Noah Elliott has released his new single ‘Never Feels The Same’. Noah Elliott is a 23-year-old artist based in Los Angeles. In 2018, Noah released a stream of self-produced singles resulting in over 700k listens on Spotify. In fall 2019, he joined forces with producers Dylan Bauld (Halsey, Bea Miller), Rune Westberg (Colbie Caillat, Daughtry) and Jon Santana (SuperM) to finalize his first record. The 7-song project titled Songs for the Optimist will debut as singles over the next 6 months. Along with his artist project, he is putting the finishing touches on a 5-song EP for sync (co-produced by Jordan Frye of Position Music), and writes for other artists such as Mackenzie Bourg (American Idol), Stela Cole and Ben Hon.
‘Never Feels The Same’ is a groove driven dance number doused in cool R&B as Noah Elliott ruminates through dark electronics and honest songwriting. Elliott’s smooth vocals caress the infectious melody with a lonely tenderness as the track ferments through subtle mysterious layers of confusion and turmoil while an elastic bassline coils around a sticky beat and intricate synths. This glossy number is saturated in night time vibes boasting crisp production and a catchy melody and rhythm. ‘Never Feels The Same’ is an utterly irresistible earworm from Noah Elliott.
Belfast alternative pop singer/songwriter Rebekah Fitch was the star of last night’s Virtual show organised by Fluttertone and dootdoot Records. With her merch strategically placed on the wall behind her and basked in golden-hued lighting the multi-instrumentalist takes her place ready to perform. The first bars of ‘Another Show’ which opens her set, displays her soulful R&B voice which is a shock to the system – pitch-perfect and masterfully balanced between angel-like sweetness and powerfully demanding. She weaves a few lines from Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ into the crescendo before bringing the track to a hair-raising finale. It is a fantastic opening song, and the rest of Fitch’s set only gets better and better.
Utilizing loops, drum machine and keys Fitch provides a knockout set with a full uncompromising sound. Virtual once again pulls in another outstanding tech genius to perform and boy does it make a difference. There is something special about an acoustic set but it’s these engaging live performances filled with a full bodied sound that ignite the platform.
Fitch makes music composition look easy as she wonderfully blends flute melodies into alternative pop and R&B tracks.This clash of earthy almost classical pop with contemporary allows Fitch to create a collection of compelling music to delight listeners with. ‘Guns With Guns’ is the most acoustic we see Fitch. A simple emotive piano ballad, the track showcases her voice in all its beauty and glory.
Her tracks flourish live and for the first time we get to hear ‘Take Me Apart’ played on piano. This passionate and tender track discussing her feelings during lockdown is a real treat. Fitch possesses all the criteria for major alternative pop stardom, her ability to write songs ( which hit you hard in the chest, exposing feelings you never knew you even had ) is mesmerising while her ear worm melodies, expressive vocals and rich compositions leave all her contemporaries behind. The maturity and understanding in her songwriting is such a soothing and beautiful comfort while the refined layering and instrumentation displays her creative genius.
Fitch is an intense performer sprawling her arms out while soaring through her perfect falsetto and sultry lower range. From the power of ‘Fake Smiles’ to the haunting ‘Not Myself’ we get to see Fitch multi task between loops, flute and big drum and synth builds.This set list is a reminder of the fantastic tunes she has in her arsenal and the new unreleased track ‘Dust’ is an impressive display of her songwriting prowess. Words cannot express how special this song is. It floored me. It’s a moving track about losing someone you thought you would always have and almost hurts to hear. Each word feels fresh and painful for Fitch as she lays emotion over a bittersweet melody while a building piano graces the backdrop in an equal measure of strength and tenderness.
‘A Love So Crazy’ brings the set to an epic end, leaving us craving for more. This was a professional, fun and engaging performance from a remarkable artist.
In true Virtual manner a Q&A follows the performance allowing fans to ask questions and get into the details of tracks. Fitch’s bubbly persona makes this a seamless and fun engagement as she discusses all from how she creates her tracks, the biggest obstacle she’s had to overcome and how she got into music as well as some technical intricacies about her set up for the live performance. Rebekah Fitch is an amazing artist and one everyone should check out.
For a taste of the compelling songwriting of Rebekah Fitch check out her track ‘A Love So Crazy’ below
Dublin-based trap-pop singer/songwriter/ producer Mac Rose has released his new single ‘I Need This’. The beat was made by Hill Kidd, with further production, vocal recording, mixing, and mastering by Mac Rose.Born in England and raised in Ireland, Mac Rose spent his teen years listening to grunge, rock, and learning to play a variety of instruments. His releases have amassed over 65k streams on spotify, and he has a growing and loyal social media fan base.
With clean production hazy soundscapes and hip hop flavours ‘I Need This’ displays Mac Rose’s modern pop charm and musical versatility. ‘I Need This’ is a sweet ditty exuding delicate dreamy melodies mixed with smooth R&B to create quite the easy listening experience. Mac Rose tells a story of being vulnerable in love through melancholic beats and superb musicianship. The intricate beats slap between warm bass lines and twinkling guitars. The track travels into an ethereal soundscape while his rasp filled vocals ooze a rock tone and soothing warmth.
