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- December 6, 2021
As the year comes to a close, we are very eager to share our favorite finds this week. Check them out!
“love language,” by Micah Emrich: This Milwaukee-based musician showcases their versatility every chance they can snag, with this single being only an example of the talents they offer. Blending genres flawlessly, bedroom pop beats sync with lo-fi and some pop rock in this creatively crafted piece about being an artist in a serious relationship, and the challenges that come into play.
“love language” was a very fun, yet humbling song to write. Being a creative in a serious relationship is hard. I mean, being in a serious relationship in general can be difficult. When writing this song I was going through a tough time managing my music career, working full time, and giving my partner the attention she deserves. I wanted this song to be a reminder to not forget about the people that are in my corner everyday.
~ Micah Emrich
With new project that expands the mind with all the different musical styles, “BASEMENT” is bound to have a song that is fit for every type of person. Check out Micah and let us know what song suits you best!
“Pillow,” by Laura Dreyfuss: An artist who enjoys pantsuits and rooftop sunsets, Laura makes music that is specific to her experiences, contrasted with sounds she hopes everyone can dance along to. Known for her acting role in FOX’s musical series, Glee, her skillset is blended in her pairing music videos that convey beautiful tales of her life’s events.
Nothing shows her talents like her track, “Pillow,” which breathes life into the cold of winter with its emotional melody and heartfelt words of love and peace. With the song’s first verse, chills run through as the mood and scene are set. This new single from her is just a taste of what’s to come, and perfect for fans of Kasey Musgraves who are looking for something new to switch the palette.
“how to make a mirror,” by Whitten and: Debut single from a collaboratively inspired project, this artist inspires to work with poets from all walks to blend into their sound. Adding further intrigue, it’s a powerful project of poetry and wonder. Folk blends with stories that send the mind wandering through the world of their creation. This is Whitten’s first single, inspired by a poem written by reclusive poet, who he met in his travels through America.
All of the new music is written and self-produced by Whitten, with mixing and vocal production by Charlie Andrew (the Brit Award winning producer behind the likes of alt-j, Marika Hackman and Wolf Alice). In the long term, Jon dreams of making music with poets like Sara Hirsch and Erika Sánchez as ‘Whitten and Hirsch’ or ‘Whitten and Sánchez.’ It’s a type of project that has never existed before and more importantly, it’s how Jon likes to make music.
The music came suddenly in midsummer. Cathartic and refreshing as a really good sneeze. First the low riff, then flocks of tin whistle chirping around it, then everything else the only way it could be.
~ Whitten
It’s a reflection on self-reflection. How do we see ourselves? How much do we forget or invent? How much of it is true or important? Is any? And how do they make mirrors?
~ Williams
I’m so incredibly excited to be working with Jon on this project. We met when he played dulcimer on alt-j’s album RELAXER and it’s great that he is now writing his own amazing stuff. The fact that he is collaborating with all different sorts of lyricists means the project has infinite inspiring collaborative possibilities, which I love.
~ Charlie
“Watching Trains,” by Luca Firth: Off the freshly released full mixtape, ___, this single magically depicts a world of its own and pulls its listeners right in for the ride. The artist’s DIY approach is evident as it breaks the mold from typical indie-folk. His own brand of sound reflects upon isolation and a sudden burst of inspiration in the midst of it. Recording and mixing his new sound, written in the peak of 2020’s lockdowns, during the short reprieve of summer. He took a trip to Italy to experience the short burst of freedoms, to grasp onto the old normal before the world changed. In his work, particularly in this single, that yearning for the past is evident, where nostalgia takes its hold and sends us wondering for the better and longing for something new to escape the cold winter within seclusion.
Luca describes the music as “a sort of autobiographical statement of where I was at that point in time. While writing and recording, I realized I was kind of just at a loss. I was confused and struggling to picture what I was going to do with my life – as so many people were at the time.” Luca’s feelings are sure to resonate with many others in his situation, with a recent study of students in the UK showing that 57% of those who participated reported a worsening in their mental health and wellbeing during the autumn term.
And indeed, he created a beautiful work of art in the midst of it; a time capsule of where many of us can relate and hold close, and hope for better.
“One Day We’ll Wonder,” by Sonny Casey: Rising in the folk world as she busks and travels around the world, this musician’s wandering soul was halted in 2020. This single reflects upon the isolation and the world as we knew it, frozen and forced to no longer run from their inner demons.
When a global pandemic broke out, I found myself ‘in my mother’s house in the countryside’ on the West Coast of Ireland, somewhere I never thought I’d be for so long and that’s where the song was finished. Having spent the past five years constantly travelling and busking, running away was no longer an option and I suddenly had to face myself and who I am when I’m not moving.
~ Sonny Casey
The single itself is admittedly a depiction of the uncertainty and fragility of a relationship she was in at the time, but in it lies a relatable nature for all who look into that time and shared an appreciation for the small and simple things long forgotten, and a nostalgia for what we know we will miss when the world awakens from the slumber of quarantining and being locked in.
“Dark Matter,” by Wrene: This Toronto-based gothic and dark pop artist shared the title track’s music video from her latest EP, Dark Matter. Aiming to defy the constraints of the conventional, her dark and ethereal tones blend genre to the fullest. Surreally her own otherworldly structure, this musician de-stigmatizes mental health issues and brings a sense of escape in her experimentalism.
It is musically consisting of electronic textures, modular synths, distorted guitars, and manipulated strings. All of these elements, surrounding an emotive, and at times operatic vocal performance- contribute to an atmosphere that is eerie and vastly haunting. Each song is a representation of inner emotional turmoil, and the dialogue within- coming to light as a catharsis in times of social isolation. Dark-Matter is self-written, produced and performed. It features Devlin Flynn on guitar, backing screams/vocals, additional synth, and with mixing by Bernie Cisternas.’
Conveying a longing and yearning voice, the bitter taste of the melancholy is numbed and sated in the latest single by this artist. Darkly inspired, she channels a catharsis in the depths until the black flows out like cool waters and are released from within.
“Glitter,” by Daisy The Great: This is the latest single from Daisy The Great, following the release of their infectious collaboration with AJR “Record Player”, which debuted on the Spotify US Viral Chart at #13, and at #1 most added at Alt Radio, where it’s sits in the top 20. As Daisy the Great, Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker make a folk-inflected indie rock that spans a multitude of moods—capable of being clever, devastating, or both simultaneously, spanning harmony-laden folk pop to powerhouse indie rock balladry with their intricate and impossible to resist music. Mina and Kelley started writing music together five years ago, and over the years, Daisy The Great has supported acts like Indigo Girls, Sidney Gish, and Samia.
It’s an introspective indie-rock masterpiece, complimenting the group’s dreamy chamber pop vocals. The harmonies all lilt and pair with each other as they reflect a sense of ease and otherworldly wonder. The instrumentals depict the glimmer of hope felt from within, vibrant and hopeful for self-discovery in the middle of the growing pains of youth.
What was your favorite single? Let us know in the comments! Check out the full tracks, listed on our Featured Music of the Week playlist!
