Welsh alternative rock trio The Joy Formidable have released a brand new single. Entitled ‘Cut Your Face’, it is the first of three to be issued ahead of a UK tour in September. “‘Cut Your Face’ is a reminder to myself that even in shyness, when that voice is telling you to hide away, that what I really want is deep, authentic connection,” states singer Ritzy Bryan. “The only way to satisfy that longing is to be vulnerable, messy and imperfect…and life is all the more beautiful because of it.”
METTE has released her highly anticipated new single ‘VAN GOGH’. The track is taken from METTE’s forthcoming EP METTENARRATIVE which will be released on September 22. Produced by Jonny Lattimer (Rina Sawayama, Joy Crookes) and Mike Sabath (Raye, Lizzo), ‘VAN GOGH’ fuses catchy pop melodies with danceable funk and R&B grooves to create an upbeat feel. Lyrically, METTE cites icons like Janet Jackson as she sings of finding creative inspiration through a muse. The accompanying music video, directed by Camille Summers-Valli, puts METTE’s stunning dance and movement talent to the fore, evoking a continuous feel with synchronized moves whilst simultaneously switching between various eye-catching characters throughout. Speaking about the track, METTE says: “‘VAN GOGH is a message in a bottle to the many muse(s) that live inside of me – inside all of us, in fact. I’m continually drawing inspiration from my internal and external worlds, and I remain awed by the beauty of dance. I love making music I can dance to, and as the opening lyric to ‘VAN GOGH’ exemplifies, “I’m motivated by the way you move…”
Ukrainian-born, London-based identical twin dark-pop duo Bloom Twins announce the release of their empowering new track, ‘Drunk & Loud’, co-written and produced by Sam Harris from the X Ambassadors. The song serves as an anthem for outliers and misfits, celebrating the power and resilience that comes from the unity of the outnumbered. Echoing the spirit story of David and Goliath, Bloom Twins invite listeners to never underestimate the power of the underdog. The accompanying music video addresses the critical issue of the war in Ukraine, with the twins taking on the roles of two fearless Ukrainian girls confronting a gang of Russian mobsters in London’s iconic boxing gym, Rapton. With scenes reminiscent of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the video showcases the Bloom Twins’ determination and unity in the face of adversity. Adding another layer of depth, the video is filled with hidden messages and references from the very opening scene, inviting viewers to discover and interpret the deeper meanings.Training over 100 hours with renowned stunt professionals Adam Brashaw, Luke J. Smith, and Fabio Santos, the twins deliver a stunning, action-packed performance. On the track, Anna and Sonia say, “’Drunk and loud’ is a very important song to us. We consider this song to be an anthem to outliers, misfits. It’s about the power, and resilience from unity of outnumbered. We are David from ‘David and Goliath’. Do not underestimate the power of underdogs.” They continue, explaining the symbolism of the video, “Our music video tackles the crucial issue of the war in Ukraine. We play the roles of two Ukrainian girls taken on by a gang of Russian mobsters, even though we’re clearly outnumbered. My twin sister represents the annexed and occupied regions of Ukraine, while I embody the areas fighting for unity and victory against Russia.”
