#tora-i

Tora-i

Florence + the Machine debut a new song, 'Heaven is Here,' ealier this week alongside a video by acclaimed director Autumn de Wilde and choreographed by Ryan Heffington. “‘Heaven is Here’ was the first song I wrote in lockdown after an extended period of not being able to get to the studio,” says Florence Welch. “I wanted to make something monstrous. And this clamour of joy, fury and grief was the first thing that came out. With dance studios also shut it was my dream to one day create choreography with it. So it’s one of the first pieces of music I have made specifically with contemporary dance in mind.”

After recently releasing her new single via KRO Records, New Zealand-born, London-based singer-songwriter October and the Eyes is sharing her new video for 'Spiral'. Speaking about the video, October said “I worked closely with my good friend and flatmate Max McLachlan to come up with the concept of the video. I liked the idea of the camera being in constant rotation, speeding up over time to create a sense of disorientation and nausea while dipping and re-emerging between to parallel worlds. There’s two versions of myself in the video - this strong, assured, almost domineering presence, and then there’s this wounded, lost, animalistic version - both of which I’ve often felt like I pendulum between”

Cardiff’s Panic Shack have returned with a new single, ‘The Ick’. It’s the latest taster from their debut EP Baby Shack, set for release on April 8 via Brace Yourself Records. Speaking about the track, the band explain: “‘The Ick’ is about that feeling you get when you’re dating someone and they do something that really turns you off. No matter how insignificant or trivial – the feeling is irreversible and it’s really not their fault. Something that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker but when you’re there staring your Ick in the face, there really is no coming back from it. Where their mere presence is enough to make you want to vom in your own mouth. You would rather run into oncoming traffic, whilst burning alive, than to spend a second longer in their company. It was written while we were on a little song-writing holiday we called ‘Tweak Week’ which ended up being more of five-day drinking binge in our quaint little holiday cottage. We were gossiping and laughing about past dating fails, sharing anecdotes and it just snowballed from there. Every lyric are actual things that happened to us and gave us major ICK! Someone really did shush Sarah in the cinema – if you can believe that!! (We can.)” It comes alongside a video, of which they continue: “The video is a bit of a different vibe from our usual boysterous antics. We really wanted this one to be darker and more serious to match the music and paired with the silly lyrics we thought it was a fun contrast. Our good friend Ren Faulkner filmed this one too!” [via Dork]

Chloe Moriondo has announced a new canine-themed EP, puppy luv. Set to drop on April 8, the announcement comes alongside new track ‘sammy’, dedicated to her pet dog of the same name. “puppy luv is a collection of canine songs that I coincidentally wrote over the past couple years,” Chloe explains. “To me it feels like a playful bite from a tiny puppy that kinda stings a little later. I dedicate it to Sammy my dog!” [via Dork]

Kate Bollinger has spent the past few years putting out EPs — her most recent was 2020’s A Word Becomes A Sound — and she’s got another shorter collection of songs coming out later this year. The Look At It In The Light EP is being released next month, and she previewed it a couple months ago with 'Yards / Gardens.' Now, she’s sharing the silky smooth 'Who Am I But Someone,' which comes with a charming video directed by Allyson Pierce. Here’s Bollinger on the song and visuals: "There have been many times when I’ve been so afraid to uproot my life in some way but just as afraid of what will happen if I don’t. This song is a conversation with myself about avoidance, denial, being afraid of change, and being afraid of stagnating. I shot the video in Los Angeles with Allyson from Pear Juice and a cast and crew of all women (besides our amazing producer Al!). Shooting the video was like being at summer camp – it was one of the best experiences and I’m so proud of how it turned out." [via Stereogum]

Norwegian and Icelandic duo Ultraflex have a deep-rooted passion for electronic music. Made up of Kari Jahnsen and Katrín Helga Andrésdóttir, the duo continues to cement their own unique path in support of their distinct electronic pop brand. Since the release of Visions of Ultraflex, their debut album from 2020, they have continued to make waves, displaying their analog production techniques and glitzy pop sensitivity, and Ultraflex are now ready to share latest track 'Relax', which is the first single since the debut came out. The video was made in collaboration with nail artist Lisa Mård, jewellery designer Margrét Unnur Guðmundsdóttir, makeup artist Jana Kalgajeva, and cinematographer Ingrid Loftsgården. Speaking about the single, the duo said: “Throw on a G-string and some high heels, find a bottle of body lotion, and lather up whilst listening to the sound of bells, chimes, shimmery synths and authoritarian command/ creepy psychiatrist order to take it easy.” [via LOCK]

Dublin-based Kynsy – AKA Ciara Lindsey – has returned with a brand new single, ‘New Year’. Written on New Year’s Eve, she explains: “At the time I had a real desire to celebrate the turn of the year by doing something creative. I had definitely been listening to a lot of Roisin Murphy around then and with the song I wanted to explore the idea of someone who is looking for meaning as the clock edges towards midnight and a new year is on the horizon.”Speaking about the accompanying visual, she adds, “I wanted to recreate the chaotic energy of the song somehow.  Working with Georgia Kelly and The Collective we took inspiration from the frantic nature of old black and white silent films to make something strange and intense to try and capture that New Year energy.” [via Dork]

Australia based songwriter Beckah Amani has shared her new single 'Lebeka Leka'. The artist has Tanzanian heritage, and was born in the country before relocating with her family to Australia. 'Lebeka Leka' is a highly personal song, one that delves into family history, and inter-generational support systems. The title actually refers to a familial name, with Beckah commenting: “My mum calls me Lebeka because that’s how you pronounce my given name Rebeca in my language Kirundi, she always says 'lebeka leka’ which means ‘Rebeca, let go’. I was particularly thinking about fear, how we often get so caught up in it that it kind of distorts everything that we want.” Snap Factory directed the clip, which places 'Lebeka Leka' in its sentimental context. She says... “I wanted to create a visual push and pull between my fears, how they distort my safe places, my dreams and warm moments with my loved ones. I wanted the music video to show how it's the interaction with family and friends that override the presence, weight and pull of these fears; because their voices are the ones that truly matter.” Beckah continues: “Music began with family for me. It was so special and emotional to have them be a part of the music video and to film on location at my family's farm as well as my family friends’ farm. The filming process felt like a big hug from the most important people in my life. ‘Lebeka Leka’ is a love letter to all the people in our lives that make living worth it. Reminding us to remember what is truly important.” [via Clash]

Jenny Berkel has uveiled her new single and video 'Kaleidoscope'. She explains of the song: "The internet with its rabbit holes, slipperiness, and propensity for mis- and disinformation inspired me to write 'Kaleidoscope.' I wanted parts of this song to evoke the same tense, frantic feeling that the internet can sometimes give, paired with a chorus that lifts its way out of that mood." The accompanying 'Kaleidoscope' music video was filmed at Halifax's indoor theatre for Shakespeare By The Sea. Director Meg Hubley (they/she) of Phyllis Rising Productions came up with the idea of setting it in a steadily shrinking room. The strange and surreal figure in the video is played by Mads Higgins (they/them), a circus performer, who moves around the room in a series of graceful and eerie poses. "The lyrics of 'Kaleidoscope' evolved extensively as time went on," says Jenny. "Given that this song considers the importance of care and precision in language, I felt even more attentive to the lyrics than usual."

Emerging as one of the year’s breakthrough acts, Los Angeles singer and songwriter Em Beihold (pronounced bye-hold) unveils the music video for her buzzing single 'Numb Little Bug' via Moon Projects/Republic Records. The visual seamlessly translates the song’s story and energy to the screen, evoking her sharp sense of humor and even sharper songwriting sensibility in the process. It serves as the perfect companion to this rising hit.

Fears, the rising Irish artist, musician and producer Constance Keane, shares the hauntingly beautiful single '16' featuring her late close friend and cello player, Sophie Gwen Williams. She also reveals a video directed by Zoe Greenway, who performs in punk band M(h)aol alongside Keane, which is dedicated to Williams.  Amongst the rolling beats that are influenced by the traditional Irish drum, the bodhrán, the plucked strings of Williams' cello are contrasted by the hushed angelic vocals of Keane’s whose lyrics reflect on a difficult past relationship and the freedom that hindsight offers. Williams’ instrumentals on the tender track were recorded from a filmed performance from the one and only time they got to play the track together. Fears says on '16' and the collaboration, “Sophie was an incredible artist and a very close friend of mine. We did a filmed performance together last March, thinking we'd get a chance to record it 'properly' in a studio, but she passed away before we could. Zoe and I dedicate the video for '16' to her memory. I had made her a dress for the original performance out of pink tulle - the same fabric I have with me in the video. She was a really inspirational and encouraging person, and I wanted to create something that shows how I carry her with me, even though I no longer have her physically here.” Greenway filmed Fears in The Maharees in Co. Kerry in south west Ireland, an area Keane visited frequently with her family growing up. Keane adds “It's a very special place to me, and I've always wanted to shoot there, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity." Combining reflective electronics, acoustic samples, and haunting vocals with organic visuals, Fears invites the listener on an ethereal journey, blurring the boundaries between music and visual art. Her minimalist approach centres on emotive subjects, which are all-at-once deeply personal yet remarkably universal.

Following her highly praised return with 'Happy Birthday Forever', Toronto-born, London-based artist Tess Parks is sharing a new single and video, 'Brexit At Tiffany’s'. Following years of international touring and a lengthy list of collaborations with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe in recent years (most recently the duo’s self-titled 2018 LP), the track is lifted from her incoming solo album, And Those Who Were Seen Dancing, due out May 20 on Fuzz Club Records and Hand Drawn Dracula in Canada. Out now, new single 'Brexit at Tiffany’s' is a piece of smouldering, organ-soaked psych-pop driven by a husky spoken-word vocal from Parks that channels the gauzy poetics of Patti Smith and Lydia Lunch. On 'Brexit at Tiffany’s', Parks recalls: “We were recording at Rian [O’Grady]’s house and the guys started playing this music which had Francesco [Perini]’s Ray Mananzarek Doors’ sensibilities and Mike [Sutton]’s Neil Young-esque guitar, and then I started reading this poem I had written which pieces together definitions of words I found interesting and had written down. The title is thanks to Ruari [Meehan] who kept saying this over and over and we all thought it was the best thing we ever heard.” She says of the video: “This video was as planned and thought out as its namesake. My friend Robert happened to be in London with a day to spare, so last minute we rallied up some friends who were graciously willing to spend an afternoon wearing these horrific English Breakfast masks. Robert Ascroft, a photographer and director based out of California, adds: “Tess and I met up for a coffee while I was on assignment in London. I told her I would love to shoot a video for her brilliant new record. Right from the start of the conversation she had the idea of wearing these English Breakfast masks. The shoot was very loose which is unlike any music video I have ever shot. Without much communication I got the idea and just ran with it. Tess and I have an unspoken way of working together and have similar tastes/references. We had a fun and fast shoot with some great friends both new and old. And we got some odd looks from passersby to top it all off.”

Following the announcement of their debut, self titled, album and first single 'Liar', Envy Of None, the new project featuring Alex Lifeson (Rush), Andy Curran (Coney Hatch), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne have revealed 'Look Inside', their next single and video featuring Maiah and directed by Jaden D. Andy Curran, having a “soft spot” for 'Look Inside' recalls the song’s creation “I was in my studio late one night, headphones on… a few glasses of red wine deep and thought, wouldn’t it be fun to pull out my bass, blow up the tone, double it and play to a really messed up super slow drum groove. It’s got a real stoner vibe to it. That’s what happens when you mix wine and bass… Mission accomplished!“ With the rough bed track and song name sent to vocalist Maiah Wynne her initial thoughts were one of introspection “Sometimes you have to shine a light on all the ugliest pieces of yourself in order to truly change, and you have to keep slaying that dragon over and over again. It is a continuous, slow and painful process. The guitars and bass really drive the grittiness and heaviness I felt when I wrote those lyrics. It feels like an all-encompassing sludge, and that is what I absolutely love about this song.”

We are all familiar with that sound. The sickly sweet echo of jazz-toned instrumentation that softly rings out whilst standing amongst strangers in a crowded lift is something we have all become accustomed to over the years. Looking to breathe life into that universal tune, singer-songwriter Shenna drops her new track 'Elevator Music'. While cleverly curated production hopes to transport listeners to the setting mentioned in the title, we are also treated to a dose of the talented artist’s angelic tone, which is used to deliver a set of lyrics as bold as the concept of the track itself. “I want people to envision themselves as the powerhouse that they are when they hear this song,” divulges Shenna when discussing her newest release. “Even though it has fun lyrics and a quirky storyline, the overall meaning is assuring the listener it is okay to put yourself first and prioritise what matters to you. Time is money and sometimes you have to give yourself a mental break from people asking for favours or blowing up your phone!” Accompanying the tune is a playful self-directed music video in which the singer takes to a hotel-like setting to serenade watchers, adding to the intriguing essence of the new track. Unique at its core, Shenna’s 'Elevator Music' is a tune worthy of a listen. [via Wonderland]

London’s Tora-i is here to soothe your soul with her track, 'PBFF'. A softly winding tune at its core, an instant air of calm washes over the track as stripped-back production gives way for Tora’s hypnotic R&B tone to enchant those listening. Sweet in sound the track may be, but that is not where the project ends. Now looking to stun viewers visually, the star on the rise drops the track’s accompanying music video. Directed by Liam Gleeson, symbolism runs rife in the video as we watch Tora take to a dusky room in which faceless figures contort their bodies in a truly artistic manner. As hauntingly beautiful as the vocals that layer over it, the latest visual display from the artist proves that her creativity knows no bounds. [via Wonderland]

Tulsa, Oklahoma band Cliffdiver have signed to SideOneDummy and will release their new album Exercise Your Demons on May 6 via their new label home. It was produced by Seth Henderson (Action/Adventure, Knuckle Puck, Real Friends, etc) and mastered by Will Yip, and first single/opening track 'New Vegas Bomb' features Skatune Network (aka Jeremy Hunter of We Are the Union and JER). Powered by the dual vocals of co-lead vocalists Joey Duffy and Briana Wright, it's a spit-shined pop punk song with some easycore chugs that would fit in anywhere from early 2000s Drive-Thru Records to Upsides/Suburbia-era Wonder Years to the recent pop punk revival, and it goes full on third wave ska in the bridge. "It's an introduction to the bigger story on the LP and taps into the idea that you can party away the pain, which in my experience doesn't work out too well," Joey says, and Briana adds, "As track #1 it's important that 'New Vegas Bomb' not only lyrically establish the storyline at the heart of Exercise Your Demons, but also demonstrate the musical versatility that we've brought to the entire album." "I’m going to be okay because I’ve decided I’m going to be okay," Briana adds about the album overall. "It’s resilience – and if you own your shit, it’s painful, but no one can take that from you. That’s why the record’s called Exercise Your Demons, because while you may not be able to exorcise them and get them out of your life, you can train them and get them under control." [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Pop superstars Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion have teamed up on the collaborative track 'Sweetest Pie,' which they teased on Instagram earlier this week. Megan and Dua also released a video for the the sugary track. It’s directed by Dave Meyers, and the concept credits Megan. Dua and Megan, elaborately costumed, make plenty of dessert-related innuendos and dial in their choreography. “Hot girl shit, me and Dua Lipa finna get the party lit,” Megan raps overhead. [via Stereogum]

Brooke Combe has dropped a brand new single, ‘Miss Me Now’. Arriving alongside an accompanying visual, Combe says: “I wrote ‘Miss Me Now’ after seeing an old flame when I was on a night out and thinking it was a good idea to leave the club with them. It’s never a good idea… but it makes for a good tune.” [via Dork]

Cornelia Jakobs want us to be sure she’s not just a “one hit wonder” and has dropped a new single. Cornelia is currently one of the most talked about artist in Sweden. Cornelia wants to share another side of her music and drops a new music video 'Fine'. This drak lo-fi emotional love ballad was written by Cornelia herself together with Carl Silvergran, Emma Bertilsson and Felix Flygare Floderer. The beautiful video was directed by Celia Caap. [via Escbeat]

Singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke has shared a new version of her 2020 song ‘You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore’, a deeply personal cut that now features vocals from Jaguar Jonze. Lifted from a forthcoming deluxe edition of Miller-Heidke’s 2020 album Child in Reverse that will arrive on March 18, the redux dials back some of the retro synth-pop sensibilities of the original for a soaring, atmospheric version with layered guitar and a powerful duet from Miller-Heidke and Jonze. Miller-Heidke said ‘You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore’ is about “dancing on the grave of an arsehole”, explaining that it draws on her experience of being sexually abused by her great grandfather as a young child. “This song is about how I felt when he died. Ultimately it’s a really empowering song to sing.” The new version of ‘You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore’ arrives alongside a video directed by Joshua Tate. In her statement, Miller-Heidke said that she wouldn’t have been able to be so open about her experience without the examples of activists Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins, but said the most important inspiration was Jonze, “with whom [she] had a very deep conservation with the morning this song was written”. “She described some very shocking things that happened to her as a child, and I felt very connected to her, and full of admiration for her resilience too – that’s when the song title ‘You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore’ popped into my head,” Miller-Heidke explains. “I think it’s one of the most powerful songs I’ve written, and it’s a privilege to sing it with Jaguar Jonze, who transformed the track with her potent raw energy.” [via NME]

If you could pick one song to describe how your year went, what would it be?

I don’t know that it describes my year but the feels are there. Someone precious showed me this song on here and I’ve been obsessed. It’s one of my most heavily felt and sung songs this year.

Thanks for the ask ☺️