Here are the tracks I’ve been loving lately!
Village – Merpire
‘Village’ is the emotive new release from indie artist Merpire; a musician known for her honest and observational lyricism, and her down-to-earth guitar playing. Merpire has a candid openness with her music in a way that feels as if you are peeking into her personal experiences and outlook on the world- a feat only accomplished by an artist who can demonstrate accessible vulnerability without simply oversharing. ‘Village’ isn’t afraid of a little grunge, and the slight push-back on the vocal compression really adds to this sense of breaking free from the domineering weight of anxiousness and insecurity. All of the textures in ‘Village’ are beautifully pieced together, and you can imagine this song being played in a garage band room, as much as you can imagine it on a sold-out festival stage, and this is attributed to the execution of the honest and communal feeling that is injected into indie-pop/rock music. ‘Village’ is a track that makes me excited for the live scene in Melbourne to pick up again, and it sets the stage for more to come from ‘Merpire’
Listen to Merpire on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram
Tell me the truth – Donna ‘La Mulatta‘
‘Tell me the truth’ is an energetic dance track that juxtaposes the carefree excitement of a party with the intense confrontation of a dramatic breakup, and Donna La Mulatta acts as the narrator to this unexpected setting. The free fall blend of melodic singing and rap cadences on top of the bouncy sub bass create the foundation of a really solid groove that will get everyone out of their seat. With the retro influences acting as a nostalgic backdrop, Donna La Mulatta is bringing something simple, vibrant and fresh with ‘Tell me the truth’. This song has such a fantastic balance of minimalism in the production that really allows the core of that groove to cut through, and this paired with the attitude in the sultry, confrontational top line makes it impossible to not get up and dance. The repetitive chorus line ‘you’re a liar’ becomes a confident mantra for this track, and is an earworm that you’ll be singing to yourself long after the song has faded out.
listen to Donna ‘La Mulatta’ on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram
Someday – Fox Evades
For anyone interested in feeling less alone in their differences, a perfect place to start is with ‘Someday’; the heartfelt and raw new release from indie artist Fox Evades. Jordan Mae is the heart behind the Fox Evades artist project and has been using her platform to tell important stories that celebrate individuality and authenticity. ‘Someday’ is a track that endeavours to help people feel seen, and the stream-of-consciousness style of song writing has a deep relatability to it. The drive of the electric guitar blended with the soft reverb on the vocals creates a sombre intimacy to ‘Someday’, with the guitar solo towards the end feeling like a surge of personal confidence in the narrative. ‘Someday’ is the perfect honest soundtrack for the individual who is learning to love the skin they’re in, and show the world they are ready to express themselves and their truth.
Listen to Fox Evades on Spotify, and connect with them on Instagram
Indigo Dusk – Eden Dawn
UK musician Eden Dawn has entered the music scene at such an unpredictable and confusing time, but has come out on top with her latest release ‘Indigo Dusk’. Venturing to return to a more authentic expression of self, Eden has expressed that ‘Indigo Dusk’ is a restart in values for her journey in music, after first developing tracks that she found were more commercially motivated. With that in mind, it’s clear that ‘Indigo Dusk’ has an essence of personal truth to it for Eden Dawn, with a more stripped back exploration of ethereal jazz tones. The themes presented in ‘Indigo Dusk’ are of a sincere appreciation and gratefulness for life, cantered around the beauty of the gentle watercolour dusk sky. Eden Dawn is stepping into a new era for her music, and it’s exciting to see the beginning of this left-of-field jazzy journey with the release of ‘Indigo Dusk’
Listen to Eden Dawn on Spotify, or connect with her on Instagram
Blur The Lines – Rae Radick
In a musical landscape that can sometimes find artists falling into patterns of predictability, there’s a clear call for originality and truth, and Rae Radick has certainty understood the assignment with her recent release ‘Blur The Lines’. This track has a strong sense of self, with lyrics that are striking and memorable; lines like “a mutilated frame” giving such vivid visual reference to ideas that are otherwise left abstract and vague. Rae tastefully plays in between a whispery, telephone-like monologue, and a bold retributioner, with ‘Blur The Lines’ capturing the essence of the sci-fi world it comes to feature in. The section towards the end in particular has real punch to it, and great sense of drama and anticipation as the harmonies pluck in between a couple of left-of-field chord options, and the drive of the bass rumbles underneath. ‘Blur The Lines’ is dark detour to what Rae Radick is known for, but it’s proof that good song writing isn’t tied to a specific genre- or a specific universe for that matter
Listen to Rae Radick on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram
Had To – Blush Face
A multimetric song that stays catchy and groovy is always a challenge for any artist; there’s a need to balance sophisticated musicianship without losing a sense of accessibility for a wide audience, and ‘Had To’ by Blush Face is one of the best recent examples of this effort. The track blends strong downbeats, watery distant plucking, and a strong vocal core all together in this washy eclectic soundscape, and it kind of reminds me of the Tim Burton retelling of Alice in Wonderland. After three and a half minutes of irregular time signatures and grungy bass notes, the ending of ‘Had To’ provides a fantastic crescendo to the madness and baptizes you in such a satisfying arrangement of chord voicings that you feel like you might literally fly away. ‘Had To’ is incredibly dynamic, the simplicity of lyrics feels like a perfect compliment to the complexity in the instrumental, and it’s clear just how fun it must have been to craft such a wild and dreamy world.
Listen to Blush Face on Spotify, and connect with them on Instagram
Everyone Else – Kylie Rothfield
L.A based musician Kylie Rothfield has no doubts on her goals to make it big, but the tone of ‘Everyone Else’ reveals the looming nag a lot of musicians experience as they watch their peers ‘grow up’ around them. The reality of pursing your dream can sometimes mean giving up this ‘normal’ path that people around you end up flourishing in; the big moments society tells you to work towards- marriage, buying a house, having children- can feel like less of a priority when you’re so focused on this other goal. Though in your soul you know you’re doing what’s best for you, it can be hard to ignore how much you’re being left out of these conventional idealistic aspirations, and Kylie really represents this feeling well with the melancholic tone of ‘Everyone Else’. This track is a gentle bedroom-pop ballad filled with brutal honesty about feeling out of step with people around you. It’s deeply relatable for twenty-somethings, and it’s a great representation of using minimal production to get a strong message and feeling across.
Listen to Kylie Rothfield on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram
Turn It Over – Lara de Belder
Put on your dancing shoes and your most colourful outfit, because Lara del Belder will have you out of your seat and moving along to her dynamic and exciting new release ‘Turn It Over’. This track blends electronic dance beats, funky bass lines, and intricate vocal arrangements all into one burst of sonic energy, and coupled with Lara’s sultry message of desire and obsession, needless to say this song takes you on a wild ride. ‘Turn It Over’ is the debut release of Lara del Belder, and aimed to showcase her quirky flavours and amalgamated musical styles, as well as be a track that would be a fun moment after such a dreary and locked-down year. With a background in music, acting, and comedic writing, Lara really is erupting into the music scene with an arsenal of creative tools at her disposal
Listen to Lara de Belder on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram
Not That Bad – Piper King
Off the back of her first two releases this year, ‘Not That Bad’ is the dreamy and eclectic new track from Californian genre-defying act Piper King. King is certainty pushing the boundaries of creativity with ‘Not That Bad’, taking characteristics from a number of popular styles to make something genuinely fresh and original. This track has a lot going on but never in a way that makes you want to take a break from it, if anything, it makes you want to dive deeper into this vibrant landscape where live drums, sparkly synths, grungy pianos, and ethereal vocals somehow all coexist and enrich each other. ‘Not That Bad’ explores the array of emotions felt when falling in love; the stress, anxiety, excitement, and joy of it all, before concluding with the motif that ‘love is not that bad’- an important admission in any relationship. Piper King has developed something infectious with this release, and has definitely built up excitement for her next projects
Listen to Piper King on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram
Bira – Fox Evades
‘Someday’ was such a special release from the indie artist Fox Evades, that we had to explore more of the soundscape they have developed, and ‘Bira’ showcases a different musical flavour that illustrates a story about adventure while also diving into the all-important conversation around climate change. ‘Bira’ has a more laid back drive, with the bass taking more of a central position and the guitars creating a washy atmosphere, while Jordan’s vocals sit on top expressing the inner conflict of understanding individual responsibility in light of a global crisis. The irony of going on a holiday to get away from a draining desk-job, only to be weighed down by the devastating impact of our pollution and disregard of the natural wonders of the world, are blended together in the melancholic track, and bringing light to the fact that our advocacy of the earth shouldn’t go on vacation when our bodies do. ‘Bira’ isn’t a doom-and-gloom song, it’s a beautiful soundtrack to our innate call to respect and protect the earth, and an encouragement to look around and understand the environmental consequences to our actions
Listen to Fox Evades on Spotify, and connect with them on Instagram
Record the Resonance 