Los Angeles-based folk-pop duo JOHNNYSWIM has returned with their deeply personal fifth album, When The War Is Over, released on 7 February via their own MR AND MRS SWIM LLC imprint. Among the standout tracks, ‘Slow Medicine’ emerges as a powerful meditation on healing, emotional connection, and the journey toward self-realization. The song, which begins as a delicate piano ballad featuring Amanda Sudano Ramirez’s heartfelt vocals, gradually unfolds into a hauntingly beautiful composition. It speaks to the realization that true healing isn’t found in distractions but in deep, meaningful relationships.
Produced by Abner Ramirez and mixed by Raul Lopez, ‘Slow Medicine’ exemplifies the duo’s signature blend of raw emotion and musical precision. The track reflects the overarching themes of When The War Is Over, which the duo describes as a product of one of the most challenging periods in their lives. JOHNNYSWIM recorded the album in a live setting, embracing an organic and vulnerable approach that allows each instrument to breathe and every lyric to resonate. Their heartfelt storytelling has garnered support from major outlets like Rolling Stone, NPR, and BBC Radio London, solidifying their reputation as a force in the folk-pop world.
As part of their album’s rollout, JOHNNYSWIM recently performed ‘Dopamine’, a collaboration with rapper Tobe Nwigwe, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, showcasing their dynamic stage presence. With over 575 million global streams to their name, the duo continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Their upcoming tour will take them to London’s Scala on 20 May and Amsterdam’s Tolhuistuin on 21 May. As ‘Slow Medicine’ resonates with listeners, JOHNNYSWIM hopes their music offers solace and a sense of shared experience, reminding fans that healing is a journey best undertaken together.
Swedish indie dream-pop trio VELVET MOON has unveiled their latest live EP, In The Moment With VELVET MOON, recorded during their December 2024 performance at the iconic Brinova Arena in Karlskrona. Released under Argle Bargle Studios, the EP highlights their beloved 2020 hit ‘Catch The Wave’, a track that has amassed over 15 million streams. With music featured in major commercials for brands like Kappahl and Bollinger, and performances at festivals like The Great Escape, VELVET MOON has carved out a reputation for their timeless, cinematic sound. Their upcoming album, Endless War In The Summer, set for release in April 2025, promises more haunting yet ethereal tracks, including ‘The Hour of King Kong’, ‘A Love Song’, ‘Hymn’, and ‘Daylight’.
The Stockholm-based band, led by lyricist and vocalist Sandra Bjurman, crafts deeply evocative songs that explore both personal and societal themes. Working alongside producers Stefan Örn and Johan Glössner, VELVET MOON blends nostalgic dream-pop with modern indie sensibilities, drawing inspiration from The War on Drugs, Joni Mitchell, and Ry Cooder. Their sound, reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, Men I Trust, and La Luz, resonates across generations. Their live performance of ‘Catch The Wave’captures a new intensity, with shimmery guitars, sweeping strings, and Sandra’s soulful, brooding vocals creating an atmosphere that’s both melancholic and electric.
VELVET MOON describes ‘Catch The Wave’ as a poignant reflection on modern disconnection, where fake news and emotional detachment leave people yearning for real connection. The live EP, filled with sweeping melodies and haunting lyricism, offers a raw, immersive experience that studio recordings simply cannot replicate. In The Moment With VELVET MOONis a testament to the band’s ability to channel passion, tenderness, and social commentary into their music, solidifying their place as one of indie pop’s most compelling acts.
Lilith Merlot makes music to connect with herself and others, plumping the depths of her creative being and coming out the other side with something soulful to share with her listeners. Recently, she shared a new work, a 5-track EP titled Shades Of Blue, a composition that stretches across the gap, the rift, that has formed between two lovers. The project represents a process, a cathartic unpacking that helps Lilith process personal challenges, a process that she hopes will also help listeners find solace in her music.
Growing up, who was your biggest musical role model and why?
Alicia Keys, because I thought she was such a great singer, and I loved that she also played the piano. My favorite albums are her first two albums. The songs on there are such a great mix of groovy, uplifting tracks and ballads about heartbreak and other difficulties. I spent so many hours singing and playing her songs and trying to copy her ad libs! It definitely shaped me in a way.
Your new EP touches on themes of heartbreak. How do you think music has helped you to process life’s difficulties?
Music has always helped me to feel comforted and not alone, and also it helped me to dream and drift off. When I feel a little sad and I listen to music that comes from the same emotion, I feel understood and connected. It is such a relief. And music can also be so uplifting and energizing, when I need a little badass energy I will play ‘Truth Hurts’ by Lizzo, and I feel like I can do anything. Great way to start the day!
What are some of your earliest memories of music?
My earliest musical memories are of my mom (who was a classical violinist) playing with the orchestra. I was 4/5 years old and I would listen to their rehearsal in an empty concert hall. I just remember how big everything was: the stage, the hall, the massive sound that came from all those instruments. It felt so exciting!
