New Jersey rockers Summit have released their debut single ‘Silent Sanity’.A family band made up of a father and four sons, Summit used the lockdown period to their advantage, taking the time to practice together and start to write and record their own music. Developing from a covers band to a fully fledged rock band with original material, they draw from a wealth of experience and influences ranging from alternative rock to classical music.
‘Silent Sanity’ is a blazing whack of alternative rock as Summit spread an emotional smooth melody over a bubbling angsty backdrop. The track exudes punchy drums, rumbling bass lines and raw gritty guitar riffage which drives the tracks brisk Blink-182 -esque wall of sound. With a moody vocal melody and tight harmony this track is a refined, full bodied taste of explosive rock which contemplates the intricacies of relationships.
Norwegian singer Dagny has released the second half of her long-awaited debut album ‘Strangers / Lovers’ via Little Daggers Records. The first half of the album was released earlier this year and documented the blossoming early stages of a new love, while the second half examines the fall out of that relationship.
Dagny’s knack with luscious melodies continues into the second half of the album as she creates beautiful earworms that flourish within the clean dynamic production. There is something more tantalizing and darker about the second half as it subtly slips into a more mysterious and brooding aspect of her infectious pop.
‘Moment’ kick-starts the second half of the album with a buoyant disco vibe as Dagny spreads a sweet pop melody over a breezy electronic backdrop while zesty guitar refrains add a dash of bite between the sugar sweet soundscapes. ‘Please Look At Me’ strides on a more enticing electronic wall of sound filled with bouncy beats and rich percussive elements which flesh out the songs charm. Dagny brings the intoxicating synths and energetic soundscapes to a halt for the emotive ‘Bad At Love (Interlude)’ and beautiful ballad ‘Coast To Coast’. These earnest tunes display Dagny’s emotive songwriting, deft musicianship and striking vocal capabilities. Her ability to express heartfelt, heavy-hitting, and emotional lyrics through a delicate musical arrangement is mesmerising.
In this second half Dagny displays the post breakup emotions through an intriguing lens. These infectious pop tunes slip into the head with ease allowing the second half of the album become just as upbeat, catchy and danceable as the first half while her songwriting prowess meanders through the conflicting, complex, and sombre themes. Propelled by jittery percussion, pulsing synths and dreamy melodies, ‘It’s Only A Heartbreak ’and ‘Bye Bye Baby’ display this superbly. The flashing disco synths in ‘Bye Bye Baby’ reinforce the strength of finally leaving the relationship behind.
‘Strangers / Lovers’ is a cohesive album and a journey of the heart, expressed through passionate, bubbling and dynamic musicianship. Dagny is a wonderful songwriter and her ability to provide a completely satisfying, emotional and refined album is impressive. Her smooth unforced tunes have a glitzy swagger and shimmer about them but dig beneath the catchy hooks and danceable beats and there is a pool of depth and poetic prowess within. ‘Strangers / Lovers’ is a sublime album of electronic pop and a fantastic display of expressive musicianship from Dagny.
Australian songwriter Angie McMahon has released ‘Piano Salt’ a beautiful stripped-down companion piece to last year’s debut album ‘Salt’. The Melbourne, Australia-based artist adapted with a return to the instrument that helped her fall in love with music in the first place – the piano. The new collection finds her reimagining five fan favorites from her debut album ‘Salt’
The soothing and beautifully arranged piano EP displays a new facet to McMahon’s poetic flair as she takes ‘Soon’, ‘Slow Mover’ and ‘Keeping Time’ and dips them into a delicate emotive soundscape without the aid of production and varied instruments at her disposal, in fact the lack of instruments is what makes theses versions come to life. It truly feels the songs flourish within this setting, free to breathe and speak for themselves as McMahon’s mesmerising and emotive vocals allow the listeners mind to ruminate on the heartfelt lyrics.
From classic piano embellishments in ‘Soon’ to simple chord progressions in ‘Slow Mover’ McMahon’s songs take flight within this ethereal EP. McMahon takes the bluesy ‘Pasta’ and creates a more delicate rendition that allows you to focus on the clever, emotive and lonely lyrics. This rendition becomes timeless on ‘Piano Salt’ as the sweet harmonies and sombre piano heighten the tracks more hair-raising moments as it builds to the powerful crescendo.
There are extra little treats within this majestic collection as well. A goosebump-inducing cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The River’ is ecstasy to the ears; soothing, nostalgic and powerful as McMahon’s soulful vocals sprawl over the beautiful melody with ease and such emotion. While maintaining the coldness of the original she provides her own magical tone, style and finesse to this beautifully painful song with a lofty whistle feature reinforcing the lament on piano.
A sublime, soft and heartfelt rendition of ‘If You Call’ features on the album with guest vocals from Leif Vollebekk. Their voices blend and melt together like butter on hot toast, it’s an utterly immaculate piece of music. Another delight is McMahon’s haunting cover of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born to Die’ which showcases her deeper range while her pacifying tone highlights the track superbly.