Mac Rose is quite the songwriter. The chorus is just immaculate, evoking images of stadium crowds swaying and singing back the lyrics with a watery, cheery glint in their eye. He is building his sound superbly. At present he is walking the intriguing line where hip hop and alternative rock combine and the result is pretty impressive. Mac Rose certainly is an artist to keep an eye on.
About the track Mac Rose said “Hill Kidd sent me the bones of a sombre, hopeful beat. I remember listening to it and replying to him saying “I need this!” and right away started writing lyrics. The song is about relying on someone, needing someone. Even though there’s shit involved and things aren’t always good, you still need everything they give you. At the end of the day it’s worth it, and you would do anything for the other person.”
Benji and the Saltwater Sound System have released their new single ‘Lights and Smoke’. ‘Lights and Smoke’ is the third single to be released from the upcoming Benji and the Saltwater Sound System EP, ‘Ripples of Thunder’. Benji and the Saltwater Sound System draw from Ben Fowler’s recent immersion into islander flavours and fuse these with the jazz, reggae and African roots of its members past musical projects.Benji and the Saltwater Sound System have played acclaimed festivals including Woodford, the National Folk Festival, Mitchell Creek Rock N’ Blues.
Exuding a soft layering of folk, pop and indie ‘Lights and Smoke’ is a lush unfolding of Benji and the Saltwater Sound System’s wonderful musicianship. With guitar twinkling over a rumbling beat the track begins light and radiant before the chorus introduces warm melodies on cello provided by Sivan Agam of the April Maze. ‘Lights and Smoke’ lyrically draws from frontman Ben Fowler’s experience of living in the Solomon Islands.The song oozes passion within its roots as the foot tapping rhythmic pulse surges warmth and cosy vibes while the light guitar and keys lift the track to ethereal heights. ‘Lights and Smoke’ is quite the time stopping number as the listener is lulled by Ben Fowler’s dreamy emotive vocals which gently coo over the songs organically flourishing soundscape. With a sweet melody melting over this softly bubbling backdrop Benji and the Saltwater Sound System present a lush and intricately rippling sound full of rich textures and intriguing musicianship.
Relaunching for 2020, PureGrand (part time popstar and photographer Luke Faulkner) releases his new single ‘Timeline’.The song was written and produced by Faulkner and is the first single from PureGrand’s debut album which marks a shift in his sound from the synthpop influence of his previous work towards a pop sound with a broader palette of flavours. It is being released alongside a new body of visual work photographed by Faulkner that will tie in with the album campaign as singles are released along with music videos.
‘Timeline’ is a 90’s hued pop number swirling in dark soundscapes and repetitive hooks as PureGrand uses a rich tapestry of electronics and earnest songwriting to create a chilled and haunting track. A blanket of synths cover the backdrop in dark airy tones while the skittish beats and breathy backing vocals fill in the tracks gaps amplifying the unease in the verse. With R&B elements which drift between hip hop rhythms and smooth vocals the track has a clean and polished shell. The lyrics shed light on the frustrations felt by many young millenials about being stuck at a point in your life beyond your control and the pressures and conflict between different generations that come with that. There are elements reminiscent of Pet Shop Boys within the track but PureGrand adds a modern pop shimmer to their sound as he weaves ominous tones and fluctuant, coiling textures through pop melodies and crisp production to create an engaging and passionate number.
Jack West has released his new single ‘Forever’. The song was recorded remotely from Virginia, New York, Rochester and Seattle using ProTools and Logic with fellow band members and co-writers keyboardist Abe Nouri and drummer Matt Bent (both graduates of the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Jack’s hometown) – along with Barrett Jones [Nirvana, Foo Fighters], who produced West’s debut album ‘For the Record’.
With a nostalgic 90’s alternative pop melody combined with an indie doused backing ‘Forever’ is a tune to treasure. The song shows natural growth and maturity to West’s sound as he builds the track slowly allowing it to blossom into a sweet indie pop delight. With light twinkling guitar and buoyant beat this track flows smoothly into the ears with subtle bursts of jubilation bubbling beneath a dreamy soundscape. West’s vocals are charming and confident as he warmly coos over the earworm melody. The track maintains a soaring guitar refrain that provides an ethereal quality to the song as West surges adrenaline, emotion and youthful bliss into this exceptionally crafted track.
Jack West is building his sound superbly bending and blending his rock origin into a sound that is truly special and passionate. Keep an eye on this dark horse.
Exhilarating Manchester indie-rock band The Covasettes have released their new single, ‘Be Mine’ today. Firm favourites on any indie music fan’s playlists, the four-piece have totted up an impressive 1 million streams on Spotify alone, after being added to ‘The Indie List’ and ‘Summer Indie’ playlists. The Covasettes have already had a game-changing start to the year – previous single ‘Spin’ buzzed through the airwaves in February and in April they made the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition longlist.
With adrenaline pouring from the curdling rhythm, blazing guitars and dirty bass rumble, ‘Be Mine’ is another irresistible anthem from The Covasettes. There is swagger dripping off every note as the band flourish a raw driving indie rock backdrop with scorching guitar refrains and sultry licks while the rampant beat stamps the track firmly into your head. With cool vocals spread upon a catchy blues-hued melody the band present a chilled attitude driven sound brimming with confidence and blazing instrumentation. The Covasettes are building and crafting their sound superbly creating pockets of refined splendour within their blistering indie rock format. These guys write vibrant tunes for you to dance and mosh to. Another absolute smasher from the quartet.
About the track the band said: “Be Mine is one of our favourite tracks ever. As soon as we’d written it, we couldn’t wait to play it live and get it recorded in the studio.Every time we play Be Mine at gigs, it gets such a lively reaction and creates a real buzz in the room, so when it came to deciding our next single, Be Mine was the clear favourite. We think it follows on really well from Spin as it has a raw, gritty sound that is more rock driven than some of our previous releases. We’ve had Be Mine ready to go for a long time now and we can’t wait to get it out there for everyone to hear. We hope that people get behind it like they have with our other releases and come and sing it back to us at the live shows.”
Arthur Valentine is delighted to announce the release of his latest single, ‘Fruit Juice’, ‘Fruit Juice’ was born out of quarantine, the making of which has been described as a “cathartic exercise” by Arthur. Recorded over two weeks between tea and basketball breaks in the back garden, Fruit Juice is the brain child of Arthur and fellow Hausu collaborators-turned-roommates Actualacid and Automatic Blue.Despite relative newcomer status, Arthur has already clocked up a lot of ‘gig-miles’ on the Irish circuit including headline slots at the Button Factory’s Crowbar, Cork’s Cyprus Avenue, Bodytonic’s Pot Duggans and a sold out Ruby Sessions show. In addition to this, he has performed numerous times in Cork’s Plugd (The Roundy) and Coughlan’s, as well as an additional performance in Cyprus Avenue supporting Sorcha Richardson.
‘Fruit Juice’ blends Arthur Valentine’s intricate, velvety sound with R&B elements and smooth pop to create a luscious summer track. The melody and sugary production seeps into the ears with ease while the bubbling electronics and jaunty guitar provide zesty bursts of scintillation throughout. A buoyant bass weaves through the tracks elastic backdrop while rich percussive spurts and vibrant beat lay down a hip hop hued foundation for the swirling soundscapes to flourish off.
Arthur Valentine has a wonderful ability to create ear-worm worthy tracks which ooze subtle sonic intricacies and ‘Fruit Juice’ is a perfect example of this. It is a wholly satisfying, irresistible track that is both wonderfully euphoric and masterfully crafted.With elements of Lauv glimmering through the sweet emotion and a Mac Miller sprinkling on top, Arthur Valentine has created a sound that builds on the balmy bliss of lo fi debut single ‘Selfish’ – ‘Fruit Juice’ is a fantastic example of the suave musicianship and precise alternative/pop of Arthur Valentine.
Brighton alt/indie band Thrillhouse return with their new single ‘Wild Child’. It’s a refreshing slice of indie pop exuding chic infectious musicianship with fluctuating beats and kinetic electronics which adds buoyancy for the suave vocals and chorus to ricochet off. A heavy 80s sound creates an ethereal quality to the track while the sweet melody and smooth guitar injections flesh out the bands panache and “ooh lala” flamboyance.
With elements of The Killers and Talking Heads coursing through the tracks sultry pulse, Thrillhouse have created another sun kissed earworm set to tantalise and seduce the listener.
Nicha has released her new single ‘Devices’.Nicha is a 22 year old singer/songwriter from Holywood, Northern Ireland. Having grown up listening to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley her music and writing is heavily influenced by these legends but more recently inspiration stems from hip hop, pop and electronic influences drawing on artists such as Loyle Carner, Jack Johnson, Tash Sultana, Moloko and Bonobo.
‘Devices’ is a vibrant bop, laced in the charming and mellow musicianship of Nicha. The track is sonically laid-back and easy going as Nicha douses a smooth melody over tropical beats and ethereal wisps on electronics with reggae elements and glimpses of R&B flickering throughout. Her warm rasped and soulful vocals melt elegantly upon the tracks bubbling backdrop with a sweet lulling tone as the song drifts between the balmy chorus and dazed verses. There are psychedelic hues rebounding off the warm guitar melodies and fluctuant rhythmic foundation while Nicha lilts through the chorus with a catchy vocal refrain.
The song reflects the feeling and freedom of detaching ourselves from the chaos of social media. Nicha expresses this perfectly through this breezy, pacifying sun kissed gem. A fine debut, ‘Devices’ escapes the tethers of genre as Nicha blends pop, folk, reggae, indie and electronic to create a satisfying and musically rich track.
Stream ‘Devices’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