Melbourne’s dynamic six-piece indie pop rock outfit, Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds, are dropping a vibrant and nostalgia-driven pop anthem, ‘Tamagotchi Nights’, accompanied by an equally charming music video. With her debut EP, Summers Gone, already under her belt, the charismatic Lucy Lorenne and her band continue to grow their endearing sound as they explore new depths of sonic and lyrical maturity with this power pop anthem that takes a colourful trip down memory lane. ‘Tamagotchi Nights’ – co-written by Lucy Lorenne, Matt Hargreaves and Flagrant Artists producer Ben Oldland (Ūla, Ashwarya, Alley Eley, Genes, Sian Fuller) – is a vibrant boppy number that pays homage to childhood innocence and fantasy. With an air of melancholy for the more innocent times gone by, the song captures the essence of post-millennial nostalgia. Opening with an 8-bit synth riff, the track bursts with a delightful blend of upbeat guitars and charming video game-like synth lines, infusing the song with a playful atmosphere. The driving drums keep the energy soaring, while Lucy Lorenne’s absolutely adorable vocals and heartfelt lyricism add a touch of innocence and sincerity to the mix. Effortlessly weaving together the catchy 8-bit elements with infectious indie-pop hooks, the track is a mixed bag of emotions that builds to an exhilarating and euphoric chorus. The accompanying music video for ‘Tamagotchi Nights’ is a visual delight created in collaboration with Mediaroid. Drawing inspiration from the Y2K era, the video brings Lucy Lorenne’s childhood bedroom to life in a dream-like reimagining. A rainbow rug, pink lava lamp, CD player, pixelated screens, Barbies, aqua roller-skates, and butterfly cushions set the stage for a distinctly Y2K, ‘Hi-5-esque’ aesthetic that resonates with zoomers everywhere. The video seamlessly cuts between this vibrant bedroom scene and Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds performing against a backdrop of bold, poppy colours reminiscent of that era. Interspersed with these scenes are heartwarming home-video recordings of Lucy and band members as kids, adding an authentic touch to the nostalgia-driven aesthetic. The result is a colourful, fun, and energetic celebration of the cherished memories of childhood.
NYC disco-pop group Say She She have announced a run of tour dates for their biggest headlining trek to date. The dates are in celebration of the group’s recently announced forthcoming record Silver, out September 29 via Karma Chief/Colemine. The album’s newest single ‘Astral Plane’ also arrives along with a video directed by Lisa Schiller, who previously directed the visual for Silver’s lead single ‘Reeling.’ Other released tracks include ‘C’est Si Bon,’ an upbeat summer anthem, and ‘NORMA,’ the group’s protest anthem released in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned. [via Flood]
IAN SWEET have announced a new album, SUCKER, the follow-up to 2021’s Show Me How You Disappear. Project mastermind Jilian Medford is introducing the album with “Your Spit,” a hooky and blown-out rock song with the chorus: “Kiss me like you mean it/ Kiss me like you’re leavin/ Your spit tastes different/ Kiss me like you mean it/ Make me believe it.” “‘Your Spit’ is about the joy and fear that surrounds new relationships,” Medford said. “The excitement that’s also accompanied by doubt. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say the song is just mostly about making out.” It was produced by Alex Craig and Strange Ranger’s Isaac Eiger, and it comes with a music video directed by Brittany Reeber that includes cameos from Saturday Night Live‘s Sarah Sherman and Martin Herlihy. [via Stereogum]
Ashnikko unveils the official video for her latest single ‘Cheerleader,’ off her highly-anticipated debut album WEEDKILLER, out August 25. Directed by Joanna Nordahl, the music video melds elements of folklore and surrealism, drawing inspiration from the cinematic atmospheres of Midsommar and the fierce energy of Bring It On. Ashnikko takes on the role as ringleader of a cheerleading cult as they perform competitive ritualistic dance routines with a forced smile. As the video comes to an end, we see the consequences her character faces for refusing to conform to societal pressures. ‘Cheerleader’ is a siren song about modern beauty standards, undercutting imagery of a poised, pom-pom waving poster-girl with blades, blood stains and broken faces. Like a funhouse mirror it warps the infamous cheer from the opening scene of the early 2000’s movie Bring It On into a critique of our cultural obsession with perfection. Ashnikko states, “if youth and beauty are the currency, I will pay it in full until I am a withered husk decomposing on the moss and going back to mother earth. The beast looms in my periphery, constantly gazing and assessing as perform for him, hoping I am good enough!!!!!!!” [via Vents Mag]
