Glasse Factory - Featured Music of the Week: Chapters of Hope and Experimentalism

Check out our featured picks for the week!

“The Mirage,” by Heather Bond: Curating radiant, cinematic indie pop, this artist reflects her works on relatable feelings of heartbreak and love and a range of perspective of the world around us as it is today. Her modern sense of intelligence blends in with an enhanced sense of crystal-clear vocals and crisp harmonies.

This single, including a stunning live performance, features a band of female musicians in a moody soundscape sent straight from the heavens. Experimenting with experimental jazz elements and a blend of clear, piano-pop, the work is a symphonic masterpiece.

“Souveniers,” by I Want Poetry: Behind this name, singer/songwriter Tine von Bergen and pianist/composer Till Moritz Moll create a signature mix of atmospheric dream pop, head-spinning soundscapes and ethereal vocals. The duo, founded in 2018, went from being an insider tip to a force to be reckoned with within the German electro-pop scene. The group invites fans on a dreamy voyage between worlds of sound. It’s an eternal interplay of warm nostalgia, serene elegance and a light-flooded glimmer of hope, which runs like a thread through their new songs.

This single in particular looks at the all-too-human desire to hold onto the fleeting precious moments of life, offering to “stow my days in boxes full of what I loved the most,” according to their lyrics. The track itself resembles a collection of sonic souvenirs; experimenting with a blend of acoustic instruments and wilder vortex of hazier electronic elements. Holding the piece together, haunting vocals and a driving beat take the track home to a place where all the precious moments can be stowed away for years to come.

“So Much Wonder,” by T.I.G.Y: A rising alternative pop newcomer, this artist showcases a dreamy adaptation of a diary left behind and brought to life by singer and lyricist, Bailey Tzuke, and composer, arranger, and musician, Matthew Racher. Their latest release is magical and personifies an object that is precious to many; often seen as an outlet sharing things no one else hears. The diary is always there to listen when no one else is there.

The artist takes inspiration from poetry, introspection and emotion from the past to create an ethereal conversation relevant to contemporary pain, confusion and uncertainty. The diary, that was titled thoughts I give you, belonged to Bailey’s late aunt before it became a posthumous means of connection and mused the duo’s debut single, “Only Way to Let the Light In,” in 2021.

“Storm Coming,” by Ethan Gold: This artist’s Earth City trilogy (2021-2022) is the big statement this underground artist has been building to since he first started out, first becoming known when on the strength of his underground demos. Gold is returning to songcraft and performing after a long recovery from a head injury in freak accident at a New York warehouse party shortly after he had released his own debut, Songs from a Toxic Apartment.

The San Francisco-bred, Los Angeles-based global-citizen indie singer/songwriter/director/dharma-dream-scaper has probably experienced some level of heartbreak, joy, contemplation, or angst that you can relate to. And where many of us kick, scream, love, and stuff things down, Mr. Gold turns them into transformative artful expressions. Through personal loss, physical trauma, and both literally and metaphorically toxic living situations, he’s opened his heart through music, and transformed pain into perception.

This single is no exception. Focusing on the moody and dreamlike elements he’s rising in the industry for… and it anticipates a future chapter that may either be one of romance or of regret. The acoustic guitar intro inspires strong storytelling elements that pulls any listener into a journey of balance between imagery of nature and self-reflective spiritual inquiry.

“Where I’m From,” by Meskerem Mees: Being awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Music Moves Europe Awards (following in the footsteps of world-famous artists such as Adele, Dua Lipa and Stromae) by a jury including people from BBC, Spotify and KEXP, her worldwide breakthrough is officially only a matter of time.

Taken from chart-topping, critically-acclaimed debut album, Julius, this single borders on contemporary folk as each lyric pulls into a world of poetry and dream, “far from here, but it’s mine,” the artist sings. Featuring a stunningly crafted video, we peer into the mind of a child who wishes and dreams of a world different from the current one she resides in; and in that dream, we see hope and happiness blended with cinematic strings and flute blended in with a skillfully played acoustic guitar.

“August,” by Seph Cove: After a year of quiet introspection, Melbourne born and Byron based artist makes their return with sophomore EP Unsafe Passage. From it, this single laces ethereal folk with the earth as it is… there is a self-awareness that has been brought to light. After taking lessons from solitude, conversation and family, the artist brought more releases that have been giving rising success. This single fills the listener with calm in its slow, acoustic intro to showcase the vocals at their crisp and clean poetic feel.

This song is about my relationship with my home and where I was living, and how that impacted how I felt about myself.

~ Seph Cove

“There Won’t Be A Day,” by Elisa Kate: A small town dreamer with a 100 year old piano, Elisa Kate was told she couldn’t sing. Little did they know, Elisa gets a kick out of being underestimated, so these remarks only strengthened her determination to be an uplifting voice through her music.

This single in particular revels in the delight of memories as the artist discovers new layers of clarity, growth and awakening through grief and pain, encouraging her audience to consider their own inner strength to soar amidst life’s adversities. Her compelling sentiments instill feelings that there’s always hope, and that in every step, our loved ones follow along with us, as the lyrics reflect “I carry strength in me, I never thought I’d see, strength you left.” From the first charming piano hook, this track will lift any spirit with its bright pop tones and blended layers of spacious acoustic guitar, soft glowing strings, and unique percussive rhythms.