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- March 7, 2022
Check out our featured picks for the week!
“Divine,” by Maya Abee: Hailing from Los Angeles, this artist offers her fresh voice humbly in the world of indie singer-songwriters. Seeking out a world and life of creativity at an early age, she attended classes at various Los Angeles arts organizations, then learned guitar at her Performing Arts High School while as a result beginning her journey in songwriting. Wearing her sonic influences proudly on her sleeve, she focuses on the disparate and often non-linear experiences of growth, and healing and channels it into a dreamy folk outlet. Her music uses the world around her as an excavation site, chipping away at the depths of what so often eludes all of us: ourselves.
This single laments in tones of folk, exploring the speaker’s relationship to faith in love. Throughout the track, an explosion of catharsis emerges from the strings and synths in their perfect arrangements. A standout vocal performance anchors the celestial textures back on planet earth, where a heartbroken speaker offers a glimpse into her pain.
“Trustwormy,” by Kyle John Kenowski: Independent musician and animator blends in his two art forms through what he calls “classical-psychedelic-folk-pop.” Though the confines of his unique genre are a lot to unpack, the artist’s self description suits him well. The folk elements in his music are evident from the start; the listener is lured in from the start with a dizzying experience of acoustic paired with a chilling set of vocals, and as the song progresses, so builds the story and the journey.
This single in particular, along with the beautifully captivating, hand drawn visuals for his music video, were featured on Adult Swim. Much more is to come for this artist, who fulfills the need to escape and wander with his incredible eye and talent.
“end.” by Shayan: Nineteen year old guitarist from London self-produces and mixes their own tracks to curate a psychedelically charged experience with an acoustic feel. The first release from this artist showcases a world of potential in their craft, as they share an encapsulated moment of mania, where the lyrics are charged with the feelings and the process in discovering how to not “kill yourself for others.”
Love yourself and be proud of it. Don’t sink for someone else.
~ Shayan
“Unlikely Friend,” by Forenzics, Split Enz, Tim Finn, Washington: Newly formed project, Forenzics, shares a love of the beautifully twisted in their newest love song. The minds behind it, Tim & Eddie, have been working away on a wide selection of new songs, many of which have origins in early Split Enz songs – the band they were integral members of when they formed in New Zealand nearly 50 years ago.
Delving into the rich potpourri of sounds and ideas the early Enz songs contain, Tim and Eddie have sourced some ‘shades’ and ‘echoes’ to construct some of the new Forenzics songs. And opening up a new chapter, they share “Unlikely Friend,” the latest from the project’s album, Shades and Echoes; a dark but jazz-inspired love track featuring alluring vocals from Megan Washington.
“Nocturnal,” by VINI: A band that was formed by a former Girl Group as Beam (DJ, lead singer) and Ply (bass, vocalist), the two had a girl talk that would bring contemporary music and play their own music instruments. Bringing along Fhong (guitarist, vocalist) discussing about their own music style and passion turned out to be “VINI”. The band brings the music styles of Electronica, Clubbing beats to spark up new tunes for Thai Dance Music Festival and around Asia.
This single in particular at first may not seem much like a dance track, but the slow burn of it builds and progresses and intensifies as it continues. Each layer of vocals pour in a sense of ease to the listener as they can easily lose themselves in the sound.
“The First Days of the Sunshine Kid,” by Alex Connor: Becoming a self-taught producer during the lockdown, this artist delivered his latest EP, A Song To Sing At Night, isolated in his bedroom. The singer-songwriter and poet is back only a year later to release his debut album First Day of the Sunshine Kid, out now on all listening platforms. As an album full of storytelling and rich harmonies, we see the next chapter of the project glow from his own creation.
Filled with banjos, slide guitar, violin and harmonies galore, the title track of the album is aptly named – feeling like a warm re-emergence into the world after two years of bedroom isolation songwriting. And its acoustic tones soothe the listener awake as the sounds stretch toward the warmth of sunlight and hope.
“Keeper,” by Honeycraft: This London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer is a wood nymph in disguise whose music addresses themes of philosophical questioning, sharp self doubt, and the every day quest for love. The last year saw her songstress nature leave the sunny seas of Los Angeles for the overcast city streets of London. With the change of scenery, the artist’s music also began to evolve. Moving away from Good Nite’s bedroom pop, this single leans towards classic Americana, all while still retaining her signature ethereal wash of heavenly vocals. Through each iteration of this artist, she invites her listener into a fantasy world, her gossamer sound and introspective lyrics creating a singular landscape which never fails to enchant.
I wrote this song the night my relationship of eight years ended in a really painful way. It was 2AM or later—all I wanted to do was go to sleep, but I was too much in shock. When something devastating happens, the first response is disbelief- “how could this happen to me?”. Then it sinks in briefly to the tune of excruciating pain. The first line of the song is my favorite because it captures this horrible oscillation—“I start crying every time I come back to my body”.
“Keeper” is important to me because it’s like I took a picture of my state of mind in that dark moment. It is a portrait of a freshly broken heart. To be honest, it’s taken a while for me to be ready to record and produce this. I wanted to keep the arrangement lean in order to let the lyric be front and center.
~ Honeycraft
“I Heard the River Cry,” by Elyn: This artist hones in on a sense of introspection led from a universe of her own daring and dreams of a spotlight. She does both of these things, balanced carefully in her hands and in her voice in her newest self-produced works. On BORN[E], life’s intimate moments of the Sankt-Gallen’s (CH) singer-songwriter are brought together, deepened and carefully transformed into music, forming a very personal manifesto of her artistic vision.
This track is her 3rd single toward that debut album, a ballad masterpiece, only focusing on her transcendent voice and careful piano play. Boldly emotional, the vocals elevate the experience further into a cathartic wonder.
“Letting Light In,” by Paul Moody: This multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter currently based in Woodstock, New York. Known for his self-reflective and melancholic folk songs, his music captures the themes of yearning, long-lost love & nostalgia.
This single in particular was written and recorded upstate, within the confines of a cabin, as the artist explores shedding one’s defense systems to allow room for growth and to allow someone new into their life, despite the anxieties breaking down those walls brings. In it we sense the hope for more, the growth and the development of a relationship that may yet come in allowing someone in.
Let us know what you think of the tracks in the comments, and stream our full playlist on Spotify, updated every Monday:
