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.”

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.

With ‘My Love Is Right,’ the first track from her new album Ne pas trop stay bleue (to be released February 10), Laure Briard reconnected with her audience in a declaration of intention and love. Now the singer sheds light on the title track of her album, a song of personal motivation, a call to optimism and accomplishment, soaking in soul and sun. Set to music (spirited, playful) by Julien Gasc, and put to image (surreal, clairvoyant) by Ruby Cicero, ‘Ne pas trop rester bleue’ is – like the album that takes its name –timeless and warm, and sets its sights toward the future and making dreams come true. “I’m quite pessimistic in life,” explains Laure, “and this song is a way of reminding myself that you have to know how to put things into perspective. Rather than staying too down or brooding, I want to take advantage of all of life’s stages that pass us by so quickly.” “All of life’s stages that pass us by so quickly,” is what the Sicilian director Ruby Cicero dramatized for the track’s music video. Childhood, the journeys of adolescence, a wedding, childbirth, work, success, old age and, finally, death (or rebirth) appear together in the 3mn 25s clip which depict a surreal meeting between a fortune-teller and the singer, each surrounded by the whimsical embodiments of different phases of life. After having been inspired by Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch for the clip of the song ‘Não me diz nada’ (released in 2021 on Laure’s EP Eu Voo), Ruby Cicero pays tribute here to the Franco-Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky, with nods to the dreamlike, symbolist, and stylized aesthetics of his films (The Holy Mountain, El Topo) and to his activity as a cartomancer (Tarot de Marseille). A hint of Juliet of the Spirits by Federico Fellini also inspires this joyful and colorful production, where the blue of the costumes contrasts with the bright yellow of the sets. Enough to make the pupil quiver. “Several lives in a single life”: this is also what the clip of ‘Ne pas trop rester bleue’ reveals. In this swirling illustration of the song, the multiplication of the protagonist’s possible destinies are dizzying.

Christine And The Queens has shared new song ‘La chanson du chevalier’. The French artist’s new album Redcar les adorables étoiles is out next month, and will be accompanied by a short burst of live shows. Set to play two nights in Paris, he then crosses the channel for a special evening at London’s Royal Festival Hall on November 22. The latest preview has just gone live, featuring Chris in full flow at Redcar, accompanied by a masterpiece in late 19th century French sculpture. The use of l’Age d’airain in the video invites the viewer to contemplate representation of the male form, while the song itself – deeply atmospheric synth pop – sings of longing for a lost knight. Elements of the project’s previous work remain, but this feels emphatically new, playing with those familiar tropes in a refreshing way. [via Clash]

Rising dance duo piri & tommy have released a new music video for ‘on & on’, a single from their upcoming debut album, froge.mp3 which is due to drop next Friday, October 21, via Polydor Records. The record was announced last month. On the video, piri & tommy jest: “If you wanna see what a frog-induced trip looks like, go no further!” [via Dork]

Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson have released their collaborative album as Plains, I Walked With You A Ways. It comes with a music video for the track ‘Hurricanes’ that was directed by Aidy Bryant and inspired by the late Loretta Lynn’s ’70s television performances. “I had always had a vision of Aidy’s involvement in this video that really ended with just getting her in the room,” Crutchfield said in a statement. “I trusted that she had the answer for the perfect way to visually accompany this song and from the jump she just deeply understood our vision, at moments better than we could have even explained it ourselves. I’m thrilled that she was so generous with her time and creative energy and I’m thrilled with how this turned out.” Bryant added: “I’ve been a fan of Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson for a long time so when Katie asked if I would direct a music video for Plains I jumped at the chance. We had a talented, hardworking crew and paid homage to Loretta Lynn’s 70’s TV performances. I’m also going to drive the bus for their tour, so see you on the road!” And Williamson talked a bit more about the song: “’Hurricane’ was the last song that was written for our record. We knew we needed one more, and when Katie brought Hurricane to the table we both knew the album was complete. It was incredible for me to watch this song reveal itself; from the early moments of Katie playing it for me on an acoustic guitar just days before we went to make the album, and then blossoming in the studio with the band into this total banger with huge choruses. Aidy’s video is the perfect companion for this tune, and we had a blast working with her and her team to make the visual world for this one come to life.” [via Stereogum]

