Five for Friday: 20th April 2018
Aurora - Queendom
RIYL: Lorde, Anna of the North, Skott
Earlier this week Norwegian singer/songwriter Aurora released her eagerly awaited new single "Queendom" which will feature as the lead single on her upcoming album which she hopes to release in Autumn this year. With her lovely warm vocals at the forefront she crafts a fantastic uplifting and uniting anthem.
Aurora said this of the track: "Queendom is about celebrating all the differences in us. It's about celebrating the women and the children and animals and the men also. The quiet ones and the introverts, where they can sing and be seen. It's about the shy people and the lonely people and I hope it can be a place where we can come and be lonely together and then not be lonely anymore. Queendom is a place for all of us."
Zane Lowe premiered the track and spoke with her about it on his radio show on Beats 1 which you can watch a short excerpt of here.
Fifth Dawn - Defying Symmetry
RIYL: Flyleaf, Dream State, Anavae
In 2014 to 2015, all hailing from selective performing arts and academic high schools, four talented young musicians formed alternative rock band Fifth Dawn, putting out a fantastic EP titled "The Horizon" and becoming Triple J Unearthed High Finalists. "Defying Symmetry" is their latest single leading up to the release of their debut album "Duality" next week, which you can pre-order on Bandcamp. The track has a great dynamic throughout and begins with a tense intro which quickly builds into a fast-paced melodic chorus with strong vocals from singer Sam Faul.
Stereo Honey - What Makes a Man
RIYL: Zola Blood, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Wild Beasts
With rolling drums, reverberant guitars and expertly delivered vocals, Stereo Honey offer their new single "What Makes a Man". The London indie-pop four-piece burst onto the scene last year with their debut single "Where No One Knows Your Name" and have continued to impress with their songwriting since.
Lead vocalist Pete Restrick says of the track: "What Makes A Man is loosely based around the Emma Payne poem 'The Boxer' in that it concerns a figure that starts to unravel. In the song the figure, like the boxer, is broken, clinging to some vestige of manhood even as it reveals itself to be fantasy. And yet, this figure clings to this fantasy with desperation, because it's the only thing that is known to it. Masculinity is regressive, it teaches young boys not to show vulnerability, not to talk about their feelings, never to show weakness, not to be afraid."
Capital Ghost - Officer
RIYL: Alex Lloyd, John Mayer
Last week, Miami-based singer/songwriter Tres Thomas known as Capital Ghost posted his latest song "Officer" on Twitter in response to #StarbucksWhileBlack. If you're not aware, this is in reference to an incident at a Starbucks store in Philadelphia last week where two black men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, were arrested while waiting on a real estate business associate to arrive for a meeting. The store manager called Police explaining the men had asked to use the bathroom but did not buy anything and had refused to leave. The pair had arrived at 4:35pm and six minutes later, officers arrived, arresting them and holding them for almost nine hours before all charges were dropped and they were released.
The song makes a powerful statement against racism and bias and is underpinned by bluesy indie instrumentation.
Laura Welsh - Atomised
RIYL: Jesse Ware, Joy, Young Summer
London-based artist Laura Welsh's delicate and soulfully sung vocals absolutely shine on her single "Atomised" released earlier this month. Atomised featured in the 2016 movie Fallen but hasn't been available separately until now thanks to many of her fans reaching out with praise and asking for it to be released. She's previously collaborated with John Legend and featured in the soundtrack for Fifty Shades of Grey. Since launching her See Red EP in November 2016, she's been writing for herself and for other people and has taken some time out, as she says "you need to live to write". The production on Atomised is minimal with soft percussion leaving space for Welsh to command the listener's attention with her lyrics and voice, and what a special treat it is.
Welsh says of the track: "It's a song about lost communication. When you know things are coming apart but you don't want to confront the other person or even yourself. The importance of overcoming your fears and saying how you truly feel." You can hear more about her on PressPLAY OK's recent podcast interview with her here.