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
When I get inspired I usually feel a bit restless, as though I have to get something off my chest. So when I recognize that feeling I will sit behind my grand piano at home and start playing around with some chord progressions, and I improvise vocally until I find a melody that sticks with me. First, it’s all gibberish, and then slowly the right words come. When I start writing, I often have no idea yet what I want to write about, but those first few words that come intuitively will set the tone for the song and what it’s about. The first verse and chorus are always quite easy to write, but I find the second verse and chorus the hardest part – that sometimes takes months! When I am writing all I need is my phone to record my ideas, and my green leather notebook to write it all down.
Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?
Both are so good! I loved creating all the songs in the studio with my producer Serge Dusault. Playing around with a song and trying different things until it all finally comes together is magic. But so is performing in front of a live audience. I initially write all these songs to help me navigate through feelings and just life basically, but I don’t want it to end there. I want these songs to help and maybe comfort others as well! Hopefully, these songs will let people know they are not alone in whatever it is they are going through, and there is no better way to connect with an audience than performing live for them. To me, studio work and performing live have one thing in common: if you are doing it right, you lose the sense of space and time for a moment, and that’s when the magic happens.
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
It was not so much a response to my music, but a response to my voice at a time when I really needed it. I was studying Jazz vocals at the Rotterdam Conservatory when I was 19 years old, and I felt very insecure at the time. About my voice and my capabilities. Because of all the studying and the pressure, I had lost my joy in singing and it even changed my tone. Then one day, we had a masterclass by American singer Renée Neufville (who worked with the RH Factor, Roy Hargrove) and all the vocal students had to perform a song in front of her: In A Sentimental Mood. I sang, and for the first time in a long time, I enjoyed it. Afterwards, her feedback was that I sounded just like a Merlot, she thought my voice was so warm, deep and round. That gave me back my confidence, and years later I decided to use Merlot as my stage name.
If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?
Anything that moves me! It would be a lot of different genres, like Classical music, some soul and Neo-soul, Pop and Jazz and definitely some RnB.
Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show
Nina Simone – ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’
Yebba – ‘Dawn’
Amy Winehouse – ‘Frank’
Jeff Buckley – ‘Grace’
Lizz Wright – ‘Salt’
What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?
If I could just spend my days creating music in the studio and making albums and playing it live on tour to connect with people that would make me very happy. As long as I love what I create, and there are people out there who resonate with it and get something out of listening to it, that is a huge success to me. Also, I would love to play through Europe, and it would be wild to play in the States and Asia for example. Of course, I want to reach as many people as possible!
CHAiLD is a young rising pop artist born in Luxembourg and currently based in Brussels. His unique, soothing, yet intense voice grabs you by the gut and takes you into his melancholic universe. Inspired by artists like Troye Sivan, Sam Smith, Julia Michaels or Mø, the artist comes up with his very own pleasing style of Pop, in which he integrates his own Italian roots. CHAiLD is a generational voice for the queer youth in need of self-expression.
At only 25 years old, the artist has already added many remarkable achievements to his tally since kicking off his career in Luxembourg in 2019, such as his opening slots for his musical idols like Dean Lewis and Mahmood or his various performances at numerous festivals like Sonic Vision Festival (LUX) or Dockville (DE).
The young artist is ready to return with a new EP, Urgent Care, written at a time when he felt helpless and used songwriting as a way to cope with anxiety. The EP is a powerful and vulnerable exploration of the artist’s journey towards self-acceptance and healing. Through honest lyrics and soulful melodies, CHAiLD shares his realization that vulnerability is not a weakness but rather a way to connect with others and with oneself.
The title track “Urgent Care” sets the tone for the album, with CHAiLD laying bare his struggles and acknowledging his need for help. This theme is woven throughout the album, as the artist delves into his past traumas and the pain he has been carrying for too long.
Overall, “Urgent Care” is a raw and emotional EP that invites listeners to join CHAiLD on his journey towards self-discovery and healing. Through his music, the singer reminds us that it is okay to not be okay, and that asking for help is a brave and necessary act of self-care.
“‘Urgent care’ is my way of opening up to myself and to others. Throughout my life, I thought vulnerability was a flaw and that showing weakness resulted in an open invitation for people to hurt me. However now, I know I am allowed to tell people I’m not ok. It is ok to break down and to accept the fact that the world feels just a bit too much to handle from time to time. So, from now on, I will try to heal from the hurt I’ve been carrying within me. And most importantly, instead of dealing with it alone, I will ask for help. Yes, I am in urgent need for care.” – CHAiLD
LIVE DATES
15/04 EP release CHAiLD, Kulturfabrik (Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg)
13/05 Tallinn Music Week (TBD, Estonia)
17/06 Fête de la Musique Kopstal (Kopstal, Luxembourg)
29/07 festival congés annulés, Rotondes (Luxembourg, Luxembourg)
