Who? Carolines
What? Taxi
Why we love it? A high energy indie-rock anthem filled with attitude, strong vocals, and a hook so catching it will be stuck in your mind for weeks. ‘Taxi‘ showcases Carolines on top form with excellent songwriting, detailed musicianship and tons of charisma. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: The Fratellis, Arctic Monkeys
Who? Dream English Kid
What? I See Red
Where? Manchester
What they say? ‘I See Red’ was written a few years ago; a product of growing up in a confusing and weird world. We really tried to capture the feeling of uncertainty and darkness in the lyrics, whilst also generating this weirdly positive energy we get from feeling so lost. The drive to make something good and express a feeling which seems prevalent amongst our generation. We revived it recently and recorded, mixed, and made the artwork ourselves, which is important to us as we feel like this has been the best way to capture our collective emotion within the song and keep it as our own.
Why we love it? Moody, dark and melodically delicious, draped in layers of smooth vocals and swirling guitars. ‘I See Red‘ sounds like it was pulled straight from the soundtrack of a cult classic from the silver screen. It marches forth with such confidence and by the end, we are surrounded by a storm of drums and guitars, it’s truly beautiful stuff. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Daughter, Perfume Genius
https://soundcloud.com/dream-english-kid/i-see-red/s-ZFC6IbelaYQ
Who? Cub Sport
What? I Feel Like I Am Changin’
Where? Australia
What they say? I wrote this song at the end of 2019 upon arriving home after months of back-to back touring. I was so happy to be back in Brisbane and it felt like I was seeing everything through fresh eyes; all the beauty that had been there all along. There’s freedom and joy to be found in a mindset of abundance and that’s really what this song feels like to me – gentle and soaring freedom.
Why we love it? Beautiful, dreamlike, and tender. Soft vocals graze over the repetitive drums and pull us deeper into the serene soundscapes crafted by Cub Sport. There’s a timeless quality to this song that gets better with each listen. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Allie X, Caroline Polachek
Who? Riun Garner
What? Fabric
Where? Vancouver
Why we love it? There’s a quality of pure honesty on show in ‘Fabric‘ that elevates the track beyond its indie-acoustic roots. The simplicity of the instrumentation allows us to focus on the vocal which sits beautifully over the track, highlighted with a clunky piano with an oddly beautiful tone, it’s the perfect track to kick back and relax to. Sit back and surround yourself with its beauty. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Mumford & Sons, Mystery Jets, The Maccabees
Who? Pat Lok
What? No One (No One)
Where? LA
What they say? Musically, I set out to write a dancier record, shifting towards the club with classic sounds (and hardware synths) and an almost pan-Asian sonic palette. My family is from Singapore originally, so I used various bits of percussion and melodic inspiration from the broader region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand).
Why we love it? Sometimes it’s the right choice to go back to basics and present a song that follows its roots, this house number from Pat Lok is an instant classic. Dressed up in detailed production, stunning tones, and memorable melodies – it doesn’t do anything unexpected and flows all the better for it. (Lloyd Best)
FFO: Calvin Harris, Anoraak
Who? Ivan Dorn
What? Wasted
Where? Kiev, Ukraine
Why we Love it? Dorn is a fascinating character in himself. A massive pop star, DJ and TV personality in his native Ukraine, he’s taken an unexpected but delightful leftfield turn of late, teaming up with Ninja Tune’s Seven Davis Jr and experimenting with UK garage and freaky soul influences. This track is culled from his last LP OTD, its dusting off justified by a truly spectacular Hollywood-standard promo created by visual effects specialist Denys Shchukin (Fantastic Beasts, Logan, Final Fantasy XV). The perfect visual accompaniment to this hyper funk workout, we love the fireballs and explosions a lot – and Dorn’s unconvincing purple-wigged transvestitism evermore. (Ben Willmott)
FFO: Stevie Wonder, Prince, Mark Ronson.
Who? Ailsa Tully
What? Edge
Where? Cardiff/London
What they say ? Ailsa Tully is creating an ethereal world that is rooted in folk with darker undertones. Inspired by choral music, folk, and indie her sound is haunting, tender, and powerful. Her lyrics are both honest and poetic, often exploring feminism and her experiences of being female in her writing. Ailsa has an all-female band which brings her songwriting to life, from modal harmonies and driving rhythms to tender emotive melody lines.
Why we love it? Swimming in reverb, a scruffy instrumental tangle with parred back arrangements, the Edge is an affectingly personal exploration of a summers evening she spent by Kings Cross canal when she realised she was stressed about absolutely nothing and was incapable of relaxing like everyone else. Dreamy yet sharply honest, Tully’s bruised vocal balancing delicate pretty melodies that are shot through with introspective heart on the sleeve quality that indicates artistic depths. (Bill Cummings)
FFO: Rozi Plain, Fenne Lily, Phoebe Bridgers
