We have all our picks of the end of week new releases here for you..
1. Cassia release cover of Arlo Parks ‘Hurt’
Cassia have shared a new song & video today from their ongoing Steam Room sessions. Following the earlier release of ‘Do Right (Live From The Steam Room)’, this time they’ve taken on a cover of Arlo Parks’ hit ‘Hurt’. Cassia have put their signature uplifting spin on the tune and paired it with an intimate & serene performance.
When asked why they chose this particular song; “This song really felt fitting to us, as after having toured and driven endless miles last year, we were starting to lose perspective coming into December 2019. We didn’t quite know where we stood and what we were worth without playing live. The song ‘Hurt’ for us describes how constant change can cloud a persons judgement and how easily you can slip back into feeling lost. This year really allowed us the time and space to define who we are as people and as musicians.”
Cassia have toured relentlessly across the UK, US& Europe having spent much of the last three years on the road. You’d routinely find them crammed in the van, touring from city-to-city and often spending 17 hours crossing the continent en route to the next gig. The reward was that they earned a following that ignited their streaming stats and wider media profile.
2. Everyone You Know release new single ‘Charlie’
The single features a lyric sample from The Street’s ‘Weak Become Heroes’ which has Mike Skinner’s stamp of approval. The pair have had a rapid rise to success in a short space of time, amassing over 52 million worldwide streams, an explosive 15-date sold out UK tour, as well as a UK mainstage festival debut at Reading & Leeds and a stint as UK brand ambassadors for Reebbok.
Fusing hip hop, garage, dance and punk, the London based duo cite J Dilla, Dr Dre, The Streets, Wu Tang Clan and Kano amongst their music inspirations. Honing their signature sound, the pair have built a cult following with tracks such as ‘Our Generation’, ‘She Don’t Dance’, and ‘The Drive’. The pair have garnered key tastemaker support along the way from the likes of Annie Mac (headlined AMP at Old Blue Last), Jack Saunders (Radio 1 Maida Vale Session), Steve Lamacq (6Music Session), BBC Introducing, NME, Sunday Times Culture, Complex and The Line of Best Fit positioning themselves as one of the most exciting and innovative new talents to come out of the UK.
The track marks an exciting new chapter for the guys, with more music set to be releases soon and new tour dates to be announced.
3. Glaswegian band The Dunts release new single ‘Individuation’
Stepping off stage after their sold-out headline show at Glasgow’s SWG3 in March and straight into a nationwide lockdown, The Dunts model persevering, introspective optimism on the reassuring riff-driven new single ‘Individuation’, released on 11th December via 7 West Music.
Immortalised in animation by Tongue Twister Films, the accompanying music video plays out as a fresh, forgiving and uplifting stream of consciousness. A gentle reminder, inspired by the psychology of Jung, to everyone left exhausted by the arduous start to the new decade that they can overcome the Road of Trials in their own Hero’s Journey.
“Individuation is a counter to what we’re all feeling right now. It comes from trying to help yourself and kinda turned out as a kinda-self help thing for me, I had to will myself to feel better. It was written before COVID, I was reading through all these psychological books, trying to put these things into practice. You don’t even really need to know what ‘Individuation’ is specifically but this might relate to someone who feels like their plans, their dreams have been derailed this year. We wanted to try and make something that had this positive energy to it.”
“When the opportunity to test out the new studio came, that’s when we thought about releasing something before the end of the year.” Rab Smith explains: “It would be easy to completely let everything that’s happened this year bury you. Individuation is a message to say ‘Don’t let this ruin you. Focus on what you can control, if you cannae, don’t sweat it and keep going.”
4. Manny Blu releases new video for ‘Old Money’
Manny Blu has surprised fans with the release of a new music video for his hopeful romantic track, “Old Money,” taken from his sophomore EP New Ink, released last month (Nov 13th). With the success of the EP’s first single, “Born to Ride,” which attracted over 350K views and 1M streams worldwide, Blu is back with a new music video that reveals the depth of true, long-lasting love as it follows a young couple through the restoration of their new home, showing that money truly cannot buy love as they are tested by old flames that haunt them.
