"Love Don't Let Me Down" is an alt-pop hit about finding love in the digital age. Often times in today's society, we rely on social media as a means to find everything. We care so much about our social image and we've now resorted to technology to find love. Popular apps like Tinder and Hinge have risen to popularity and now everyone is constantly obsessed with swiping on matches and trying to find dates. Essy's newest single depicts the struggle we have by falling into a loop of going out and living the same day to day life. Hoping to find someone to love becomes exhausting and we tend to get burnt out and hopeless. Listen to "Love Don't Let Me Down" here https://open.spotify.com/track/61wEh7vQAMounXmaZM0x0U?si=43a386d00d0b4d09 On first listen, "Love Don't Let Me Down" gives off a very soul and country vibe. The Nashville born singer's roots are very prominent in the melodic lines. While there's very heavy synth and other common pop elements, the more country like lines find there place in this alt jam. I really enjoyed this combination of musical instrumentation, I felt like the overall feel was very free and unique. My favorite lyrics from this song were "I still go out till 6 in the morning with friends that I don't know". To me, being a college student, I really felt like these lines resonated with me. I think it's easy to feel lost and confused at this time in your life, especially when we have the weight of finding love also. We can get so wrapped up in things that don't matter, things that make up feel hopeless and unworthy that we look for distractions like this. I really like how honest and relatable this line was, it made me feel comforted to know that I'm not the only one facing this problem. Essy is a Nashville, Tennessee born songwriter and musician. At the early age of 11, Easy began teaching herself piano and writing her own songs, all from finding influence in her father's record collection. As a teen, Easy attended many songwriting programs at Berklee College of Music and others. In her residence years, she worked alongside young Indie-pop artist Sasha Sloan and songwriter Michael Pollack. Following her college graduation, Easy returned to Nashville to pursue music. Easy creates a unique and vibrant sound from her combination of raw lyricism and groovy synth beats. She continues to bring a fresh new sound to the music world and we can't wait to hear what else is in store for this pop icon! Written By Emily Hancock FOLLOW ESSY:

Life is definitely not easy, and there will be days when you feel down and ready to give up. It helps to have someone by your side to help you get through it. Whether it’s a lover or just a friend, they can make all the difference in your life. In “By My Side,” POLYDRIVE draws upon these feelings to express how, even in the worst situations—whether you’re “in the middle of the rain or the dead of night”—everything will be fine as long as that special person is by your side. This is someone genuine who keeps you grounded and secure, and—through everything—sticks by your side. No matter what. The song has a very nostalgic feel to it. With soft vocals and a hopeful guitar melody, the sounds are similar to those of popular indie pop bands like Valley and The True Blue. The music that POLYDRIVE creates is light and refreshing, and “By My Side” is definitely a song fit for a sunset drive during summer. The windows down, sunglasses on, shirt partially unbuttoned, and hair blowing in the wind type of vibe. POLYDRIVE is a bedroom pop duo, originally from the Boston area, comprised of brothers Cameron and Cole Tessier, who both discovered their love for creating music at a young age. They have released several singles and albums, and they have also mixed and mastered for other rising music groups across the country. With more than fifteen thousand listeners on Spotify, the rising duo is making waves in the music industry. Listen to their new single “By My Side” out now! Written By Chelsea Luo FOLLOW POLYDRIVE:

