GEMS are another duo I'm featuring as part of my series of posts on hype acts for this year, and like Say Lou Lou you'll find a certain dreamy sound at play.
GEMS are Clifford Usher and Lindsay Pitts, who formed the band in Washington DC in 2012. Their Medusa EP is a great introduction to their sound. With a focus on cautiously exposed melodies and reverb-drenched bass and beats there is a crystalline feel to GEMS' sound. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Pitts spends the majority of her time wrapping her vocals around the sparse soundscapes the duo create together and there is a haunting minimalism to their production style - foggy and dense yet brittle and fragile.
△▽ Official video for Pegasus, from the 'Medusa' EP.
For a debut release Medusa is a considerable achievement. GEMS have just released a cover of Seal's Don't Cry on Soundcloud and you can download it for free if you sign up to their mailing list. Check out the video to Pegasus above or stream the Medusa EP in full on Soundcloud below: