Deully, the solo project of the independent Canadian rock virtuoso, Darren Sawrenko, has added to his accoladed discography by releasing his eagerly-awaited latest LP, This Long Road, and this time, his stellar songwriting stripes are bolstered by a lyrical intensity which provides a candour-fuelled exposition on his ongoing battle with mental health and recovery. Each of the singles on the LP is a reflection of his psyche at the time of writing. The title single is entrenched in the agony and the glimpses of hope of acknowledging that the road to recovery necessitates fortitude and endurance ..read more

The superlatively soulful German pop duo, Seßler/Zeeb, sprinkled swathes of (Ziggy) stardust into the production of their 70s folk singer-songwriter-tinged rock-pop ballad, If No One, which implores the listener not to discard humanity and compassion in an era which is becoming increasingly hard to bear. Over the gentle major piano keys, the lyrics find a way of directly engaging you, pulling you into the plea to bolster the strength of humanity by one act of kindness at a time. The reprise of “if no one really cares” affirms that feeling as though you’re all alone in your plights is one of th ..read more

This week, we explored the defiance and high-energy expression in Frostbyt3’s latest track, “OUTCHA MOUTH,” featuring Juice Box and ETHNL. Released on April 12th, this single marks a significant shift from Frostbyt3’s earlier pop and R&B influences, diving into a realm of gritty, experimental rap with a live-performance feel designed to rally the crowd. In this interview with A&R Factory, Frostbyt3 reveals the inspiration behind the creation of an anthem that not only challenges the negativity from others and self-doubt but also sets the stage for a much-anticipated album. Dive into th ..read more

Vanguarde’s latest single, “Lost Inside a Hole,” anchors indie rock fans in the comforting nostalgia of the 90s Britpop era, in the same vein Mansun, while delivering some uncomfortable truths to those lost in the trenches of conspiracy through fear of confronting material reality. Rather than berating, the single extends an olive branch to pull listeners back from the dark, bitter realities of conspiracy theory knitting circles. Through each note of this expansive indie rock allegory, compassion resonates deeply, ensuring the song’s message of empathy and understanding cuts through the noise ..read more

Magenta Wave’s latest single, “Why Am I In Love With You,” vocally tears at the heartstrings with a fervency akin to Thom Yorke and Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchinson. This track is an atom bomb of melancholy that flips the usual narrative of romanticism upside down. It melodically implores listeners to explore the agony of falling in love when your relationship with yourself is on unsteady ground. With the guitars sonically visualising the disorientation of losing control under another’s influence, and the rhythm section driving this tormented vignette forward, the vocals find an achingly a ..read more

Brikcs, a visionary from the ethereal edges of music’s evolving landscape, delivered a profound auditory experience in his latest single, King. With a foundation laid by a Mogwai-meets-Portishead neo-classic intro of eloquent keys and phantasmically distorted vocal notes, the track boldly transitions into the dark territories of trap. If you went down the rabbit hole and instead of finding wonderland you entered innovation’s nirvana and met your demons, your trip would come a close visceral second to hitting play on King. The artistic juxtaposition in King — between harsh, ensnaring bars and t ..read more

Singer, songwriter, producer and all-around ephemeral aural icon Etherdene reached the paragon of indie electro-pop perfection with their latest single, The End. Titularly, the release is definitive as they come; sonically, the single is limitless. The ethereal air, which breathes just as much through the transcending tones of the vocal lines as the scintillating synth lines that pay tribute to the new wave trend, is intoxicating from the first emotionally charged progression. As the lyrics explore the aftermath of a breakup, proving that the love that once endured never dies but takes another ..read more

Light’s latest single, Ko-Lee Noodles, is an indomitable testament to the West-London-hailing rap artist’s fierce fortitude. His ever-growing loyal fanbase, which is pushing him ever closer to the 1 million stream mark, will note that his signature of mellifluous grooves, punchy flows savage lyricism has followed him into this drill hit, but this time, there’s a relentlessly fierce intensity to the release that is as real as it comes. The last time something hit so hard, dinosaurs went extinct, but Light’s legacy in the UK rap scene will never die; he’ll be riding high for as long as he contin ..read more

With her standout single, All of Me, Manchester’s Tsana, rewrote the time-old tale of giving your all in a relationship and receiving only regret in return and reached the epitome of class in the process. Even though emotions run red-hot in the deep groove pockets of the authentic RnB installation, there’s no room for self-pity in the ignition of self-liberation, which feeds into her signature ‘street-soul’ style. Knowing it is all too easy to slip into a cascade of self-doubt when someone refuses to affirm your worth, Tsana became the ultimate role model for anyone who knows how bittersweet t ..read more

Jazz crooner, Ben Fuller, opened his debut LP, Reset, with the heavy cinematic artillery in his heart-wrenchingly impassioned single, It Had to Be You. Hopeless romantics will greet their kryptonite when they hit play on the timelessly resounding reworking of the Frank Sinatra record. As classic and sincere as Sinatra’s iteration, you’ll instantly succumb to the vibrato in Fuller’s naturally oscillating vocal notes which add warmth and fervent richness to his register as it sweeps across the ornate classical strings and jazz piano keys. With Batu Sener’s instrumental arrangement deliverin ..read more