Singer – Page 21

May 6, 2021

May 6, 2021May 7, 2021 Mike change

Alt-pop singer MOA addresses struggle with bipolar disorder on latest song

Image credit: Alicja Romejko

‘Bad Things’ is an alt-pop anthem depicting the unfolding of a manic episode. With an ominous bass and eclectic drums, the track outlines the exhilarating yet terrifying reality of one of the phases of bipolar disorder. MOA’s characteristic vocals and honest lyrics bring us to the breaking point by illustrating the very core of the sensation, here portrayed as another being pulling her in: ”Now the noise is just too much / it’s digging into my skin and / I’m on the floor / But she wants more”.

MOA’s second single is a truthful insight into the world of mania as well as a fearless statement on an, even now, stigmatized condition. With catchy melodies and strong vocal hooks, ’Bad Things’ transforms multilayered mental health issues into a relatable story of an evening devoured by the urges of the part of you warring against logic and calm: ”When the light’s gone I can’t trust myself / When the sun’s down, become someone else”.

MOA’s music is an enchanting merge of sickly sweet pop and fearlessly provocative punk. The style and lyrics derive from a life of complex mental struggles, landing her in a world of ecstatic highs and sinister lows. As a result, the self appointed ’Sertraline Queen’ started using her experiences with bipolar disorder to her advantage, and has spent the last year assembling a line of indisputable alt-pop pieces, discussing everything from female empowerment to mental health.With a peculiar mind and a thirst for peril, she is the anti hero the pop world has been waiting for.

Swedish born MOA is based in London, where she has been honing her craft since a young age. She left Sweden for the thrill of the suburban capital of the UK, but brought with her the ferociousness of the Scandinavian winters.

Follow MOA:

Facebook / Instagram / Soundcloud

April 30, 2021

April 30, 2021April 30, 2021 Mike change

Electro soul music producer Ya Tseen announces debut album, Ya Tseen

Photo by Merritt Johnson. Art by Christian Petersen and Nicholas Galanin

Sub Pop will release Indian Yard, the debut record from Sitka, Alaska project Ya Tseen. To celebrate the group’s impending release, they have shared an official video for “Synthetic Gods,” directed by Stephan Gray. Hinging on verses from Shabazz Palaces and Stas THEE Boss, “Synthetic Gods” is sonically seductive, a tense reflection on crisis, that summons the pressure needed to ensure Indigenous sovereignty and power to the people.

Galanin says of the video, “‘Synthetic Gods’ is a response to the violence of capitalism dependent on systemic racism and division; and a narration of the pressure that will be applied to destroy it.” You can watch the new video HERE.

Indian Yard can be purchased on CD/LP through Sub Pop. LPs purchased through megamart.subpop.com, select independent retailers in North America, the U.K., and Europe will receive the standard LP on black vinyl.

The North American deluxe edition on clear vinyl is also available to purchase now. The deluxe packaging will include a 24-page hardcover LP-sized book with covers featuring a sci-fi landscape populated by a toddler-wearing artist Merritt Johnson’s sculpture Mindset, a VR headset woven from sweetgrass. The interior art was designed by Galanin. This deluxe edition will be available while supplies last.

Follow Ya Tseen:

Facebook / Twitter

April 26, 2021

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Mike change

Alt-pop singer Maria Kelly sings about being twenty with new music video

Maria Kelly premiered the video for her current single, ‘Martha’, on her YouTube channel. Directed by Tim Shearwood, who has worked on projects with the likes of Le Boom, Ae Mak and HAVVK, the video sees Maria playful in an empty room – a visual take on the song’s theme. ‘Martha’ was released on Maria’s label, VETA Music, and heralds her long-awaited debut album later this year.

Since its release just under a fortnight ago, on the 7th of April, the Westport alt-folk singer’s new single has surpassed 30,000 streams on Spotify, been played on Irish radio over 60 times, has been named Track of the Week on 2fm, been added to the coveted RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends list and received high praise from music journalists across the country.

Of the video, Maria says: “‘Martha’ is all about feeling stuck in that part of your early twenties, where you’re not who you were and not quite who you’ll be yet. And it’s about dealing with all of the change, restlessness, and confusion that comes with that. There are so many difficult parts of that process, but I wanted this video to explore the fun that still exists in that period of time – feeling stuck and unsure, but finding ways to make yourself laugh anyway.”

Maria Kelly’s world of delicately woven alt-folk is laced with a sincerity that cuts to the bone. Finding comfort in the confessional styles of artists like Regina Spektor, Daughter, and Lucy Rose, she soon transferred her own introspections to music, developing a sound that is as delicate as it is disarmingly frank.

A number of critically acclaimed releases on Veta Records have been accompanied by shows across Europe supporting the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall, and Paul Noonan (Bell X1). Maria quickly became known for her heart-wrenching live performances, unassuming humour, and a ‘pin-drop’ vocal that is impossible to ignore. Maria’s work has continued to gain momentum internationally, rallying support from Mahogany, Consequence of Sound, and The Line Of Best Fit along the way.

After laying a foundation in the Irish music scene, Maria relocated to Berlin in 2018, a life-changing move that inspired her four-track EP, ‘notes to self’. Her stint in Germany saw her join All The Luck In The World on a month-long European tour, followed by her debut TV appearance on Other Voices Ballina. Maria finished up the year with two sold-out shows supporting Villagers.

2019 saw the release of ‘i leave early’ – a captivating track that showcases Maria’s continued development as an artist and one which quickly garnered more than a million streams on Spotify.

With the world at a standstill, 2020 saw Maria retreating to a small cottage on the south coast of Ireland. During this quiet in-between, Maria has found space to write and record her eagerly anticipated debut album – a blank canvas and an open sea with which to take stock and reflect on her 20s so far.

Follow Maria Kelly:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Youtube / Spotify

April 15, 2021

April 15, 2021April 15, 2021 Mike change

Haunting electronica musician Eivør releases ‘Gulspunnin’ music video

Faroese folk electronica artist Eivør releases a music video and new live version of ‘Gulspunnin’, lifted from her latest album ‘Segl’, out now. Produced by Lana Del Rey collaborator Dan Heath, ‘Gulspunnin’ is Copenhagen-based Eivør’s love letter to her childhood home on the remote Faroe Islands. ‘Segl’ – featuring appearances from Ásgeir and Einar Selvik of Wardruna – is the follow-up to Eivør’s widely-praised 2017 UK commercial debut, ‘Slør’, which triggered her debut on Later….With Jools Holland. Eivør soundtracked the latest series of Netflix/BBC flagship The Last Kingdom, and her music has previously been synched on Homeland & Game Of Thrones. The new video for ‘Gulspunnin’ is now streaming from here, with a new live version of the track also included on DSPs here.

With a title that translates from Faroese as ‘cocooned in gold’, the lyrics for ‘Gulspunnin’ were created as a poem written by Faroese poet Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs. Speaking about the track – which arrived alongside a music video directed by Icelandic visual artist Anna Maggy – Eivør says; The main inspiration behind ‘Gullspunnin’ came from a certain feeling I often get when I am back at home on the Faroe Islands. There is something intriguing about the light and foggy landscapes that creates some sort of nostalgic in between state of happiness and sadness – a longing for something intangible. I wanted to reflect this feeling and a certain timeless state of mind in this song. The poem written by Marjun tells a story about the soul, forever travelling alone but cocooned in shimmering gold. I have been fascinated by Anna Maggy for quite some time. In her work I could sense this same mood that I was in when I created the song. For me she really gave ‘Gullspunnin’ a visual home. It was a very deep and empowering experience to create this piece alongside these amazingly talented women.

Eivør is an artist perfectly attuned to the savage vicissitudes of nature. Born & raised in Syðrugøta, a tiny community of just over 400 people on one of the northerly Faroe Islands, Eivør grew up surrounded by the windswept landscape of the North Atlantic, a backdrop that has deeply influenced the elemental electronica she creates. ‘Segl’ – Eivør’s ninth album, since releasing her debut at just 17 – builds on these motifs, exploring the journeys we undertake, both metaphorically and physically. The title – meaning ‘sail’ in Faroese – alludes to our desire for growth and direction, and the role of fate.

Eivør immersed herself in music from 13, fronting a trip-hop band after discovering albums by Massive Attack and Portishead. Gigs soon followed, held afloat in rowing boats, in a huge cave on the island of Hestur. At 16 Eivør quit school, moving alone to Reykjavik to release her debut album and pursue classical singing training. She has since won the Icelandic Music Prize, twice – the first non-Icelandic artist to do so. Such itinerant tendencies have bled into her music, ‘Segl’ no exception. “My creative process can be very chaotic and abstract, so I need to find the space to dive deeper into it and sculpt it,” she says. “After sitting on songs for a year or more, I’d go in and edit the melody or the lyrics. Sometimes the production too. The whole album is very much about change, so it’s quite apt.” Working closely again with composer/producer Tróndur Bogason (also her husband), the extra space allowed Eivør to explore programming and production more thoroughly than ever before, focussed on a free flow of ideas, and enriching collaborations.