Filmed just outside of Nashville in Smyrna, Tennessee, and directed by a longtime video collaborator of Blu’s, Sean Davé and Gear 7, the “Old Money”
Blu’s sophomore EP New Ink consists of five story-telling tracks of real-life through love and heartbreak, each finding a home in the “Outlaw Country” genre and are heavy with rock-based instrumentals. With an amplified mix of country twang and a heavy rock & roll attitude, the new project brings Blu’s rebellious vibe to the forefront, creating an original sound that highlights his blues and rock upbringing. Recorded at OmniSound Studios in Nashville and produced by Aaron Eshuis, New Ink is immersed with esteemed songwriters like Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne, and Rhett Akins and speaks directly to what Blu himself calls the “true heart” of the band’s live shows: “There’s more rock, more soul, and more volume this time around. It’s bigger and louder, but it’s still me. And more importantly, it’s still fun.” Listen to the new EP HERE.
5. Cleopatrick release new single and video ‘Good Grief’
Canadian duo cleopatrick have returned with their new single and video ‘GOOD GRIEF’ today., The song is the first single from their highly anticipated debut album due via Thirty Tigers in 2021. Stream here.
‘GOOD GRIEF’ injects a heavy dose of swaggering hip-hop arrangements that the band love into their signature fuzz laden garage rock that’s causing shockwaves across the rock world. At just 23 years old, the duo have proven they are a true force to be reckoned with on both sides of the Atlantic; they’ve been tipped as one of Amazon Music’s Ones To Watch 2021, clocked 77+ million streams across just eleven tracks, alongside multiple sell-out tours across Europe which included a headline underplay at London’s Electrowerkz and several shows (including London Alexandra Palace) supporting Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes earlier this year.
‘GOOD GRIEF’ is accompanied by a home-made video conceptualised, directed and edited entirely by the band themselves with a rented camera and a friend’s backyard. It’s a love-letter to their fans about a future filled with mosh pits and chaos, requesting they hold on a little longer.
“This song marks the beginning of a new era for our band.” states the band’s frontman Luke Gruntz. “‘GOOD GRIEF’ is the first single off what will be our debut album. It’s here to strike fear in the hearts of our enemies, while simultaneously throwing an arm around our friends, introducing them to the new sound we have spent the last year-and-whatever totally obsessing over.
6. Marina shares new track ‘7 Billion’
Following the release of her critically acclaimed new album ‘Twisted’, French pop artist and winner of France’s Got Talent Marina Kaye has today unveiled the music video for her haunting and honest new single ‘7 Billion’ via [PIAS] Recordings.
Co-written and produced in Metropolis Studios (London) with David Stewart and Jessica Agombar, the pair behind BTS’ mega hit ‘Dynamite’, ‘7 Billion’ sees Marina recount the end of a toxic and painful relationship via a hauntingly honest pop ballad. The video embodies the torment to leave a poisonous relationship or fight to save it whatever it takes. Trapped in silk, Marina is battling to rejoin her lover, after what she thought would be a last goodbye to this ‘twisted lullaby’. Described by the Daily Star as a ‘massive track’, ‘7 Billion’ already counts over 1 million streams across streaming services.
Speaking about the track, Marina says: ‘7 Billion is a representation of how lonely you can feel in a relationship, you know you’re with the wrong person because you’re both suffering, but you also know you won’t move on because you’re too scared to rebuild something new with someone new’.
Regarding the video, Marina adds: ‘The music video was shot in Paris a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be prouder of the result. It is full of hidden messages about toxic relationships in general and the aesthetic is exactly what I had in mind for ‘7 Billion’. I can’t wait for people to see it!’’
7. Seeb Release New Single ‘feel It Again’ Ft Dan Caplen & Svidden
Norwegian powerhouse production duo, Seeb, are back with a brand new track ‘Feel it Again’ featuring Ivor Novello Award-winning artist Dan Caplen, and GRAMMY-nominated songwriter, Svidden. This will be the final offering of their debut album ‘Sad In Scandinavia’, out January 2021.
Driven by feel-good house piano chords and Seeb’s trademark vocoder/synth melodies, the melancholic theme of ’Feel It Again’ is quite the contrast. Retrospectively, the anthem ponders with rose-tinted glasses, the days of youth and the opportunity they presented.
Speaking about the new track, Seeb explains: “Feel It Again is an uplifting yet dark record that follows on from our more uptempo driven releases like ‘Unfamiliar’ and ‘Sad in Scandinavia’.
The song is about looking back on your life to when you were younger and longing for the days when the world seemed endless, full of possibilities and how you wished you could relive those moments again. The way the song came together ended up being an ironic nod to the song itself. The thought of being six people in a studio seems so far fetched in today’s climate and is now something we can’t wait to do again”.
Featured on the single are artist Dan Caplan and Svideden. Hailing from London, R&B singer-songwriter, Dan Caplan, won the Ivor Novello Award for ‘PRS for Music Most Performed Work’ in 2019, for his work as featured artist on Rudimental’s hit single, ‘These Days’ (also featuring Jess Glynne and Macklemore). Svidden, a Swedish songwriter and producer, was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Dance recording category in 2015.
9. Cassadee Pope Duets With Sam Palladio On ‘California Dreaming’
Following its premiere on US music channel CMT yesterday, GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope has released the latest in a series of performance videos from her 2020 acoustic album Rise And Shine; a stripped-back version of fan favourite ‘California Dreaming‘, which finds her harmonising with Sam Palladio in front of a fittingly nostalgic summer scene, projected on a large screen behind them. Directed by Lee Goff, and complete with palm trees and shots of the ocean, the video provides the perfect backdrop for the song, which the Platinum-certified artist co-wrote with Shane Stevens (Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor, Carrie Underwood) and Alex Kline (Mitchell Tenpenny, Maggie Rose, Erin Enderlin), with lyrics lamenting a failed romance:
“This Nashville night is where I should be /
But my soul keeps searching for my California dream.”
10. Passenger release their new track ‘Remember To Forget’
With his latest single “Remember to Forget,” Passenger (Mike Rosenberg) tells the story of another character in the world of Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted — the guy who refuses to call it a night. Rosenberg says, “This song is for all of those people that never want to go to bed after a night out and just want to stay out drinking for as long as they can. I’ve definitely been that guy before, and I know a few others that have. The idea of having to be on your own in a dark room with ringing in your ears is not a pleasant one.” Listen HERE.
Out January 8th, Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted is an album populated by drunk and broken hearted characters. Most of the songs were written following Rosenberg’s own breakup. He reflects, “You’re incredibly vulnerable for a few months. You’re so used to the safety of being with somebody and suddenly you’re out in the world on your own. And you get pissed and probably make some bad decisions. It’s universal. Most everyone goes through it at some www.”
11. Alexander 23 and Jeremy Zucker release ‘Nothing’s The Same’
Alexander 23 and Jeremy Zucker unveil their vulnerable track, “Nothing’s the Same” today on Interscope Records. On the collaboration the duo reveals the despair behind facing the inevitable, growing up and even sometimes, apart. Together they sing in harmony to create a choir of raw emotion, crooning, “nothings the same as it was before…” Whether it be a friendship or relationship the two remind us of the stages you may through along the journey of moving on. Listen to “Nothing’s the Same” HERE.
“Making ‘Nothing’s the Same’ with Jeremy was super therapeutic, we had both been feeling the same cloud of uncertainty and dread above our heads and just did our best to translate that into the song” Alexander shares. While Jeremy describes their song as “an unofficial quarantine anthem.” He goes on to explain “There was no better way to break up the mundanity of life these days than sitting down with Alexander and writing a song about just that.”
