and round we went, addicted to one another, unable to break free of a sticky cycle that prevented us from fully blooming together. That song seed turned into Knocking Down Flowers within a few days. There was a construction site near my old apartment in South Slope, Brooklyn that the two of us would often pass by. We developed a bit – bittersweet in retrospect – that it was our home. We would peer through the diamond-shaped opening at the stunted barren landscape beyond and imagine the possibilities. Dirt, trash, patches of weeds, colorful graffiti on the green walls, the droning hum of the Prospect Expressway: our weird little insular paradise. One evening, the site’s door was slightly ajar. We made it inside of our home, for the first and only time, photographing one another, running around and dancing with abandon, beers in hands reaching towards the sky. There is a certain type of pleasure, and comfort, gleaned from inhabiting liminal space. Suspended in midair, everything takes on a bit of a hazy, yet tantalizing, glow. You are just of this moment, no obligation to the past or future. Not quite here, not quite there, you don’t have to choose. If you don’t have to choose, you don’t have to make the wrong choice. If you knock down the flowers before they bloom, you don’t have to watch them wilt.” Listen below.

Montauk Hotel
‘Dive (Come Afloat)’ is Montauk Hotel’s first release since 2019, following their early success and establishing their name as one of Ireland’s rising artists. With a new mature take on their signature shimmering 80s indie pop sound, ‘Dive (Come Afloat)’ reflects on the uncertain border that separates present from future, hesitation from releases, uneasiness from comfort and deceit from honesty. The song discusses friendship, insecurity and feelings of homecoming in a motionless town. Montauk Hotel takes influence from the glimmer of early 80s indie-pop, fusing strong melodies, glistening guitars and punchy beats to create their own shimmering sound. Listen below.

Frankie Flowers
Frankie Flowers’ desire to perform was initially sparked by working coat check at a concert venue, and then after an abysmal breakup she began to create music as a release. She produces her own genre bending sound by merging her love for dark-wave and post-punk music, drawing inspiration from bands such as The Cure and Joy Division. Frankie seeks to create a dark, psychedelic, and eclectic vibe at her shows that urges you to escape reality and experience the unknown. Her new single is titled ‘Serotonin’. “I wrote ‘Serotonin’ as an escape from reality, even if it’s for just a moment in time,” she explains of the track. “Serotonin, being the happy chemical in our brains, is something that I feel we’re all constantly longing for so if you’re able to find it in a person, that’s pretty cool. When things seem like they’re crumbling, they might actually be falling into place. People come and go – it’s important that who you surround yourself with aligns with the current version of yourself and not a past you. Life has hard days and that’s fine, it’s just a hard day. Life also has really good days and those are even better… Basically, a day is just a day and life isn’t meant to be so serious. There’s a natural ebb and flow to our emotions; they’re complex… so it’s important to just ride the bittersweet wave.” Listen below.

Tara MacLean
Tara MacLean’s memoir, Song of The Sparrow, will be available on March 14 via HarperCollins. It’s the story of how music saved her life over and over again. “Music was my life raft in an often stormy sea,” she says. To accompany the book it was natural, and a perfect combination, to record an album of the songs—Sparrow, out March 31—that were most significant to the story. “I wrote the title song for the soundtrack on my new Martin Guitar, right after a break up, at a time when I felt free and alive deep in my heart,” Tara explains. “‘Sparrow’ is a significant song that speaks to the message of my memoir, which is about rising above circumstance, triumph, courage and forgiveness. Produced with movement and lush sounds, ‘Sparrow’ has an Americana feel true to my Celtic and country roots, and I like to think you can hear the influence of Emmylou Harris. My hope is that this song lifts, encourages and inspires. The production takes it to the next level, where the music meets the words like water meets waves. Guitar centric, it feels East Coast, but will resonate from Nashville to Norway.” Listen below.

Samfire
London native Samfire delivers an Alt-Pop gem with her new single ‘My Potential’. A beautifully optimistic track, Samfire battles through self-doubt toward hope. Unusual in its intimacy and stream of consciousness style, it is a song that builds to a triumphantly euphoric end. The message has the power to uplift listeners during the darker winter months ahead. As with her previous EP, Samfire draws from the more contemplative side of pop music, introspective yet uplifting. Her intricate production (a producer herself alongside her co-producer, QTorra) builds over the course of the song, layering its acapella start with beats, guitar, piano and an array of synths. Talking about the new single, Samfire shares: “This song is a window to my frame of mind – driven, self-critical, hopeful and romantic. It poured out of me one morning in the shower, a context which has shaped its sweet melodic and lyrical simplicity. I know there are a lot of people that, like me, are always trying to better themselves. This song is for them – offering the words that have got me through moments of self doubt: ‘I believe in my potential’” Listen below.

Ella Fae
Ella Fae is the voice of Gen-Z LGBTQIA+ youth. Arriving with impressive debut single, ‘Haunted as Hell’ Ella’s heartfelt lyrics and arresting vocal stop you in your tracks as she speaks honestly of her struggles with mental health, relationships, identity and her place in the world. Her direct lyricism and finely-balanced electronic pop production draw immediate parallels with other songwriters who serve as icons to the queer community such as Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish and Caroline Polachek. Having discovered her love of singing at 6 years old because of Hannah Montana, no reference is out of the question, however. Ellas debut single ‘Haunted as Hell’ channels the dreamy and trippy vocoder-based pop of fellow contemporaries such as Allie X, renforshort, and Billie Eilish, with swirling electronic production and washed-out pianos that interweave with Ella’s verses. “The message behind the song pretty much is you CAN ‘move on’ from a relationship/breakup but you’ll always have pieces of them that stick around with you and they are kinda always there, especially if they are your first love,” says Ella Fae. Listen below.

Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.