UK-based singer-songwriter Marti West is back with another single, which he has named ‘Somebody New’. The track is the second one he has released in 2023, and, for Marti, the year is still young. He has informed us that he will be releasing a new album on the 28th of April, where listeners will find the already shared song ‘Nobody Knows Me (Like You)’as well as his latest offering.
The track brings to mind a coming-of-age feeling. There is an angsty mood to the whole deal. Like a spotlight, lively drums light up the performance. A steady texture of guitar strum moves listeners towards the song’s brassy climax. That is, a brass section jives to the rhythm of Marti’s heart, giving us something to move to.
Multi-faceted artist and burgeoning talent Mac Wetha releases his new EP “Cloud Paint” and shares the latest track‘Pelican Freestyle’.
Effervescent, optimistic and bursting with vitality, the genre-melding, ‘Pelican Freestyle’ affirms the importance of being grounded and finding repose in an ever-shifting world. It’s an introspective and thrashing ode to re-gathering balance in times of uncertainty. Fast-paced and emotionally charged, the latest single finds moments of gentle serenity in an otherwise high-energy arrangement.
“Pelican Freestyle” follows the release of “Feel Better (Infinite Pitbulls)”, a feel-good pop-punk-hued celebration of life and “Dani Song”, the incendiary first look from the ‘Cloud Paint’ EP. A free-spirited symbiosis of his formative pop-punk and emo influences, “Cloud Paint” is a showcase of Mac’s most forward-facing and irrefutably energetic tracks.
Last year saw the release of breakneck single ‘IDONTBELIEVEIT’, an upbeat danceable track that explored the excitement and uncertainty of falling for someone, alongside the debut EP “Make It Thru”, which explored Mac’s identity as an artist. His first EP featured candid, honest songs that flowed between his wide-ranging influences and displayed a previously unseen side to his music.
Mac Wetha is the resident producer of the widely admired London-based NiNE8 Collective, producing tracks for crew members including Biig Piig and Lava LaRue, alongside the occasional juggernaut like Aminé. He’s also toured with the labelmate BEABADOOBEE and the likes of Deb Never.
Michigan-born and bred Sage Castleberry is a pop artist whose music brings together old and new. Born into a family of musicians, he was exposed to a variety of genres, ranging from 80s hair bands to country music and everything in between. Picking up the guitar at just 10 years old, Castleberry has spent years mastering his art, eventually becoming the lead guitarist in a band alongside his good childhood friend, Sam Luna, Dave Luna, long-time family friend Chris Gillette and Castleberry’s own father, Tim Castleberry. Taking the leap to go solo, the songwriter has been working on his own music, discovering his unique sound and perfecting his artistry.
His debut single “I Kinda Like It” narrates the story of a guy who likes the feeling when a girl shows interest in him, but only at certain times. Touching on the desire to have someone to alleviate the symptoms of loneliness, he sings, “I kinda like it when I need you, to go and pick up on your phone, cause I don’t want to be alone.”
With a throbbing beat, jangly guitars and echoing synths the track shines bright. Doused in a groovy, move-inducing rhythm, Castleberry’s infectious vocals will have you singing along all day. “I Kinda Like It” showcases an infectious pop sound fueled by Castleberry’s influences over the years. From the likes of Queen, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and The Band Camino, the Michigan artist displays a multitude of sounds, as he soaks up the music from his childhood, fusing them with modern, fresh and dance-worthy elements.
Fusing pop-perfect hooks with a laid back indie style, SYTË (meaning “eyes” in Albanian) are making their mark in the alt-pop scene. Based in New York, the group has an abundant blend of musical backgrounds, with elements of R&B, pop, indie, metal and Jazz, creating a sound and vibe that transcends genre, geography, age and gender.
The group initially formed when vocalist Nita Kaja was visiting her family’s hometown of Prishtina, Kosovo and met future partner and band mate Drin Tashi. Falling deeply in love with the free-spirited and alternative lifestyle of the city, and being surrounded by a thriving and youthful music scene, Kaja felt inspired to create her own music, forming a duo with Tashi in 2018, before teaming up with drummer Granit Havolli and bassist Fatlind Ferati; evolving into the four-piece band we know today.
The new single “Where Did the Love Go” was written after three long months of isolation. Feeling disconnected from the world and missing out on a European tour due to the pandemic, Kaja penned the lyrics after finally reuniting with a friend, causing a burst of inspiration and the creation of this soulful tune. The sultry-hued vocals are a perfect complement to the funk-driven bassline, twinkling keys and groove-laden percussion, resulting in this vibrant, yet sonically textured track. Hoping to encourage people to express their seemingly-niche emotions, the band write music about acknowledging and navigating through destructive thoughts and patterns. Wanting to see popular music shift to a more introspective and intentional place, the band expressed, “Documenting these overlooked emotions can help bring humanity together and highlight how much more similar we are to one another than we think”.
Known for their electrifying performances, SYTË have already played a number of well-known festivals including Pop Kultur Festival, Localize Festival and Sunny Hill Festival, where they opened for powerhouses like Dua Lipa, Action Bronson and Martin Garrix. Returning to New York City to work on new music and grow as artists, and with nods from publications such asi-D, Noizz.d andThe Line of Best Fit,the band are in for a swell of a season!
