New wave pop artist Bobbi Arlo has released her new single ‘Fever Thoughts’. 2021 started off with a bang for the artist with the announcement that RTÉ 2FM selected her as one of their ‘Rising Acts’ for 2021 and the release of her previous radio smash tune ‘Feel It’.
‘Fever Thoughts’ is a fizzing example of Arlo’s irresistible sound as she spreads an earworm melody over an intense backdrop of electronic pop to create a refined and effervescent bop for listeners to enjoy. The intoxicating soundscape mirrors the excitement within the lyrics which discuss a night out in the city. The songs heart-racing effect is aptly expressed through the tracks pulsing beats that ripple through a flurry of synths and swirling electronics creating a dance-infused and muggy backdrop for Arlo’s sweet reverb laced vocals to drift over. Arlo is always pushing her sound to the next level, and ‘Fever Thoughts’ is a spectacular example of this.
Filled with intense muggy rhythms, futuristic electronic embellishments and an exhilarating wall of sound, ‘Fever Thoughts’ is a fantastic new single from Bobbi Arlo.
Speaking about the song, Bobbi Arlo says “Fever Thoughts is the product of me craving those special nights out. I wrote the song after reminiscing about my first night in the big City and how mesmerising and fun the whole experience was. I really wanted to captivate the energy and excitement I felt that night and put it into a song”
London singer-songwriter Luka Powell has released her debut single ‘Hindsight’. Born in Derby but raised in Bahrain, Australia and the UAE, Luka cites her exposure to a divergent range of cultures and music for her eclectic sound. While Luka’s Australian upbringing is notable in her distinctive, aggressively joyful, indie-rock sound the Southern Hemisphere seem to do so well, her musical taste has always been rooted in London where she now resides. Learning to sing busking on the streets of Brisbane, Luka gained traction on Soundcloud amassing over 180k streams which led her to perform at festivals including Virgin Radio’s Redfest in Dubai, appearing on international radio shows and performing for the Australian Prime Minister.
‘Hindsight’ showcases the effervescent sound of Luka Powell through refined musicianship and deft production. Teaming eerie soundscapes with desert pines on guitar, the artist creates a lofty and edgy backdrop for her lush pop melodies and warm vocals to flourish in. The track is well crafted and builds superbly through haunting backing vocals, choppy guitar embellishments and intricate percussive elements that create a smoky and dark undertone throughout. Exuding an indie rock n roll persona mixed with soft country tones and sweet pop sensibilities, ‘Hindsight’ is an enticing and compelling debut that marks Luka Powell an artist to keep an eye on.
Irish Singer/Songwriter Taylor Mas has released her new single, ‘Tonight’.Taylor Mas released her debut single ‘Bad News’ at the end of last year. It has been streamed over five thousand times on Spotify and was added to the RTE Radio 1’s Recommended playlist along with a Q&A feature on RTE entertainment. Mas has had many years of experience in the music scene in Ireland. Having completed a level 8 Degree in Songwriting at BIMM Dublin, she has performed vocals for many different artists and bands across Dublin in multiple different recording studios as well as performing at Electric Picnic, Longitude, Knocken Stocken and many more Irish music events and gigs. Her previous single, ‘Me Again’ got its first play on SPIN 1038 and was added to the RTE Radio 1’s recommendations list in its first week of release.
‘Tonight’ is a bubbling alternative pop tune that boasts Taylor Mas’ deft musicianship. Mas creates a cinematic and compelling wall of sound to accompany heartfelt lyrics, which deal with the scenario of overcoming mental manipulation from a partner or friend. With buoyant rhythms and heavy electronic beats creating a dance-infused soundscape, Mas maintains an upbeat, uplifting tone throughout while icy keys and ethereal synths create a sense of innocence and provide a refreshing release from the muggy beats. Showcasing a catchy melody and pristine vocals, Mas crafts a shimmering and emotionally impactful song ready for repeat plays.
Noah Elliott has released his new single ‘Who Takes The Prize’. The Oregon native amassed 500k Spotify listens after releasing a string of self-produced singles created in his college dorm room. After graduating from the University of Miami and wandering around Asia for 6 months, Elliott moved to LA. There, he teamed up with Dylan Bauld (Halsey, Bea Miller, flor) to create his debut EP ‘Songs For The Optimist’. ‘Who Takes The Prize’ is the 5th single off the record.
‘Who Takes The Prize’ is a dark alternative pop tune lathered in rich electronics and infectious dance vibes. Elliott’s smooth vocals croon over intricate rhythms and push-pull electronic effects that venture into EDM and house elements at times. With lush synths weaving between bittersweet melodies, Elliott displays his engaging and catchy musicianship through this shadowy yet enticing gem. Elliott has a knack for creating infectious melodies and wrapping them in dense textures and tones to create eargasmic tunes that are sure to have you bopping and dancing in no time, and ‘Who Takes The Prize’ is the perfect example of this.
About the track, Elliott explains: “When I listen to this track, I can’t stop myself from dancing. I hope it has the same effect on you.”
Dublin Producer, Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist, Cabin has released his new single ‘Evil Directions’.The song is the follow-up single to Cabin’s debut, ‘The Parasocialite’. Cabin (aka Adam McCabe) began crafting his songwriting and production skills as part of post-punk outfit Brass Phantoms, and has had his music featured on the likes of BBC Radio 6 with Steve Lamacq, Spotify’s Hot New Bands, and more, along with production credits for the likes of Fangclub.
‘Evil Directions’ is an intricate tapestry of psychedelic pop weaved together with lush melodies and rich textures throughout. Cabin presents a laid back tune that boasts elegant key refrains, swaying rhythms and mosaic guitar chimes to create a vibrant backdrop for listeners to indulge in. The artists’ knack with earworm melodies shines brightly in this song as he spreads a dreamy melody over the prismatic soundscapes to create a soothing yet enjoyable listening experience. There is a darker undertone within the track represented on keys, however, Cabin maintains a bright and bubbly retro tone throughout. ‘Evil Directions’ is a fantastic and tantalizing new tune that marks Cabin as an artist to keep an eye on.
On the track, Cabin says, “I’ve always adored the sounds and styles that this track draws from, but often found that those bright melodies hid darker sentiments. I see this track as my homage to that classic style of pop writing”
Lurgan based indie alternative artist BECAH has released a stunning single ‘Reminders’ and accompanying video. The song is the second single from her upcoming debut EP ‘Freak’, due out later this year. Having cultivated her art playing the local scene over the last number of years, BECAH has in that time secured support slots for renowned acts including that of Aslan, The Four of Us, and Brian Kennedy, most recently playing on the same bill as Brian Houston, Sam Wickens and Amy Montgomery.
‘Reminders’ presents BECAH’s emotive and utterly captivating songwriting through moving soundscapes and awe-inspiring musicianship. The song is filled with rippling basslines, punctuated beats and subtle whirls of electronics that swoop with cinematic tendencies between lamenting guitar refrains. BECAH’s slightly rasped voice drifts between captivating tones and breathtaking melodies as she discusses the aftermath of a toxic relationship through tender and heartbreaking lyrics, “I’m trying hard to be myself See I got torn up by somebody else”. BECAH is a talented musician. The artist’s ability to aptly express emotion through well crafted and beautiful musicianship is admirable. ‘Reminders’ is a spectacular example of this.
About the song, BECAH says “I wrote ‘Reminders’ in the aftermath of a very toxic relationship with a past girlfriend. The coinciding music video, filmed by Chris McCann and directed by John Dynes and Chris McCann, presents a glimpse into that story – the good times I had with her in the beginning, to its violent turn. The lyrics speak of the struggle I had to feel like myself again, and how all my attempts to push away all the little details and memories of that time felt futile.”
N.O.A.H have returned with their new summer anthem, ‘Hands Up’. The track presents a very different sound from the band as they venture into a more summer pop style rather than the raw indie rock we experienced in their previous single ‘Darkest Hour’. I caught up with Adam Rooney to chat about the new single, N.O.A.H’s return to live shows and what we can expect from their upcoming debut EP.
“Well, we were always big fans of pop music in general and dance music to an extent. So, it was fairly natural. It wasn’t a conscious decision to change sound. We started working with a producer called Ruadhri Cushnan and he’s won a Grammy he’s worked with Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, The Maccabees, and so many other amazing artists. His influence on our sound obviously is coming through too. He knows how to balance a song, and he brings the best out of all of us. We’re so lucky to work with him. We’re working on our EP at the moment with him, we have a few more tracks to finish up, and we’re ready to go.”
‘Hands Up’ is a sonically rich and well-balanced tune that boasts sweet pop sensibilities, refreshing instrumentation and a driving bassline.
“That song itself, started with a chord progression and a sample that we made. Basically, I was just messing around with Ableton on a sampler, and I had a vocal chop that Ryan did. So then I just heavily effected it, that became the lead melody line. Then it was a case of figuring out nice chord groups on top of that, figuring out a baseline, and once we had them three elements, the chord progression the baseline and the top melody, the rest of it was fairly fine. Lyrically, we all write our own lyrics, so we just put our general ideas together, and that came together in about a day as well, so fairly a quick process”
When N.O.A.H released their debut single ‘Shine’, they told me they had to record everything remotely due to the pandemic. Adam explained how the band have been working on the track since then.
“We had the demo for ‘Hands Up’ over a year ago. So we’ve been working on that. When we brought it to the studio with Ruadhri we probably had like fouror five days on that track, just finding the balance, bringing what needs to be up up, what needs to be down down, and slight tempo changes and that sort of thing.”
‘Hands Up’ marks a brighter and more upbeat shift in the bands sound. Even vocally, Ryan Hill takes a softer approach rather than his usual powerful delivery.
“Yeah, I think it was more to suit the song. It’s not really like a ballad-y song so we’re taking inspiration from bands like MGMT and even Irish bands at the moment like Wild Youth or even The Weeknd. So, singing in that nearly falsetto range for a period of the song I suppose that helps create suspense. It’s also not getting in the way of what’s going on musically either, I suppose yeah, it helps build the idea of suspense and release or tension and release. So the chorus is a bit more full-bodied and full-voiced vocally, and then the verses are a bit more restrained and pulled back.”
N.O.A.H are very much a modern band. They fuse elements of indie rock, pop, electronic and whatever else they feel to create their own incomparable style. With each release, fans eagerly wait to see what the band will do next as they are constantly evolving their sound.
“Yeah, thanks so much. We talk about this a lot you know are we a guitar band? I don’t know, we like electronics and synths and pop music as you’re saying as well so it’s a bit of a blend between a lot of things.”
The band have released a lyric video for ‘Hands Up’. The animation for the video was constructed from individual elements of artwork made by Rionagh McNamara, and it’s an impressive visual for sure.
“The artist who created the artwork for ‘Hands Up’, she’s doing the artwork for the EP, which is amazing. Her name is Rionagh McNamara. What she does is create art but the way she does it is she hand detailed the pieces, and she’ll work in a layer type fashion. So, when you look at the art for ‘Hands Up’ in minute detail, they’re all individual hand-cut little pieces that she then goesand layers on top. So once we had the digital render of each individual layer, we were able to get it animated. It brings a bit of continuity across from the artwork to the lyric video. It turned out really well.I was delighted with it. Even her description of the actual meaning within each individual part of the artwork is, it’s amazing. She brought her own unique perspective to that piece of work, you know”
To mark the release of ‘Hands Up’, N.O.A.H performed one of Ireland’s first indoor shows on July 24th at Solstice Arts Centre in Navan, which was also streamed live. Seen as the band’s debut was released during the pandemic, they hadn’t been able to perform these songs to a live in-person audience. Adam explained how exciting it is to finally be able to do gigs as N.O.A.H.
“Yeah, we had a gig in Navan in The Solstice Theatre. Since that’s a theatre we were allowed a reduced capacity of 50 people. So to be fair that felt like our first gig back. You could see people slightly, we had feedback, we heard people clap or cheer or sing along and things like that, so that was lovely and yeah we played in Mike The Pies, which was an outdoor gig, it was on the rooftop of Mike The Pies, which is such an iconic venue. It was amazing to play. We were supporting Josh McClorey, and he used to be in The Strypes, and that was an amazing night it was 25 people, but it was nice and intimate. It was great to actually get to see people and share experiences of live music.“
It’s an exciting time for N.O.A.H. The band have signed with Natasha Bents’ newly founded Mother Artists Live Agency (Foster The People, Idles, CMAT) and made their first TV appearance on RTÉ Six One News to talk about their story and quick rise within the industry.
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. We’re very lucky to have all them experiences over the past year. It doesn’t fit the narrative of a lot of other musicians. We know we are quite lucky. Mother Artists, when we got that sort of lined up, that was a shock to all of us. We’re just happy that they saw something in us. We have a few announcements coming at the end of the summer too in line with them for 2022. But it’s pretty amazing even to be on television, it was great.”
N.O.A.H’s debut EP is set for release this October, and Adam told me what we could expect from the eagerly anticipated EP.
“There’s gonna be a few collaborations on it. Few more than what people have heard. It’s gonna be a long enough EP it’s not a short one. You can get it on vinyl. We’re delighted with it. We’re just in the last few finishing stages of it now. So it should be ready to go in the next week.”
N.O.A.H are an extremely talented band that strive to create diverse, richly textured and energetic tunes. They are crafting their sound superbly, providing a new and tantalizing listening experience with each release, ‘Hands Up’ is the perfect example of this. The song’s soundscape is filled with intricate guitar embellishments and lush electronics while the drum grooves and pulsing bass lines create a heart-fluttering sun-kissed element throughout. ‘Hands Up’ is an exciting teaser for the band’s upcoming EP.
Dublin based alternative pop band The Crayon Set have released two new singles: ‘Summer Song’ / ‘Rock Star’, taken from their upcoming album ‘Downer Disco’. Filled with the diverse and infectious sound of The Crayon Set, ‘Summer Song’ and ‘Rock Star’, showcases two different facets of the band’s style to create a dynamic listening experience for listeners to enjoy.
Boasting twinkling guitars, a steady beat and dreamy melodies, ‘Summer Song’ displays the sweet psychedelic side of The Crayon Set’s sound. This light ditty flows upon subtle bright soundscapes while ethereal keys chime throughout, creating a soft hue within the song’s atmosphere. The Crayon Set showcase their ability to capture emotion and a suspenseful sense of euphoria within ‘Summer Song’ and it is simply divine.
Showcasing jangly jazz stained keys, jaunty guitar refrains and punchy drums, ‘Rock Star’ exudes the band’s swaggered, indie rock bravado. Kate Dineen’s vocals are the constant throughout both releases. She sweetly coos with a lulling compelling tone in ‘Summer Song’ and croons with a slight edgy rasp for the energetic ‘Rock Star’. Her beautiful vocal blends perfectly with each tracks instrumentation and highlights the bands refined musicianship.
The Crayon Set are developing their sound beautifully, crafting songs that surge with vivid emotion and glorious lush instrumentation. Their ability to produce irresistible earworms that ooze edgy, indie rock sensibilities is awe-inspiring and marks them as a band to keep an eye on.
After returning in recent weeks to share his vibrant new single ‘Picture Perfect’, fast-rising Irish artist Curtis Walsh is back once again to unveil the uplifting new video for his latest offering. Directed by acclaimed Irish filmmaker Donnagh Fitzpatrick, the new visuals for ‘Picture Perfect’ aims to highlight the rich and joyous aesthetics Curtis brought to his original performance. Giving us upbeat and enticing images of summer fun, the new video looks to project a warm and inviting texture throughout, perfectly illustrating all of our desires to break free from these recent lockdowns. Curtis Walsh will also be heading out on the road for a number of headline shows across Ireland later this year, as well as a performance at Hit The North Festival in the UK in October.
‘Picture Perfect’ is a shimmering alternative pop anthem. The track captures a sense of nostalgia and fun throughout as Curtis Walsh spreads a smooth, dreamy melody over a bubbling beat and ethereal electronic soundscape. Fusing dance elements with sweet pop sensibilities and infectious grooves, the song leads beautifully into its catchy chorus while lush harmonies ensure this earworm won’t leave your head easily. Filled with summer vibes and showcasing Walsh’s velvety vocals, the track is the perfect sun-kissed bop sure to have you singing along in no time.
Speaking about the new video, he said, “This song really meant a lot to me so I wanted to make sure the video really complemented the whole vibe of the song. It had to be uplifting and have a good happy energy to it. There was a little bit of back and forth on the ideas and treatment for this video, but quickly enough we got to a place where the song and video really linked nicely with each other! I was really impressed with the way it came together and can’t wait to see what everyone thinks!’
In collaboration with Internet Money, Jackson Wang has released a new single, ‘Drive You Home’. Wang uses a bubbling hip hop beat, twinkling guitars and bittersweet melody to create a gripping backdrop for listeners to indulge in. This easy on the ears gem cruises with subtle R&B tones mixed between pop hues and soft 80’s embellishments while Wang’s silken vocals drift upon the delicate melody. Wang has been knocking it out of the park with emotive and musically lush singles lately. His previous single ‘LMLY’ fleshed out his glistening 80’s synth-pop sound, while ‘Drive You Home’ now presents a melodious and guitar infused R&B soundscape. It’s exciting to hear what he will release next.
‘Drive You Home’ comes with a spectacularly cinematic video check that out below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
