Pearl & The Oysters – Juliette Pearl Davis (Juju) and Joachim Polack (Jojo) – met on their first day of high school in Paris, and have been together ever since. The duo’s new LP is their second record for Stones Throw and the result of nearly two decades of connection and collaboration. The duo kick off their tour with Ginger Root, on September 24 in San Diego. ‘Triangular Girl’ was written 12 years ago, when the duo were at jazz school in Paris. They decided to re-work the song for Planet Pearl, this time with a stellar cast of L.A. musicians: Riley Geare of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Caleb Buchanan, Logan Hone and Andrew Forman, and taking inspiration from 60s and 70s Brazilian waltzes. The influence of Brazilian music is strong throughout Planet Pearl – Jojo’s PhD was on the composer Antônio Carlos Jobim – along with the Brazilian concept of saudade, the melancholic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone. [via Northern Transmissions]

Exploring the sonic spectrum between funk, soul, and jazz, North West London singer, songwriter, and producer Lynda Dawn’s new single, ’11th Hour,’ is out now via her own First Dawn Records imprint. Now, she reveals the video, directed by Ricky Rxse. Following up on her previous single, ‘Where You Are,’ ’11th Hour’ is the second track to be taken from Dawn’s forthcoming, highly anticipated eponymous EP, releasing on October 4 with a limited vinyl run to follow. Co-produced by Lynda Dawn and JACKUM, the single is an empowering exploration of time, longing, nostalgia, and hope. She explains: “I wanted to capture the fragility of relationships and the pressure we often feel from society, all while being aware of time slipping away. Although it’s written as a love story, it’s really about those critical moments we all face in life. I hope the lyrics can encourage listeners to never give up on what they love and to seize the moment for a new dawn.”

Change can be an unpredictable force—both exhilarating and disorienting. For rising WestMidlands songwriter and guitarist Nieve Ella, the past few months have been a whirlwind, propelling her into a new chapter. Emerging from this period is the 21-year-old’s biting new single, ‘Ganni Top (She Gets What She Needs)’, out now, on AWAL Recordings. The single is the final glimpse from Ella’s transformational new 8-track EP, Watch It Ache and Bleed, arriving on October 17. An ode to ripened self-awareness, the EP contours melancholy and mischief across gritty 90s indie with a refined pop edge. It encapsulates the essence of a young artist who has redefined her understanding of ambition and desire. A rip-roaring highlight produced by Jamie Rendle and Hugo M Hardy (Nick Mulvey, Col3trane, Obongjayar) new single ‘Ganni Top’ presents a hedonistic take on fresh starts, with Ella envisioning the exhilarating escapades that follow her liberation. “You can fill me in the back of your limousine,” she quips on this playful, grunge-inspired tribute to newfound singledom. Complementing the single is a rousing official video directed by REBEKAHBCREATIVE. Adorned in her signature heart-jewelled necklace and corset, the video is a sassy exploration of ‘getting what she needs.’. Reflecting on her new single, Ella describes: “Ganni Top is a glamourised celebration of being young, fun, wild, and free, while also highlighting the needs of a woman. She gets what she needs!”

Today, Ruby McKinnon, AKA Flower Face, is back with the riveting ‘If I Beg You.’ “I knew ‘If I Beg You’ was going to be the last song because it felt like the turning point,” McKinnon explains. “I built this really beautiful, incredible, inspiring life that I would never give up to go back to what I had before. It starts out sounding like a tape disintegrating, like, audibly falling apart. Then the big part comes in, and it’s this moment of triumph and healing.” ‘If I Beg You’ proves the versatility that makes Girl Prometheus so hypnotic. Plus, the lyrics are wonderfully scathing, serving as the perfect album closer when she sardonically sings, “Is this a worthy goodbye?” Below, watch the music video directed by McKinnon and Boy Wonder. [via Stereogum]

Cody Frost has unleashed a brand-new single and video, ‘PROCESS.’ The alt. punk star calls this newest banger “a spicy brain rager that begs for a pit”, adding that, “It’s about feeling like I’m pretending to be something I’m not. I act like I have it all together, but in reality, I don’t. I made this song for my younger self, who needed to hear this.” [via Karrang!]