Newcastle folk/chamber-pop artist and songwriter Ruth Lyon releases her new single ‘Clown’, the second track to be heard from upcoming EP Direct Debit To Vogue, out November 26 via Pink Lane Records. The new EP was produced by John Parish (Aldous Harding, PJ Harvey, Parquet Courts) at his Bristol studio, and will also feature the recently released single ‘Trouble’. New single ‘Clown’ is released alongside an eye-catching video, created by filmmakers Antonia Luxem (Ex:Re) and Tegid Cartwright. A vivid explosion of colour and texture, surreal even without being comical or circus, the video seeks to reframe the idea of the “freak”, or perhaps, a Clown. Commenting on the video’s creation, Ruth said: “Working with filmmakers Antonia and Tegid with their direction, support and friendship gave me the confidence to explore a side of myself that we haven’t explored visually so far. I adore making videos but we always have a dilemma – how to portray the story and the movement without me being able to actually move that much? This is the first time I have used a mobility aid front and centre in my creative work and we had many discussions on how to frame it. We wanted to explore this idea of the inner clown; the line “though I may be bound down, I’m bonded to my own clown”. Being able to creatively explore myself through music, dance and costume gives me an immense power that societal constructs can often strip away from my community and this video is a celebration of that bold energy. I absolutely loved leading these wonderful dancers through the trees in a vibrant procession past dog walkers and morning joggers. People are gonna stare when you look different so I want to give them something to really stare at.” Exploring the temptation of reckless decisions, ‘Clown’ moves at an alluringly steady pace; led by a skittering drum beat and lilting piano progressions, Ruth’s sharp, self-aware prose (“I fell into the rhythm of you, dance like a Demon till the afternoon / Got hooked on feeling nothing, nice to be numb”) weave around the instrumentals in seamless fashion. Speaking more on the lyrical inspiration behind new single ‘Clown’, Ruth said: “Jim Morrison said of himself: ‘I think of myself as an intelligent, sensitive human but with the soul of a clown which always forces me to blow it at the most crucial moments.’ I totally relate! We’ve all got that clown living inside of us, leading us down a crazy lane, tripping us up at the last turn in the road when we think it’s all going so well. But, that’s sometimes when I feel most alive.”

Gemma Laurence has shared one of her catchiest songs yet: ‘Watchdog.’ ‘Watchdog’ hurdles us into the snowy foothills of Vermont to witness the beautiful, fickle, and anxiety-producing beginnings of a new relationship. Painting a picture of woodsmoke lingering in crisp cabin air and the rosy alpenglow dancing off the Green Mountains, Laurence transports her listeners into a scene so picturesque it’s too good to be true. “I think I’d like to learn to trust you a little more,” she sings, “But my watchdog heart is sleeping by the backdoor / With one eye open, waiting for you to go with the next snow.” Laurence shares a short film to accompany the single directed by Kyle Wright, written by Devin McGrath-Conwell and Wright, and produced by Wright, McGrath-Conwell, Paul Steiner and Emilee Bae. It was shot by Conor Murdock and stars Lauren Norvelle alongside Gemma Laurence in her on-screen debut. Inspired by 1970’s Mafia films, ‘Watchdog’ (the film) dives head-first into the gritty underworld of the 70’s crime scene…. but this time, it’s gay. The film finds The Don (played by Laurence) sitting in her office surrounded by her rat pack, feeling jaded despite her newly found success. She’s Brooklyn’s newest top dog in the underworld crime scene, but it’s lonely at the top. Enter: Adrienne (played by Norvelle), her newest right-hand-woman and confidante. Adrienne presents a new romantic intrigue, but also represents the scrappy, ambitious, up-and-comer that the Don once saw in herself. The video grapples with their relationship with each other, and also with the Consigliere (played by Francesca Pastore), who has her own secrets up her sleeve. A gritty, bloody love triangle ensues in the highly stylized landscape of a 1970’s underworld crime syndicate. On making the film, director Kyle Wright shares: “When Gemma and I first started talking about making a short for one of the songs on Lavender, we bounced several ideas back and forth. All the while, one unifying theme consistently made itself known: trust, and learning how to trust again after being hurt. For me, of all the wonderful songs on her album, Watchdog projects this question most earnestly.” Wright adds: “As a filmmaker, I seek to pair seemingly contradictory elements that comment on each other with strange fluency. It was in thinking about this and Watchdog that I realized why I love crime movies. The genre necessitates vulnerability from the hardened. The stories pivot around the fragility of characters in violent, unforgiving worlds. In these films, one theme always remains central: trust, and the consequences of violating it. While my favorite crime epics often climax in tragedy, Watchdog demanded the possibility for hope, for learning to trust again. With the support of an incredible crew and cast, that intention allowed me to find the kind of unexpected juxtaposition I crave and, I hope, brings Gemma’s intimate and confessional music into even sharper focus.” Laurence shares: “The music video is off the walls – there’s gunshots and blood and intense Sapphic yearning gazes and crazy 1970’s leather bell bottoms. It’s this intense crime-ridden love triangle that’s bloody and violent and gay as hell.” Laurence continues, “I had never acted on screen before and it was such a delight working alongside Kyle and Lauren and such an accomplished cast and crew – I mean, these people have worked on huge movie sets, and now they’re helping me make a music video? That’s insane! I felt completely overwhelmed with gratitude and awe while on set, watching these people in their element. There’s so much hard work and dedication that went into this production, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we made.”

The seamless combination of Carly Rae Jepsen and Rufus Wainwright is rivaled only by the balance Jepsen strikes between disco and pop in her latest single ‘The Loneliest Time,’ the title track of her forthcoming sixth studio album due October 21. The cinematic music video only adds fuel to the duo-we-never-knew-we-needed fire. The video looks like it’s taken directly from old Hollywood, bringing to life what Jepsen and Wainwright harmonized in the first verse, “Just like Shakespeare wrote a tragedy / But our story, never finished it / ‘Cause our love, we never finished it.” Jepsen flies (literally) from her apartment window to Wainwright’s rooftop, where they delightfully dance and commit to giving elusive love another try “’cause we’ve had the loneliest time.” [via UPROXX]

Vera Ellen has shared her first new release since 2021’s Flying Nun solo album It’s Your Birthday. ‘Homewrecker’ plays with the idealised fantasy of sparking chaos in perhaps not others’ lives, but in one’s own. Directed by Albert River and made with support from NZ On Air, Ellen struts on a roof amongst a cast of models and smokes in a vogueish recline in the song’s accompanying clip — a nod to “The King of Cool” Dean Martin’s 1983 visuals for ‘Since I Met you Baby’. The graphic assault of colour and glamour work against Ellen’s desolate lyrics, where the Herculean body of water seems as biting as it is rich. The clip later reveals the green screen, as if to lift the curtain on the attractive intensity of fantasy. “‘Homewrecker’ is the personification of my inner demon forcing its way in to create chaos where it senses harmony. I’m my own home wrecker. Ain’t we all?” says Vera Ellen. [via Under The Radar]

Australian indie pop artists Holly Hebe, Ivoris and Zhuli have joined forces on the endlessly engaging new single ‘Supervillain’, showcasing an effortless sense of chemistry and charm on the new release. The track tackles the idea of people who like to create alternative stories and realities within their head to justify their behaviour and make them the “good guy”, making you the villain in the process. Despite this however, ‘Supervillain’ has an gorgeous, breezy and feel-good nature to it, with a soundscape that melts you within its immersive softness and appeal. The track just has this incredible sense of chemistry, feeling smooth and affable throughout. The vocal performances have this soft sense of power to them, and the production creates this cloud-like sense of euphoria and bliss throughout the track. This is a really rewarding and likable release that elevates everybody involved in it. [via clout clout clout]

Rising alt-pop artist KiNG MALA (AKA Areli Castro) has released her sophomore EP, honey catching season via Handwritten Records. The nine track EP finds the artist embodying the idea of radical self acceptance and finding a renewed sense of identity and purpose. “I’ve spent the past 24 years coming to terms with who I am, my past, my mental illness, my body, my sexuality, my failures, my wins, my career, my love life and everything in between,” Castro explains. “For me, these songs are about finding a way to love myself through any means necessary.” The release highlights new track ‘martyr’ with a seductive new music video. “’Martyr’ is about a lover of mine that made me feel like I was everything, like I was the beginning and the end of his universe. It’s as simple as that, it’s a song about being adored (as you should be) by the person you love. It’s about being someone’s saint, church and religion.” [via Prelude Press]

One of girl in red’s breakthrough hits was ‘We Fell In Love In October,’ a wistful indie-pop love song built on simple drums, echo-laden guitars, and elegant orchestral strings. Now, girl in red has released a sequel. The standalone single ‘October Passed Me By’ pushes further into that autumnal sonic palette. It was produced remotely by the National’s Aaron Dessner, who helped Taylor Swift achieve a similar aesthetic on folklore and evermore. The lyrics are somewhat Swiftian as well: “Yeah, I got bitter when you got cold/ Could you really blame me though?/ You know this song is about you/ Who else could it be?/ You were the first to make me/ Feel like I was me/ You’re just a memory.” Marie Ulven, the girl in red herself, shared this statement about the song: “‘October Passed Me By’ has been living in the back of my head since June 2021. Every fall since I put out we fell in love in October in 2018, I was encouraged to do things on social media to talk about the song again. Making TikToks, Instagram posts and other things about a song I made years ago never felt honest. I’m not in the same place as I was when I wrote the song, emotionally or artistically, so pretending to be so felt boring and uninteresting. So, I never did any of that; but last year something happened in my personal love life that brought up a lot of feelings that I had to confront internally. I met Aaron Dessner in the fall of 2021. I told him I had this song that I had written and wanted to make but I hadn’t started recording it yet. I had never worked with him, so for me it felt like an interesting and also lowkey thing to try out. I finished writing the song in Oslo and LA, working remotely with Aaron and with my great friend Matias Tellez on mix. ‘October Passed Me By’ is where I’m at today, emotionally and musically. Grateful for what has been, and full of love for a very special person that made a huge impact on me as a person. And also, I thought it was way cooler to expand the we fell in love in October universe artistically, rather than making some uninspired videos that will disappear into the black hole of content that is TikTok. PS: I will probably make TikToks too. lol.” ‘October Passed Me By’ premiered along with a short film directed by Gustav Johansson, starring Lisa Loven Kongsli and Ruth Vega Fernandes as older versions of the characters from the ‘We Fell In Love In October’ video. [via Stereogum]

Montreal artist, Hanorah has released a stunning new video for her song ‘The Drudge’. The song is the third single from her debut album Perennial, out now. “Paul De Rita, who I’ve been playing and writing with since I started out, is the mastermind behind this one,” Hanorah says. “He made a really unusual-sounding demo that was groovy and strange, unlike anything either of us had done before. I need to quote him here: “I was but a channel for ‘The Drudge’. It already existed, but it chose me as its channel, so I cannot claim its creation.” When he brought this wild recording to me, I asked him what story he wanted. He imagined something that evoked the same mood as Toby, from The Office. So I wrote out some burnout words inspired by the show and by Paul’s own catchphrases and came up with the melody at the mic as he sat next to me at the computer. I still get nervous doing that now. The final version we made with Jacques at Studio Opus is perhaps cleaner but still has the off-kilter quality that the delirium of the 9-5 merits. I made up the bridge vocals on the last day in the studio, which my best friend Christian sang. It was inspired by a close yet mysterious acquaintance of ours who drives a Cadillac, which we have borrowed to get to the studio a few times. I often wonder how people can afford their lives, and that Cadillac just stuck with me. I used to hate music about money, but the older I get, the more I understand. Paying bills is a drag, and they just keep coming.“ [via Montreal Rocks]

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