Watch: Lost Without You — San Cisco

Lost Without You is the kind of song that really shines for one specific glorious reason: It has a bloody fantastic chorus.

San Cisco buzz with the kind of sunny West Coast vibes befitting of their name, but they actually come from Fremantle, in Western Australia. Having carved out a career creating indie-pop, the three-piece have been making music together for forteen years, and are on the verge of releasing their fifth album.

Fittingly, the band split their recording sessions for their new material between Fremantle and Los Angeles, working with producer Jame Ireland (Pond, Cuco). As reflected in that chorus, Lost Without You is a self-described anthem for the work you have to put into relationships. In the band’s own words:

“It isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, and it takes a conscious effort to make things work. We can also forget how important someone is to us and all the meaningful history and challenges that come with a longer relationship. ‘You're my best friend and I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else, but fuck it's hard sometimes.’”

What makes the chorus of Lost Without You so great is how it manages to strike an optimistic and rousing feeling, whilst simultaneously delivering a vulnerability around the reality of relationships. It can be tempting to trick yourself into thinking that good relationships are easy, and that if a relationship is hard, there must be something wrong. In reality, most relationships need some work at least some of the time. Lost WIthout You is the perfect soundtrack to celebrating the fact that the work is worth it.

Listen: Shake It — Bad Heather

Metro Station aren’t an act I am particularly familiar with, but the rock band hail from Los Angeles, and in the lates 00s achieved some success with their combination of synth and emo pop sounds. Their song Shake It is an infectious, glossy slice of sugary punk pop.

Bad Heather is the musical project of 22-year-old Utah musician Porter Chapman. Having been hand-chosen by Andrew Tolman, of The Moth and The Flame, and Imagine Dragons, Chapman toured with The Moth and The Flame as their drummer on a 2019 national tour. This led to his growing reputation as a talented drummer, and further tours with members of The Killers, Neon Trees and the Dave Matthews Band.

Here, Chapman takes Metro Station’s Shake It and gives it a more sophisticated flavour, whilst retaining the original’s charm. The song has a nostalgic feel – more overtly channeling the 80s harmonies of the original, whilst layering in contemporary production sophistication:

”I took a lot of inspiration from The 1975 and the Dirty Hit roster. I loved Jack Antonoff’s production on the last 1975 record and his approach to heavy compression on softly played things. I wanted the track to feel nostalgic and modern at the same time; slick, but without losing the raw energy.”

Chapman’s version comes from a place of genuine admiration, however, as he notes… “The OG still shreds, so I wanted to avoid sounding too similar to it so that I could bring something new.”

Check out Shake It below.

Listen: Ascend — REGALJASON

The musical approach that REGALJASON applies to his new single, Ascend, feels expansive in the styles and inspiration deployed. R&B stylings meet art-pop vocals in a way that lands right at the intersection of Miguel, Autre Ne Veut, and the Dirty Projectors.

Born in Jamaica, raised in Panama and now in London following a stint in LA, REGAL channels the sounds he has absorbed along the way. Ascend is REGAL’s first release of 2023, and sees him throw down an inspirational song about rising above the adversity he has faced along the way:

“As an independent artist, I face many obstacles in my journey to let my voice be heard. When releasing my debut EP Megafauna, besides writing, producing, directing, and more, I also had to monitor the data, a task I found to be in opposition to my artistic process. Constantly checking figures such as likes, streams, and views, among other things, took a toll on my creativity. I also found it hard to find my footing in the digital arena especially with my sound being heralded as genre-less and inventive. ASCEND is my response to the emotions I felt during this time. I had to make a choice to own my individuality and promise myself that I will continue the climb regardless of the “figures” that might tell me otherwise.”

The result is something of a triumph — if REGALJASON felt the pressure to define a sound that is uniquely his, whilst also finding an audience, I can’t help but feel like Ascend delivers in spades. Drums punctuate REGAL’s lyrical flow with a sense of determination, as distorted, thick bass creates a building drama. The result is thrilling, artful, and confident as hell.

Watch: Right Now — Vitesse X

Vitesse X is an electronic music producer from the US. Having originally started in music in New York, playing in bands and spinning records as a DJ, she pursued a solo career to explore her sense of self. With a focus on the sense of euphoria that comes from the dance floor, her music pursues the sense of opportunity and possibility that comes from losing yourself, communally and collectively, within music.

Taking inspiration from early electronic music, like Kraftwerk’s Tour de France, 90s rave and ambient techno give Vitesse X’s music a feel that combines the mechanical with an emotive sense of humanity. The sound evokes in me the “emotional technology” of BT, and the progressive tech trance of UK label Platipus.

Right Now itself brings together these electronic sounds into something accessible, whilst retaining a progressive sensibility. Starry-eyed synth melodies encircle Vitesse X’s vocal as she depicts a moment of purity and presence. Loose electronic percussion and guitars give the song s lived-in feel, whilst the whole track accelerates with a sense of movement.

Vitesse X’s inspiration for the track came from a trip overseas, which saw her hike up a mountain to watch the sunrise:

“For me, there has always been something so pure, grounding, spiritual even, about being alone in nature, watching the dawn break. When I got back, I decided I wanted to start a song by imagining myself back in this place, and to just soundtrack the moment. When I listen back to this song, I see that it is about reclaiming the current moment amidst the constant go-go-go. Fighting against the addiction to the race, to get back to the now.”

The result is a meditative tribute to taking a moment to be, to experience and reflect.

For the music video, Vitesse X looked to recreate the experience that inspired Right Now, only this time at the end of the day, rather than the beginning:

“I decided to take a trip out to Montauk on a cold weekend in January, with just a couple of old cameras at hand. I really wanted to capture and re-experience those tranquil moments of solitude in nature. At the same time, I knew I needed to do something out of my comfort zone in order to give the most honest and raw emotion that I could. So, once the sun set, I decided to completely strip down and go jump in the 40 degree water. It was definitely not enjoyable, but once I got out, I couldn’t stop laughing. I realized I had honored my song in the highest way possible, breaking through all of my discomfort in order to experience the present moment in its truest form.”

Listen: You Ain’t Sh*t — Bishat

You Ain’t Sh *t is the new affirming put down record from Swedish/Ethiopian artist, songwriter, and producer Bishat. The lead single from their forthcoming debut EP, Who Hurt You?, it’s deliberately positioned as a potential-petty-but-oh-so-necessary tribute to setting boundaries and removing the power from those that play games.

With syrupy vocals and warm bass tones, You Ain’t Sh *t evokes the reassuring feeling of having someone tell you that your frustration is justified. The floaty, carefree way in which Bishat delivers her vocal feels like a weight lifted — freed by the knowledge that others only have the power you let them.

This sense of liberation is something Bishat explores when reflecting on the song’s importance to her:

”When you get hurt, there are different ways to deal with it. Either you blame everybody else and continue on the same track, or you work on yourself, learn from it and reap the benefits of that emotional work. That's where I really feel I am now.”

Check out You Ain’t Sh *t below, and look out for the EP Who Hurt You? soon.