Blazing a trail of future music to come, “Meteor” is the first of a series of planned releases from the Australian folk-pop duo due to impact in the coming months that will form their highly anticipated fifth album.
Inspired by the powerful forces of nature that reflect a tumultuous inner world, the track was recorded by the ocean in Victoria, Australia, and mixed in Canada. Of this sensual, string-laden new single, Charm of Finches say: “This song came out of a bit of a turbulent time, and contemplates the sometimes fraught relationship with the self. We’ve visited many dramatic landscapes this year - we hiked up an active volcano in New Zealand and visited the oldest rainforest in the world up in Northern Queensland. We think that witnessing the power and grandeur of nature really influenced the writing of this song.”
Directed and edited by Charm of Finches, the track is accompanied by a bewitching official video featuring elegant choreography and shamanic feathered costumes hand-crafted by the band. Of the visuals, the band add: “We love to create music videos that are sort of like mini short films. We drew aesthetic inspiration from Yellow Jackets with a sprinkle of Narnia. We got out the glue guns and handcrafted elven twig crowns and feathered costume pieces, and even painted an animal skull mask. We collaborated with our incredible friends who helped us design and put together the costumes, source props as well as dance and act in it! We wanted to capture a magical, powerful, natural world and incorporate the beauty of the Australian landscape.”
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| Photo - Marthe Thu |
Northern Norwegian duo Konradsen - the project of Jenny Marie Sabel and Eirik Vildgren - returned Friday with new single 'Nick of Time', a moving collaboration with Chicago songwriter Gia Margaret. Released alongside an animated visual made by Jacob Grönbech Jensen (Kelly Lee Owens, Prins Thomas), the song captures a fragile space between stillness and change. Two acts who have built worlds out of quiet precision and emotional restraint, Konradsen and Gia began exchanging ideas between their studios in Oslo and Chicago after years of mutual admiration.
The resulting collaboration unfolds as a spectral meditation on patience and uncertainty. The song’s delicate keys guide its opening, falling like droplets atop the angelic harmonies of Gia Margaret and Konradsen, with the line “I am able, I am capable / I am worn out, alive” standing as a deft summary of what it feels like to endure transformation.
Speaking on the song's lyrical inspiration, Jenny Marie Sabel of Konradsen said: "I was going through a lot of big changes in my life at the time. Everything felt like it was moving so fast, and every big decision seemed to come down to the very last moment. I’ve always been what you’d call a slow changer — I can happily do the same thing for years, while some people love jumping into new projects all the time. I like routine and process, and I don’t like to rush into things. Over the past couple of years, I’ve asked myself over and over: “Will we find a solution?”, and somehow, things always seem to fall into place in the end."
Gia Margaret added: "When Jenny sent me Nick of Time it blew me right over! I was asked if I could contribute to it while I was in the thick of finishing up a record of my own and I had no business taking it on… but I couldn’t look away. I felt totally immersed in her voice and words and it offered some room for playfulness. It was so easy to sing with Jenny’s beautiful and effortlessly cool voice. I also filled all the spaces I could with synth and piano. I’ve always felt some affinity with Konradsen’s production style so it felt like second nature. I hope this is the beginning of many more collaborations with this wonderful band."
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Norwegian singer-songwriter Anna of the North just announced her long-awaited new album Girl in a Bottle, will be out December 5, alongside the release of brand new single "No One Knows You Better", out now via Play It Again Sam.
Deeply personal yet universal, Girl in a Bottle is Anna of the North’s most vulnerable record yet, as she captures the dopamine rush of new romance, the fleeting fragility of modern love, and lasting heartache when it all dissolves. With production by Starsmith (JADE, Kylie Minogue, Ellie Goulding) and Sebastian Furrer (COBRAH, Avicii) Anna’s melancholic tone is transcendent across the 8 tracks of ‘Girl in a Bottle’, and though the 80s hued sonics point to hope and nostalgia, there is a signature sadness at the core.
The album features the swirling, lovelorn single "No One Knows You Better", with the refrain of the title gently repeated, allowing Anna to bare all. It follows on from the glistening, crystalline pop anthems "Call Me", "Waiting For Love" and "Give Me Your Love Back".
Over the years Anna of the North has received critical acclaim for her albums Lovers (2017), Dream Girl (2019) and Crazy Life (2022), gaining support from the likes of Billboard, Vogue, London Standard, i-D, FADER, NME and so many more. Her sound has transcended all around the world, generating a total of 550M+ streams. Anna’s music has earned her a Norwegian Grammy for single "Dream Girl", alongside co-signs and collaborations with the likes of Tyler The Creator, Frank Ocean, Steve Lacy, Dua Lipa and G-Eazy.
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From Basel comes the perfect soundtrack for autumn: Older Now, the singer-songwriter project of Swiss musician Philipp Bäni, releases “Tide” — a delicate, atmospheric single full of depth and warmth. Fans of bands like Calexico or artists such as David Gray, as well as lovers of indie folk in general, will especially appreciate the Basel musician’s sound.
Between earthy folk tones and dreamy melancholy, “Tide” draws listeners into a world where a rough-edged voice, clear songwriting, and a gently pulsing rhythm merge into an evocative sonic landscape.
Philipp Bäni is known as a versatile musician who enjoys carrying his art beyond genre boundaries. After various artistic ventures, Older Now returns with “Tide” to the roots of folk-pop – honest, introspective, and full of expansiveness. An invitation to drift – with the rhythm of the tides and the sound of one’s own thoughts.
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