Emerging as a solo artist after her time as the frontwoman of surf-pop band High Wasted, Jessica Louise Dye returns with a new side to her musical persona under the moniker Hello Lightfoot. Taking cues from her experience DJ’ing at clubs and throwing chaotic themed parties, her solo work takes listeners into a more intimate look at herself while keeping a gritty and high octane indie-pop sound. Hello Lightfoot’s sophomore single “shame” is no different, serving as an anthem for personal release.
Backed by a punchy synth-pop instrumental, the track rebels against trauma with an emphatic drive to take back control of one’s own emotions. The beat and vocal melodies in this song does a great job of sonically painting a turbulent journey out of a storm- psychologically speaking, as if Hello Lightfoot and the listener fights through their demons with a sense of optimism and relentlessness. Whereas other songs on similar subjects captures a feeling of suffering, “Shame” feels like a middle finger to your inner self’s spiritual attacker, daring it to try hitting again. On the single’s message, Jessica explains:
The concept of feeling shame is one I can relate to and is distinctly tied to feeling embarrassed or even just shy in social situations. It’s something I’ve worked on a lot. I consider myself an extrovert with introvert tendencies. The line “muzzle be damned” is a reference to silencing your own opinions around others as a means to be more amicable. It’s very easy to lose yourself if you’re catering to the likes and dislikes of others. Being a nice guy can be a curse sometimes.
“Shame” is out on all platforms and stay tuned for Hello Lightfoot’s upcoming project.
Toronto-based R&B artist Dylan Sinclair returns with new music to provide much needed warmth to listeners with sentimentality towards past and current lovers over the incoming winter season. Fresh off the release of his JUNO award-nominated debut album Proverb and subsequent release 3511, the 20-year singer-songwriter has seen his career soar with features on tracks such as “Hindsight” by Motown Records artist Emanuel, appearances on CTV News’ Etalk with Tyron Edwards, and music placements on TV shows like The CW’s The Republic of Sarah. Sinclair continues his artistic growth by capturing experiences of his newfound independence as a young artist facing a rise in his profile. In collaboration with producers Jordan Manswell, Zachary Simmonds, Bryan Allen, and Jason Amos, Dylan drops a silky smooth single with “Regrets”.
With a minimalist and piano-driven mid-tempo groove, the ballad recalls the earnest introspection of peers such as Brent Faiyaz, Giveon, and Snoh Aalegra. Sinclair delivers a painful retrospective on a soured relationship, with lyrics such as “No, I don’t think that I should be/Way back where we started three years/If you get how I feel right now/Don’t feel forced to come back around”. His stacked harmonies and pitched vocal effects adds to the track’s brooding atmosphere, the soundtrack of a moment of pained reflection in isolation from others. The single’s solumn yet soulful vibe embraces heartbreak as much needed healing for R&B fans in turbulent relationships.
Check out “Regrets” on all streaming and music platforms!
Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Matt Connelly and bassist Will O Connor, Wilmah aims to make listeners think while simultaneously creating grooves to make them move. Blending blunt introspection in their approach to songwriting with some humor and multi-genre fusion, the band’s alt-pop sound attempts to make sense of life’s intricacies while retaining some uplifting vibes. Using the opportunity from the pandemic in creating new music, Wilmah returns with a growth in their sound that fully represents themselves as individuals. In succession to the romance and nostalgia based “Television ” and politically charged “Welcome to America”, their new single “Wait Until Tomorrow” aims to reach the psyche and spirits of their audience.
The track immediately hits with a burst of upbeat mix of acoustic and electric guitar licks with the rhythmic punch of 80s new wave-esque drums. The production of this song can automatically get one to think it is a breezy feel-good anthem, while the lyrics seem to tell a different story. As heard in the passionate hook “If you’re gonna break my heart, can it just wait until tomorrow”, Wilmah makes a plea to push off negativity for the time being to revel in temporary happiness. The juxtaposition of the single’s sonic bubbliness with its therapeutic subject matter makes for an interesting anthem that can comfort listeners while not sugarcoating their true feelings.
“Wait Until Tomorrow” drops on November 19th and check out Wilmah’s preceding singles.
Under the moniker Tummyache, producer/artist Soren Bryce blends the spirit of 1980s indie rock with 1990s alternative to forge a DIY rock sound. Fresh off a relocation from the USA to London, Bryce follows up a series of indie projects with her upcoming album Soak. In succession to the project’s first single “D.I.Y”, she dropped the video for the album’s self-titled track on October 22nd.
As a companion to the track’s turbulent nature with its juxtaposition between drowsy vocals and adrenaline-fueled guitars, the music video shows a sense of the artist’s aimlessness morphing into restlessness. The visuals of Bryce wandering against the backdrop of a dreary neighborhood alternates with frantic dancing and strobe lights within the confines of her home, which would reflect the disruption of moving to a new place during the uncertainty of the pandemic. Bryce explains:
“Soak was inspired by newfound neurotic and tedious habits that formed during the isolation of the pandemic, while adjusting to being in a new country. A new kind of forced domesticity caused me to avoid reality and I wasn’t able to fall back on my usual escapism methods. I learned a lot about myself”.
“Soak” is out now on all platforms and check out the music video below! Be on the lookout for Bryce’s eponymous album as Tummyache, releasing imminently.
Love is weird. Sometimes it’s hard to keep a relationship going and continue finding things to love about them. But on the other hand, there are some instances where it’s just easy to fall right into someone’s eyes and instantly start adoring every detail about them, regardless of what others think. Memphis-based multi-instrumentalist Dylan Dunn illustrates his thoughts on the latter with his latest single, “Such A Freak.”
The first minutes off the lead single from Dunn’s upcoming independent debut Blue Like YouEP feels like a charming ballad about a loved one featuring simplistic, acoustic stylings similar to that of Cavetown. However, once that first chorus hits, these sweet symphonies evolve into a stark contrast of everything thus far, that being something much more striking and reminiscent of the dark, angsty pop of Conan Gray.
Overall, the track is a genre-bending bop that makes me look forward to listening to more material from the singer-songwriter later this year. Until then, I bet I’ll be hearing this on alternative radio stations in the weeks and months to come.
Husband and wife Kyle and Marci Pruzina want to channel their shared experiences into the energy of their debut album as Suitcase Souls. With their relationship as the foundation, the duo takes inspiration from singer-songwriters and duos such as The Lumineers and Johnnyswim to create an Americana-pop sound for the upcoming project. Running the gamut from uptempo rock sounds to smoother ballads, Suitcase Soul aims to capture the euphoria of being with a close partner. Their new single “Nashville October” is no exception.
The track illuminates with flourishes of electric guitar as the duo celebrates their occasion to release stress and relish every moment spent with each other. Embodying the single’s liberating attitude in the hook is the lyric “I’ll start a fire, if you come on over/ If loving life’s my drug, Then I’ll never be sober”. “Nashville October” is an anthem for those riding the highs of life and others looking for a boost in theirs.
“Nashville October” is the smoke smell in your jacket from last night’s backyard hang, the photos in your camera roll of a selfie that *barely* fit everyone, the feeling of letting go of a past season to grab hold of right now and living in the moment”.
Vonnie Kyle just released her newest music video for her newest single, “Imperfect Parts,” and it has such a cinematic edge to it! The feel of the video was almost theatrical, but in the best way. The video itself mixed with the vibe of the song, created this cinematic type of music video, and I really enjoyed that.
The video managed to tell a story really well. From the beginning when she is first looking into the briefcase to the different objects making an appearance throughout different parts of the video, it all flowed really nicely together. “Imperfect Parts” is also very aesthetically pleasing. I really liked the lighting that was used as Kyle was playing the instruments, as well as the scenes that took place in nature. I particularly liked the part where she is walking through the greenery, it looks so beautiful. It was really amazing that she was shown playing the instruments that are featured on this track in the video! It adds something to the music video and even shows a different part of her musical talents.
Of the song, Kyle admits:
I wrote Imperfect Parts when I fell in love with my best friend. The timing was awful, to be honest; my marriage had just failed, Covid had just started hitting the US, and I was still trying to figure out where the hell I was even going to live. I was still punishing myself daily for having married the wrong person and then letting them down. I hadn’t processed any of this, yet there I was on the phone with this other person, every single night for hours on end, somehow feeling for once like I actually did deserve some sort of joy. I hadn’t felt real joy in years. I had been a shell of a human constantly making compromises to avoid facing a harsh reality, which was that I had been living a life I didn’t belong in.
This song wasn’t going to be on the record, originally. I had already written the whole thing and had no plans to add to it. One night though, I was sitting on the floor of my practice space after a long phone call with the person who is now my partner, and this whole song just sort of fell out of my brain. It didn’t take long to realize this was going to be the title track. It perfectly summed up all of the challenges that the whole record represents, and that’s self-forgiveness, acceptance and moving onward.
So, if you can’t get enough of Portland native, Vonnie Kyle, make sure to check her out and keep up with her upcoming releases.
Directed, filmed, and edited by Joshua Rivera (Rollstars Productions) Produced by Joshua Rivera (Rollstars Productions) and Vonnie Kyle
New Jersey-based singer/songwriter Christina Nicole is not afraid to bare her soul to an audience if her music will linger as an emotional spark to others. Sculpting her vocal skills in school talent shows and academic programs from middle school to college, Nicole turned to songwriting as a special gift for her artistry.
Her sophomore single “Drifting” captures a range of different emotions washing over herself as if she’s going through a therapeutic experience shocking her system. The sparse instrumentation, with shades of Lorde’s minimalist ambient sonics, is eventually rocked by choppy spurts of synths and drums jabbing towards the back half of the track. This production choice induces a sense of disturbance of one’s moment of peace. Nicole’s pained contemplation, especially “Your oceans they took me, Your oceans they broke me/Your oceans they hurt me, Your oceans they’re too deep”, brings the song to life as an inner sensation of drowning when a special connection of love shifts from a fun ride to a turbulent one. Nicole explains:
This song is about an ocean ruining a person as they sink into it. I chose to use an ocean to represent this story using an ocean for specific reasons. Oceans appear absolutely stunning and entrancing when looking at them from a distance. But as you go in, deeper and deeper, you can no longer keep your head above the ruthless water. Something that appeared so beautiful could easily take everything from a person. This theme can apply to so many scenarios in a person’s life.”
“Drifting” by Christina Nicole is out on all streaming platforms.
Do you thrive with routine, or with a life that throws new situations at you left and right? How do you think you would fare on the road, having every day be a new adventure? On one hand, it could be an incredible and mind-blowing existence. On the other, having stability can really be a must for mental health.
Musicians don’t often have the luxury of choosing, since touring is such an integral part of the business. While artists cope with the pitfalls of van life, touring can be an eye-opening experience. Madeline Hawthorne’s new track “Strange Familiar” examines the concept in a way that is almost thrilling. Her angelic vocals float across stirring guitar chords, humanizing a life that is strange, yet also familiar.
“Strange Familiar” for me is about struggling to find normalcy in a world where everyday is new and different. It’s about trying to find a place where I can thrive everyday without routine; routine like waking up at the same time, waking up in the same place, going to bed at a normal hour…those aren’t routines afforded to most touring musicians, especially when you’re just getting started. And yet we all have to find a way to be in it and enjoy it; even in the dark crevices of 4ams, 10 hour days on the road, empty shows and long stretches of time away from home.
I remember closing my eyes when I wrote the first line of this song and put myself back in the tour van with the band. The van (affectionately known as Loretta) was my normal life. Getting to Loretta after a show and being with the band felt like being with family. So I just tried to paint a picture of what I’d see everyday, getting into the driver’s seat and taking off for the next town. The rest of the song fell into place pretty easily after the first few lines. I know many of us are struggling to find normalcy everyday, regardless of whether or not we go to bed at the same time or wake up in the same place. This is a song that encompases that feeling for me and I love the groove we came up with in the studio. Hope you enjoy!
The release is technically out tomorrow, but we’ve got your exclusive first listen.
