Listen: Why Would You (Go) — Jodie Nicholson

Why Would You (Go) bubbles with a soft melancholy, like a tender but firm squeeze of your hand and your heart. With a production style that places the focus on layers, Jodie Nicholson has created a piece of music that conveys depth despite the fact it is just three-minutes in length.

Jodie has spent the past 18-months building her reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting talents, having been play-listed by BBC 6 Music and receiving coverage from numerous other radio stations and blogs. And Nicholson’s foreboding track Move left an indelible impression on me last year.

Taking inspiration from her father’s love of prog rock, Nicholson loves music that places you in a moment. There is something about the way Why Would You (Go) surrounds me in sound that evokes the feeling of prog rock and folk, albeit heavily filtered through a contemporary pop lens. Indeed, it immediately makes sense upon hearing her music that Jodie cites artists as diverse as Daugther, Warpaint, Pink Floyd and Laura Marling as influences.

Clearly unafraid of taking risks, on Why Would You (Go) Jodie has a chorus played in an uncommon 7/8th time signature. The disconcerting upheaval we hear musically makes sense, given the song’s subject:

“It’s about knowing a relationship is no good for you, but as soon as you see them, you’re like ‘how could I possibly leave?’, a conversation I had with myself time and time again. You'll hear clips of me driving, talking to myself in my car, which became a safe space for me to voice how I was feeling without ever having to admit anything to anyone else.”

Check out Why Would You (Go) below, and look out for Jodie Nicholson’s forthcoming EP, Can’t Espace The Feeling.

Listen: Easy To You — Gary Mictian

Easy To You is the new single from London-based musician and producer Gary Mictian. Drawing his inspiration from vintage pop, dystopian sci-fi and cinematic sound, he looks to use modern production techniques to create fantastical worlds within “a carefully constructed pop song”.

Here Mictian does just that. Easy To You is a song about the experience of feeling disillusionment in the face of an ex-partner, whose ease in moving on seems to cheapen the memory of the relationship. The song conveys the depth of Mictian’s emotion, as he places heartfelt vocals front-and-centre, with a slow electronic groove underpinning the melody. The whole song is buoyed by layered harmonies and a slightly crunchy production style. It feels analogous to the depth of layered emotions… The experience of love, disappointment, and betrayal that can linger once a relationship breaks down.

Having studied music in his native home of New Zealand, Mictian has developed a level of technical knowledge that he brings to his music. This technical ability ultimately unlocks his natural ability — with a vocal capability that spans four octaves.

Check out Easy To You below:

Listen: Hating Myself In The Summer — Rachel Bochner

Hailing from NYC, Rachel Bochner started her career in music with an A&R internship at a record label. From there it became clear that her real passion was in making her own music. Drawing on her emotions, she hopes to make music that resonates with people and their experiences.

On its face, Hating Myself In The Summer is an upbeat pop song, but what I appreciate about it is its musical and lyrical depth. The song deals with Bochner’s own experience of feeling external pressure over how she looks, juxtaposing a fun, bouncy sound to the mental weight many will recognise.

In addition to the substance in the song’s overall message, the production work on Hating Myself In The Summer shimmers with a restrained approach to its best ideas… Layered vocal harmonies embellish Bochner’s performance whilst creating a lovely moment of contrast with the shouty performance of the song’s title. The crisp kick of the song’s percussion floats above a warm pulse of melodic bass, giving the whole thing an energy the bubbles beneath the surface.

Check out Hating Myself In The Summer below:

Listen: Make Believe — Apricot Ink

Apricot Ink’s Make Believe seeps into my ears like a hand of a loved one clasping mind so gently that you barely notice. Layered vocal harmonies float above a gently picked out melodic backing, percussion snapping with a relaxed sense of confidence. It’s a warming, reassuring sound.

Hailing from Canberra, trio Apricot Ink formed last year and have already released two double-singles that achieved significant play counts on streaming services. Having sold-out Sydney’s Mary’s Underground for their first-ever headline show in November, the group continue to build momentum this year. Most recently, they re-worked stems from Gang Of Youths, Touch Sensitive and San Sisco into their top-five placing entry for Triple J Unearthed’s DIY Super Group, Do You See.

The song Make Believe was birthed on a writing trip in North NSW, where the band spent time exploring their musical inspiration and absorbing the nature in the area. Describing the song, Willo from the band says:

“It’s a natural evolution from our previous singles. It romanticises the rawness of the real world and the beauty in the simple things that we once took for granted. It’s about relishing the present moment, embracing and accepting yourself and others. We sampled birds and layered it underneath the production and vocals. It brought the track to life, and it was a reminder of exactly where we were and how we felt at the time. It was meant to be. It felt right and resonated harmoniously.”

Check out Make Believe below and look out for more from Apricot Ink later this year.

Premiere: Let’s Talk — Johnny Cisneros

Let’s Talk is the debut single release from LA-based musician Johnny Cisneros, and it’s the kind of introduction to an artist that shimmers with hope and possibility.

In addition to drawing on his Latin roots, Cisneros takes inspiration from the sounds of dream pop and psychedelic rock to create something both varied and accessible. Here on Let’s Talk, the resulting sound floats with a slick, yet lived-in, feeling — glossy, plastic wrapped around laid back, casual vocals from Cisneros. It’s modern, yet earthy.

The comfortable, dream-like feel of the music itself makes sense given the song’s inspiration. Let’s Talk itself is intended as a long-distant conversation with one of the artist’s former girlfriends. Plunged into a new city and a different way of life, the song represents Cisneros reaching out to the person whose voice most feels like home… An attempt to recall the past as a way to remember who he wants to be. A daydream of a person just beyond your grasp, yet on your mind.

Check out the video for Let’s Talk below: