Julian Tran is a 23 year-old songwriter from London. He was born and raised in Paris and came to London 6 years ago with the band he was playing in at the time (REV). After 3 years of playing concerts around London, he decided to focus on his solo projects.
From 2018 to 2019 he released several titles under his alias Sonic Eater and even started playing his own shows. From mid-2019 to now, he worked on developing the ‘Misery’ project
The project was delivered in 3 steps: First the ‘Misery’ single, then a Live Performance of the single shot in the 7th Sky Studios in Paris and finally, the ‘Misery’ Album. All this new material has been released under his real name as they no longer wish to use an alias.
Image Credits: Kiiara by Dennis Leupold; Felix Cartal by Trevor Brady
Spotify’s New Music Friday has always been one of our favourite places to discover the hottest and newest releases. Felix Cartal and Kiiara’s ‘Happy Hour’ is an unstoppable mix of happy vibes and enticing basslines that lead us down a road of mischievous drinking, a little partying and a whole lot of fun.
A self-described “loser-anthem” (in Felix Cartal’s own words), the single will leave all who hear it longing for a beach, a half-price cocktail and the simplicity of a summer break. The single is the first original piece of work that the two have released together however, the pair have been in contact for years – since Felix Cartal remixed Kiiara’s ‘Feels’ (which was also remixed by Jai Wolf and AWAY).
Kiiara has established a firm social media presence, with just under 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, nearly a million followers on Facebook and over 350k followers on Instagram. She’s collected over 2 billion streams across platforms, with features hit singles from DavidGuetta, LinkinPark, and CheatCodes to boost that number. However, her own work is quickly allowing her to take over the airwave. Check out the single with the dynamic duo below.
Lu’s irresistibly warm timbre sits alongside luscious electronic R&B infused instrumentals, delivering a rich tapestry of sound that ebbs and flows through an introspective journey of pain, self-discovery and empowerment.
The track opens with vocals twisting in and out of some delightfully distorted synth chords, before hitting a poignant catchy chorus, where a lucid, spacey bass line joins the dots between the song’s jazzy hip-hop beats and Lu’s rich, alluring voice.
Lu said about the single “The title British Daisy stems from the typically British trait of putting on a brave face, instead of saying what we mean and acknowledging the fact that we are all fragile. After being in an unhealthy relationship in which my self-worth was slowly eroding, this song talks through the fight to break out of a bad relationship and the bad habits they leave us with. ‘British Daisy’ speaks of a time where I found myself daydreaming of a life where I was happier, but didn’t have the strength to make it happen.”
Lu’s breathy, jazzy tones rest beautifully between soul and R&B. The artist grew-up in a home filled with music, listening to everything from the classic soul/jazz maestros of the 50’s and 60’s, like Nina Simone and Sam Cooke, to noughties RnB and Hip Hop outfits such as Outkast, Eminem, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse, this is where her love for songwriting and melody truly began. Since then, her contemporary influences have aligned with the times, citing Little Simz, Anderson Paak, Maverick Sabre and the Blue Note Re: imagined album as huge sources of inspiration.
Lu began writing her own songs at the age of 11, having joined the school choir and taken up singing lessons she quickly progressed into musical theatre, but at 19 realised that it wasn’t quite the right fit and subsequently, made the switch to creating and performing contemporary music.
The young artist recently graduated from the London branch of the BIMM Institute (British and Irish Modern Music Institute) and set to work on her debut EP ‘Notes to self’. It is a body of work that radiates warmth and a magnetic energy, woven together in a narrative that tells of the vulnerability and the solitary venture of self-discovery as a young woman. The 2020 pandemic hit just before the EP was completed and live dates were cancelled, but Lu used that time productively to complete the finishing touches remotely and concentrate on her songwriting. The result is a collection of musically detailed, immaculately produced treats.
Rosie Carney shares two final singles ahead of releasing her ambitious quarantine project covering Radiohead‘s seminal mental health album The Bends in its entirety on the 11th of December.
“The whole record is very relatable to me, but Bulletproof in particular really captured how lost I was feeling basically throughout the whole year. So many moments were spent wishing I was mentally stronger and wishing someone could just tell me what to do with my time every day.”
Like “Bones“ and “Black Star”, “Bullet Proof … I Wish I Was” also comes with a home-made video, the song and visual Carney claims as perhaps her most challenging on the album. “I’ve spent a good solid chunk of this year being afraid of literally myself” she says as she looks to capture the dynamic of her internal love/hate relationship.
“Nothing screams anxiety like really fast flashing lights, being half naked and staring down a camera lens at yourself for hours on end. I was completely alone (apart from my sisters hands in one of the shots) on my bedroom floor, which in itself comes with a vulnerability I usually wouldn’t share with the world. It was a weirdly safe but uncomfortable experience”
Tackling a ground-breaking stretch of pop history requires tact and dedication to make it your own. Rosie Carney’s personal connection to the music brings to bear her stunning take of The Bends. Read more about the project in her interview with NME.
“She transformed the whole album into ghostly, Carrie & Lowell-esque folk music” proclaims Stereogum. Co-produced by Rosie and JMAC (Luz, Haux), the project is a poetic example of things coming full circle – it’s not the first time Carney’s battles have dovetailed with her love of Radiohead. She recalls going to see them as a teenager and having an anxiety attack in the arena. She blacked out and woke up in the first aid room and covering the band has acted a a form of therapy, as, like so many others this year, her original career plans and mental health were derailed by the pandemic.
Rosie Carney’s version of The Bends is due for release on December 11th via Color Study and “Bullet Proof … I Wish I Was” is out now. You can pre-order the album here.
