Listen: VHS - Ariane

VHS is the new single from French-American singer and songwriter Ariane, who looks to blend the lyrical power of Lorde with the darkness of Billie Eilish.

Ariane’s forthcoming album Original Copy looks to explore the generational pressures Ariane and her peers face - materialism and jealousy and glorification of the past, all fuelled by celebrity and social media. Through her music, Ariane looks to embrace what’s real - just being true to yourself.

This new single is draws on fun, 80s feel whilst depicting the experience of new love. Simple, nostalgic synths combine with Ariane’s energetic and emotive vocal to create something sprightly, fun and distinctly pop.

Written by: Ariane Produced by: Jacob McCaslin Mixed by: Tai Fronzaroli

Watch: In My Head - Moonrunner83 feat. King Protea

Listen: In My Head - Moonrunner83 feat. King Protea

In My Head is the new single from Canada’s Moonrunner83. Together with King Protea, Moonrunner83 has created a dreamlike piece of uplifting electronic pop.

Discussing the act of collaborating, King Protea said:

“In My Head was an absolute blast of a collaboration. As soon as I heard the track, I instantly heard the 'in my head, in my head’ lyric. I loved the idea of exploring something sweet and nostalgic, a love that is truly patient and not afraid of the dark parts of our minds. The track offered the perfect landscape for that.”

There is indeed a heavy dose of nostalgia here - with that for the 80s particularly evident. In My Head wouldn’t feel out of place over the end credits crawl of a season of Stranger Things. The resulting track isn’t complex, but manages to capture an evocative, positive feeling.

Check out In My Head below:

Listen: Hostage - Maya Malkin

Having already impacted the Canadian music with her band, Motel Raphael, Montreal singer-songwriter Maya Malkin is now launching her solo musical project with the single Hostage.

Hostage is a short-but-punchy piece of powerful alternative pop about the dissatisfaction that can come from a relationship that doesn’t exhibit a sense of equality, where one person feels the other brings more negativity than reassurance to the relationship. Malkin's vocal delivery is assured and has plenty of pop-polish, and yet still ultimately manages to feel grounded, honest and human. With production details that accentuate and enhance the performance, I couldn't help but fall for Hostage.

Check out Hostage below:

Listen: How We Wanted - Logan Prescott

Logan Prescott is a Dallas-based indie pop artist, and How We Wanted has one of those hooks that you just can’t help but want to dance to.

Drawing on 80s influences but with a thoroughly modern layer of sheen, the track combines reverb-soaked percussion, muted guitars and soft synths to make a wistful track about yearning for something better. It’s the feeling of looking back at yesterday’s hopes for today. In the current climate, that feels more relevant than ever - and the song’s title in the chorus almost feels like both a knowing wink and a huge understatement... “It’s not quite how we wanted it”, sings Prescott.

Check out the sunshine-infused How We Wanted below:

Dallas-based Indie Pop artist Logan Prescott returns with his 80’s vibes in “How We Wanted” after being selected as Editor’s Pick on music blog IndieShuffle. In times of quarantine and isolation, “How We Wanted” yearns for better days and resolves to its frank reality with the help of plucky guitars and dreamy synths, while being swept up in the “what ifs” of vocoders and poppy melodies. Look for Logan this summer on the front page of Splice for his game-changing Modern Pop Vocals sample pack.

Listen: Get Better - SupaSlo

Just the title of Get Better was enough to catch my attention. We’re going through quite literally the toughest period I’ve experienced in my whole life. It’s not so much the isolation and distance, it’s also the complete and overwhelming uncertainty. COVID-19 has torn-up the rules, at least as most of us understood them, and I think all of us can’t wait for things to get better. I’ve never felt less certain of my decisions - be they how much to buy at the supermarket, or how to do the right thing for my family, my colleagues and my friends.

SupaSlo position themselves as alt-tronica - a sound they describe as “Daft Punk, M83 or Disclosure, but shoved through a buzzing guitar amp”, but Tame Impala feel like their closest peers. The duo formed in 2019 after guitarist Joe Gomez relocated to New York and met producer Emmet Folger. Joe has spent years playing in a psychedelic rock group, CJ Clydesdale Band, while Emmett had spent his time perfecting drum loops and experimental electronic music. The pair were friends for a year before actually sitting down and working to bring these influences together.

Get Better starts gently - the kind of 70s retro sound that somehow captures the feeling of both blue eyed soul and progressive rock. Backwards guitars, low-slung bass and earthy vocals come together to create something that thuds with a tactile sensibility.

But for what it is, it’s played straight - a guitar solo picking its way through a smokey room, drums that kick with a sense of solid foundation. From two-minutes, however, all bets are off... Suddenly we have vocals drifting out of phase and the traditional(ish) instrumentation evaporates - it’s like taking a breath and sinking into the water, or yielding to the embrace of someone you love. The things that felt solid and important no longer are, and the main vocal hook kicks in, a simple-yet-reassuring “I wanted you to know that things will get better”.

Sometimes I pick people up, and sometimes I need to be picked up. The experience of having someone tell me they are there for me and that it’s okay to not be okay? This record triggers the same parts of my brain as that, which basically makes it medicine as far as I’m concerned. Put this on your best sound system or headphones, crank it up and close your eyes...