Passionate and truthful, Andi releases single, “Devil’s Work”, about the struggle of keeping up with social media and its effects on mental health. Often, we find pressure from society to put time and effort into creating a flawless looking life online. Our pictures must be posed right, edited and have perfect lighting in order to be presented to the world. Along with this, we face the challenge of also having to look the part of perfect. Beauty standards are obsessed over and ultimately unattainable. These two huge parts of our lives, are the most detrimental to our health. So much stress wasted on what we hope our image will be. We work to create a great looking life, when in reality, we are suffering and miserable. Our health and bodies taking a toll from the pressure and drama of life. “Devil’s Work” discussed topics many are scared to speak on publicly. The single boldly takes on this issue and does a beautiful job of uplifting the right images. “Devil’s Work” is a powerful ballad that dives deep into not only issues of today but also into musical ideas and concerts. The single is a heavily piano based concept with incredible falsetto vocals. Andi brings in a unique sound to the world of music, while she might seem like any other pop vocalist, her sound goes far beyond it. She sings with talent and pure beauty. Remaining in the high register all while retaining a smooth and angel like aura. When listening to “Devil’s Work”, I couldn’t help but feel moved in a way I don’t usually feel. Simple the combination of the melodic elements like the piano and smooth and soft synths, made an almost kind of hauntingly beautiful tone. Along with the movement of the music, the lyrics were a movement in of itself. So many people struggling behind the scenes to keep up with an impossible goal- Andi sheds light on the truth of it all. It made me feel desperately sad for all of us in today’s society, listening to this song that is being brutally honest. Andi paints this scene in a way that made me realize new things and also made me feel deeper about myself. The beauty of this tune is one to be admired and taken to heart. While relatively new to the music scene, Andi is no stranger to the art form. From singing at the age of 6, to writing songs at the age of 11, Andi has all the right experience to make a name for herself. Gathering more than 1 million followers on TikTok since the start of the year, along with 160,000 more Spotify followers, Andi has quickly become a name to know. To make matters more impressive, Andi began her career at the age of 19, and continues to shock her fans with her fast amounts of talent and passion for music. Andi has a goal of using self-awareness to connect with her fan base as she discusses trials and tribulations that come with age. This New Jersey native has so much more in store for her fans. Make sure you keep up with Andi, she’s a name you won’t want to forget! Written By Emily Hancock FOLLOW ANDI:

If you’re looking for something with smooth grooves and a ton of personality, ‘Amicably’ by Kahone Concept fits that bill exquisitely! It's about the tendency to deflect blame onto others and the victim mentality Kahone used to hide his heartbreak. He also admits that he wasn’t the greatest boyfriend; having been controlled by his insecurities. “There’s things that should be said, but he’s afraid that if he speaks, he’ll have nothing left.” The way Kahone approaches this topic is honest and engaging. He’s vulnerable down to the bones in his body. Yet, he also doesn’t mind having a little fun with it either! This retro-inspired tune has memorable piano and guitar motifs touched by the artist’s charming incandescence. “I'm not a trend, and this is overkill; let’s not pretend that there is more to this.” The chorus itself is like a smoke bomb; both masking Kahone’s sorrow in front of others and alluding to its inescapable grip on him. As he deciphers his mind further, he finally figures out what was holding him back for so long. In that regard, the upbeat ambiance used here really matches the energy of his rebounding self-love. Thus, the title of the song (meaning “a friendly/peaceful resolution”) is quite fitting. There’s even more to this than I’ve gone through, but seriously, I love all the layers in this! Ben Kahone’s artist journey as Kahone Concept is one of the most unique I’ve ever seen. He’s incredibly dedicated to music, becoming a multi-instrumentalist at a young age. In high school, he used his Texas Instruments calculator to start recording and producing tracks on his own. That’s certainly no small feat! Since then, this Pittsburgh-based pop artist has incorporated inspiration from the 70s and retro-futurism into reflections on his life. Did I mention that he made the music video for this song himself? And at 56 years old, he’s serving up flavorful singles like it’s nothing! Get this guy on your radar! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW KAHONE CONCEPT:

The instrumental portion at the beginning of your new single "Dorma" is really dynamic! You get that haunting yet alive feeling before the lyrics come in. What inspired this song? Honey Cellar: Lucy - A lot of the time, my riffs come to me when I’m just playing around on the instrument, experimenting with new rhythms or melodies. That’s how the instrumental foundation for this song came about! As soon as I came up with it, I knew it was something special and was really excited to bring it to my bandmate, Danny. At that point, I didn’t have lyrics or a melody for it. I’ll often come up with something instrumental and then bring it to the group to build a song. When I played it for Danny, he started coming up with a harmony guitar part right away, and then we had a duet! I wrote the melody and first draft of the lyrics while driving home from practice one night, singing them to myself in the car. The lyrics were inspired in part by the name I’d made up for the song while it was just instrumental— “Dorma.” The word sounded like the feeling of the song and when I later looked it up, I saw it meant “to sleep” in Italian and I stumbled across the opera aria “Nessun Dorma.” I took inspiration from some of the lyrics of Nessun Dorma— “none shall sleep, none shall sleep… vanish, o night, set, stars!” These were so dramatic, they inspired the theme of the end of humanity. This original draft of the song explored humanity from our evolution to our end in some apocalyptic or potentially climate change-based scenario. Danny later rewrote these lyrics substantially to make the song mainly about evolution and the cycles of the earth. Needless to say, it was much more positive! How did you all find each other and discover your unique sound as a group? Honey Cellar: Catherine - Three of us met when we attended Beloit College. Danny and I had a duo called Cat + Dan and we hit up Coughy Haus, an on-campus bar, occasionally to sing originals and our light-hearted takes on famous cover songs (like "Let it Be" but where neither voice takes the melody). Meanwhile, Lucy and Danny played together in an Irish group and a rock band in Chicago. We all got connected officially when we all moved down to Chicago. Joey - Because we all have different performance backgrounds and tastes, our sound came from trying out different combinations of styles and songs and seeing what worked for everyone. Like 'how traditional Irish can we go? How jazzy can we get? When can Catherine let loose on vocals?'. And this album is our answer to those questions. You all have performed in a lot of places. What has been your most memorable performance? Honey Cellar: Joey - Our tour last summer took us all throughout Illinois, from Urbana to Rockford with quite a few small towns in between, and every day on that tour is burned into my memory. I lost my wallet in Springfield and got sick halfway through, but in spite of that, it was so much fun. We played at shows at Groundhog Day gazebo, on Rock River, at a kombucha brewery, on the street, and on porches, and met so many wonderful people at each location. Catherine - I agree that the tour was super special because of the fact that it took place in smaller towns and we got to connect with the people that live in each place and learned more about our home state. What was interesting was connecting with people in each location as a transient presence (moving every day from town to town). That and camping throughout the experience left me with lots of warm memories. How has living in Chicago influenced you all and your music? Honey Cellar: Joey - Chicago has such a rich musical history in so many genres. I think it's influenced me to get out of my regular scene and experience as many different types of shows as I can. But for our music, working with so many stellar venues has pushed us to be more professional and prepared, and focused on bringing our best sounds to every show. Tariq has helped a lot in polishing our live sound and we're always talking gear with the bands we play with. Lucy - I think we were also influenced by the different genres we were exposed to growing up or living in Chicago. For example, when I was a kid, I went to an Irish fest (which are all over the city) and discovered Irish dance. That led me to Irish music, which became an obsession for years and drew me back into playing music again. You can really hear this Irish/folk foundation in a lot of my songs. In more recent years, we’ve all been inspired by the wealth of music coming up in Chicago around us and just from going to see so many shows. That gives our music more depth as we cross-pollinate from different sounds. You have a variety of instruments, such as the mandolin and violin, in your band. What drew you all to the instruments you play? Honey Cellar: Joey - I tried violin, guitar, and vocals in my youth. It wasn't until middle school when my friends were starting a band and needed a drummer, that I found an instrument that clicked right away. Lucy - When I was four, I was at the age where I wanted to copy everything my older sister did. She started taking piano lessons, so I wanted to start taking piano lessons. She started taking violin lessons, so I wanted to start taking violin lessons. Many years later, I wanted to pick up the mandolin because I was in an Irish group that already had so many fiddles and was looking for something different to add to the sound. We had a bouzouki player sometimes, and I loved the dense, rhythmic sound that added to the music and I thought mandolin would be an easy transition from violin because they have the same strings. Catherine - I started learning bass because, well, we needed bass! I had limited experience as an instrumentalist prior to joining Honey Cellar and so writing all these songs and bass parts were very new territory for me. Since beginning to play bass, I have gained so much more appreciation for music that highlights bass more such as funk, soul & R&B. What is your songwriting process like as a group? Honey Cellar: Joey- For this album, Catherine and Lucy were bringing tons of song ideas to the band. Tariq and Danny would contribute as songwriters to finish the parts and lyrics, and we all came together on the arrangement. Some of these songs were totally picked apart, and now we barely recognize the first demos. So it's very collaborative, sometimes painstaking, but everyone feels like they've contributed something at the end of it all. Catherine - This process is even something that has evolved over time. Our first album was a much more clear cut order of operations in terms of songwriting. In some cases, a song would only have one songwriter (because many of the songs were written prior to Honey Cellar forming) or there’d be single sections that could be attributed to another songwriter. Now, everything is so deeply integrated, from the lyric writing to the melodies to the chords and arrangement that there’s not a way that we could say any song has just one songwriter attributable to it and it’s really a joint effort. Group songwriting is hard on the ego (needing to completely scrap sections sometimes) but it’s made us all better at it being challenged to find different ways to express the ideas we want to share. Interviewed By Hannah Conkin FOLLOW HONEY CELLAR:

If you're looking for funky club or house music that will make you dance, "Trouble Maker" by Silent is definitely worth listening to. The upbeat nature of the song is sure to make you "shake your body in the club." With many layers of percussion, techno sounds, and fiery vocals, there's a hint of danger found within the rhythm of the song, perhaps one appropriate for the moment you feel sparks of electricity as you lock eyes with someone you fancy at the club. But you sense that they're a trouble maker, and it would never work out. The song begins with a heavy and steady beat, building up suspense to the chorus. Inducing a flurry of emotions coupled with a sense of danger and adventure, it's the perfect club song for intense romance with that heartbreaker you just can't shake. Silent (or Silent The Robot) is a rising DJ and music producer. But Silent is not your average DJ. According to Spotify, Silent is the "first robot artist who knows better than humans that feelings are hard to describe in words." The name "Silent" implies that there is no need for words when music can be used as a tool to communicate emotions and stories. With this perspective, Silent introduces a creative spin to electronic dance music. Written By Chelsea Luo FOLLOW SILENT:

"Little Boy" is imbued with a strong message, delivered artfully in the form of a song. What was the inspiration behind this song? Jennings: The idea for the song actually came a couple of years ago when I was working with a producer mate of mine. We were chatting about music production (I wasn’t producing at the time), and he jokingly said, "little boy, you’ve got a lot to learn in life”. Right when he said it I knew it was a great lyric and could be turned into a great song. So I immediately started writing ‘Little Boy’, a letter to your younger self about the struggles of growing up. What's the story behind the name Jennings Couch? Jennings: Simple, Jennings Couch is literally my real name haha. My dad is called Jennings Couch, and so was his dad, my grandfather. So technically speaking I’m Jennings Couch the Third. But the name is weird enough and I didn’t think it was necessary to make it even stranger :) Your website mentions that you wrote some of your first songs at 7 years old. What drew you to music and songwriting at such a young age? Jennings: When I was a kid growing up in New York City, one of my first introductions to music was Green Day’s album American Idiot. After hearing the album I immediately asked my mum for guitar lessons. That quickly turned into piano lessons, then drum lessons, and singing lessons. I developed a real passion for music, but I remember that I didn’t like learning songs written by other people. So I would ask my tutors to teach me how to make my own songs. And that’s how I started songwriting! Your music pulls from a variety of genres. Who are some of your biggest inspirations in the industry? Jennings: I got really interested in ‘Genre-Blending’ when I discovered Twenty One Pilots. The way they were blending pop, rap, and rock was so new to me and got me really excited about the possibilities because I’ve always been interested in different genres. Growing up I would listen to rock and metal but was always intrigued by bands that fused genres, like Linkin Park for example. Then I discovered Imagine Dragons and loved their big anthemic sound and powerful productions. So I take a lot of inspiration from artists like that, but also less well-known artists like Grandson and Ghostmane, who are more hip-hop and rock-based. What has your experience been like developing a unique sound? Any particular challenges that have come with that? Jennings: I don’t think it’s challenging to develop a unique sound. I think you need to start by making the music you like. Think about yourself as an artist, how you want to be portrayed, and how you want your music to come across. Once you master that and are confident in your sound, I believe the uniqueness will come naturally. However, it might be better to call it authenticity rather than uniqueness. What live performance of yours has been your favorite? Jennings: My favourite live performance to date was a show I played at The Fiddler’s Elbow in Camden, London a few years back. We were filming the gig to promote my latest single at the time, "Love Hearts". The artwork for "Love Hearts" is a pink winking emoji face, so we made all these masks that people could wear during the show. I remember being on stage and looking out into the crowd and seeing everyone in these weird masks, it looked so damn cool and I was so proud and humbled at that moment! The footage ended up looking awesome as well :) Interviewed By Hannah Conkin FOLLOW JENNINGS COUCH:

PAENDA released her motivational dance-pop single "Got Myself." This piece is about the internal journey of picking yourself back up when you have been knocked down. When we all face adversity or challenges in our lives, it can be enough to take everything out of us. Sure we may have some people to help pick us back up, but the true strength to stand back up again comes from within. The internal strength it takes to bounce back from any setback puts us back on top and has us feeling like ourselves again. PAENDA created this high-energy melody to match the confidence that she is instilling into her listeners through her music. This piece starts off with a more serious tone as there is a lot of focus on PAENDA's vocals as well as establishing the beat of the song. The lyrics during this part talk about what it feels like to be knocked down and to be "In a place where nothing grows." As the song inches towards the chorus, the pace, and energy of the song slowly start to pick up. More instruments are introduced, and the song transitions into the high-energy piece that it is. As for the lyrics, the lines become very motivational with lines such as "I found strength in all the ways that I've been hurt" and "I got myself and that's all I need." After each time the chorus is sung, there's a break for the melody to take over allowing for the high energy to take hold. The piece as a whole is truly motivational and is a fantastic ode to inner strength. PAENDA is a self-determined pop artist who is one of those people who was born to make music and perform. She began music in her early life by singing in a choir and picking up different instruments. She attended the Vienna Music Institute and graduated with honors in 2013, and went on to represent Austria in Eurovision 2019. Today, she makes music in her home studio in Vienna and finds just as much comfort writing pieces in the studio as she does performing up on a stage. PAENDA is one of the few women artists who do everything on her own. She writes and produces all of her pieces completely on her own, and is one of the most determined and hardworking artists in the industry. Written By Melina Darlas FOLLOW PAENDA:

In "Be Somebody," Fulton Lee expresses true confidence through his lyricism and his melody. This song is about that feeling you have when you are completely self-assured in who you are and what you deserve. There's no point wasting time on those who have lied to you because they're only going to hold you back. Lee emanates that certainty one feels when they're determined to turn into the best version of themselves. He's determined to be the best version of himself that he can be, and is leaving behind that person, or people, that hurt him in the past. This high-energy single will inspire the same power in its listeners. The song first starts out with a chill, lofi-style, beat; a complete contrast to what's to come. The song slowly intensifies as Fulton's vocals are added, the beat gets more prominent, and a bit of guitar gets thrown in there. Then there's a big boom factor once the chorus hits. The pace of the whole song picks up as Fulton speeds up his singing and more sound is thrown into the mix. Fulton's vocals keep listeners interested as he adds some spikes in his pitch to bring some higher octaves to the piece. The upbeat melody and vocals perfectly match the theme of the lyrics to create this motivational single. The lyrics contain lines such as "Never get me to walk that line that I walked" and "I've been telling you watch your back or get crossed" intensify the confident spirit that Fulton portrays in this piece. Fulton began releasing his music in 2016 under a sound dubbed "Bubblegum Funk." His sound contains components of the 1950s to create his groovy and colorful pop melodies. His debut EP, Baby Blue, released in 2018 kickstarted a flow of 10 singles being released over the course of the next few years. Fulton has started to mix his retro sound with modern-day pop in recent years. We're currently in the era of his debut album, Sonny Boy, as Fulton has begun releasing singles leading up to the album's release. The first single "White Skates" was released on March 18, and he plans on releasing more and more of the album in the coming months. Fulton is able to pull off both upbeat and chill pieces, and is able to surprise listeners by bringing diversity to today's music. Written By Melina Darlas FOLLOW FULTON:

“You’re better off alone than keeping heathens by your side.” Those were my favorite lyrics from Sydney Scotia’s song, “Bad Company.” In this song, Scotia reflects on living in a robotic nature. She dresses up to go another fancy L.A party and hang around fake friends who don’t really care about her. An outsider to the situation may say, “you need to find some new friends.” This is obviously easier said than done. Moreover, there is also the added fear of being completely alone. In an attempt to avoid this fear coming true, Scotia would rather be around bad company than have no company at all. This is a complete reversal of the beginning quote. This song starts out with a very sad guitar as Scotia sings, “another party, another night.” I anticipated that this would be the mood of the whole song. However, I was surprised (in a good way) when it changed direction. After the words, “we both know that’s a lie,” the beat drops and the music picks up speed with a grungy sounding guitar. I thought this was a good musical representation of sadness and anger. I would guess that she had to be feeling both of these emotions in her situation. Additionally, I liked how a lot of the lyrics rhymed. The song I previously wrote about also had many rhyming lyrics. I think this aspect makes Scotia’s song catchy. Personally, the rhyming helped me to pick up the words. Sydney Scotia is an Indie artist based in Canada. If you enjoyed “Bad Company” and want to hear more of her, you should check out “ETA.” Unlike “Bad Company,” this song has a happier demeanor. Instead of breakups, Scotia talks about new love and trying to get a crush’s attention. It gives off a great summertime vibe. You should definitely put it on the playlist for your next pool party! Written By Kelli Dixon FOLLOW SYDNEY SCOTIA:

This song is a full-bodied glass of red wine that matches the crimson velvet of the vintage armchairs in the low-lit lounge where it plays. Your date is late, but you actually don’t seem to care too much now. You were excited to meet them. But now you're distracted by this smooth, jazz-forward, r&b number that slowly spirals through cigar smoke. This track is warmth and comfort manifest, glowing in flickered reds and yellows. From the first word, the powerful yet understated vocals set the main grooves for the clean percussion and muted bass guitar to follow. Throughout the song, Rowe switches down into a low r&b flow that might sound familiar to fans of Jorja Smith. When the vocals clear from the track, it's for good reason, leaving room for the saxophone to anchor the song in the jazz-lounge atmosphere. The layered vocals tie things off nicely, acting, in effect, as the backup singers you would expect to see on stage. Alice Rowe is a singer-songwriter out of Hastings, UK who cites Amy Winehouse, Loyle Carner, and Sinead Harnett as some of her musical inspirations, and their influence is palpable on this most recent track of hers that shows off a curated blend of r&b, soul, trap, and jazz. Rowe began releasing music in 2019 and was met with support and acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1XTRA and Capital XTRA as well as online platforms Notion, Wonderland, and Spindle. For “As It Seems”, she has ditched some of the more overt pop elements that featured in her earlier work, claiming to have found the sound she was made to make. It is certainly hard to disagree with her, everything on the track just glides. I look forward to seeing Rowe flesh out her repertoire with this newfound vibe. Written By *George McSherry* FOLLOW ALICE:

‘Domestic Bliss’ by Sofia Lafuente is a fierce hug for all the worriers out there. GPAs? They’re just numbers, not your worth! Work stress? Throw it out the window and GET THAT BAG! Relationship uncertainty? Let it unfold and enjoy it while it lasts! This song says, “Screw the how!” to those pesky doomsday thoughts. Lafuente’s confidence is a message to seize today; to savor it with the ones you love. That in itself is amazing to hear! And when I say that this song will leave you spellbound, that's a promise! In this alt-pop tune, Lafuente merges vocal elegance with a healthy longing for her romantic interest. She describes the latter as “a moment’s taste of domestic bliss,” where her anxiety beautifully dissipates with the very thought of them. The synth and percussion-focused sonics really breathe life into Lafuente’s emotions, almost animating them. A clever tactic to bring this out is made clear when you compare the building pre-choruses with the powerfully vulnerable chorus. With a notable shift in her breathing, her worries about the future swiftly become confidence in the now! In acing the finer details of the song, Lafuente’s overall wow factor goes through the roof! Enter Sofía Lafuente, the British-Spanish alt-pop artist who debuted this incredible song with her new EP ‘Habits’ (which you should totally go stream!). This bilingual queen has shaped her sound around her heritage, where she’s embraced her Spanish roots and trans-continental upbringing. She picked up guitar at 13, after a significant back surgery limited what she could do. By the next year, her introspective songwriting flourished, and she became immersed in live performances and studio sessions. Inspired by artists like Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks and Shakira, Lafuente’s continuing to redefine her style with her most authentic music yet! Written By Kevin Rodriguez FOLLOW SOFIA: