This week in my Fresh Indies feature, I’m featuring eight up-and-coming Indie artists with some of the best new and notable music that I’ve heard all week. The tracks span genres and styles, blending Indie pop, alternative R&B, acoustic, and soul. Featured artists include New Zealand’s Nomad, Eden from Ireland, Nick Fabian out of Nashville, Canada’s own Liana, the soulful Jeyhan, rising star Elley Duhé, acoustic duo Into The Ark, and songwriter Emily Warren.
Nomad – “All of my Heart”
New Zealand’s Nomad are a young, inspired trio with over 4 million streams under their collective belt on Spotify alone, and with an addictive single like “All of my Heart”, it’s easy to hear why.
Nomad are Aasha Mallard, Will McGillivray and Cullen Kiesanowski, a trio that came together over varying musical tastes in school, and then spent the last four years working on their music, and opening for the likes of The Vamps, Hanson, Marlon Williams, Fly My Pretties, and Dave Dobbyn.
The timber of the vocals is deep and rich as the song opens, and then they soften as the trio’s catchy rhythm takes over with the chorus. Nomad has incredible musical chemistry, a consistently impressive sound, and they obviously love what they’re doing. That all comes through in their music, and it’s one of the reasons I enjoyed the track so much.
Watch the video for the track on YouTube and tune into their YouTube channel to check out more of their work.
Eden – “love; not wrong (brave)”
Eden‘s “love; not wrong (brave)” sneaks up on you. The track opens with his soft, steady vocals that climb to a tremendous, powerful beat, layered with tremulous, lo-fi distortion. The anthemic track then breaks into a bridge that doubles down on the rock beat, before the song dips back down to soft, plaintive vocals again. The arrangement is complicated, and unique, and it’s beautiful, challenging, chilling and plaintive all at the same time. The track is brimming with honesty and emotion.
Eden recently released his new album, Vertigo, and the experience is equally disruptive and ambitious. The sound is experimental and nearly impossible to define. As an experience, the album really makes you listen, and pay attention, and tells a deep-welling story that seems to spring out of Eden’s soul, all influenced by a wide range of genres. You can stream or buy the full album now.
Nick Fabian – “Stuck In My Head”
“Stuck In My Head” sums it up pretty well. I dare you to listen to Nick Fabian‘s addictive single and forget about it. The track is unforgettable, and I was humming along with Fabian for the rest of the day.
Fabian’s voice is totally charming and easy on the ears, and the lyrics, and the production, are ambitiously fun. The single has the feel of old-school influences, while capturing a mood that wouldn’t be out of place on a Michael Bublé album, if Bublé was just a little younger and feeling a little funkier.
Fabian is currently working on releasing a single every month in 2018, and the Nashville-based singer and songwriter says he draws inspiration from a wide field of contemporary artists, from classic Motown legends to pop, soul, and hip-hop. His music is genuine, and genuinely fun, and among the five other tracks on his recent EP, it’s easy to find favourites that show off Fabian’s skill at adapting classic style to modern pop ideals. The beats are quick, and steady, and they will get you up on your feet and dancing.
Liana – “Prime Time”
Canadian singer and songwriter Liana has been on an adventure that has taken her on an emotional journey, and the result was a stunningly simple and beautiful music video that was shot in Peru for her single, “Prime Time”.
The song talks about what it takes to keep going, even when it seems like doing anything else is impossible.
Liana’s sound is a fusion of pop and alternative R&B, balanced with modern soul and static electro pop. Her voice flies and soars one moment, before she drops into a staccato rap, giving “Prime Time” the feeling of deep earth, and soaring skies. The song is striking and unique, and it’s clear that Liana has worked hard to reach this point in her creative journey.
When she was young she discovered R&B music, which left a lasting impression that still helps define her style. In 2016 she released her first single, “On The Run” followed by the hit “Good Intentions”. Now, at the age of 25, Liana is hitting her stride as she continues to define her sound for the world.
Watch the video for “Prime Time”.
Jeyhan – “Games”
From Jeyhan‘s debut EP, Altered Love, “Games” is soulful, riveting, and shows off the young singer’s incredible range and versatility. The emotionally driven song peers into the hurt and anguish of a troubled relationship, when the other person is just not giving anything back.
Blending pop and R&B with modern soul, Jeyhan’s EP is an expressive glimpse into his story, and talents. In 2015 he wrote his first single, “Own It” followed by “Whatever It Takes” in 2016, and now with this release he’s venturing into more stylish, seasoned songwriting and vocals, with even more depth and power.
Watch the video for Jeyhan’s “Games”.
Elley Duhé – “Can You Touch”
Elley Duhé is an electric rising star with a single that is mind-blowingly refreshing. The pop/alternative R&B track “Can You Touch” is the perfect platform for Duhé’s stunning, powerful vocals, and her lyrics, and the beat, are unforgettable. Her vocals are also unmistakable, and her influences–from U2 to Missy Elliot and Tupac–have subtle and profound impressions on her style.
For her single “immortal”, Duhé earned 5 million streams on Spotify, and that seems like it’s likely just the beginning for this multi-talented singer.
The full version of her single is an incredible fusion of sounds, but you can also listen to a stripped-down version of the single “Can You Touch (Stripped)” on YouTube.
Into The Ark – “Burning Love”
Elvis Presley made “Burning Love” famous around the world, but Into The Ark have reinvented the single in almost every way, breaking the song down to acoustic roots, and building it back up with unforgettable, plaintive vocals.
With their cover of “Burning Love”, the song sounds brand new, but they’ve also built on the power of writer Dennis Linde’s lyrics. You also need to check out their track “Underneath The Sun”, which showcases their absolutely fun, driven pop/acoustic sensibilities.
Touring the U.K. in February and March, the duo have been performing the song for a couple of years now, and they’ve opened for a number of big acts, including Paolo Nutini, Olly Murs, Model Aeroplanes, and Gabrielle Aplin.
Watch Into The Ark’s acoustic video for “Burning Love”.
Emily Warren – “Poking Holes”
Emily Warren has worked with some of the biggest names in music today–writing songs for The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Dua Lipa, Sean Paul, and Charli XCX–but with her solo single “Poking Holes” she’s stepping into the light with a song that is obviously very personal.
Simple, honest, and striking, Emily Warren’s “Poking Holes” is a pop song with a great, big beating heart. It’s about a couple near the end of their relationship because promises keep being broken, and all of the “small things” have been adding up for a long time. The song seems to speak from experience, and that makes it all the more heartfelt and real, with Warren’s vocals feeling earnest and just a little broken down.
Watch the video for “Poking Holes”.
January ’18 Fresh Indies on Spotify
Stay tuned next week for our latest volume of Fresh Indies. Send us your music on SubmitHub.
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