McMahon’s ‘Salt’ is an album that was so impactful and compelling it garnered such huge praise and support. The beauty of ‘Piano Salt’ is it highlights the powerful and poignant lyrics within the songs while showcasing just how talented McMahon is. The listener gets a keyhole glimpse into the creative genius of a unique and intriguing artist.
About ‘Piano Salt’ McMahon said : “Piano is the first instrument I learnt and the one that made me first love singing. My favourite piano song when I was young was k.d lang’s cover of ‘Hallelujah.’ So this EP feels like a return to my piano-cover-loving inner kid. It’s been a really nice creative opportunity to recreate the feeling of some bigger songs off my first record, give them a new life, and cover some of my favourite songs too. It gave me something to do when we went into quarantine. The creative process also helped me shed some fear around sounding too cheesy on the piano, or too sad – I realised that doesn’t matter so much because I just love to play and sing.”
Dublin alternative rock band Kyro Jones have released their new single ‘Walk With Me’. Established in the summer of 2017, Kyro Jones have been working tirelessly on the Dublin live circuit refining their songs and perfecting their unique brand of fast, energetic music.Having shook the ground at headline gigs in The Workmans, The Underground, Whelan’s and Fibber Magees, the five piece are going from strength to strength.
‘Walk With Me’ is a blistering alternative rock track as Kyro Jones create a bone shaking, brain melting number designed for blasting from your speakers. It’s a dark rumbling concoction as the band blend raw basslines with pounding drums to create a curdling sharp wall of sound. With slinky guitars soaring and ricocheting off the brawny foundation ‘Walk With Me’ is a force to be reckoned with. The charismatic vocals cut through the tension and aggressive instrumental battering while the shredding solo saturates the song in a haze of vapour. With funky flirtations emerging between the pounding rock bravado, this attitude-driven track explores a war of words between two young lovers. It’s one whirlwind of fine musicianship.
Indie singer/songwriter Mark Hegan has released his new single ‘Another Kind of Blood’. Hegan has garnered industry interest and plays from the likes of BBC Radio 1 (Introducing), BBC Radio 2 and Radio Ulster.
‘Another Kind of Blood’ is a driving infectious indie number locked and loaded with Mark Hegan’s polished, feel good songwriting. His passion flourishes through the track with a relentless upbeat radiance while the heart pounding drum beat, dynamic guitar and powerful chorus are an instant shot of adrenaline. This stirring anthem has a moving velvety melody. Hegan’s wholesome vocals add warmth and tenderness to the track as it builds to its compelling crescendo. With a sax solo and foot-tapping beat on drums this kinetic tune showcases Hegan’s earnest musicianship while turning it into something quite anthemic and powerful.
Orwells ’84 have returned, bringing their familiar sound to the masses with the release of their latest single ‘She Is So Sweet’. The track is the third release from the band’s well received debut EP ‘Truth is the First Victim’.The band recorded most of ‘Truth is the First Victim’ in Sun Studios in Dublin with Pauric McCrum and Peter McCoy of Pillowhead. This is the band’s second venture with the duo; having worked together previously on the single “Cailín”. They’ve performed with talents such as David Keenan, Nix Moon, Myles McCormack from Belfast group Lonesome George and Finnian, among others.
‘She Is So Sweet’ is a light, charming tune as Orwells ’84 spread their uplifting and melodious musicianship over a colourful tapestry of wonderful instrumental embellishments. The band’s hearty sound is wholesome and rich with diversity streaming in through indie elements, folk tones and wonderful melodic progressions. Elegant strings glide through a buoyant rhythmic section while warm guitars adorn the backdrop. With smooth vocals, lush backing vocals and meticulous layering this track has a vibrant and irresistibly ebullient sound that is joyful to the ears. Brimming with radiance, traditional tones and cheery refinement, ‘She Is So Sweet’ is a wonderful new single from Orwells ’84.
Rising newcomer Kynsy has released her new single ‘Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State’. Kynsy, is the solo project of rising 23 year-old multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Ciara Lindsey.Tipped in 2FM’s Rising 2020 list, Kynsy’s single ‘Cold Blue Light’ picked up plays on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music with Kynsy also featuring on the cover of Spotify playlists including Fresh Finds Rock and An Alternative Eire as well as on the cover of Indie Britain on Tidal. The track was also included in Spotify’s New Music Friday UK, Badass Women, Et Alt and New Alt playlists.
‘Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State’ is a sublime example of Kynsy’s tight, refined songcraft as she swaggers her way through sharp guitar and jolting indie rock to create a raw number that is to die for. A catchy guitar riff reminiscent of The Strokes introduces a lonely, almost spaghetti western vibe while the stomping beat and moody delivery sets the tracks gritty undertone.It’s a punchy, matter of fact tune with both sweetness and attitude oozing through Kynsy’s vocals. The zest-stricken sharp guitar refrains and light buoyant rhythmic foundation create a mesmerising contrast while at the same time blending the light indie tones with sulky, moody moments. There’s striking cinematic beauty to ‘Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State’ as Kynsy paints a mixture of emotions on an almost Tarantino- movie desert backdrop, however she reins it in, not fully committing to the gritty genre and instead introduces and allows the indie pop elements to flourish and thrive. Kynsy is an exciting and talented artist and one to keep an eye on.
