As the warmer days are slowly but surely creeping in, many independent artists are now beginning to flesh-out their musical 2021’s.
This week’s New Music Sunday sees a lot of debut and sophomore singles from new and upcoming artists, and we had received such an incredibly strong selection of tunes, that we couldn’t help but include 10 on this week’s article. So without further delay, let’s dive right in.
Track Of The Week
Lena Minder » Nightbirds
The ambient reverberation of ‘Nightbirds’ pairs perfectly with Lena Minder’s unedited vocals, which whisked us away by the sheer beauty of this ballad.
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‘Nightbirds’ is the sophomore single from Lena Minder; a newfound self-titled musical avenue, following her previous alias of Liv Summer. We thoroughly loved the intimate yet whimsical feel of Mider’s debut single ‘Stay Around’ earlier this year. With ‘Nightbirds’, however, Lena takes things down an even more atmospheric, cavernous, and nocturnal avenue. The ambient reverberation of the gorgeous melody ‘Nightbirds’ has, paired perfectly with Lena Minder’s unedited vocals. We found ourselves being whisked away by the sheer beauty of this ballad. On top of all this, ‘Nightbirds’ is a wonderful example of just how versatile and talented Lena Minder truly is, and we cannot wait to hear more.
Dan Fuson » On + Off
‘On + Off’ kicks Dan Fuson’s musical 2021 off in an incredibly dynamic and festival-ready way, with its euphoric and sunny feel.
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After ending his musical 2020 off on an epic high, with the release of his debut EP Familiar, Brand New, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Dan Fuson begins a new musical chapter in 2021, with his brand new single ‘On + Off’. With a sound that feels far more hard-hitting undertone than his 2020 material, whilst successfully retaining that warm and euphorically wholesome atmosphere, ‘On + Off’ kicks 2021 off in an incredibly dynamic and festival-ready way. In fact, it is exactly the kind of track that takes us back to the best moments we have experienced at any given festival, and with a more hopeful summer in mind, ‘On + Off’ has also renewed our immense excitement for those days to return.
Huron Lines » Older Now
Huron Lines establish their sense of chemistry instantly, with their atmospheric yet gritty debut single.
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Not only does ‘Older Now’ stand as the debut single from Canadian rock band Huron Lines, but also the first track to tease their debut album that they are already working on. And despite this being our first taste of how the band sounds, it still felt clear to us that Huron Lines are a band that already have a very strong sense of chemistry. Said chemistry ultimately results in a highly atmospheric and engaging tune, that equally carries a good level of grittiness. We also get some awesome shifts between ambient, tone-setting verses, and explosive choruses, which works like a charm when it comes to carrying listeners through the experience of this awesome and highly promising tune.
Law Mark » Say Something
‘Say Something’ stands as a track that really keeps the hype-train rolling towards the summer, thanks to its warm and progressive feel.
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London-based progressive house DJ Law Mark began his discography in 2020, giving listeners the first few tastes of his vibrant and energetic sound. With the aim to keep the awesome vibes coming in 2021, this week saw Law Mark release his second single of the year. Following on from the dynamic sound of ‘You’, this new track, titled ‘Say Something’ commences with an instantaneously warm mood, which has ‘Say Something’ feeling like a track that was made to keep the hype-train rolling towards the summer. Adding more and more elements as the track evolves, ‘Say Something’ truly feels like one of the most progressive examples of Law Mark’s progressive house pieces.
Lotta St Joan » Berlin
‘Berlin’ sees Lotta St Joan once again perfect that sense of musical progression, while also giving off a fairy-tale-like aura.
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Even after the release of Lotta St Joan’s debut album Hands earlier this year, folk artist Lotta St Joan isn’t ready to call it a year just yet, as shown by her brand new single ‘Berlin’. While retaining that sense of subtle dramatisation that Lotta St Joan homed in on so well with her debut album, she arguably pushes that boat out even further with ‘Berlin’. Incorporating the use of wind instruments in its first half, ‘Berlin’ gives off a highly fairy-tale-like aura; one that had us bewitched with its whimsicality. On top of this, lotta St Joan really got the sense of progression perfected on ‘Berlin’, with its climactic moment being absolutely marvellous to behold. Lotta St Joan once again wowed us completely with this new track.