12. Matt Taylor releases ‘Rush’
Following the release of his powerful and heartfelt EP ‘The Breath Within Your Chest’, rising Brighton-based pop artist Matt Taylor has unveiled the music video for his new single ‘Rush’.
Written, produced and mastered during lockdown, new track ‘Rush’ saw the young singer-songwriter swap the studio for a Peugeot 208 to sample the percussion of this strikingly well-crafted tune. As a result, ‘Rush’ is the perfect example of Matt Taylor’s creativity and musical versatility. A cinematic track, laden with honest and infectious lyrics exploring the feeling of cutting a former lover loose from your life. In the video, Matt is dancing alone on the chalk cliffs of Seven Sisters while his world is turning upside down: an embodiment of Matt’s audacious and vibrant brand of indie pop.
Matt says, “The whole EP was about one person, so I wanted this to be the last song about them. With all production work done during lockdown, it made the song feel far more personal to me. Once the song was finished, it felt like a massive weight off my shoulders – like I could finally move on.’
Regarding the video, Matt adds; “Most importantly, I wanted the video for ‘Rush’ to convey movement. Spending time in the open helped me with writing my last EP, and I consider ‘Rush’ to be the end to that, so I worked with the director to combine both of these elements. We then spent a day choreographing the movement so it was as natural and flowing as possible to match the song’s pace. The only major prop we used in the video was a Peugeot 208, which we rented to get a realistic sample, and it ended up being the most costly part of the video!”
13. Voodoo Six release ‘Never Beyond Repair’
Voodoo Six release the second single ‘Never Beyond Repair’. Critical consensus is that they’ve raised themselves to another level with this release. The band have signed a deal with Explorer 1 – a new Hollywood based full-service music company the band are ready to make their music resonate across the pond as well as in the UK, Europe and beyond.
Voodoo Six are renowned for being a formidable live force, notably as special guests of Iron Maiden, UFO, Extreme as well as headlining shows throughout the UK and Europe. A popular staple on the festival circuit, the band has performed Download four times and Sonisphere twice.
Voodoo Six specialise in a delivering driving, contemporary rock with an undercurrent of blues and cut through with killer riffs.
14. James Burt releases new track ‘Something Inside Me’
James Burt has been writing songs all his life. This winter marks a steady ascent from passionate fan to musician and songwriter to music college student to reaching the precipice of a huge career in pop.
James was selected from dozens of extremely talented peers to be fully supported by all the means available at Nottingham’s Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, who drafted in producer Al Groves (Bring Me The Horizon, Cast) and an array of other experienced music industry expertise to aid the release of his brilliant debut single ‘Dance In The Rain’.
James explains, “The raw emotion and honesty in ‘Dance In The Rain’ was inspired by ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by Joy Division. I love how brave and confessional Ian Curtis was as a songwriter. More than ever right now, I think people need to hear music that’s real and speaks to the heart. ‘Dance In The Rain’ speaks about the ability we have to embrace the negativity that rains down in life sometimes and how we can choose to dance through the bad times rather than shelter from them. For me, ‘Dance In The Rain’ is all about that one person who helps you stay positive when times are hard. Everyone has that one person or thing that helps you get through the bad times and this song is a celebration of that person or thing. I really want this song to heal anyone struggling to stay positive during a time like coronavirus.”
15. Delilah Bon releases her latest track ‘School’
DELILAH BON has released the video for her new single, SCHOOL. Taken from the debut album due to be released in Spring 2021, the single is the sixth release in just five months from Delilah, the alter-ego of LAUREN TATE from HANDS OFF GRETEL. The video was premiered on release day on Delilah’s YouTube channel, and was followed by an Instagram live with fans to celebrate the release.
‘All those years sitting on my own at school / And they want to sit with me, now I’m cool’.
“I wrote this song about my lonely days at school. Eating dinner alone, hiding in the school toilets, dealing with bullies, and battling with teachers who constantly discouraged my dreams of becoming a famous singer someday. This song is about realising my dreams, and all those who bullied and ridiculed me wanting to come back into my life.”
