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Music Blog for Indie Pop Fans

Fleeting Paris’ ‘Movie Star Quality’ Stages a Reality Without a Curtain Call

Fleeting Paris may take an unconventional approach to songwriting, but even with the sonic rulebook ripped up and its ashes scattered, Movie Star Quality doesn’t sacrifice accessibility or affectability. The sticky-sweet vocals, unfeigned in their emotion, drift through the sting of unflinching staccato guitar rhythms, revealing a mastery of tension-building. There’s little rhythmic release in the track, and that’s exactly where its ingenuity lies—it subverts expectation, bypassing the cliché of a soaring chorus to stay true to reality, where we wait for breaks that never come.

Lyrically, the track dissects the Hollywood-glamorised human experience, exposing the diminishment of those who don’t don the façade, even as we acknowledge that our idols have long shed their autonomy. This lyrical meditation becomes even more immersive through Fleeting Paris’ Paul Simon-esque vocal lines, which know exactly how to lock emotion into melody.

The rejection of conventional song structure only strengthens the track’s impact. Instead of offering the instant gratification of predictability, Movie Star Quality forces listeners to sit in the discomfort of unresolved tension. It’s a soundtrack to disillusionment, but one that never alienates—because beneath the abstraction, there’s a raw sincerity that makes every note resonate.

Movie Star Quality is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JNDJ Spun Reflections of Liberation into a Riff-Charged Pop Rock Anthem with ‘Mirrors’

JNDJ’s latest single Mirrors throws open the windows to let the light in while ripping through the airwaves with an unmistakable alt-90s edge. The track eases in with a dreamy jangle pop melody before slamming into full riff-charged momentum, intensifying the (literally and figuratively) reflective lyricism. The mix of heavy rock energy and Latin pop spirit adds an anthemic, emotionally raw quality, making every note hit with intention.

With its emancipating, bolstered with lyrical gold, Mirrors is the ultimate pick-me-up, freeing listeners from the toxic ties of negative perception. The bilingual vocals carve another layer into the liberating single, reinforcing its message of resilience and clarity.

For Julissa and Jesse Girardi, music has been a lifelong pursuit—one that led them through the highs of industry success before disillusionment pushed them to seek deeper meaning. After rediscovering their purpose, JNDJ returned with a sound that leans into their ability to create music that resonates far beyond surface-level appeal. Mirrors proves that when they step up to the mic, they ignite something transformative.

If JNDJ had risen alongside Garbage, Texas, and The Cranberries, they’d already be in the same breath of recognition. If you’re looking for a band that knows how to pull you from the depths and shake you back to life, this is the one to follow.

Stream the official video for Mirrors on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ginger Winn Drops the Temperature with ‘Freezing’—A Hypersonic Alt-Rock Storm

Feel the temperature drop with the arcane etherealism oscillating through Freezing, the latest single from Ginger Winn, which was officially released on March 7th. The cinematically shot music video exhibits the NY-residing alt-rock visionary as a creative powerhouse, and the track itself unfolds with superlative emotive tension around pop-pinched vocal lines that toy with pop-punk nuances while lending a sense of maturity to her harmonies rarely found within the genre.

As the single progresses, the momentum seamlessly shifts, pulling you into a tumultuous vignette of bittersweet longing, exposing how carelessly we can be left out in the cold by the connections we cherish most. The hypersonic intensity of the catharsis-laden crescendo compels you to dive back in and take the ride once more. As the first release from her upcoming album Freeze FrameFreezing sets the stage for a darker, more expansive alt-rock sound, reinforcing why Winn is fast becoming one of New York’s most promising up-and-coming artists.

It isn’t every day you encounter an artist whose sonic signature is as unique as it is exhilarating; it’s only a matter of time before Ginger Winn is revered as the alt-rock supreme she definitively is.

Stream the official music video for Freezing on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Holly Wilks’ ‘Me (and all the versions I’ve never been)’ Holds a Mirror to the Inescapable

Never one to scratch at the surface of superficiality with her lyricism, Holly Wilks is building a legacy by piecing together the fragments of the human experience, allowing her fans to see the bigger picture. Her latest single, Me (and all the versions I’ve never been), may be ethereal, but its weightlessness doesn’t detract from its impact. The melancholy within the lyrics cascades through the dreamy ambient hues, nodding to contemporary pop trends before drifting beyond the mould.

With razor-sharp confessions that affirm just how much painful introspection was poured into the release, Wilks is guaranteed to ease coming-of-age pains. Any fans of Mitski and Lucy Dacus will instantly feel at home within the bitter-sweet vignette, which explores how our deepest longings aren’t for material possession, idealised romantic dynamics, or status—it’s being the best version of ourselves, with no idea how to get there.

“I’m smaller than I’m meant to be” is a lyric that will haunt me for the rest of time. Amid widescreen indie melodies and smoky, ageless vocals, raw obsessive thoughts oscillate through the release which occupies instrumental spaces other songwriters wouldn’t dare to fill. If you’re tired of songs that skim the surface, Wilks is waiting with a track that cuts deep.

Me is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Heivang’s ‘When I Had You’ Hits Like a Wave of Regret

Like a breath of introspectively fresh air, Maria Heivang’s debut single, When I Had You, locks you into its intimacy from the outset, sharing the singer-songwriter’s smoking pains as she paints a vignette of loneliness and regret. This is far more than a standard exhibition of heartbreak—waves of reverberation ripple from the post-production to mimic the blindsiding nature of loss, amplifying the ache in every line. Even with the vocal treatment pulling her voice in line with the electro-pop instrumentals, the emotive sting in her delivery refuses to be dulled.

Born and raised in the Winter Olympic town of Lillehammer, Heivang has recently relocated to Manchester to take her career to the zenith it deserves. With her debut single, which hit the airwaves on the 27th of February, she created plenty of anticipation for her forthcoming EP, ARGH in love, which will unfold throughout the year. She describes the track as a reflection on not appreciating something good until it’s gone, a sentiment delivered with Nordic charm and alt-pop bite.

Her music carries the juxtaposition of emotional restraint and vulnerability, channelled through icy electronic textures and raw lyricism; if you’re unwilling to compromise between style and substance on your alt-pop playlists, When I Had You is a necessary addition.

Stream the single on YouTube now. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leah Nawy’s ‘ordinary’ Turns Vulnerability into a Cinematic Spectacle

With all the intimacy of an impromptu demo recorded in a moment of creative ignition, ‘ordinary’ by Leah Nawy is anything but. The indie folk-pop progression is cinematically ornate, building crescendos that ooze the golden age of Hollywood while the duality running through the track keeps its emotional weight balanced on a knife edge.

With a vocal range that floats between seraphic and soul-stirring, she lets the narrative unfold syllable by syllable, pulling listeners deeper into an introspective world full of bitter-sweet, close-to-the-bone confessions. Within the abstract poetry of ‘ordinary’, tendrils of insecurity, uncertainty, desire, and regret intertwine, painting a panoramic view of what it means to be human in an era where meaning is something we have to define for ourselves.

A songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with deep roots in rock and classical music, Nawy’s ability to craft arrangements that feel instinctively right is second nature. From her time playing Jersey Shore venues to earning her Master’s at Berklee NYC, her refined ear and raw experience shine through in every note.

‘ordinary’ is the kind of song you hear once, feel your existence affirmed by, and refuse to let go of.

The single is now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eve Berry Sinks into the Shadows of Situationships with her debut single, ‘back to you’

Eve Berry has hit the pop sphere running with her ethereally dreamy 2010s textures and equally seraphic vocal lines, commanding their way through layers of reverb to entrench the illuminated melodies with emotion that aches with the kind of pain only a cyclical romance can conjure.

back to you is as confessional as a diary entry, an exposition of the darker, often repetitive nature of situationships, where worth is measured in how much time you can kill by their side—until someone shinier walks by. Eve spoke the unspoken, unearthing how the push and pull of an imbalanced romance is the ultimate ego death when the other person is always holding all the cards.

