Browsing Tag

indie folk pop

Dean Abbott – Walk that Line: A Folk Pop Fusion that Will Fuse to Your Soul

Posted on 6 September 2024

Dean Abbott’s latest single, ‘Walk that Line’, dismantles folk-pop boundaries with its empowering sound and healing aura.

Since stepping onto the music scene in 2020, Abbott has consistently delivered tracks that cathartically scratch far beneath the surface. ‘Walk that Line’ continues this tradition, presenting itself as a corridor of sonic salvation crafted to ignite the spirit and soothe the soul. By blending the nostalgic warmth of tape deck recordings with the crisp clarity of contemporary production, the intimacy rings through with crystal-clear resonance.

Echoing influences from the ’90s indie scene reminiscent of Kula Shaker and Dodgy, ‘Walk that Line’ is bolstered by a trappy, pulse-quickening beat that adds a modern twist to its mellow melody. With a plethora of frequency shifts, Abbott sonically visualised the often tumultuous pace of modernity while the lyrics and smoothed with sincerity Jack Johnson-esque vocal harmonies consolingly tempt listeners to relinquish the past and embrace the unknown. If you ever want to know how much love a single is capable of harbouring, hit play.

Walk that Line is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Drew Hersch broke new ground in heartache with the raw indie-folk pop reflections in ‘Onward & Upward’

Posted on 30 August 2024

Drew Hersch’s latest single, Onward & Upward, is a raw, intimate confession that bleeds vulnerability from start to finish. The lyric, “The other night when I had someone over, I taught him to hold me like you did,” is a gut-wrenching highlight, encapsulating the bitter pangs of moving on while still anchored to the past. This tender indie folk pop ballad doesn’t just brush against the surface of heartache—it plunges into the depths, making you feel every pulse of pain that Hersch so poignantly articulates.

In Onward & Upward, Hersch captures the agonising reality of being the one left behind, as his ex-partner soars above it all, while he’s left to grapple with memories that linger like ghosts in every corner. From old date spots to the universal curse of dating someone with a common name, Hersch paints a picture so vividly relatable, that it will be hard to determine where your emotions end and his torment starts.

At just 23, this Boulder, Colorado-based artist is already proving himself as an alt-indie folk pop savant of emotional resonance. The artful ingenuity intertwined with the confessionally cathartic release makes the irreverently witty melancholy hit so much harder. From hushed acoustic verses to ornately tender crescendos, each motif is a conduit of unfeigned emotion in the track which echoes the warmth of Zach Bryan, the haunting depth of Lana Del Ray and the textured production of Eilish.

The official music video for Onward & Upward will premiere on August 30th; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s introspective indie pop icon, Gemma Felicity, struck again in ‘10 Million Dates’

Posted on 13 July 2024

Our adoration for Gemma Felicity remains unflinching after the release of her intimate indie pop single, 10 Million Dates. With her latest right-on-the-euphonic money release, the London-hailing singer-songwriter captured the collective frustration within the modern dating scene, detrimented by the illusion of endless choice.

The sense of disillusion in the lack of real, raw, and pure connection resounds throughout the artistically profound, poetically bitter-sweet lament which acts as the ultimate consolation to anyone who is losing the motivation to keep searching.

By delicately touching on themes of people pleasing, loneliness, fear of the future, emotional baggage, and the ennui which follows pinning hopes on a transient character in our lives before they disappear within the folky dream pop reverie of the polished production, Gemma Felicity delivered one of the most affecting singles of 2024.

As the introspectively candid icon gears towards the release of her 5-track EP, Baggage, there’s no doubt that she’s inching towards the zenith of her career.

10 Million Dates was officially released on July 5th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergas

Meg Scane broke free from the shackles of throwaway culture in her folk pop single, Bottoms Up

Posted on 29 April 2024

Meg Scane’s latest single, Bottoms Up, is a striking testament to her unique ability to intertwine confessional candour with melodic ingenuity, ensuring that the rawness of heartache is as palatable as it is poignant. Wrapped in the artful echoes of chamber pop and infused with the intimacy of folk elements, Scane’s sound bears a thematic intensity reminiscent of Florence and the Machine, yet it thrives on a more personal scale.

This track breaks free from the shackles of today’s throwaway culture, challenging the transient nature of contemporary hits and relationships with its enduring message about the sweetness of lasting love. The fervent declaration that deep, abiding affections still hold a revered place in both music and life couldn’t be more convincing.

Scane’s journey from her debut album, Blind Trial, at just sixteen to her performances from The Midlands to Puglia, Italy, paints her as a dedicated artist fuelled by passion—a passion that also sustains her through the arduous hours spent mucking out horses to fund her studio time. Between her determination and her talent, she has everything it takes to become one of the most seminal indie pop artists of her generation.

Better Sides of You was officially released on March 8th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lynden. – Change: A Melodic Indie Folk Pop Embrace of Vulnerability and Hope

Posted on 17 March 2024

Evoking resonance by versing on our tendency to chase distraction to outrun negative pervasive thoughts and feelings of loneliness, Lynden.’s latest single, Change, melodically thrives on an emotive confluence of indie, pop, and folk and renders your heartstrings raw through the candour.

The deep emotional themes which traverse the trappings of anxiety and depression go beyond touching on the darkness that finds a way of leaving a shadow over all of our lives. Lynden. used the opportunity to advocate for the vulnerability of honesty and to extend hope to people who need to hear that world views are malleable. In short, If this world is just illusion, choose one that fulfils you.

Starting with simple acoustic guitar chords and evolving into an intimately all-encompassing production which echoes the appeal of Violent Femmes and The Maccabees’ more melancholic work, the Burnley-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist orchestrated a soundscape which sonically visualises the tenderness of the lyrical narrative, while injecting enough rhythmic zeal to give Change an all-too efficacious uplifting energy.

After receiving critical acclaim and over 24k streams for his last single, You, Lynden. is leaving his affectingly intimate mark on the indie landscape; we can’t think of a more worthy breakthrough artist in 2024.

Change was officially released on March 15. Stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Succumb to the sonorous resonance in Sophie Lilah’s latest indie dream pop single, Hazy

Posted on 29 December 2023

Sophie Lilah’s latest single, Hazy, took a few leaves from the songwriting books of Big Thief and Angel Olsen but left plenty of room for her own dreamy indie pop innovation by crafting a soundscape that entwines the ethereal with profoundly grounding magnetism as the lyrics traverse stratospheres of emotion and experience.

The song is a breath-taking ode to its title, sweeping listeners up in melodiously airy tides that reveal new depths with each listen. It’s a dreamscape that keeps giving, a testament to Lilah’s ingenuity and ability to create music that resonates on multiple levels.

There’s something so seductive about surrendering to the soul in the melodies that have been polished to indie pop perfection and strike a delicate balance between accessibility and depth in the ambience which alchemically becomes intimately expansive. The themes of longing, boredom, guilt over laziness, and everyday maladies are handled with a deft touch, offering resonance and relatable catharsis in no short measure. Her lyrics transcend language to open windows to her vulnerable yet juxtaposing empowered soul. We can’t rate Sophie Lilah highly enough. Get her on your radar and anticipate her next ahead of the curve move.

Hazy was officially released with the B-side single, Take Back the Power, on December 19. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blake Baker is captivating in his wistfully listless single, Mind the Gap

Posted on 11 December 2023

The up-and-coming genre-fluid singer-songwriter Blake Baker became the ultimate raconteur of relatable melancholy while simultaneously delivering sonic sanctuary with his latest acoustic single, Mind the Gap.

The profound and beautifully crafted introspective piece resonates with the soulful narrative strength of classic folk songwriting; Baker’s skill in blending this traditional foundation with an Americana blues essence results in a song that is both timeless and refreshingly original.

Lyrically, Mind the Gap paints a vivid, cinematic portrait of a protagonist who feels overlooked and invisible amidst the bustling society around him. This theme of alienation and longing for connection speaks directly to anyone who has struggled to find their place in the world. Baker’s ability to capture this sentiment in his eloquently compassionate lyricism is beyond compare as the track anchors around his rich, sonorous voice which can carry the low timbres as well as the highs he maintains resonant depth.

Mind the Gap is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lilypads found room to organically blossom in their affectingly sweet debut single, Ode to You

Posted on 7 November 2023

Lilypads set their bar transcendently high with the die-hard romanticism instilled into their debut single, Ode to You. With commercial and cross-over appeal by the smorgasbord as a result of their cultivated charm and endearingly articulate lyricism that is effortlessly complemented with the equally as affable melodicism, the tenderly refined duo is set to take the reverence for their sound far beyond the London music scene.

If your soul doesn’t stir with the dreamily accordant delivery of “I guess I never really knew just how much I ode to you”, you may want to check you’ve still got a pulse. Love songs may proliferate the airwaves, but Lilypads still found room to organically blossom as one of the premier indie pop acts of 2023.

The relaxed yet complex melodies are as innovative as they are innovative; the side serving of comforting nostalgia is a harmonious bonus element, which makes losing yourself in the gratitude of the single even more affectingly sweet. As Lilypads continue to rise, this track may well be remembered as the genesis of their ascent.

Ode to You hit the airwaves on November 3rd, stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ava Valianti reigned indie folk pop supreme in her debut single, Bubble Wrap

Posted on 20 October 2023

At 14 years old, the Massachusetts-hailing indie folk-pop breakthrough artist Ava Valianti is delivering definitive proof that maturity doesn’t come with age; it comes with emotional intelligence, and her emotional IQ is lyrical leagues above the rest.

Her debut single, Bubble Wrap, distinguished her as one of the most promising new arrivals of 2023. The sharpened poetic volition is a magnetic juxtaposition against her harmonically rich and airy vocal timbre which effervesces against the acoustic guitar notes.

The power in her metaphors is one thing; her ability to entice you into a relatable vignette which comes to life with the vindication delivered to anyone who knows how it feels to be made small by people with petulant and puerile minds puts her on an entirely other level. We’re stoked to hear what she and her producer, Chris Plante, will create for her sophomore release.

Bubble Wrap is due for official release on October 20. Check it out on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jakob the Liar – H E A R T B E A T: The Only Heartbreak Hit You Need to Hear This Year

Posted on 19 March 2023

Considering that we’re living in a post-truth world, we may as well tune into a reality falsifier, especially if they’re as endearingly magnetic as the alt-indie singer-songwriter Jakob the Liar.

His latest single, H E A R T B E A T, is his first contribution to the airwaves since the successful launch of his 2020 EP, Crystallised in Moonshine, and it is a melodic dream. The concept of running away from your own heartbeat won’t be foreign to anyone that has known heartbreak, but few can bring that world-shattering sensation into poetic motion as well as the Danish London-residing artist.

If The National, Bon Iver and Springsteen had a riff-soaked lovechild, the sonic result would be just as sweet as the anthemic intimacy in H E A R T B E A T.

H E A R T B E A T is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast