It’s another Sunday, which can only mean that we have another fantastic batch of new tunes from independent artists to share with you.
This week saw a tonne of musical depth in all of the tracks that we have included on our playlist this week. Below are 9 tunes that we collectively felt were some of our favourites. So with that all out of the way, let’s dive straight into it.
Track of the Week
Drew Thomas » Vultures
‘Vultures’ stands as the perfect track to really get listeners in the mood for festival season, with its highly triumphant and epic feel.
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After the release of his debut EP Early Hours last year, this week sees Nottingham-raised singer/songwriter Drew Thomas release his first single of 2021. Titled ‘Vultures’, we were instantly astounded by how sunny, dynamic, and festival-ready the epic rock sound found on ‘Vultures’ sounded. During a time where many people may be eagerly awaiting a long-overdue festival season, ‘Vultures’ stands as the perfect track to get those people in the mood. Serving as a musical counter against all the naysayers, critics and toxic friendships, listeners are bound to be wowed by the triumphant atmosphere that powers this awesome anthem. ‘Vultures’ is an essential feel-good tune that will have listeners hooked.
Finn Forster & Frikhan » Lonely Nights
Finn Forster takes an excitingly unique approach with ‘Lonely Nights’, which carries a luminously dreamy and soulful pop feel.
INDIE TOP 39
Following his 2020 single ‘Time’, which we at Indie Top 39 also loved, Finn Forster arrives with his first release of 2021, ‘Lonely Nights’. When compared to the majority of Forster’s previous tunes, ‘Lonely Nights’ takes an interesting and excitingly new approach, one that expanded our recognition towards this artist’s sheer amount of versatility. The production behind lonely nights veers further towards dreamy pop territory than any of his songs before. To compliment this new and luminous sound, Finn Forster champions a soulful and accessible vocal style that intertwines perfectly with the instrumental. We are excited to see whether this is a style that Finn Forster will continue to pursue, as we absolutely love it.
IRJA » Devil You Know
With its hybrid instrumentation, and more mellow, slow-burning atmosphere, ‘Devil You Know’ is bound to have listeners completely immersed in its soundscape.
INDIE TOP 39
‘Devil You Know’ is the sophomore single release from London-based electronic duo IRJA, who established the foundations of their discography with their debut single ‘It’s All Yours’, earlier this year. The duo had already had no trouble establishing their love for creating ambient soundscapes with their debut track, but with ‘Devil You Know’ IRJA ventured even deeper into that territory. This new track feels marginally more mellow in atmosphere, and downbeat in pacing, than its preceding single. And thanks to this, as well as its hybrid instrumental of piano, synths, and electronic drums, we feel that this gives ‘Devil You Know’ more time to have listeners completely immersed.
Julz West » you!
‘You!’ feels like the kind of track that was truly made for the warmer days of Summer ahead, with its accessible and tropical vibe.
INDIE TOP 39
As somebody who has always seemed to have channeled that warm summer energy into his music, it should come as no surprise to fans that Julz West has brought us another truly summer-made tune as his first offering of 2021. With prospects of summer arguably being more anticipated than ever before, ‘you!’ feels like the kind of track that arrived just in the nick of time, for those that really want to get into the spirit of summer, thanks to its almost tropical vibe. Along with this, ‘you!’ feels so accessible, to the point where we feel that it could easily make a home in any mainstream chart, but the fact that this is all coming from an independent artist, truly feels like the musical cherry on top.
Mia Mormino » Rapunzel
Tackling the idea of envy through ‘Rapunzel’, Mia Mormino continues to build both the narrative strength, and overall hype, towards her upcoming EP.
INDIE TOP 39
As her second single release of 2021, upcoming pop sensation Mia Mormino brings us the newest of her more intricate and elegant ballads. And following the sheer amount of amazingly upbeat tunes she has released in the more recent chunk of her discography, ‘Rapunzel’ serves to remind us of Mia Mormino’s insane versatility. As part of her upcoming Seven Deadly Sin-gles project, ‘Rapunzel’ represents the sin of envy. And through its lyrics, and its mellow sound, this track manages to perfectly reflect the bitter feelings that come with the deep dissatisfaction produced by envy. We are super excited to know that this upcoming project will be a versatile one, as confirmed by this beautiful single.
Mia Yermeche » Butterflies
With accessibility, uniqueness, and passion all powering ‘Butterflies’, there is something for everyone to enjoy about Mia Yermeche’s new single.
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A brilliant example of an artist who came to exist musically as a result of lockdown, Mia Yermeche is somebody who has always had an affinity for writing and making music, and this most certainly shows in her new single ‘Butterflies’. On top of being a song that showcases Yermeche’s artistic qualities superbly, ‘Butterflies’ also feels extremely accessible and soulful, with the musical framework of the track allowing it to feel made for widespread indulgence. And by adding to this the lo-fi synth elements, ‘Butterflies’ carries a uniquely quirky and luminous edge as well. We strongly feel that there is a little bit of something for everyone on this wonderfully soothing, and highly enjoyable tune.
The White Lakes » This Generation
While ‘This Generation’ feels like a more unique single than its predecessors stylistically, it still carries barrel-loads of festival-ready energy.
INDIE TOP 39
The Birmingham-based indie-pop four-piece The White Lakes arrive with their first single release of 2021, and their fifth song overall. But what feels drastically different, in the case of ‘This Generation’, is how masterfully the band manage to blend their familiar brit-rock style with more blatantly indie-pop elements; ultimately creating a very unique hybrid of sounds that truly wowed us. That being said, ‘This Generation’ essentially feels like the best of both worlds; because while it still feels more unique than its more raw-sounding singles that preceded it, ‘This Generation’ still carries all the dynamic, festival-ready energy it needs to really feel like a track that will effortlessly engage with listeners.
Trent-Jean » ILLUSIONS 09
Thanks to its awesome mix of electronic pop and psych-rock elements, ‘ILLUSIONS 09’ stands as one of the most dynamic Trent-Jean tracks thus far.
INDIE TOP 39
The third original single release from indie pop-rock group Trent-Jean, ‘ILLUSIONS 09’ arguably stands as their most dynamic and explosive single to date. While preceding singles succeeded brilliantly in displaying an accessible, yet also completely unique feel, that only an artist like Trent-Jean could champion, ‘ILLUSIONS 09’ simply feels on another level, thanks to its brilliantly implemented mix of electronic pop and psych-rock elements. As a result, this track felt like a sonic whirlwind, and we were blown away by the depth and dynamic atmosphere this tune packs. Trent-Jean are seemingly carving out a more clear and unique direction with each release, and ‘ILLUSIONS 09’ truly takes the cake in that regard.
SERENA » Ophelia
Fusing an ambient and melodic feel with yet another compelling story on ‘Ophelia’, SERENA continues to shine a promising light on her upcoming debut EP.
INDIE TOP 39
After SERENA completely wowed us with her songwriting skill, and knack for telling a compelling and important story, through her spoken word piece ‘Wild Lavender’, we were very excited to see what she brings into 2021. And with her debut EP, titled Wasteland on the way, set to be released in Spring of this year, the teasing for this project continues with her newest single ‘Ophelia’. Taking the melodic approach that SERENA took towards her first two singles, SERENA also makes sure that the lyrics behind ‘Ophelia’ are still as engaging as ever. Being a song that describes the artist’s struggles with mental health, ‘Ophelia’ is a song that is bound to connect with listeners, both lyrically and musically.
New Music Sunday » 39 Best Songs Released This Week
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
