With hints of Bo Burnham’s INSIDE LP and serendipitously infectious lyricism, the debut intrinsically self-aware single, Feeling Inside, from Stephen Waterhouse is a testament to his cultivated songwriting stripes. The balance of Lo-Fi bedroom pop intimacy and ornate orchestral elements allows the piano-driven single to unravel as an intensely distinctive musical theatre-adjacent triumph. Vulnerable enough to read as a diary entry, and striking enough to bring a touch of Broadway flair to the airwaves, the single is a revelation that leads to rapture when the orchestral crescendos swell in the ..read more

This week, we sat down with Nikhail, an artist whose work traverses the realms of filmmaking, acting, music, and more. A&R Factory explored the sparks that ignited his multifaceted creativity. Nikhail shares his evolution from a budding writer to a versatile creator, discussing how phases of his life, from unrequited love to personal challenges, have fuelled his artistic expression. This interview delves into how his experiences and the transformative power of art have shaped his career, revealing the depth behind his pursuit of understanding and expression through the arts. Nikhail, welco ..read more

Like every good folk tale, Darius Marquis’ standout single, Fairytales, alters the mind through expansions of the imagination. The slick with soul and swathed with experimentation release exists between the borders of genres, exploring untrodden intersections of RnB, retro pop and gospel, allowing Fairytales to unravel as an exploratively sincere extension of candour. Fairytales nuancedly exposits how stories shape our perceptions of the world while we’re too innocent to experience the unfair brutality of it only for those illusions to be shattered, one shot to the heart at a time. The Houston ..read more

Inspired by the Robert Greene book, The Art of Seduction, the experimental pop artist and bedroom producer, Ari Khan, mused her latest single, which shares the same title and gives the mind’s perspective under the influence of passionate persuasion. The artfully disorientating drunk on love production efficaciously exposits how control is relinquished and our grip on material reality slips when we surrender to the lust-licked designs of another. “I wrote this song when I was home (in Alaska) over the holidays because I had recently read the Robert Greene book and realized a certain ex of mine ..read more

Sweet enough to give hopeless romantics hope, the standout single, More Than You’ll Ever Know, from singer-songwriter Brian Berggoetz is a melodious ode to a true love that can be alluded to in words but never fully captured. Springsteen may have been born to run, but Berggoetz was born to bring warmth and depth to the pop-rock scene; More Than You’ll Ever Know is the ultimate attestation to his legacy. With vocals that caress as tenderly as the simple yet profoundly affecting instrumental arrangement, the single unravels as the dreamiest earworm you’ll hear this year. With the stunning serena ..read more

Roubix & Ollie King’s latest collaboration, ‘In Your Head’, is a vibrant homage to the golden era of 80s synthpop, masterfully blending our collective appetite for nostalgia with contemporary production. Following the viral success of ‘Atlantis‘, this dynamic duo continues to captivate the European disco scene, and ‘In Your Head’ is poised to be their next chart-topper. The track is a kaleidoscope of upbeat, synth-carved rhythms that instantly transport listeners back to the neon-lit dancefloors of the 80s. Fans of Erasure, Gary Numan, and The Human League will find themselves in familiar ..read more

Some tracks ensnare you with hooks, others dig to the depths of your soul; Beggar’s Tavern by Jude & The Strangers dug into the trenches of the latter camp. Imagine sinking beers with Bukowski, drinking in the sanctifying feeling of listening to Journey, experiencing the panoramically artistic gravitas of Father John Misty, and getting your blues rock licks as a courtesy of the Black Keys simultaneously, then you’ll get an idea of what this era-spanning Tour De Force delivers. With all the infectious charisma of Jim Jones himself, singer-songwriter Aiden Jude doesn’t just command attention ..read more

Slip into the cradle of nostalgia with the latest single, Maybe I Can, from the Boone, NC-based studio project, Skydivers. The tenderly melodic kaleidoscope of 60s hues embody the colour and soul of the Beatles and the Kinks, filtered through a nuancedly modernised indie pop lens. Hit play and cruise with the shimmering guitars, groove with the intuitively clever percussion, and find nirvana with the ascending keys which defy gravity as they sway through the production beneath the honey-timbered vocal lines as they exude a blissful state of care-free indecision. In the frantic pace of our era ..read more

In conversation with A&R Factory, Stuee Singh, the multifaceted artist behind the culturally rich single ‘Spiritual Sharabi’, unveils the layers of his creative universe. From intertwining his Sikh heritage with contemporary pop dance to embedding profound spirituality in mainstream music, Singh’s journey is a kaleidoscope of cultural, linguistic, and philosophical dimensions. His transition from a corporate titan to a music maestro is a tale of bold choices and authentic self-expression. This interview not only explores Singh’s multilingual prowess in English, Punjabi, Hindi, Danish, and ..read more

Cliff Lynch, emerging from his boyband roots with Roman Road, has crafted a pop anthem that is brimming with the exoticism of sonic seduction and offers a refreshing departure from the assimilative new wave pop trend currently saturating the UK indie scene with his latest single, Sex on the Weekend. Hit play and get into tune with the 90s boyband-esque harmonies and colourfully moody melodies which complement Lynch’s distinctively bold approach to pop, which is charting his own path through a genre often mired in superficiality. Fuck baseless earworms when you can discover soul-stirring experi ..read more