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After her October 2022 LP no roof no floor contemplated the concept of home, Brooklyn-via-Kansas-City songwriter Scout Gillett returns with news of another new release taking these ideas further. Slated to arrive on September 5, the Imagination, MO. EP suggests a lighter approach to such heavy subject matter while keeping its focus on the importance of one’s upbringing. Gillett cites The Cars and Pat Benetar as primary influences, while also enlisting her father to contribute vocals to the EP’s closer, a cover of Deftones’ ‘Change (In the House of Flies).’ “People who don’t know my background and upbringing may not understand me,” Gillett shares as she explains the deeply personal roots behind the new project. “I have to let them in and show them who [I am] and what I’m about. People might think it’s cute or feel sorry that I had to work so hard to get here. I think my upbringing and its surroundings were remarkable and irreplaceable and I wouldn’t take any of it back. It completely shaped me to be independent and experimental.” Arriving with the news is the EP’s first single, a breezy pop-rock nostalgia track that focuses on turning heartache into something that’ll chart. “I never had the guts to tell them,” she notes of the song’s subject matter, a crush she never pursued. “So I just wrote a song about it and I never got a kiss—so I figured I’d try to make a hit.” Below, check out the video Gillett created for the track, which was inspired by more of her early musical heroes: MTV royalty such as No Doubt, Amy Winehouse, and Lily Allen. [via Flood]

Continuing to push the boundaries of her creative freedom and transcend the limitations of generic songcraft, Miso Extra returns with a euphoric, UKG-infused single, ‘Slow Down.’ The London-based singer, producer, and rapper of mixed heritage co-wrote the song with DJ Boring, who also handled production duties. The release includes two versions: the single and the original extended version, the latter infusing over five minutes of added energy into this unforgettable track. Both are out now on Transgressive Records. Speaking about the release, Miso Extra comments: “When DJ Boring first came to me with this beat I knew it was special and that we had to work together to develop this idea. This track for me evokes a feeling of exhaustive euphoria at the end of a night out, coupled with that trance-like state of desire to want to get home. When I was tracking the vocal for the song I was getting really frustrated that I wasn’t getting the delivery and intonation quite how I wanted it so much so that in one of the takes I blurted out “I didn’t get it” which eventually ended up being used as a sample on the track.” The song was conceived during a period when Miso Extra felt isolated and disconnected from friends. During this time, she often went for walks, capturing the bird noises you hear within the track as field recordings from those moments. Accompanying the song is a bright, fast-paced and conceptual video from her prior collaborator Claryn Chong, who Miso worked with on the creative for her single ‘2nd Floor’. Talking about their partnership, she muses: “I adore working with Claryn Chong and we frequently align with each other when it comes to visual references. When discussing the concept for this video our shared love of Wong Kar-Wai came up a lot and you can see traces of that in this video. I really love how Claryn and her team were able to find a way to visually interpret the motion of the song.”

MOTHICA is back with the seventh track and music video from her upcoming record Kissing Death, ‘Afterlife.’ Of her new LP, available August 23 via Heavy Heart Records, MOTHICA notes, “This is for the younger version of me who romanticized death for a decade, and the lasting impact it had on me as I searched for an easier, softer way to exist.” In ‘Afterlife,’ MOTHICA rides shotgun with Death in his bright red car on desert roads and through a vortex. “I wanna know what it’s like/To feel your heart beating from the inside/Take your soul for the night/Lose control, end up in the afterlife,” she sings in the chorus. [via idobi]

Pom Pom Squad returned last month with the ominous pop banger ‘Downhill.’ Now, the indie rock project helmed by New York’s Mia Berrin is announcing their sophomore album Mirror Starts Moving Without Me. The lead single ‘Spinning’ is out now. “The song represents a moment when I was learning to cope with painful memories of the past and how they’ve shaped my future,” Berrin said. “In accepting them, I’ve been able to find more freedom and forgiveness within myself.” ‘Spinning’ comes with a music video directed by Berrin and Benjamin Lieber, about which Berrin added, “A lot of the lyrics on the album have to do with watching/analyzing yourself, so I knew I wanted to create a surveillance room setup for something. It turned out to be a really fun home-base for the ‘Spinning’ video.” Mirror Starts Moving Without Me follows 2021’s bombastic Death Of A Cheerleader. “I took a lot of inspiration from my younger self on this album,” Berrin explained about the new one, continuing: “I wanted to get back in touch with my creative roots. After hitting a particularly rough bout of writer’s block, I challenged myself to make a playlist of my all-time favorite songs from childhood to adulthood. It was healing in a way I didn’t expect! Before we went into the studio I made my bandmates and Cody [Fitzgerald] do the same, then we all listened to each other’s and had a long conversation about them. Through the sessions for Mirror we were all pulling references from our collective playlists more than anything else.” [via Stereogum]

The formidable trio that is Queen Cult (Maisie – founder and vocals, Brodie Carson on drums and Piers Jarvis on bass) take no prisoners when it comes to exploring topics that are typically less explored in rock music. Unapologetically queer, on their new single ‘To Be A Boy’ Maisie explores themes of gender dysphoria and expectations of AFAB people growing up in a small town, and in the music industry as a whole. Speaking of the track, Maisie says, “This song is super personal to me and based on my experiences growing up, I hope this resonates with anyone who had similar experiences. It was written about growing up with the confusion of wanting to be a boy, when in reality I came to the realisation that I just wanted the freedom that boys had growing up. It’s also about the misconception that when I hung around boys, I should fancy them – but I just didn’t! Navigating a world as AFAB was, and still is, pressured with multiple expectancies in behaviour followed by rules. This is my experience of that. I hope it sticks with you.”

april june has released her 7-track sophomore EP baby’s out of luck again, which also marks an even bigger milestone for the artist. “The last time I recorded something this long was 10 years ago. It’s much easier, psychologically, to let go of a song that you’ve written, as opposed to an EP…This project is very special to me. It just has more weight to it,” april june said of the project. One special highlight from the EP is the project’s closer ‘carry you on my broken wings’. Channeling an ‘80s dream pop sound through layered synths and driving drums, the song tells the tale of a couple that is doomed to fail. One is driven by feelings of lust and danger, and the other is destined to carry them on “broken wings” in her state of unbridled limerence. april june said she was inspired to create the song after falling in love with themes of seduction and danger seen in Italian gangster projects such as The Sopranos and Goodfellas. “[The song is] an exploration of the tumultuous relationship between the protagonist and her dangerous male counterpart. Clad in a tuxedo, he exudes a sexy, enigmatic allure, navigating the shadows with one hand on her thigh and the other on a gun,” april june described. “The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a life where violence and the death drive intertwine. As she carries the weight of her partner on her broken wings, the song becomes a haunting ode to a love that is as sexy as it is wild.” june’s voice is breathy and seductive as she tells this tale of these two people caught in the thralls of euphoria and pain. The track is also accompanied by a highly-stylized music video. Directed by Marco Braia, both the track and video are cinematic by design. “The music video draws heavily from the Giallo genre, with a particular nod to Italian film director Dario Argento. We shot this in Turin, which is a city where Argento made ‘Profondo Rosso.’ Thematically, I was inspired by the idea of creating a main character and a doppelgänger, a sort of a ‘real’ self and a shadow self,” april june explained. [via Line of Best Fit]

Nashville-based artist Ashe has unveiled a new song, ‘I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t),’ with an accompanying video co-directed by Ashe herself. The track, produced by Collin Pastore and Jake Finch (boygenius), is taken from her long awaited third studio album, Willson, set for release September 6. “I just didn’t like myself very much and put on that I was this confident, sort of ray of sunshine and it all made me feel like a fraud,” Ashe says. “Writing ‘I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t)’ was the first time I tried to address all that musically and was so scary and so healing and I’m kinda surprised I’m releasing it at all but here we are!” [via Broadway World]

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Georgia Gets By, the project of New Zealand’s Georgia Nott (BROODS), shares ‘Madeline,’ her alluring and captivating new single for Luminelle Recordings. The song’s soulful yearning builds to a flooding of outsized emotion, expressing the inescapable feeling when you meet someone who transforms your life. “’Madeline’ is about the moment you meet someone that you know will change you. You feel it in the deepest place inside your stomach and become completely choice-less in your feelings for them,” Nott explains. The song is brought to life via its cinematic video directed by Silken Weinberg. “I made the video for ‘Madeline’ with Silken Weinberg; my favourite person to create visual worlds with, for her ability to capture drama in a way that is equally playful and devastating. We were watching a bunch of Hitchcock movies and became especially obsessed with Spellbound. Inspired by the trailers for his films, and the way they are a window into a much bigger story, we wanted to make ‘Madeline’ into that window. Just a glimpse of a world where ‘Madeline’ could be anything from a ghost, an idea or a hallucination. It’s really up to the viewer,” Nott adds.

After a few years’ worth of some nice EPs and singles, Los Angeles-via-Richmond musician Kate Bollinger is finally sharing her debut LP Songs From A Thousand Frames Of Mind in September. She released the lead single ‘Any Day Now’ last month, and she’s back now with another one called ‘To Your Own Devices.’ ‘To Your Own Devices’ is a dreamy slow-burner that feels like basking in the sun. It’s got a ’60s singer-songwriter sound to it, too, which compliments the accompanying vintage-looking music video. Here’s what Bollinger said about it: “When I first moved to Los Angeles, I came across a book of old Japanese designs called MOGA, a catchword meaning “modern girls” that was used to describe fashionable city women who embraced westernized modes and manners in the 1920s. In the book I found a surrealist design that depicted a woman, underwater with fish swimming around her, wearing a beautiful costume, and stirring a giant fish bowl like a pot of soup, and I knew immediately that I wanted to recreate the scene for the album cover. I wrote a script for the music video and brought in filmmaker Nikki Milan Houston as my co-director and set designer. We brought in Odie Summers as set fabricator and in a friend’s studio downtown, a kitchen set was built over several days and came to life because of the distinctive skills and devotion of everyone involved.” [via Stereogum]

Macedo —the BIPOC and LGBTQ songwriting duo composed of twin sisters Melissa and Michelle Macedo — return using their natural sibling connection and otherworldly creative bond to create a fun new single ‘Optimistic’ equally steeped in 80’s pop and synth-wave mystique. For the Macedo sisters, music started at the beginning. ‘Optimistic’ takes on a modern spin of 80s synth-pop that garners instant earworm status. After all, sisters just want to have fun. The simple, yet effective lyrics impress feelings of hope and positivity. “I don’t have to be afraid of anything in this life,” sings Macedo. “‘Optimistic’ is about making the most out of the one life we’ve got to live!”

Peggy Gou has released a new video for ‘Lobster Telephone’. It’s a cut from her just-released debut album I Hear You, out now via XL Recordings, which also features previous cuts ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’, Lenny Kravitz collaboration ‘I Believe in Love Again’ and ‘1+1=11’. A press release explains: “Starring Peggy herself and directed by Japanese filmmaker Alice Kunisue, it’s the perfect visual to accompany the Salvadore Dali-inspired song; a playful video sees the viewer transported into a surreal parallel realm via textured cinematography, costumes and a unique environment as a troupe of mesmerised, infatuated dancers vie for the attention of a lobster goddess.” [via Dork]

Los Angeles-via-Paris pop voyagers Pearl & The Oysters – the duo of Juliette Pearl Davis (Juju) and Joachim Polack (Jojo) – return with a new song ‘Side Quest’ via Stones Throw. The song marks a cathartic release for Polack. In an attempt to counter his worry about processing a family illness, together he and Davis channel his feelings into pure jazz-pop joy resulting in some of the happiest chord progressions and melodies the duo has yet to conjure. In Polack’s words, he says, “I thought, this has to be the poppiest thing I’ll ever do. I wanted to do that purely as a therapeutic outlet. As it evolved, the lyrics came to embody the expression of estrangement “as we navigate a world that can often feelalien and demented.” ‘Side Quest’ is also accompanied by a music video today directed by Ginger Root-collaborator David M. Gutel and Tayler Nicholson, inspired by the surrealism of Salvador Dalí and René Magritte. The psychedelic video is in turn an exploration of the subconscious mind where reality and fantasy collide in a kaleidoscope of vivid imagery. [via ShoreFire]

Grammy-winning artist, DAYA released her new single titled ‘Don’t Fall’ this week. The track is an emotional pop ballad that allows the young superstar to experiment with the various genres of electronic production elements. The song ‘Don’t Call’ is about trying to get over someone you love. The lyrics of the song are quite relatable and her soulful and ethereal voice does total justice to the melody. The instrumental elements are also nicely adjusted in the song. The song begins with soft and natural chords and moves into a light drum and bass at the peak of most parts of the track. DAYA says the following about her track “‘Don’t Call’ has had this magical pull ever since we created it and I’m so excited for it to be out. It feels like a song I’ve always wanted to put into the world and a big emotional release for me; I hope people will feel that in the music.” [via Music Feeds]

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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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