The 21-year-old singer-songwriter and producer from the Southside of Glasgow first found her footing in the city’s live music scene, hitting open-mic nights from the age of 11 before drawing influence from songwriters like Stevie Nicks, Lana Del Rey, and Taylor Swift. Her love for era-defining synth-pop from the 2010s seeps through every note of back to you, a track that carries the weight of nostalgia while feeling like a fresh stab to the heart. Teaching herself guitar before expanding to piano and home production, she built this song from the ground up, knowing it had to be her first release.

For fellow situationship survivors who can’t help but find themselves back where they swore they’d never return, back to you is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shahev Sen Dips a Brush in Nostalgia and Paints a Soul-Soaked Indie Dream with ‘You Know Why’

Shahev Sen sings like he’s unburdening his soul, letting every note spill out with the weight of lived experience. His sophomore single, You Know Why, pulls from the golden days of new wave indie and the dreamy haze of ‘60s psych pop, creating a sound that feels like slipping into a world where the colours are richer, and reality softens at the edges.

Hailing from the streets of old Calcutta, Shahev’s journey has been anything but straightforward. His early days as a bassist and vocalist in the city’s club scene shaped his raw, blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities, but after his band dissolved in 2015, the pull of music never fully loosened its grip. In 2023, he returned as a solo artist, bringing with him the weight of time, reflection, and a refusal to bow to trends.

You Know Why is steeped in personal reckoning, wrestling with the struggle of prioritising values over financial stability in a world that doesn’t always make room for sentiment. His vocals cascade through the track with an unfiltered honesty, carrying the ache of repressed anger and betrayal. Instead of leaning on a predictable guitar solo, he swaps it for a sweeping orchestral middle eight, giving the song a grand, cinematic depth, resulting in a soul-stirring indie gem that doesn’t play by the rulebook.

You Know Why is out now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

From Ballads to Bold Anthems: Megan Wheeler on Her Artistic Evolution – An Interview

Megan Wheeler has always been a storyteller, but with Now That I’m Gone, she steps into a new chapter—one shaped by collaboration, growth, and a sharpened sense of artistic direction. The track sees her breaking away from her piano ballad roots, embracing an up-tempo sound that captures the strength in walking away and knowing your worth. In this interview, she discusses the influence of working with producer Channing Nuon, the challenge of sifting through hundreds of unfinished ideas, and the impact of her time in Nashville. From early inspirations to the producers she dreams of working with next, Megan offers insight into her evolving craft and the themes shaping her upcoming projects.

Megan Wheeler, welcome to A&R Factory! Your passion for songwriting has been evident from an early age, and it’s exciting to see how your music continues to evolve. Now That I’m Gone feels like a turning point in your songwriting, showing growth from your early work. What emotions and experiences shaped this track, and how does it reflect where you are now as an artist?

This track came from the inspiration of an artist and song I love. I came to the point in my songwriting where I wanted to try collaborating and also write something up-tempo compared to piano ballads. I wanted to write something that gave a sense of empowerment in knowing your worth and knowing not to go back to old habits. I would say this reflects a part of where I am now as an artist. I have a lot more range in my songwriting to continue to show.

This is your first time collaborating on a song. How did working with Channing Nuon influence the final sound of Now That I’m Gone, and did the experience change the way you approach songwriting?

Working with Channing Nuon was a great experience. He produced this track, and we co-wrote it, which is something I’ve never tried before, so he definitely had a big influence over this track. This experience gave me a new approach to try. It helped me become more comfortable in collaborating, sending ideas back and forth, and writing over a track already produced for the first time. I’m used to producing the tracks myself, so it’s incredibly helpful to have another person work on this project.

You’ve mentioned that storytelling has become a bigger focus in your music. What kind of stories do you find yourself drawn to, and do you feel like your songwriting process has changed as a result?

The kind of stories I find myself drawn to are ones I can relate to and also stories that make me think of things in a different way. I love songs with lyrics that make me think “I’ve never thought of putting it that way before”. Songs that are relatable to my life make me feel heard and my feelings validated so I automatically become drawn to them. I definitely think this has changed my songwriting process as now, I focus on writing lyrics that can make people really feel and relate to what I’m trying to say.

