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| Photo - Brandon Mosquera |
Noted indie darling Tamar Berk is excited to share “if u know, u know”, the second single from her upcoming third album tiny injuries, out August 18th. The new single “if u know, u know” comes on the heels of last month’s first single “drop in the bucket”.
"If u know, u know" utilizes Tamar Berk's spirited vocals to explore existential crises caused by loss, reminiscent of Soccer Mommy, Aimee Mann, and Liz Phair for an alternative pop edge.
In describing the new track, Tamar Berk writes: “I recently learned that we are always mourning something...a child leaving home, houses, cities, jobs, friends, marriage, a death, ourselves...our youth." Getting older has its advantages...but what I dislike most is how long the list of things I mourn has become. When you know, you know."
Her lyrics hint at her existential crisis, where she's still coping with feelings of confusion, isolation and dislocation after her dad's absence: "The sun comes up but I'm already down/Wander from room to room, but you're nowhere to be found."
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Indie-soul singer songwriter Chonna is proud to release her new single "Teach Me".
Chonna is gearing up to release her forthcoming LP “Don’t Judge” later this year, which trapezes complexities of life such as self-acceptance, growth, and human relationships. The first taste of the album, "Teach Me" accurately represents the different types of seeds required to plant a healthy partnership. Another underlying theme the track uncovers is the struggle to fully accept and love oneself.
Recorded at The Music Vault Academy in Orange County, "Teach Me" trades out a more conventional song approach for a stripped down ballad setting. Underneath a strong piano motif and choir-like backup vocals, Chonna’s emotional lyrics glisten. In addition, a bouncy guitar riff wiggles its way in at certain parts of the track, adding a funklike vibe to the aforementioned atmosphere.
Chonna’s musical endeavors continue to stray towards healing and self-discovery, and her songs are open invites for others to embark on that journey with her. On "Teach Me", the concept of self-love is vitalized. The uplifting track showcases the doubts and uncertainties present when entering a new relationship, and hopes to normalize these feelings. Sonically, Chonna’s unique vocal timbre is reminiscent of Sigrid and Anna of the North.
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Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jess Nolan has released “Windowpanes,” the latest single and its hypnotic, accompanying video from her forthcoming LP, ‘93. The 10-track treasure is due on September 8th via Ani DiFranco’s label, Righteous Babe Records.
"Back in the summer of 2021, I picked up an old beater guitar that had been collecting dust on my wall. I’ve been a piano player my whole life but something about strumming in open tuning helped me tap into a childlike state to channel 'Windowpanes,'” Nolan recalls. “It came through after a heated phone call with a friend about a political topic that we vehemently disagreed on. Talking to them felt like hitting a brick wall.”
“This song is meant to be a meditation for finding common ground. It’s become a white flag for the difficult conversations we find ourselves in with people close to us. Empathy can be a window to understanding,” she adds. “To record it, I brought in my dear friends, Katie Pruitt and Kyshona, and we stood around one mic to sing the chorus - a call for unity in the face of so much divisiveness." The video was created by fellow artist Grouch Bucket, who animated Nolan’s visual art.
Nolan is an old soul and a skilled creator who continuously channels a palate of creative endeavors. A member of Jenny Lewis’ all-female touring band, she is an in-demand collaborator, lending her writing, vocal, and instrumentalist talents to projects by artists like Joy Oladokun, Katie Pruitt, Lydia Luce, and more.
The seeds of her new LP, ’93, sprouted in the height of 2020. In the midst of the initial involuntary stillness, she planted a backyard vegetable garden, moved her involvement in mentoring young female songwriters online, and traveled back to her New Jersey hometown to stay with family for weeks at a time. In the face of uncertainty, strong, deeply-rooted feelings came pouring out, resulting in 10 poignant reflections on rebirth, reconnection, and mindfulness.
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On what will be his first album since 2018’s ‘Wakelines’, Colin MacIntyre’s upcoming album ‘In My Mind There’s A Room’ was written in collaboration with thirteen world-renowned authors; each of whom were asked to write about a room of special significance to them.
Enlisting the talents of Nick Hornby, an author whose passion for music is well-documented across his bestselling pop-fiction classics like ‘High Fidelity’, ‘Juliet, Naked’ and ‘About A Boy’, the pair’s meeting of minds has produced the anthemic new song “Panicked Feathers”.
Written by Hornby (with additional music and lyrics added by MacIntyre), the single transports the listener back to his teenage bedroom through lyrics laced with the mischief and adventure of self-discovery and coming of age.
Remembering that room in “Panicked Feathers”, Nick writes: “Outside my bedroom there was a flat roof // The garage roof where cats came through // My bedroom sat at the top // And sometimes they’d bring birds dead or dying // And sometimes they would drag them in // Over my teenage face // But who knows with cats with cats? // And I learned to climb // Outside of that window // With a friend we’d smoke outside // Dangled legs in the sun on the roof // Imagining the world was smaller than us…”
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