Jack West is set to release his new single ‘Montreal’ on February 25th. Doused in washes of synths, bouncy keys and a heartfelt melody ‘Montreal’ is a sublime glimpse into a more electronic facet to West’s sound. Smooth vocals are dipped in moments of auto-tune while sticky beats and jazz speckled keys create a sonically intriguing backdrop. With fuzz laced electronics fleshing out the tracks ethereal soundscape, ‘Montreal’ is an enticing and earnest bop from Jack West. It’s interesting and always a joy to hear this artist experiment and express his diverse musicianship and style. He creates such fresh and exciting tunes with each release and ‘Montreal’ is a fine addition to the singer’s repertoire.
About the track, West said: “I started writing Montreal In September of 2020 in NYC with a few band members. I remember writing the lyrics, walking along the Hudson River looking at Manhattan …. It was a great feeling, writing this new music, in NYC, with people who are great at what they do ( Matt Bent and Abe Nouri). The main picture I guess of the song is running back to someone, and trying to get back what we had …”
The Assist, one of the UK’s most established underground groups formed of Mikey Stanton (Vocals), Jorge Poole (Bass), Luke Jones (Guitar), Ryan Stanton (Guitar) & Ben Faulkner (Drums), have released their new single, ‘Television Kid’.The Assist have sold out venues across Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield as well as shared the stage with The Happy Mondays and Blossoms. They also played in Paris with Black Honey and toured the main rooms of the UK’s O2 Academy’s with local heroes The Twang. Their 2018 EP, LOST, charted in both Spotify’s “Top 50 most-streamed tracks in the UK” and iTunes’ “Top 10 indie chart”.
‘Television Kid’ is a hook-laden delight that boasts the dynamic and bright indie sound of The Assist. Saturated in radiant guitar riffs slickly weaved between buoyant drums and elastic basslines the track has a feel-good vibe that is simply irresistible. It’s a fun vibrant bopper with sharp and relateable storytelling expressed through eloquent lyrics. The track narrates “the mischievous nature of a fictional socialite character who we will have all met at some point in our lives. The absorbent kind that becomes over-enthused by the smallest of occasions, takes on the role of Andy Murray during Wimbledon and Tyson Fury when there’s a boxing pay-per-view.” The band enhance this story through earworm melodies, lush guitar solos, sun-kissed atmospheres and upbeat indie rock that is easy on the ears and a joy to listen to again and again.
Irish rock band THUMPER have released their new single ‘Overbite’. Contemporaries of Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital, THUMPER are among the leading lights of the Irish post-punk scene. Over the last two years, the north Dublin six-piece have been developing their sound – and building an increasingly passionate following. They combine intense poetic lyrics with a big punky sonic assault to startling effect.
Swarming in on thick asphyxiating fuzzy guitars, ‘Overbite’ is a tantalizing new tune from THUMPER. The band’s ability to balance sharp bruising instrumentation with lush earworm melodies is mesmerising and leaves the listener craving to hear more. Acid-laced riffs bounce off heavy brisk drums and a relentless bass assault to create a frenetic, chaotic sound that is utterly thrilling to the ears. In true THUMPER manner, the song takes wild unpredictable twists throughout its blustery journey as the track shifts from ballsy outbursts to a stripped back break before the massive finale. ‘Overbite’ is a refreshing and utterly magnificent tune from THUMPER that showcases the band’s constantly evolving sound and incomparable talent. Turn the volume up, press play and enjoy.
About the track lead singer, Oisín Leahy Furlong said: “With lyrics full of nightmarish images alluding to the failure of a relationship ‘Overbite’ is the first part of a sprawling 20-minute long psych opus that ends our debut album. Releasing one-third of a song as a single is probably a strange career move, but then nothing about the THUMPER process ever seems to go by the book. With ‘Overbite’, we applied a different method to our songwriting, changing from our usual approach where I bring a musical concept for the band to run with. It’s one of the first purely collaborative efforts, in that Alan wrote the music and I wrote the lyrics.”
Bio: East Manchester indie band Palava have released their new single ‘Yesterday Is Calling’.The track is taken off the band’s upcoming EP.
Track: Yesterday Is Calling
Why We Like It: The track blisters with the dynamic indie rock of Palava. The band lace a driving rhythmic backdrop in acute raw guitar riffs to create an invigorating wall of sound while the anthemic chorus and soaring melodies evoke images of live crowd sing-alongs. Boasting a shredding crescendo and thrilling guitar work ‘Yesterday Is Calling’ is a fantastic new single from Palava.
Bio: Jack Joyce has released his new single, ‘Mountain and the Door’.The song follows on from Jack’s 6th single release and hit single ‘’Black Cat by the Bins’’ which was released back on 3rd September 2021. Early in 2020, Jack featured on Mute The TV band’s hit debut single ‘With You’ which got airplay around Ireland.
