whenyoung - A Little Piece Of Heaven (Official Video)

Originally from West Ireland, but these days resident in Ramsgate, the band that were to become whenyoung began in 2016 as Sisters. The fresh, introspective but uplifting indie pop they're making these days harks back to everything from early 80s synth pop bands to The Sundays to more recent acts such as Chvrches. Bono and Shane McGowan have both taken an interest and the band released their debut album in 2019.

'A Little Piece Of Heaven' feels like the taster for their second album so we'll see what the coming months bring us in the way of further music and announcements.

flowerovlove - Get With You

A short but (oddly) sweet take on aspiration and inspiration, the video to 'Get With You' was directed by flowerovlove's brother, Wilfred Cisse.

She says that the video is "a metaphor for chasing after your higher self, chasing after the person you want to be, your dreams and your goals. Joyce is going after flowerovlove from London to LA to pursue her dreams!"

The 17 year old South Londoner continues to create a buzz with every track she releases. She'll be playing both Reading and Leeds at the end of August and a full UK tour follows immediately afterwards. 

ENOLA - Strange Comfort (Official Music Video)

ENOLA, a Melbourne based singer/songwriter producer and multi instrumentalist, released their first EP back in 2019. 'Strange Comfort' has a real sense of dark post punk foreboding about it but it doesn't feel like a pastiche, instead it feels like that musical moment in time is being reinterpreted for the modern age with this song. They say of the track "There is a comfort in knowing that suffering can be a universal experience. We are alone, yet together in our aloneness"

There's a sense of chaos and unpredictability within the song, particularly in those moments when the spoken word elements overlap with the sung and the tempo switches up and down, creating a complex sense of texture. I reiterate what I've said recently about the current Australian punk scene: There is definitely something in the water at the moment. Something good.

The Linda Lindas - "Tonite"

This brief slice of energy and defiance from teenage punk superstars The Linda Linda's is a cover of a Go-Go's song. As such, it's very much a case of the new faces of LA punk saluting their illustrious and legendary forebears. The Linda Linda's began life as a covers band and have said that they've covered more Go-Go's songs than anyone else. 'Tonite' has been a favourite for a while, with the band particularly liking the sentiment behind the line "We rule the streets tonight until the morning light." An assured and insanely catchy piece of work that is made for summer.

Ellur - Close To You (Official Video)

I really love this emotionally raw, self lacerating punk pop take on love gone wrong. The video was filmed in Bridlington and perfectly suits the mood of the song. I hadn't encountered Ellur before I saw this video, and in fact she's only released a few tracks, but I am now expecting great things from her and looking forward to hearing more. 

Emma Back - If I Knew

I first came across the work of Emma Back when I was working as Music Editor at The F-Word. She sent me her song 'Shadow' and told me about her community musician and activist work. I was sufficiently intrigued to arrange an interview with her. 'If I Knew' sees her continue to work with looping and violin, but there's a summery feel to this take on introspection that feels refreshing. Always worth a listen. 

Miya Folick - Ordinary

It feels like it's been a couple of years since we heard from Miya Folick and, as such, 'Ordinary' is a welcome return. This quiet tale of introspection imposter syndrome sits well next to her earlier single 'Malibu Barbie'. 2018's Premonitions album never really seemed to get the attention it deserved, but despite this I am quietly keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that she's working on a new album.