Maida Rose » Where Do We Go
The sophomore single from Maida Rose brings even more emotional gravitas, with its mood perfectly reflecting the song’s message.
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The sophomore single from Netherlands-based dream-pop duo Maida Rose, ‘Where Do We Go’ follows on from their debut single ‘Harmony of Heartache’, which was released earlier this year. The gorgeously dreamy and indulgent feel that we collected from that debut single certainly transitions perfectly into ‘Where Do We Go’. However, the colder atmosphere of this new track adds even more emotional gravitas, thanks to its melody. This mood perfectly reflects the overall lyrical message of ‘Where Do We Go’, which highlights the journey towards finding oneself once again post-relationship. This second single release only has us even more intrigued as to what this talented duo will bring next.
Nightly Gatherings » Up All Night
‘Up All Night’ perfectly encapsulates the sense of connection that the musical project of Nightly Gatherings strives for.
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The personal musical project from producer and photographer Connor Johnson, Nightly Gatherings was created with a key goal in mind; to create as much emotion and connection as possible through his ambient pieces. And while his debut single release, published earlier in 2021, definitely set the tone regarding what to expect from Nightly Gatherings, his brand new single ‘Up All Night’ undoubtedly succeeded in connecting with us, thanks to its representation of the idea of watching the sun come up after a night out, which we feel perfectly encapsulated what Nightly Gatherings is all about. Paired with a compelling spoken word piece, ‘Up All Night’ has us eager to relive the moments the track reflects upon.
Paola House » Searching For You
Taking a highly introspective approach lyrically, ‘Searching For You’ will emotionally connect with many listeners.
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The sophomore single release from the alternative rock solo project of artist Adam Townsend, a.k.a Paola House, ‘Searching For You’ takes a highly introspective look at Townsend’s close conversation with a friend after one of their regular AA meetings, and the idea of how somewhere, deep inside, there will always be that urge to lean onto his vices. The ambient and cold sound that ‘Searching For You’ offers, pairs perfectly with this track, and truly had us emotionally gripped. This track is also the second to tease Paola House’s upcoming EP later this year, and if we have this level of artistry and musical heart to look forward to, then we know we’re in for something huge.
skybelly » the drama of a lava lamp
The key word with skybelly’s debut single was immersion, as this layered, dark and surreal tune really drew us in.
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The debut single release from Melbourne-based electronic pop band skybelly, ‘the drama of a lava lamp’ starts the band’s discography off with a dark and surreal bang. The slow and foreboding pace that ‘the drama of a lava lamp’ carries, does well to welcome and incorporate each of the electronic elements that flutter around the song. The vocal delivery only elevates the track’s sense of immersion even further. And we feel that that is really the key word with this debut single; it’s as immersive as they come. We are thoroughly impressed to receive such a layered and ambient tune as a debut single from this amazingly creative band. We cannot wait to see where they go next.
WOLFNUNN » Make Me Feel Bad
WOLFNUNN’s debut single strikes a brilliant balance between dynamic energy, and atmospheric ambience.
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The electronic project of multi-instrumentalist, writer, and producer Joshua Nunn, WOLFNUNN arrives with his debut single release, titled ‘Make Me Feel Bad’. Working on his newfound discography during the first lockdown of the UK, this cosmic, dynamic, and energetic tune became the first of his efforts to be released. All the while that this track brings the energy that does WOLFNUNN’s influences of rave and big beat justice, he also manages to counter-balance this with enough atmospheric ambience to really have us immersed. WOLFNUNN’s artistry definitely shows in this debut tune, and we are excited to see what vibes he can bring to the table in the near future.
New Music Sunday » 39 Best Songs Released This Week
This coverage was created in collaboration with Musosoup as part of the #SustainableCurator movement.
