Glasse Factory - Featured Music of the Week: 05.23.2022

Featured Music of the Week: 05.23.2022

Check out our featured picks for this week!

“June,” by The Day: Duo formed by Laura Loeters and Gregor Sonnenberg not only admit their differences, but celebrate them with indulgence. Whimsical dream-pop-meets-DIY-lo-fi, the project has formed a vibrant sound of their own, expressing utopia as well as melancholy in its escapism, all while refusing to be defined or boxed in.

Loeters and Sonnenberg once met as students at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Arnhem, the Netherlands, and quickly began making music together. Their style developed steadily and over several years, while the two collected further residences in their biographies and finally landed in Utrecht and Hamburg respectively. This single in particular touches on the beauty of the warmth of the beginning of summer. The brightness is evident in the instrumentals and vocal performance through and through.

“My Everything,” by Ocie Elliott: This Victoria-based duo, featuring the masterminds Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy, dream up dusty folk painted in broad strokes of acoustic instrumentation and lyrical eloquence meant for nights under the stars, long drives with no destination, and quiet moments of reprieve. After racking up over 15 million combined streams and receiving critical acclaim, they move to their next chapter in their music journey.

This song delicately weaves through feelings of hurt, heartache and healing. In the midst of the duo creating their latest album, as well as this single, they received the devastating news that Sierra’s dad had been diagnosed with cancer. “We had one last month with him,” she recalls. “We were able to play these songs live for him in his final days… he actually kept saying to me during this time, ‘You’re my everything.’”

“Not Like Superman,” by Simon Howard: Dousing contemporary folk with pained Americana, this singer-songwriter’s delicate storytelling shines amid his effortlessly heart-wrenching vocal talents. After spending a Texan summer secluded in the heat, he wrote new tunes before returning home to record his debut EP. After being introduced in the music world with “No Evidence,” he returns with this track.

This song begins with a shining display of the artist’s vocals. It then builds into an acoustic masterpiece, blending classical strings with soaring lyrics to tell a folk tale of being human in a broken world.

“Anyone,” by Les Cooper: This producer and multi-instrumentalist is stepping out on his own with music that delves deep into his sonic toolbox, exploring the worlds of electronic rock and dream laden pop. With the debut solo album, these eight tracks push the envelope in all his creative faculties. Cooper describes his process as reassembling them almost like Lego pieces until, in most cases, the final songs were unrecognizable from the original takes.

The album, Noise, includes this single in particular that we’d like to make note of… as it features lush string arrangements written by the artist himself, he reflects on an individual perpetuating a cycle of harmful behavior as they navigate through their relationships.

“TIHIWSTG,” by NOA: And this Toronto-born, pop singer-songwriter is about to take the music industry by storm. Her music blends vibrant, catchy melodies with resonant emotional themes — from relationships to female empowerment and self-realization. All the while, the artist’s voice maintains a fun, lighthearted tone that helps lift her fans above the noise and negativity of everyday life.

This single, from her second EP, Hurting, was inspired by the process of healing when getting over a breakup. This nostalgic track reminisces on the past and how things didn’t end up the way she thought they would. It always takes time to come to terms with how a relationship played out and naturally it can be hard to accept.

“New England,” by Rod Coote: While in the early days of his career, this Australian singer and songwriter has already established his dreamy, atmospheric indie-folk sound through accompanying his warm vocals harmonies and honest, heartfelt lyrics with the sweet sound of the acoustic guitar strings. This single is no exception, as it shares the artist’s longing, nostalgia, and peace of his childhood home.

What’s the closest to time travel? For me, probably music and childhood places. Growing up in New England, the song is a memory and anthem at once. I spent much of my youth there, exploring the wilderness of the Australian countryside both in lonesome & with friends, that I wanted to capture and share those experiences. Produced by Garrett Kato in Pete Murray’s studio. It’s the final song of my new EP. It invites you to lay back, relax & unwind to the melody of my home New England.

~ New England

“Birthday,” by JoJo Worthington: Over the past decade, this Montreal-based producer, songwriter, and composer has emerged as a distinctive presence in creative Canadian music, pairing deftly penned songs with spectacular sonic landscapes. This year may see this visionary adorning her armor, grabbing her sword, and beginning a quest towards the divine.

The latest single features the friendship between her and her best friend. Growing up together, the lyrics share their childhood and how all of their experiences lead to their spiritual journey together. There were countless times where they would sit in the car and talk for hours, trying to navigate high school life, trying to understand what the “truths” were. One night, after talking on the phone with her, the songwriter had a moment of realization and awe of how much her best friend had grown as a person. Now the song has since been penned in their honor.

“where we left off,” by Julia Campbell: This is the debut single of this artist. An emotive, surely heartwarming summer hit with a singer-songwriter depth lyrically, this song also has a warm acoustic feel and soft pop dance-ability.

Each sound imbues feelings and a pure longing to listen and become the perfect expression capturing feelings of driving with the windows down or taking a calm, morning stroll. The sound, as well as the message, balance the bittersweet experience of falling in love with someone when the timing isn’t exactly right, with a hopeful sentiment of looking forward to picking up where you left off.

Which track was your favorite? Let us know in the comments, and listen to these tracks in full on our very own playlist!