German native Twonique has released his latest album ‘Factory Seconds’ which was written, recorded and produced entirely in his bedroom.Twonique has the listener at heart; his instrumentals are created entirely for his audience, with the intention of provoking emotion so that listeners can relate their own story to his soundscapes.
‘Factory Seconds’ is an electronic driven collection of tunes filled with 80’s fusions that showcase the growing musicianship of Twonique. Oozing indie pop melodies and buoyant rhythmic pulses in ‘Too Late’ and ‘Moving On’ while ‘Climb’ broods in intricate guitar lines, layered vocals and trotting beats this album displays the versatility within Twonique’s sound. Throughout ‘Factory Seconds’ the artist blends lofi bedroom pop tones with electronic flourishes and synth embellishments to create an engaging listening experience. The album is brimming with vibrant tracks however it is the emotional ‘Lost My Face’ that is the pinnacle moment within the album. Twonique coos over soft guitar strums and an echoed whistle refrain while allowing the bittersweet melody become the highlight of the track. ‘Factory Seconds’ unveils Twonique’s strong musical growth since his previous releases such as ‘Amity’ while also displaying the artists’ intriguing, immersive sound.
I caught up with Monaghan singer-songwriter, Jim McHugh to have a chat about his upcoming album, ‘Pretending to Wake Up’ which is set for release on May 28th. We discussed the striking honesty within the lyrics, McHugh’s knack with catchy melodies and his fantastic and relatable storytelling within the songs.
Complete with a harder edge and fuller sound, ‘Halves’ is the second EP to come from British songwriter Rachel Myall. Inspired by extensive travel, a love of storytelling, and the unexpected passing of a collaborator and confidant, the songs explore separation, sin and unrequited love across soul, country and pop. The EP was recorded at Buffalo Studio in London with vintage sound pioneer and producer JB Pilon, with closer ‘You & I’ dedicated to David Jimenez.
‘Halves’ is a wholesome collection of country-pop tunes that display the emotional songwriting and powerful storytelling of Rachel Myall. Myall uses rich and diverse instrumentation to depict tales of love, loss and inner conflict. With twanging guitars, organ keys and warm fiddle in ‘The Gambler’, cosy cello, and intricate rhythms in ‘You & I’, the backdrops of the songs provide a satisfying and engaging flow to the EP. Myall’s rasped, powerful vocals tie the songs together. Her voice ventures from a luring and smoky tone in the mysterious ‘Save Our Souls’ to soft coos within the pop sprinkled shuffle in ‘Great Divide’, creating a diverse and expressive listening experience. ‘Halves’ gives an intriguing glimpse into the multiple facets of Rachel Myall’s musicianship while providing some enjoyable and passionate tunes to bop along to.
Etaoin has released her new EP ‘Bedroom Walls’. This beautiful and heartfelt collection of tracks surges with earnest songwriting and soft instrumentation. Etaoin is a talented artist and this bittersweet EP is a must listen.
I caught up with Etaoin to have a chat about her new EP ‘Bedroom Walls’. We discuss how she crafted the tracks, finding her voice and expressing herself through her music
“I always get nervous before releasing music because it’s that thing like oh my god I just hope people like it because you really never know. You hope, but, you never know, and it’s all so personal. Everything that I’ve written on the EP is really close to my heart. I’m excited though”
Lyrically the songs on ‘Bedroom Walls’ are extremely honest. I wondered if Etaoin finds it more nerve-racking waiting to hear what friends and family think of her music as they potentially know what she is singing about or is it more daunting hearing what fans and strangers think.
“That’s a good one, because with your friends, they’re gonna bring it up… you could be at the pub and they would be like, What did you mean by this? and you’d be like, oh god! run from the conversation. But strangers too, I guess, in general, it all kind of blends into one when you release a song. I guess both. It would be hard to choose. “
“The song ‘For Her’ is a song about my old self. The idea of waiting for your old self to come back. When you go through a heartbreak. It’s not just, oh, when will I talk to this person again, it’s also like, am I actually going to get my spark back, when am I going to feel better, but I played it before, and people, especially guys would have related the song to their exes, waiting for her to come back. So it’s funny how when you release a song, it suddenly has all these different meanings to different people.”
The EP is composed of four emotionally charged songs filled with soft yet effective instrumentation and generally backed by guitar. This allows the earnest lyrics to take the main focus.
“I hate overproduction [on] songs and I like the idea of a song being able to stand on its own two feet. Sometimes production can be distracting. When I listen to ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele, it’s just her on the piano and I’ve always felt if the song is stripped back, it really allows no distraction, and also I suppose in the way I wrote the songs it was just me with my guitar, and it felt like a pretty natural thing. I didn’t want to overcrowd them, because the songs are focused on just feelings and lyrics.”
“When I think about all the music I love, a lot of it’s really stripped back. I love the idea of just keeping it bare and letting the song speak for itself, rather than relying on a trend or making it sound cool or whatever. I’d rather it just connected with people.”
Etaoin has a wonderful ability to create catchy and uplifting melodies,‘I Dare You’ has that powerful bittersweet melody that is so infectious while ‘For Her’ blends pop melodies with indie and even folk-esque tones. I wondered if these catchy melodies are a moment of inspiration or something she spends time perfecting.
“I’d say, often my best stuff would come pretty quickly. it isn’t like every time you sit down something decent comes. You sit down and you write 10 times in 10 days, you might get rubbish melodies, all those 10 days, and then on the 11th day when you’re like, oh my god this is going nowhere, something would come at an unexpected time, I’ve always been really passionate about melodies, I love hearing a melody and clicking with it. I’m obsessed with melodies, really. So that is the nicest thing in the world for you to say, that you find it catchy. But yeah it’s often quick as in when you actually write it, it’s quick, but the build up to it is like weeks of nothing.“
One striking aspect of Etaoin’s music is the raw honesty within her lyrics especially within ‘Pale Damp Cheeks’.
“Often when I write a song. I don’t even think about it. I just need to get it out. It doesn’t really even cross my mind when I’m writing it, it’s just more of a therapeutic thing rather than, Oh, I want this to be this, because they’re all about people, they’re all about situations, they’re all about things that happened to me and things I’ve experienced in my life, but it is scary because when you’re being that honest and then people ask you about it, and you’re like, Please don’t ask me that question ever, leave me alone.”
“Writing has become a bit of a coping mechanism for me and I think song writing is a journey as well. Sometimes there are going to be topics which are hard to cover and scary to cover, and you think do I want people to ask me about this, do I want this to be out in the wide world or whatever. It’s just something that is so key to writing songs, just speaking about you and what you actually feel, and not just trying to write a good song or write a pop song.”
Since Etaoin’s first release ‘Bedroom Walls’ at the beginning of the year, she has raked in over half a million streams. In the uncertain times we are in with Covid 19, that is an impressive and promising achievement.
“Yeah it’s crazy I’ve been writing songs since I was about 11 or 12 years old and I went and studied science in University. So music for me was always that thing. It was a thing that I would love to do but never gonna happen. It’s an unusual thing to happen so it’s a huge deal. I had no idea what to expect, especially with lockdown especially with everything like that. There’s no way to know how something’s gonna go. I’m feeling really lucky and I feel like I’m actually able to be myself more now, even around my friends. I was always kind of the woo girl, yeah I was ‘The Woo Girl’ . And often I was scared to show if I cared about something, but I’m able to be myself more since releasing music shows different layers [of] myself whereas before I was always a bit nervous to do that.”
Etaoin has a live show booked for Whelan’s in Dublin on November 24th. The prospect of seeing people react to her songs again in a live setting is something the singer songwriter is looking forward to
“I’m so excited. it’s been so weird because before lockdown I was gigging around London and I’d go home to Waterford and I’d be around the pubs and stuff, and so it’s been really weird not having that and not having that connection when playing a song. When you’re playing a song and you’re singing a really emotional line and can see someone’s really listening to what you’re saying and you make eye contact, just like we’re buzzing. It’s been really weird not having it but I’m so excited to get back out there. It’s crazy, I feel like COVID started out as something that was like, oh yeah COVID I heard there is a really bad bug, this is going to be over a week, and then it’s like the whole world just exploded into national pandemic.“
‘Bedroom Walls’ is about growth and renewal and it’s an extremely personal EP to Etaoin. I wondered if there was a song on the EP she was most attached to or proud of.
“I’m proud of all the songs for different reasons, melody-wise, I’m probably most proud of ‘I Dare You’ because it’s kind of an underdog song, but then I love all the songs for different reasons. ‘Bedroom Walls’ was pretty honest and explored some topics that I haven’t really explored on other songs before. like female body image, that kind of stuff. ‘Pale Damp Cheeks’, first heartbreak, so I’ve always got that connection, you never get over it. So I like all the songs. I feel proud of all the songs for different reasons.”
I wondered if Etaoin has any advice for budding singer songwriters
“ Write loads and loads of songs because the thing that stands people apart really is the songs. Practice singing and if you can teach yourself an instrument that’s great but I feel something that really sets people apart is their song, and be honest in the songs. I feel some people as I said, focus on, I just want to write a hit. That isn’t ever going to be honest and, if you’re not connecting with yourself on a different level, you’re not going to connect with other people.”
Etaoin has a warm and mature voice, there is a smoky rasp and charm to her vocals that is instantly recognisable.
“ People have always said that since I was little. I used to do Trad singing and stuff like that, and when I was 12 somebody said you sound like a grown woman. But it’s just always been like that, it’s stronger and also because I play the flute. So I guess wind control and lung control. So when you sing if you have more breathing control [there’s] probably a bit more power behind it.”
Etaoin has some exciting plans in the pipeline, we discussed what is to come in the next year and what she is looking forward to most.
“I’m recording at the moment, on the second EP to release later this year. I’m really excited to work with people I’ve really wanted to work with for quite a while. Geez, gigs later this year. So excited. and yeah hopefully getting out some video content later in the year as well. I guess we’ll see where it goes. You know I think the question, what’s next, often depends on the listener and how people respond to it, so fingers crossed people like it and good things are coming. Fingers crossed, toes crossed. My mom is already saying the Rosary for it at the moment. Not even kidding. Yeah, every time we release a song she says a week long Rosary every night. Yeah, I’m not even joking. I’m convinced that’s the only reason that it’s gone decently. I called her yesterday. I was like have you started the Rosary?. “
Etaoin is a diamond in the rough who crafts her songs meticulously to create emotion inducing goosebumps with each tune she releases and ‘Bedroom Walls’ is an exquisite example of this. Etaoin is an artist to keep an eye on.
Irish singer-songwriter David Keenan has released his new single. ‘Peter O’Toole’s Drinking Stories’. The song heralds Keenan’s eagerly awaited second studio album, due later this year. Keenan’s breakthrough debut album, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery’, arrived in January 2020 and immediately ascended to #1 on the official Irish Independent Album Charts as well as #6 on the overall National Album Charts. Fueled by such finely etched tracks as “Unholy Ghosts,” “Tin Pan Alley,” “Altar Wine,” and “The Healing,” the album proved among the best-selling vinyl album releases by an Irish artist in 2020. The release of A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery was celebrated with a sold-out headline show at Dublin’s world-renowned Olympia Theatre, an unforgettable performance captured for posterity in the acclaimed documentary, Alchemy & Prose : A Concert Film
‘Peter O’Toole’s Drinking Stories’ announces the spectacular return of David Keenan. Moving on from his debut album ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Bravery’ the artist is fleshing out his sound superbly. Jangly folk elements build over a driving rhythmic instrumental as Keenan creates a vibrant backdrop full of vitality. The song oscillates from tense verses to a lively chorus with ease, immersing the listener in a rich soundscape of lush guitar, buoyant rhythms, grand strings and lively percussion. All the while, Keenan’s warm vocals maintain a commanding presence. His ability to capture and hold the listener’s attention with his eloquent storytelling, well-coined phrases, and wit is masterful and is greatly enhanced by the instrumentation. A perfect example of this is the lyric “Tiptoe towards immortality laughing into the wind” – the instrumentation quietens to mirror Keenan’s hushed tone creating hair-raising tension for the jubilant infectious chorus to follow. ‘Peter O’Toole’s Drinking Stories’ is an exciting glimpse into what Keenan has in store for us with his upcoming album, and it’s looking like it’s going to be one heck of a treat.
Watch the video for ‘Peter O’Toole’s Drinking Stories’ below.
Indie-pop master, Ben Lorentzen has released his new single, ‘Black Eyed Girl.’ Written for his Korean wife, ‘Black Eyed Girl’ sheds some light on the problem of Asian Hate, and Lorentzen’s love for his muse. Raising awareness is one of Lorentzen’s top priorities, but he is doing it in a way that spreads love through the form of music.Lorentzen has collaborated with a variety of big names such as Rie Tsuji (Beyonce) and Brian Hardgroove (Public Enemy).
‘Black Eyed Girl’ is a bright, refreshing guzzle of indie-pop that displays the catchy musicianship of Ben Lorentzen. This charming tune radiates sun-soaked vibes with shimmering synths injecting glimmers of scintillation through a groove-laden backdrop. Lorentzen surges a sugary sweet melody over an effervescent soundscape to create a dreamy and charming tune that is sure to brighten your day. With a catchy chorus, smooth vocals, and heartfelt lyrics, ‘Black Eyed Girl’ is an infectious tune brimming with loving lyrics, blissful melodies and lush instrumentation.
UK Songwriter Lissy Taylor has released her new single ‘Quiet Rage’. Lissy Taylor is an emerging British artist with a distinct indie-pop sound. Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, Lissy moved to the USA in 2015 where she began experimenting with songwriting. Her earliest gigs and formative live musical experiences were spent playing in bars and restaurants across the States. Returning to the UK in 2017 to continue her studies at BIMM Manchester while continuing to perform with her band at music venues and festivals including Neverworld, Y Not and 110 Above and being the solo support for a UK Tour in October 2019. Following a commanding debut single ‘Mayday’ (Jan 2020), followed by the liberating single ‘Wildflowers’ (Apr) and debut EP in October 2020, ’Quiet Rage’ is the lead single from the forthcoming EP which is set for release this summer.
’Quiet Rage’ is a powerful and well crafted indie track that seethes with raw emotion and Lissy Taylor’s exhilarating musicianship. Taylor superbly balances the brooding dark verses with a mighty chorus to create a spine chilling new single as the song travels between soft glimmers on guitar and echoed spacious soundscapes, to an intoxicating sonic explosion of blazing raw riffs and pounding drums. Exuding an intense atmosphere shattered by cinematic melodies and wild energy, the song explores untapped anger and a recognition that everyone has their own hidden battles to fight. With Taylor’s warm, expressive vocals venturing from a soft, almost numb delivery to powerful angst, ‘Quiet Rage’ is a consuming and commanding new single that marks Lissy Taylor as an artist to keep an eye on.
The Stoke-on-Trent musician tells us the meaning behind ‘Quiet Rage’ : “Quiet Rage is essentially trapped anger and bottled-up feelings, not wanting to deal with emotions, you hide them instead. The lyrics ‘I will grow, I will blossom’ is the recognition of the emotional strength it takes to get through and rise.”
‘Solas’ is the brand new album to come from Folk / Pop songwriter Amie K. Exploring themes of home, homesickness and nostalgia, ‘Solas’ sees Amie K come into her own as songwriter and producer. A real homemade EP, ‘Solas’ was produced by her brother Leo and was mixed and mastered by her dad Danny. Extra backing vocals were sung by her sister Alicia on ‘Sunflowers’ and the EP’s artwork was grown by her mum Ita. Recorded during the various UK lockdowns, ‘Solas’ muses on the emotions surrounding the idea of home, and the idea of misplaced nostalgia. ‘Solas’ takes its name from the Irish word for light, whilst sounding like solace as Amie found comfort in returning home during this year. This five-track EP features all brand new songs, including ‘Pink Skies’ which was previously an exclusive Bandcamp release.
‘Solas’ is a beautiful collection of soothing, warm and emotional tunes that display Amie K’s wholesome songwriting. The songs are delicately crafted with sweet tones on guitar, melting into a bed of rich rhythms and soft percussion to create a nostalgic, dreamy hue throughout. Amie K blends soft folk tones with bright indie elements to enrich her songs with a unique glowing soundscape that is both tender and comforting all at once. From the wistful melodies within ‘Dreaming Of May’ and ‘Pink Skies’ to the mystical earthy plucked guitar and lush harmonies within ‘Sunflowers’, each song flows into the next with ease. However, it is ‘Evergreen’ that is the most compelling tune within ‘Solas’ – with just soft celestial backing lulls, immaculate harmonies and supple guitar, this time stopping piece is a moving and special gem. So beautifully arranged, this song hits you in the core with its potent vocal delivery. There is a sunkissed glow throughout the EP that is utterly charming and unique to Amie K’s organic sound and is greatly enhanced by the artists sweet vocals cooing through each track’s lush melody and vibrant instrumentation. ‘Solas’ is a glorious new EP from Amie K.
About the EP Amie said : “Home, or the idea of home, was an unshakeable force in my mind over the past year. Getting to record this at home with my brother just feels so fitting for the journey of this EP. The songs all come from different places but all meet at the place we call home”
Wicklow artist Smoothboi Ezra has announced their upcoming EP with a brand-new single, ‘Stuck’. Smoothboi Ezra is a 19-year-old songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Their recent single ‘My Own Person’ garnered widespread acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1, NME and The Irish Times for its candid exploration of gender dysphoria and depersonalisation, something many young LGBTQIA+ people deal with.In their short career, they have amassed over 10 million Spotify streams, despite releasing their music independently. They have supported Orville Peck at Dublin’s Grand Social and also sold out their first headline show at Whelan’s, Dublin.
‘Stuck’ is a delicate and emotive new single from Smoothboi Ezra. The song balances soft ambient soundscapes with tender lyrics and soothing tones to create a dreamy, compelling tune for listeners to indulge in. They layer and build the song meticulously, spreading warm guitar twinkles over an ethereal soundscape to provide a cosy sense of comfort from the song’s heartbreaking lyrics and bittersweet melody. Filled with tender emotion, elegant instrumentation and poetic lyrical content, ‘Stuck’ is a powerful piece of music and a fine example of Smoothboi Ezra’s heartfelt and earnest musicianship.
Speaking about the title track, Ezra says: “‘Stuck’ is a song about being in a relationship with someone you care a lot about but you know it’s not going to work out. It’s an unsaid mutual agreement that you can feel the relationship ending but you’re both waiting on the other person to end it.”
The single is accompanied by a touching, lo-fi music video, starring non-binary couple El and Lauren. Watch the video below
UK Pop Singer AJ Wander has released his new single ‘Eye To Eye’. The song is the latest track to follow from his debut single ‘Time Out’, which was released at the end of 2020 and has racked up 3 million streams on Spotify to date.
Pounding with anthemic power, pop ballad sensibilities and heartfelt melodies ‘Eye To Eye’ is a superb new single from AJ Wander. The track flurries along a rush on piano while pulsing drums and soaring soundscapes create a tense backdrop. Sweet melodies weave between an intricate percussive wall of sound, as the song surges with emotion and adrenaline all at once. This refined track exudes Wander’s compelling musicianship. His ability to capture emotion and contain its raw, unbridled passion within a beautifully crafted tune is mesmerising. ‘Eye To Eye’ is a compelling new single from AJ Wander.
Speaking of “Eye To Eye”, AJ Wander said: “I wrote Eye to Eye whilst sat on my bed in the middle of the night last year. My girlfriend and I were fighting a losing game and we couldn’t pretend to be OK anymore. It was a moment of realisation, we’re broken and the pieces couldn’t be glued back together. It’s me finally being able to step back from the chaos of our relationship and see the toxic cycle we’d fallen into; we fought because we were numb and we were numb because we fought. All we ever wanted was trouble.”
Stream ‘Eye To Eye’ below
Author : Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