Track: Mountain and the Door
Why We Like It: ‘Mountain and the Door’ is exhilarating indie rock. With moments of dazed psychedelia weaved through swirling soundscapes, the track simmers with dark undertones while sharp guitar melodies triumphantly stride through a punchy drum foundation. Densely crafted and oozing suspense throughout, ‘Mountain and the Door’ is an impressive tune and a fine example of this artist’s growing talent.
Bio: Having just formed in April 2021, Dublin based alt-electronic artist wornoc (aka Conor Walsh) has carved out a niche in forward-pushing alternative-electronic sounds from these shores.
Track: The Blackhole Paradox
Why We Like It: It’s an exciting piece of music that boasts rippling electronics and moments of heavy alternative rock alongside dreamy undertones. The track is an enthralling listening experience; twinkling guitar and soft keys give way to instrumental builds while intricate rhythms and driving beats add a contrasting element to the track’s ambient soundscapes. ‘The Blackhole Paradox’ is an immersive and compelling tune that marks warnoc an artist to keep an eye on.
Bio: With over 800 million streams to date, 5 million monthly listeners at Spotify, and international acclaim, the singer and songwriter LÉON will release her third studio album ‘Circles’ on March 4th. Released via LL Entertainment and BMG, the album is available to pre-save. The album is launched alongside the brand new single ‘Wishful Thinking’.
Track: Wishful Thinking
Why We Like It: It’s a nostalgic ballad that highlights the beautiful vocals of LÉON. Filled with warm soft instrumentation, the track blends soothing folk tones with tender pop sensibilities to create an elegant tune filled with passion and poignant lyrical content. Exuding a soothing earworm melody, ethereal soundscapes and buoyant guitar strums, ‘Wishful Thinking’ is a luxuriant new tune to indulge in.
Young rocker Minerva is pondering the meaning of life with her new single ‘My Kind’. Asking if there’s more to life than getting drunk at parties and falling in love, Minerva hones in on that all too familiar feeling of not quite fitting in with your peers, and asks if there’s more she can be looking for. Recorded at JBJ Studios on Portobello Road in London, ‘My Kind’ was mixed by Jamie Brown and features drums from Marko Obradovic and bass from Josh Dougherty with Dan Clark stepping in as recording engineer.
‘My Kind’ is an energetic, gritty rock tune that surges with dark tones and Minerva’s relatable lyricism. Jagged guitar riffs lacerate through a punchy drum and bass foundation while Minerva’s smooth attitude-laced vocals glide atop the catchy melody. The swarming alternative rock backdrop contrasts the sweet backing vocals and slight nonchalance within the main vocal to create an engaging listening experience. Filled with an infectious chorus and blazing guitar work, ‘My Kind’ is an impressive new single from Minerva.
After closing out last year with his debut EP ‘Tell Me How It’s Worth It,’ emerging indie-pop artist Cade Hoppe is back with his new single, ‘Hurts’.Originally hailing from Sacramento, CA and now based in New York, Cade originally moved to the East Coast to pursue academic and athletic opportunities. He’d been writing songs and playing piano, guitar, bass and saxophone since childhood, but it wasn’t until 2020 that he started to explore the possibility of recording and releasing his own songs to prioritize his true passion. After putting out a few experimental releases with his stepbrother, Nick Adams, Cade connected with producer Harper James — one half of Eighty Ninety — and began to develop his indie-pop sound.
‘Hurts’ is a fine example of Hoppe’s cinematic and luxuriant dream-pop sound. Filled with intricate electronics, soft twinkling keys and an intense bubbling beat the track pulses with moments of suspense throughout while Hoppe’s warm vocals almost whisper over the bittersweet melody. The song broods and simmers within a state of nostalgia enhanced by warm guitar tones that glimmer through the dense electronic backdrop while Hoppe croons “ I would do anything to have you here to see if I still love you”. Well crafted and deftly produced, ‘Hurts’ is a catchy and emotive new single from Cade Hoppe.
Written from the point of view of someone who has recently broken up with their significant other, “Hurts” grapples with feeling the weight of their absence. Cade elaborates on the track: “‘Hurts’ is about experiencing that strange post-relationship purgatory for the first time and realizing that anyone you love is going to hurt to lose, whether you were both meant to be or not. The thesis of this song is: ‘It’s not easy losing somebody, it always hurts.’ I think we all have to learn that lesson at some point in our lives and this song is about when I learned it for myself.”
Waterford musician Eoin Devereux has released his new single, ‘Set My Eyes On You’.
This alternative bedroom pop tune is a fine example of Devereux’s edgy, immersive musicianship. In true Devereux manner, the track balances a myriad of rich tones and sounds to create a brooding slow bop saturated in guitar distortion and swirling electronics. His melancholic vocals hold an air of nonchalance, creating an enticing contrast to the psychedelic hued alternative pop backdrop. Boasting irresistible guitar melodies, poignant lyrics and a catchy chorus, ‘Set My Eyes On You’ is a soothing, sombre and well-crafted tune that is a joy to listen to again and again.
About the track Eoin Devereux said: “It is about how we obsess over someone we like and end up loving them more than we love ourself. It’s really a truthful love song that doesn’t have a happy ending.”
Irish born singer-songwriter Megan O’Neill has released her highly anticipated new single ‘Wildfire’.Megan O’Neill’s songs have received great attention over the past year – including her recent single ‘Ireland’, which hit over 400,000 views on social media during release month. The video was also picked up and shared by none other than Olivia Newton-John as well as being added to the RTE Radio 1 playlist for three weeks running. Megan O’Neill released her second full-length studio album last year (March 12th, 2021) – titled ‘Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty’. This much-anticipated album follows her last release, ‘Ghost of You’ (June 2018) which hit #1 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts in the UK and Ireland, and two EP’s previous to this (‘Coming Home’, 2015 and ‘Stories to Tell’, 2017).
Saturated in emotive pop melodies and cinematic soundscapes ‘Wildfire’ boasts the heartfelt songwriting of Megan O’Neill. She blends folk moments with indie tones and electronic embellishments to create a sound filled with vibrancy and gusto. As the track builds to its anthemic chorus, a twinkling piano exudes a sweet sense of innocence within the brooding verses, pulsing beats and adrenaline-filled tension. It’s a powerful burst of musicianship that radiates with passion, emotive vocals, uplifting tones and a freeing sense of euphoria. O’Neill’s music is a joy to listen to and ‘Wildfire’ is a fine display of just how diverse and exciting this artist is.
Speaking of the new single Megan O’Neill said “For me, Wildfire feels like the beginning of the next phase of my career – merging my folk, storytelling roots with more pop and electronic elements. The past two years have been a really creative time for me thankfully, despite what’s been going on! I’ve immersed myself in new music, new styles and new sounds and I’ve been working with many different songwriters and producers in varying genres, as well as improving my own skills as a producer, writer and musician. All of that exploration and work has led me here – to this new sonic direction. It feels very authentically me and I’m excited for people to hear it.”
Having performed with Adele and impressed greats like Elton John and Avicii with his songwriting, Irish-born singer/songwriter Moncrieff has just signed to German label Energie Musik and has released his new single ‘Warm’, ahead of his new EP which is set for release in Spring 2022.
Beginning as a piano-led stripped-back ballad, ‘Warm’ highlights Moncrieff’s eloquent musicianship and deft lyrical prowess. It’s an immaculately blended tune that introduces pulsing beats and ethereal soundscapes to create wonderful suspense before the anthemic chorus kicks in with a choir providing lush backing vocals. A heartwarming piano melts into the cinematic crescendo as the radiant vocal melodies and clap along rhythm lift the song to exhilarating heights. The tracks heartfelt lyrics,“I remember everything, the picnic in the park, how the rain played on the roof that night” surge with earnestness as Moncrieff’s soothing, soul lathered voice croons the sweet, moving melody with ease. ‘Warm’ is a compelling new single and passionate delight from Moncrieff. Press play and enjoy.
Speaking of the single Moncrieff says “Nobody’s perfect. This song is about being that person, and that rare moment in life when you find that person that truly sees you for you, your imperfections, flaws and scars as well as your good traits and loves you for them. It’s a really comforting and happy feeling to just know that all you have to do is be yourself.”
Osprey have released their new single, ‘Tantrum’. The track was written about “internalising a multitude of negative feelings over an extended period of time, and then finally hitting a breaking point”. Osprey are a 4-piece band from Australia, consisting of Jasmine McLean (Vocals), Peter Raine (Drums), Nicholas Fren (Guitar) and Jack McDonald (Bass). After their debut single ‘Gemini’ hit 20,000 streams on Spotify alone, Osprey began picking up some notable shows during 2021, supporting both Thirsty Merc and Spy vs Spy.
Osprey display an impressive ability to create an expressive tune full of energy and slick musicianship.‘Tantrum’ is a mammoth track that blisters with Osprey’s bloodthirsty alternative rock. The band combine pummeling drums and relentless bass grooves with scorching riffs to create a frantic, angst-riddled wall of sound while powerful vocals are enhanced by shredding instrumental builds and a thrilling sharp guitar solo. ‘Tantrum’ is a song ready to blast from the speakers.
Stream ‘Tantrum’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