Written and co-produced by Kynsy, she enlisted mixer Claudius Mittendorfer (Interpol / Sorry / Parquet Courts) to buff the finished work. About the track, Kynsy said: “It’s a tug of war between the positive and negative thought processes that occur when a relationship ends. It’s about accepting the fact that sometimes you have to laugh the pain away or look at negativity head on in order to feel positive emotions and have positive thoughts again.”
The track comes with an accompanying self-directed video, filmed in Dublin by Tim Shearwood and featuring Kynsy and her friends. Talking about the video, she explained “I wanted to try and create the same sort of balance of ideas, it needed to be fun and playful but with moments of emotional vulnerability in there too, a sort of yin and yang of simple fun against complex emotions.”
Watch the video for ‘Happiness Isn’t A Fixed State’ below
Sinead McConville has released her second release; a self-empowerment & fierce pop track ‘Running from You’. Sinead McConville released her debut single ‘Doorstep’ in May 2020 which received nationwide praise. The song was played on national radio stations such as Totally Irish with John Barker, 8Radio and Dublin City FM.Her first headline show was one of the first live gigs back in Dublin on July 4th in The Wild Duck in association with Ex Oh Promotions. The gig was a huge success and ended with a standing ovation & encore. Furthermore, she performs as a session musician with upcoming Irish artists and has performed on The Late Late Show with D. Cullen, Irish Music Week & The X Collective Showcase with ELKAE and TiLT in The Button Factory with Munky. Radio performances include RTE Radio 1 (Today with Sean O’Rourke and The Ray D’Arcy Show), BBC Radio Ulster (Gerry Kelly), SPIN 1038 (Plan B with Sarina Bellissimo) and East Coast FM (The Morning Show with Declan Meehan).
‘Running from You’ is a power pop anthem doused in dark-hued electronics, suspenseful beats and the dynamic songwriting of Sinead McConville. Haunting synths wisp about the dance-infused beats which thump and pulse throughout building tension as the track progresses. With a smooth vocal delivery contrasting the fermenting, curdling instrumental backdrop and honest lyrics ‘Running from You’ is an intoxicating new single from Sinead McConville
About the track Sinead McConville said : “A past relationship just kept being brought up in conversations and it came to the stage where I felt like I was constantly running from everyone bringing him up. Writing this song felt like I was finally laying all my cards on the table and expressing that no more did I depend on someone to bring me happiness. Instead I truly found my own happiness and ‘picture perfect land’ within myself”
Someya is set to release her new single ‘Da da da da’ on October 2nd. Also known as ‘The Sassy Song’,Someya’s ‘Da da da da’ is a brand new track fresh off her upcoming EP ‘Bottle Full of Dreams’. Depicting a brutally honest moment of being tired of someone, Someya brings forward the confidence in acknowledging that really, ‘it’s not me, it’s you’. Someya brought in Nova Noir Productions to work on the song as well as Flipsyde’s guitarist Dave Lopez.Constantly writing and expanding her artistry, Someya grew up in California and became involved with music from an early age. Having several summer programme’s at Berklee College of Music under her belt, a debut EP release at age 16, a UK tour, and after spending the past three years pursuing her music career, Someya is proving to be quite the dedicated pop artist.
‘Da da da da’ is a dark noir rock/pop track as Someya spreads a haunting melody over chilling guitars and ominous soundscapes to create an eerie lulling tune. A melancholic melody soothes while Someya coos with a mysterious undertone. The track travels at a steady, creeping pace as it builds to its intense crescendo. With a shredding guitar solo breaking the song’s hazy state, ‘Da da da da’ is an intriguing well crafted single from Someya.
Mysterious and moving, ‘Ivory Black’ is the compassionate call to arms from Sage Morei. Inspired by a documentary about the illegal ivory trade and the devastating impact this is having on elephant populations, Sage Morei channels his rage into this thoughtful and powerful track that clearly comes straight from the soul.
‘Ivory Black’ is a dark coiling number as Sage Morei uses smoky electronics and alternative rock to create a striking new song. The sharp guitar distortion smothers in thick asphyxiating synths, creating a tar-like muggy soundscape while Morei’s powerful rock-infused vocals express the songs grittier elements and emotional theme. Elements of Marilyn Manson provide the song with chilling and ominous tones which brood through the rich percussive wall of sound while haunting backing vocals and mysterious instrumental backdrop make this song one heck of a thrilling listening experience.
Filmed on location in Thailand, the video features stunning locations, ranging from the urban environment of Bangkok City to Thailand’s Khao Sok National Park. Sage Morei and cinematographer Dorian Kissama Merciai spent many days with the majestic elephants themselves, wanting to highlight the real reason behind the video in a truthful and authentic way that avoided exploiting the animals. Working with a top team that includes Lee Avant (FKA twigs), and second cinematographer Nina Hawkins, the entire project has taken years to perfect. Sage Morei has also set up a webshop with an entire collection revolving around the release, all profits from which will go to elephant and rhino conservation charities that work to protect these animals from poaching. This is especially significant now as they have seen a rise in poaching numbers during Covid-19.
Watch the video for ‘Ivory Black’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
