RECENT ARTICLES

Kristian Matsson, aka the Tallest Man on Earth, can’t put his heels down. Literally, on stage, Matsson is always moving, leaping over amps, shuffling his boots, making facial expressions like an actor. Metaphorically, Matsson is curious. His mind remains interested in what else could be out there, whether it’s a new song lyric or some discovery concerning the human race’s relationship to planet earth.

There’s hope in movement, for Matsson. In a way, movement is what defines living. Which is why the songwriter can feel so forlorn when considering the considerable absence of touring in his life (and understandably so) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, as the world begins to open up, the artist and nuanced songwriter will have more chances to connect with fans, to move on stage, beginning in the U.S. this October.

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It’s often said that when you’re performing, you should play like a million people are in the room and as if everyone there, no matter the number, is important (because they are). Yet, not every artist follows this. Sometimes performers, especially if they’re famous, can treat others disrespectfully. Or even those few listeners in the bar can be arrogant or obnoxious to people just starting out. This is a dynamic that Irish singer-songwriter, Dermot Kennedy, is acutely aware of and one he tries to keep in mind always.

For Kennedy, who comes from a tiny hometown and who came up in Ireland through busking and open mics, he knows how hard it can be. But Kennedy, who has gone on to earn thousands of fans and millions of streams, also knows there are better days. In fact, that’s the title of his newest single, out now.

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For 20-year-old rising pop sensation AJ Mitchell, songwriting began when he was young —really young; like, five years old. It began at the foot of his father, whose prized possession was an old keyboard. While Mitchell’s parents would “blast” Stevie Wonder, KISS, Enya, classical music, and other varieties around the house, it was listening to his dad write and play that sparked everything. In fact, Mitchell says, he wanted to compete with his pops at the effort, even then. Now, all of that work has paid off and Mitchell, who has already garnered tens of millions of song streams, is set to release his debut LP, SKYVIEW, this fall.

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Grantham, U.K.-born singer-songwriter, Holly Humberstone, grew up in an old, rickety wonderland of a house. It was her childhood home and the place where she was raised by her art-loving parents, encouraged to pursue music as much as any other subject, and where Humberstone wrote many of her first songs. That old home was also the primary subject of Humberstone’s debut EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, which the artist released in 2020. Today, after she’s moved from the house and felt the sting and surprise of the world beyond her original borders, Humberstone has become steeled by what she’s exposed herself to, while still maintaining affection for her first home. Now, the songwriter is set on a new journey, which begins today with the release of her latest single, “Scarlett,” and her forthcoming sophomore EP, The Walls Are Way Too Thin, out on November 5.

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The paradox of modern times is that we have every option at our fingertips—every website, television show, song, and movie—yet, it seems hard as ever to follow your own true instincts. At times, we are drowned by choice. But for Heartless Bastards‘ frontperson, Erika Wennerstrom, listening to her intuition has actually been key to her success. She is patient with herself, now more than ever. But there was one occasion in particular during which she listened to what she wanted when faced with the choice to do the opposite. That decision to follow her own internal voice led to perhaps the biggest moment in her career: signing with the prolific Fat Possum Records. Now, Wennerstrom is set to release her popular band’s latest heartening LP, A Beautiful Life, on September 10.

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Chattanooga, Tennessee-born rapper, Isaiah Rashad, says he’s a “learn by doing” kind of person. To get to where he is today, which includes Billboard charting albums and the recent release of his latest (and critically acclaimed) LP, The House Is Burning, Rashad first spent a lot of time observing and studying. He felt comfortable, as they say, posting up in the back of the proverbial room with his eyes open and mind working. Then, when the time was right, he leveraged these observations into action. Rashad says he’s never felt particularly rushed about a project. In fact, his new album is his first in five years. But, it would seem, the patience and hard work have paid off. On Rashad’s new offering, you can feel the time and experience baked in. It’s dense, wide, and varied. And for Rashad, the release has put him squarely on the map, a new big name for award shows and fans to target.

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For the members of the Australian-born, Los Angeles-based group, Chase Atlantic, the relationship between life and creativity is symbiotic; one informs the other, which then, in turn, informs the first again. Around and around it goes. Like the three members themselves, who finish each other’s sentences, burst out into laughter, or spark memory after memory in a matter of moments, the constant step-by-step, A-to-B-to-C productivity is what keeps the group’s energy afloat and constantly churning out ideas. As a trio, they’re a factory of vibe and all of this is evident on the band’s latest single, remix and music video, “OHMAMI,” from the group’s latest release, Beauty In Death, all of which are out now.

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