HYYTS - Blue & White (Official Video)

Glasgow's pop troubadours HYYTS have today returned with their excelling new single Blue & White. Following on from their previous single's Bad Tattoo, SOS and Lonely People, the pair deliver another pop perfected stunner filled with infectious choruses, uplifting melodies and a pulsating synth electronic backdrop. Coinciding with the single the duo have also shared news of their upcoming EP entitled Helluvatime, set for release on June 4. On Blue & White, singer Adam says "We decided to shoot the video with our fave directors Pip + Lib through more of a feminine gaze. Challenging gender norms has always been a big thing for us. We’re two cis men from Glasgow where so-called 'masculinity' is important and heteronormativity rules supreme. We’ve played so many gigs where our genre of music, our flamboyance and femininity, even the fact that we’re not playing guitars, is questioned and mocked as too feminine. In my old job I worked in prisons across Scotland as a music therapist and saw the levels of toxic masculinity perpetuating the stigma around mental health and it's a really massive issue in Scotland. So we wanted to make a really cool video and quash some gender norms along the way. Plus they made my hair look like clouds which was the coolest thing ever." Take a listen for yourselves below.

f: https://www.facebook.com/hyyts/

Varley - Bubble Up

Photo: Jen Krause

Releasing the first cut taken from their upcoming debut album, Berlin trio Varley share their effervescent new single Bubble Up. Packed with infectious melodies and softly played out harmonies set across its subdued 80's synth backdrop, the track is a comforting ode the overthinkers. Speaking in further detail about the track, singer Claire-Ann explained;  “The bones of Bubble Up” was written on the first day of my new job. Totally overwhelmed and embarrassed after being given out to. Public humiliation = my worst nightmare. I’m quite happy to fade into the background (ironic, I know!) I told my new work colleagues that I was going for a break but in reality I sat in the bathroom, upset and started to hum a melody. Sometimes I find it hard to slow down my thoughts or turn off the inner dialogue. I guess „Bubble Up” is that feeling of the pressure rising and not knowing how to keep it together and wishing you weren’t like this." Take a listen for yourselves below.

Varley · Bubble Up

Swnami - Theatr

Welsh language outfit Swnami (pronounced tsunami) recently returned with their double a-side single ‘Uno, Cydio, Tanio’ (Unite, Embrace, Ignite) backed with Theatr. Striving in a slick confidence, the band have readily become known for their colourful array of energising guitar melodies and driving synth pad textures, and their latest effort proves to be no another resounding success as they continue to build on the accolades of their debut record. Ifan Ywain says: “Theatr is about a toxic relationship, where one person wants to get back with the other. It feeds into the wider idea of escapism in terms of wanting to escape a broken, unhealthy situation and wanting something more. The song is very much a conversation between two people”. Take a listen for yourselves below. The band enlisted director Sam Kinsella (Black Honey / Temples) for the video, set against the beautiful backdrop of Portmeirion which starsg Tom Rhys Harries (Star of Netflix Original 'White Lines / upcoming Apple TV Series, ‘Suspicion’).

f: https://www.facebook.com/Swnami/

The Beach - Still In Love

Returning over the weekend, George Morgan aka The Beach has shared his wonderfully euphoric new single ‘Still In Love’ produced by and co-written with Fyfe. Speaking about his new single, he said, "Essentially a confession/play by play of how I acted/felt about my ex-girlfriend after we broke up. I convinced myself that I was over it but was brutally reminded I wasn’t when I bumped into her at a mutual friend's birthday. You never know how you're gonna react when you see an old flame out somewhere and I guess this song is my experience of still feeling something when I didn't think I would; The writing of the song was a pretty rare experience, I was 40mins late to the session with Fyfe as I was trying to gather my emotions before I turned up. On arrival the song just fell out and within 3 hours we had recorded the whole thing, which is how it is today. It was a great example of songwriting as therapy, I turned up to the session feeling terrible. And left feeling amazing listening to the song we’d just written on my headphones." Take a listen for yourselves below. 

Photo: Tom Byfield
f: https://www.facebook.com/thebeachmusic

Famous - Stars (Official Audio)

London trio Famous have recently announced their second EP The Valley, set for release on May 28th, coinciding with the band sharing their latest single Stars. On the EP Famous, say, “‘The Valley’ was recorded in London between 2019-2021.  It’s a much more intimate than the music we’ve released before. It’s a sort of redemption narrative — almost, at least. Loss, recovery, regression, progress, self-forgiveness all sitting together in this kind of complicated mess.  I think they are optimistic songs.  There’s a lot in there about the power of friendship and family, the joy of working at what you love, and a lot of hope for the future.” Take a listen for yourselves below. 

Famous · Stars

f: https://www.facebook.com/famous0000000000/

Hotel Decor - All The Rage

Canadian-based artist Csaba Laszlo returns under his new moniker Hotel Decor to unveil his latest single All The Rage. Taken from his forthcoming four-track EP "Could It Take Me Any Longer", the track's hazy nuances and sultry melodies create a dazzling display of subdued pop excellence. “I had the instrumental for this track just sitting on my hard drive for almost a year and originally the track wasn’t even supposed to have my vocals on it. I had previously written a version with vocals which I demoed for some people at this west Canadian music event in the Yukon back in 2019, but I ended up scrapping that version because I felt like my writing and confidence with vocals was more developed since the previous time I visited the track. Stylistically I wanted to make something definitely pretty wonky and catchy. The theme of the song kind of came about subconsciously. I ended up freestyling a lot of the vocals and just going with the flow of whatever was coming out while I was tracking. I think I must have been feeling pretty boxed in and kind of bored with my circumstances as that’s what the song ended up being about.” Take a listen for yourselves below. ‘All The Rage’ is available everywhere now via Mammal Sounds Record.

Hotel Decor · All The Rage

f: https://www.facebook.com/hoteldecorator

Only Sun - Thinking Of You

Making their very welcomed return, High Wycombe quartet Only Sun have today unveiled their glorious new single Thinking of You. Filled with its high-energy melodies and a euphoric 80's nostalgia the track adds another dazzling string to their bow. The new single is taken from the band's forthcoming debut album Tangled Mind, which is set for release May 2021. Take a listen for yourselves below. 

Photo: Jordan Daniel Logan

f: https://www.facebook.com/onlysunofficial/

Friedberg - Yeah

Sometimes the best new music is the type that's discovered naturally. Crossing paths with Friedberg's latest single Yeah following a browsing session on Soundcloud has ultimately reaped endless rewards as I'm thrown head first in to her lustrous power pop sound. Taken from the London-based artists recently released debut EP, the track is an infectious pop number that begs to be played again and again as you're taken through a whole mixture of soulful instrumentation. Take a listen for yourselves below. 

Friedberg · Yeah

f: https://www.facebook.com/FriedbergMusic/