Chappell Roan is set to release her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and she’s giving fans a taste of what’s to come with her brand new track, ‘HOT TO GO!’. The song, co-written and produced by Daniel Nigro, known for his work with Olivia Rodrigo, can be streamed below. In discussing the inspiration behind the track, Chappell reveals, “I wrote this song so I could live out my cheerleader fantasy! I just wanted to make something simple and silly that I could do with the audience because I’m a huge fan of audience participation. Also, selfishly (and shamelessly) wanted to bounce around on stage singing a song about being hot.” [via Dork]
Olivia Rodrigo has shared a new single called ‘Bad Idea Right?’. The song will appear on the pop singer’s second studio album Guts, which is due for release on September 8 via Geffen. Written by Rodrigo and her producer Daniel Nigro, the crunchy guitar anthem follows the singer as she weighs up whether to meet an ex. “Seeing you tonight/ It’s a bad idea, right?/ Seeing you tonight/ Fuck it, it’s fine,” she sings over a punky instrumental. In the chorus, Rodrigo chants: “Yes, I know that he’s my ex/ But can’t two people reconnect?/ I only see him as a friend/ The biggest lie I ever said.” The official video, directed by the star’s regular collaborator Petra Collins, sees Rodrigo attend a house party with some of her real-life friends before making a swift exit to find her former partner. Later, she hitches a ride in the rain on the back of a pickup truck, travels on public transport, and eventually makes it to her ex-boyfriend’s place. You can watch the journey unfold here: “I had such a fun time making this song with @dan_nigro in NYC last year,” Rodrigo wrote on social media upon the single’s release. “We wrote the chorus as a joke but we loved it so much we made it into a full fledged song lol! I had a ball making the music video with my friends @petrafcollins @madisonhu @tatemcrae @irisapatow and I’m so happy it’s out in the world.” Speaking about creating ‘Bad Idea Right?’ in the studio, she added in a statement: “We were throwing the weirdest things at the wall – in one of the choruses there’s a part that sounds like an instrument in the background, but it’s me gradually screaming louder and louder.” [via NME]
Later this month, Brooklyn indie rock quartet Wetsuit are set to debut their first full-length album, Sugar, I’m Tired, arriving August 17 via Substitute Scene Records. Ahead of the album’s release the band have already shared a pair of new singles, ‘Local Celebrity’ and ‘Twiggy,’ and now they are back with a third and final single, ‘Clovers’. ‘Clovers’ is a work of winding indie pop bliss, traveling in the same vein as Indigo de Souza or Alvvays. Nils’ guitar lines have an ephemeral, dreamy quality, shining bright amongst the steady sway of the rhythm section. In contrast, Becker’s voice is strong and striking, infusing the track’s quiet moments with wistful longing and its hazy climax with blooms of rippling cathartic weight. It’s a simple combination, but one the band uses to great effect. Meanwhile, Becker’s lyrics are sweet and inviting, finding lovely poeticism in small moments of devotion: “Cover me in roses / Find me when the bar closes / Stitch me back together / Paint me shades of blue.” Becker says of the track, “‘Clovers’ is a love song. It was Summer 2021 and my partner Anders and I had been living together for about a year. I was feeling so much gratitude and contentment in my life, having built this stable relationship and home together and watching it blossom. Life just felt so cozy and nice like taking a big nap in a field of clovers. I wanted to write a song that wrapped you in gooey, cozy, fuzzy warmth, like pulling you under a blanket of clovers. With Wetsuit I sought out to prove that you don’t need to be a musical genius to write good songs. My hero Sharon van Etten described writing songs as seeking melodies within chords and once that clicked with me it unlocked a confidence in songwriting I never knew I had. I wrote Clovers with just 2 chords and harnessed that simplicity as a superpower, not a limitation.” Beckers continues, saying of the video, “Before I started writing music and formed my band, knitting and crocheting was my main creative outlet. It was a huge part of my life. I spent all my free time fulfilling orders from my Etsy shop and making pieces to sell at craft fairs. ‘Clovers’ is all about being comfortable and secure in a relationship for the first time. I knew I wanted to tie in that cozy, squishy soft imagery, and had an idea that I could use crochet dolls to represent my transition from one creative outlet to another, from knitter to musician. I made the giant hood you see in the video, but crochet dolls are not my specialty. For those, I found this amazing crocheter Jeri Thompson on Etsy. She blew us away and even surprised us by making an entire drum kit without me asking.” [via Under the Radar]
Critically-acclaimed, non-binary, London-based artist, Jazmin Bean has released their brand new single, ‘Favourite Toy’. The sunny and string-driven track addresses everything from addiction to intense, toxic relationships, with honest lyrics that find the singer grappling with their self-worth amidst the chaos. The track is accompanied by a music video shot in LA and created, directed, and styled by Jazmin Bean. [via Prelude Press]
Singer, producer and multi-disciplinary artist Rainbow Chan has delivered her new track and accompanying video ‘Seven Sisters’. The video is as vibrant and culturally rich as the music behind it, taking the viewer on a deeply symbolic journey as Rainbow navigates bitterness towards arranged marriages and patriarchal rule. On ‘Seven Sisters’, Rainbow Chan seamlessly weaves modern art-pop production with traditional Chinese folklore and a powerful bell-like vocal delivery. The result is a stunning paradoxical feeling of anxiety and self-assuredness, beauty and gloom. Inspired by a Hong Kong folktale wherein a group of devoted sisters plunge into the ocean as an act of rebellion against their arranged marriages, ‘Seven Sisters’ is a nuanced exploration and feminist reimagining of traditional folksongs in the lead-up to arranged marriage. Explaining her inspiration for the track, Rainbow says: “’哭嫁歌’or ‘Bridal laments’ refer to a female custom that was performed by the 圍頭 (Weitou) people. As marriages were arranged, becoming a bride signified a kind of death for a woman. Not only would her ties to her natal home be severed, but she would remain an outsider to the groom’s family. To mourn this profound sense of loss, Weitou women would perform a bridal lament cycle before their wedding day, a ritual which involved singing and weeping in front of family and friends over the course of three days.” Rainbow has Weitou heritage through her mother but only learnt about this fascinating bridal ritual recently as the practice ended in the 1960s. The video offers decadent visuals, blending old with new and tradition with rebellion. Rainbow is surrounded by crimson handmaids and watched by Weitou village elders who personally lived through this history themselves. ‘Seven Sisters’ was directed by Capsule48 creative director Anne Berry, who Rainbow Chan previously collaborated with for her ‘Oblivion’ (2019). It draws on more than five years of intense research done by Rainbow: interrogating intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives on diasporic identity as part of her collaboration with Weitou-led conservation program Caritas Lung Yeuk Tau Community Development Project. [via FBi Radio]
COBRAH has lost her mind—and all we can do at this point is hold on for dear life. An experimental electronic artist with the sort of bravado to paint our emotions for us—albeit with a razor for a paintbrush—COBRAH has a bright future ahead. After debuting on Big Beat Records earlier this summer, she’s now returned with ‘MANIC,’ a sultry track inviting fans to explore their own perceptions of sexuality and self-expression. Here, COBRAH’s badassery shines through her unapologetic lyricism: “I just get a little drastic, want to blow things up with matchsticks / Let it out with holy godspeed, I’m so nice if it wasn’t for my kink.” Electronic music fans will recognize COBRAH from her seductive vocal performance in Chris Lorenzo’s global house hit, ‘MAMI.’ She twists the knife into that style in ‘MANIC,’ where her come-hither, slithering sound melts into a four-on-the-floor club beat. “I loved making this record but if anything, it really brought out the manic in me,” COBRAH said in a statement. She’s not kidding. COBRAH also released the official ‘MANIC’ music video, a madcap audiovisual that shows her heart is as black as her signature latex. The video finds her embracing her desires without inhibition in a noir world where sensuality and dominance are canon. [via EDM]
