Sun Moon Sky is a British-Swedish duo — Jenny (vocals) and Joe (production) — that can trace their history back some time: They’ve worked together for years with each other and in other projects, including a project that ended up on a label, touring and with material on soundtracks, while landing a Top 10 hit before calling it a day after complications and drama.
For the British-Swedish duo, Sun Moon Sky is a creative reset, in which they craft music that they describe as sad-but-hopeful, cinematic-yet-intimate pop that’s a island of empathy and escapism for these complicated times — both for themselves and for listeners. Sonically, the duo creates epic soundscapes that sees them pairing analog synths, programmed arpeggios, live instrumentation, drum machines and Jenny’s blues-influenced vocals. They describe their sound as seemingly existing in the space between several different genres and styles, and note that some have dubbed their sound art pop, apocapop, alt rock, electronica, sci-fi blues and more.
Late last year, I wrote about the swooning “State of Grace,” an intimate yet cinematic bit of pop featuring twinkling keys, buzzing power chords, skittering four-on-the-floor paired with Jenny’s expressive delivery and the duo’s penchant for crating rousingly anthemic hooks that at points seemingly nodded at Eurythmics “Here Comes The Rain Again” and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” and Michael Jackson‘s “Beat It.”
The duo begin 2024 with the slow-burning and dramatic “Into The Light.” Built around gated reverb-soaked drum beats, Jenny’s gently vocodered vocals, lush layers of atmospheric synths and bursts of bluesy guitar, “Into The Light,” continues a run of shimmering and cinematic material rooted in earnest, heart-worn-on-sleeve intimacy that recalls Kate Bush and others.
Toronto-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Matthew Cooke is the creative mastermind behind the emerging indie pop project Mawzy. And with the project’s debut EP Escapism and full-length debut, last year’s Long View, Cooke quickly developed an approach that sees him penning lyrics that capture the “unnavigability” of life and romance in his hometown paired with lush synths and crafted melodies.
Georgia Reed is an Aussie-born, London-based singer/songwriter and pop artist, who relocated to the UK back in 2019. After relocating to the UK, Reed spent the next fiver years, making a home for herself and carving a niche as a songwriter with a penchant for dark, moody material paired with cryptic storytelling. Speaking on her decision to relocate, Reed says “’I’d always been influenced by UK bands and artists. It played a really big part for me.”
Late lsat year, Reed shared “Haunted,” her first bit of new material since she relocated to the UK, and the first of four singles slated for release over the next few months to build up buzz for her long-awaited debut EP scheduled for a March release. “Haunted” paired a relentlessly driving rhythm section punctuated with dramatic drumming, phased-out synths paired with Reed’s smoky and expressive vocal. To me, the song was a hook-driven anthem that sounded as though it could have been inspired by Stevie Nicks‘ early 80s output with nods to much more contemporary fare, like Lana Del Rey and others while being rooted in lived-in, deeply personal experience: in this song’s case, that feeling of suddenly having the rug pulled out from under you.
“I wrote ‘Haunted’ many years ago, at a time when my whole life had changed suddenly,” Reed says. “I would play it acoustically at shows, but It wasn’t until we started recording it that I realised it was probably my favourite song I’ve ever written.”
Reed begins 2024 with “Back in Time,” a slow-burning and melancholy pop ballad featuring reverb-drenched beats, glistening and atmospheric synths, fluttering bass synths, boom bap-like drumming serving as a lush bed for Reed’s smoky and expressive croon detailing the achingly Romantic longing for a long lost love and a past that you can’t ever get back. While sonically recalling Kate Bush and JOVM mainstays ACES, the song as Reed explains is “for everyone who has ever thought of what would have or could have been, even if they really were just rose-coloured glasses.”
Deriving her name as a tribute to the legendary jazz drummer Ornette Coleman, Paris-based Italian-French singer/songwriter, composer and pianist Ornette was initially known for playing piano for Alain Bashung and acting for Jacques Rivette. Ornette stepped out into the spotlight as a vocalist with 2012’s Crazy, which featured album title track “Crazy,'” a track went viral when electronic act Nôze remixed it.
2021’s Aishiteru featured “Such A Game,” a slow-burning and atmospheric trip-hop-meets-dream pop tune built around glistening keys, thumping boom bap-like beats, a sinuous bass line paired with the Italian-French artist’s expressive delivery. Recently Don Turi remixed “Such A Game,” turning the slow-burning pop into a sultry, Octo Octa-like deep techno/house banger that pairs the Italian-French artist’s expressive delivery with skittering, tweeter and roofer rattling thump, and glistening synth arpeggios.
Back in 2007, music teacher Mary Fawcett and her husband, trombone player, Jeffrey Fawcett had a dream of opening their own recording studio, where they would hire their talented friends as employees — and share their passion for music with others for the rest of their days. Tragically, before the couple could begin the project, they were faced with the unimaginable: Jeffrey was diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer and died two months later. He was 54.
After Jeffrey’s death, a heartbroken Mary Fawcett swore to herself that she would never play music again, and even considered quitting her job teaching at Frank Antonides Middle School in West Long Branch, NJ, where she taught for a decade. But there was one thing that kept her moving through the school’s hallways: the light and talents of two of her students, Juilliard-trained vocalist David Smolokoff and Monmouth University graduate Francesca Fuentes.
Almost 16 years later, a 68 year-old Fuentes recruited her two former students to join the disco-inspired outfit Dance For Me Mary. When Fawcett called Fuentes about a possible collaboration between them and Smolokoff, Fawcett was surprised to discover a parallel between her and Fuentes: Fuentes was in the middle of separating from her partner and producer Max Wolf. Although Fuentes agreed to join the project, there were initially questions on who would be producing. After multiple failed attempts, all of the collaborators agreed to enlist Wolf a a producer.
Before they all started working together, Wolf and Fuentes were reminded of an important agreement held between them: Even if they didn’t succeed as a couple, they would always be bound by their shared love and passion for music. The result is Dance For Me Mary’s latest single “Karma,” a hook-driven and breezy bit of disco funk that to my ears sounds like one-part The Doobie Brothers/Michael McDonald, one-part Cher, one-part Donna Summer and one-part Bee Gees — and they do so in a warmly nostalgic yet playfully anachronistic manner.
The collaborators explain that “Karma” tells the story of a manipulative control free, who lies for their own benefit — and fittingly, they see their well-deserved comeuppance.
Marta Vega is a Milan-born, London-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who taught herself how to play guitar as a teenager, and then started to write her own songs. Over the past several years, Vega has been playing gigs across London and Milan, developing an emotive, dark pop sound, influenced by PJ Harvey, Portishead, Massive Attack and The Cure. During that same period, she also has developed a reputation for a captivating stage presence that sees her accompanying herself on synth, guitar and electronic percussion.
Vega’s debut single “Underwater” was released back in 2021. She recently released her sophomore single, the Andrea Tripodi-produced “The Kill,” is a melodic and brooding bit of hook-driven, 80s inspired pop that sounds a bit like a sleek and seamless synthesis of Stevie Nicks‘ smash hit solo work of the early 80s, Garbage and The Kills with Vega’s haunting, pop goddess vocal floating over a pulsating synth bass line, staccato beats, buzzing power chords.
“The lyrics explore the internal battle between logic and passion, reason and impulse,” Vega explains. “It’s about being aware of self-destructive behaviours but not being able to escape them.”
Directed by Luke Shelley, the accompanying video for “The Kill” is shot in a gorgeously cinematic black and white, that capture the longing, lust, and the never-ending battle between reason and impulse that’s at the heart of the song.
Vega’s forthcoming debut EP is slated for release in 2024 and will feature a collection of material that she has been working on while splitting her time between the studio and work.
Sun Moon Sky is a British-Swedish duo — Jenny (vocals) and Joe (production) — that can trace their history back some time: They’ve worked together for years with each other and in other projects, including a project that ended up on a label, touring and on soundtracks while landing a Top 10 hit before calling it a day after complications and drama. For the duo, Sun Moon Sky is a creative reset, in which they craft music that they describe as sad-but-hopeful, cinematic-yet-intimate pop that’s a island of empathy and escapism for these complicated times — both for themselves and for listeners.
Sonically, the duo creates epic soundscapes that sees them pairing analog synths, programmed arpeggios, live instrumentation, drum machines and Jenny’s blues-influenced vocals. They describe their sound as seemingly existing in the space between several different genres and styles, and note that some have dubbed their sound art pop, apocapop, alt rock, electronica, sci-fi blues and more.
Clocking in at a little over 3:30, Sun Moon Sky’s latest single, the swooning “State of Grace” is an intimate yet cinematic bit of pop featuring twinkling keys, buzzing power chords, skittering four-on-the-floor paired with Jenny’s expressive delivery and the duo’s penchant for crating rousingly anthemic hooks.
Jules de Gasperis is a French-American singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, who initially started his career behind the scenes working with the likes of Ratatat and KUNZITE‘s Mike Stroud and Low Hum. de Gasperis’ latest musical project Edgar Everyone sees the French-American singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer stepping out into the spotlight as a solo artist — with a unique sound, approach and style that he developed through his work as a producer.
de Gasperis sees Edgar Everyone as a project that will allow him to fully explore himself as a musician and as a human. Last year, I wrote about the Tame Impala-like “Suddenly You Move,” which paired de Gasperis’ yearning vocal and some remarkably well-placed, razor sharp hooks with squiggly synth arpeggios, a relentless and funky motorik groove. The song first conveys the sensation of being lost and yearning for someting and not quite knowing how to get it before building up to a euphoric climax, which conveys the song’s narrator has finally found what he had been seeking for so long.
The French-American artist’s latest single “Align Me” sees him collaborating with New York-born, Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist Ash Petti. After relocating to Southern California back in 2020, Petti quickly found her stride as a singer/songwriter rooted in her natural ability to create memorable melodies and captivating lyrics. Her solo recording project Pretty Pistil sees Petti creating a unique sound that plays between the boundaries of number of genres, including alternative pop, indie pop, dream pop and electro R&B that showcases her dreamy and seductive delivery.
de Gasperis and Petti’s collaboration can be traced back to when the French-American artist and producer started working with her as a producer, which included some co-writing sessions for her latest EP Venus Way.
“Align Me” is built around a subtly French touch-like production featuring woozy synth arpeggios, some disco funk guitar paired with skittering beats. Petti’s yearning and ethereal delivery effortlessly darts, dives and floats over the dance floor friendly production like a boxer bobbing and weaving away from their opponent’s punches.
de Gasperis explains the the song’s origins can be traced to when he was playing around with the synth chords that wound up becoming the song. His thought at the time was that Petti’s voice would be a great fit. “Next thing I know, she was super into the idea, and she sent me a voice memo of what became the full melody for the track,” de Gasperis recalls. “It all fit perfectly.”
“I felt extremely connected to the song when Jules showed it to me,” Petti adds. “Once we spoke about his vision for it, I knew with our common spiritual concepts and with our intentions, we were going to create something really lovely and powerful. When I began channeling the lyrics, I started to think about my trust in the universe. Having an inner knowing that we are all connected to something greater, something that is cosmic, brings me comfort and excitement.
“I believe that the source of creation is inside all of us who welcome it in. It’s about recognizing that I have built a healthy relationship with nurturing my creative energy, and also acknowledging that one must act on these creative chances so that they can bring them into fruition,” she adds. “It’s also about bringing recognition to the fact that if you don’t fuel and take care of your creative energy, you can miss out on opportunities as well as stunt your growth in making authentic, meaningful art, and connections.
“I let this knowledge, and passion for a life full of creation align me.”
Milja Inkeri is a Finnish singer/songwriter, who can trace her career back to 2007: She competed on that year’s Finnish Idoland reached the Top 24. And as a result of growing national attention, her covers series on YouTube amassed over two million organic views between 2006-2007. Inkeri also has had stints in Finnish bands Kailo and Antti Kokkomäki & Tammikuun Lapset. Additionally, she has collaborated with a number of projects both nationally and internationally, including Taiwanese shoegazers The Other and Finnish metal outfit Planeetta 9, along a growing list of others.
Inkeri is the creative mastermind behind the indie pop outfit Mere Stellar. Influenced by Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom and Radiohead, the Finnish artist’s new project sees her playfully meshing experimental electro pop with acoustic elements to create a sound that is at times quirky yet melancholic. The Finnish artist explains that “Mere Stellar is the creation of a free soul, who stopped caring about external rules and authorities of music . . ” and “started to have fun with music again and speak her true soul’s voice — the pain, the joy, the channeling of healing.” Inkeri adds “Mere Stellar is the manifestation someone who held it inside and listened to others too much, who channels pure love, fun and crazy vibes.”
Inkeri’s latest Mere Stellar single, the recently released, woozy and hook-driven “The Crush Realm” pairs a looped sample of twinkling and arpeggiated keys, skittering beats, industrial clang and clatter with Inkeri’s plaintive and yearning delivery. While sonically seeming to channel a quirky synthesis of Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Kid A-era Radiohead, “The Crush Realm” is a lived-in, bittersweet and desperate examination of contemporary dating culture, in which everyone feels simultaneously desperate to find “the one” or “someone” but tacitly recognizes that everyone feels miserable and disposable. But she does so with a sarcastic, snaky sense of humor.
Directed by the Finnish artist, the accompanying video for “The Crush Realm” captures the desperation, uncertainty and quirky sarcasm at the hear of the song, as it follows Inkeri and a snail around a rather European-looking house.
New Orleans-based JOVM mainstays People Museum — currently co-founders Claire Givens (vocals), Jeremy Phipps (trombone), Aaron Boudreaux (drums, keys) and Charles Lumar II (bass, tuba) — have established a sound that draws from pop music and the rich and lush musical and cultural roots of their hometown.
Additionally, each of the members of People Museum has an eclectic upbringing that informs their fresh take on electro pop:
Claire Givens grew up in the woods of North Louisiana and has a background in choral and sacred music.
Aaron Boudreaux grew up in Acadia and has spent the better part of a decade as a film composer with Maere Studios for a decade while touring the world as a member of a Grammy-nominated French Creole band. While touring with Tamino earlier this year, he was approached to write songs and score an upcoming film with acclaimed studio A24.
Jeremy Phipps has been a New Orleans brass band staple since he was a kid, and Charles Lumar II have toured as a member of Solange‘s backing band for years.
Sonically, the JOVM mainstays work has ranged from haunting to joyfully cathartic and dance floor friendly and rooted in a sound that meshes electro pop soundscapes with ethereal vocals and New Orleans brass.
People Museum’s long-awaited sophomore album Relic was released earlier this month. Thematically, the album sees the band exploring and unpacking their growing anxieties about climate change and preservation, the sense of communion rooted in their hometown’s deep cultural history, family and aging among others. Fittingly, the album is a poignant love letter to their hometown. And while the majority of the album focuses on the external relationships with our environment and others, at points the album does turn inward.
The album’s latest single, album title track “Relic” is a slow-burning and meditative ballad featuring a mournful reverb-soaked horn line, a steady yet forceful backbeat, fluttering and arpeggiated synths and buzzing and wobbling bass synths paired with Givens plaintive and ethereal delivery. Sonically bringing SoftSpot and KINLAW to mind, “Relic” according to the JOVM mainstays tells the bittersweet story of two lovers, who are consciously parting ways, but cherishing the memories they’ve shared while acknowledging that there’s a happier version of themselves to discover beyond the relationship. The sentiment also manages to mirror their relationship and kinship with their hometown: After being forced to evacuate during the storms, they still felt an unwavering loyalty and devotion, which the band’s Claire Givens has described as “If I can’t go back. I will be forever be imprinted with the life I lived here.” Certainly, as a native New Yorker, I can understand and empathize with that deeply.
Directed by Nicholas Ashe Bateman and conceptualized by Bateman and People Museum’s Givens, the accompanying video features the band’s members bathed in golden light with what appears to be moonlight glistening on water behind them.
Led by frontman and creative mastermind James Gass, Kelowna, BC-based outfit Pastel Room was formed earlier this year, and quickly established an indie pop sound that nods at psych pop that’s influenced by Supertramp, The Beatles, Tame Impala and The Weeknd among others.
The Kelowna-based debut single “Lights Go Down” strikes me as a mischievously anachronistic and nostalgic take on pop with the song featuring nods at 70s rock, funk and psych pop rooted in deliberate attention to craftsmanship and catchy hooks paired with glistening synths, disco-inspired bass and Gass’ yearning delivery.