With over 200 unfinished pieces stored on your phone, how do you decide which ideas are worth developing into full songs?

There are certain ideas I feel drawn to more than others. I know I want to work on developing an idea if I find myself listening to it over and over again, feeling that sense of rush in writing something I love and think others will. There are some ideas I hear and think, it’s okay but I could do better. The more I write, the more I find ideas that excite me to develop them.

Your time at Belmont University and in Nashville must have given you a fresh perspective on the industry. Did your experiences there shape your vision for the kind of artist you want to become?

Being in Nashville and in a school surrounded by songwriters, I see the dedication and work ethic people put in and it inspires me. I have met professors that have done things in their careers that make me think my dream is possible to achieve. It instills confidence and inspiration in me to be surrounded by such talent. My vision for the kind of artist I want to become now is someone who takes the inspiration of others and turns it into motivation to reach my fullest potential.

You’ve expressed an interest in working with producers who have helped shape the careers of well-known artists. If you could collaborate with anyone right now, who would it be and why?

My dream producer collaboration would be with either Max Martin, Jack Antonoff, or Dan Nigro. These producers have created songs I’ve grown up listening to and inspired me to be like. They’ve created possibly some of my favorite songs with some of my favorite artists and I’ve always wondered what kind of songs I could create with producers like them.

As someone who started writing at a young age, how has your relationship with music evolved, especially since taking time to focus on your mental health?

When I was young, I used to write for fun as a hobby of mine before even knowing how to develop a full song. Over time, my relationship with music has evolved into something more fulfilling. There were times, especially when struggling with my mental health, when I questioned if this was something I really wanted to pursue. Taking time to focus on myself has taught me that this is something I really am passionate about, and if I didn’t at least try, I would regret it for the rest of my life. Now, I feel confident in the path I’ve chosen for myself.

Your music is deeply personal but also relatable to your peers. What kind of impact do you hope your songs have on listeners going through similar experiences?

I hope listeners feel validated in their feelings and in their thoughts. Hearing songs that are relatable yet personal can create a connection I hope to have with my listeners on a deeper level.

Looking beyond Now That I’m Gone, are there any themes or sounds you’re experimenting with in your upcoming projects? 

In my upcoming projects, I’ve been experimenting with more production ideas and instruments I haven’t used before. Something that can still feel authentically myself while expanding and creating my own sound.-

Discover more about Megan Wheeler via her official website; and listen to her sophomore single, Now That I’m Gone, on Spotify from February 28th.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

horanVi Painted Romance in Sonic Sepia Tones with ‘Before It Lasted’

With a title that instantly wraps itself around poetically introspective thought, horanVi’s second single, Before It Lasted, is as evocative as it is luxuriantly cinematic. Packaged in a neatly consumable 3:30 runtime, it delivers indie pop hooks with a delicate dusting of jazz sophistication, cushioned by neo-soul grooves and a rich palette of harmonic textures. It’s the kind of track that seduces attention from your serotonin-firing synapses.

Some artists perform; others create sonic alchemy. horanVi firmly belongs in the latter camp, rolling out the welcome mat to listeners who crave jazzy revelations of soulful scintillation that leave an inexplicable mark

Every note in Before It Lasted feels instinctively fluid, as the gilded tones become a tonic for the soul. The interplay of jazz chords and a soaring guitar solo ensures the composition doesn’t sit still, while the time signatures shift just enough to make the heart skip in time with the notes left unplayed. But the pièce de résistance? That belongs to Violet’s vocals—honeyed yet untamed, delivering a liberated performance that turns the track into an effortless catharsis.

With their forthcoming 10-track album on the horizon, horanVi continues to resist easy categorisation, pulling from jazz, rock, blues, and neo-soul without bowing to convention. All too often jazz musicians solely serve to flex their technical chops, but when horanVi cut close to the bone, they do it in a way that affirms the mind, body and soul.

After launching on Valentine’s Day, Before It Lasted is out now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast