Miranda Easten – Country Boy

Miranda Easten, Christchurch’s country singer-songwriter, is back with a new single “Country Boy”. Following the release of her 2020 single “Only One”, “”Country Boy” is an energetic and romantic love song about the excitement of a relationship in its early stages, including falling in love, and learning new things about each other,” Miranda says.

The new track was recorded with world renowned Greg Haver (Kimbra and Melanie C) at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, mixed by Scott Seabright and Clint Murphy and mastered over in Nashville. The recording process had some interruptions as Miranda explains, “we finished the album despite a pandemic, a broken guitarist’s hand, and emergency life-saving surgery on myself (appendix). I flew to Auckland to film the “Country Boy” music video and recorded the last songs less than two weeks after my surgery.” Despite this, the song came out a quintessential country love song, where you can hear Miranda’s influences of Jewel Kilcher, Dolly Parton and Miranda Lambert.

Finishing her studies doing the Contemporary Music & Performance at Ara Institute of Canterbury Music Arts in 2014, Miranda formed a duo called The Manuka Set with Vanessa Kelly. Miranda has also worked alongside New Zealand singer-songwriter and producer Greg Johnson who is based in LA. Miranda was the executive producer for his album, Swing The Lantern, and collaborated with him on both Stay and Stars & Dreams, released in 2019. Recently, Miranda has been mentored by Sacha Vee, founder of SOLE Music Academy, who has been helping her establish herself as an artist and to bring her vision to life. Miranda’s first release “Cowboy Lullaby” made it to #16 on the Australian Official Top 40 Country Music Chart in 2020. Recently awarded a grant from The New Zealand Music Commission, Miranda is preparing for the release of her debut album.

The album and further singles are due for release in the first quarter of 2021, with an international media campaign, along with touring domestically and internationally being planned

NEZ – To The Money (ft. Flo Milli & 8ae)

NEZ is the multi-talented UK emerging artist focusing on the fusion of dance & hip-hop.
NEZ’s focuses on blending music emerging from different cultures; projecting himself into this futuristic setting that may previously not have been occupied by a black artist.
“Dance music is Black music. My goal is to bring that conversation back to the forefront.” – NEZ
NEZ collaborated with the current queen of features, Flo Milli as well as 8ae on his next single ‘To the Money’; presenting his dynamic & innovative blend of house and hip-hop.
It combines NEZ’s & Flo Milli’s flair of rap music, with 8ae’s captivating chorus chants; all on the canvas of a deep bass beat and a sample of a roaring crowd.
The new track arrives alongside an exceedingly stylish black and white Emil Nava directed video.
This single follows ‘Wild Youngster’ featuring ScHoolboy Q, also a massive dose of deep, groove-heavy House music.
Prior to his individual career, NEZ has been responsible for producing heavy-rotation hits like ScHoolboy Q’s ‘Man of the Year’ and A$AP Rocky’s ‘Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye’.
As a Chicago native, NEZ grew up with House music which is where his true musical taste lies. Transforming into a proven hip-hop producer throughout his career, NEZ now wants his individual artistry to explore into this modern fuse of sounds.

Tom Odell – monster v.2

UK Platinum-selling, chart-topping artist Tom Odell is excitingly returning with new music.
In true Tom Odell fashion, ‘monster v.2’ is a soft-pop number that platforms his raw and strong vocals.
The track opens with delicate sonic elements, followed by a vivacious beat and chorus chants.
After a dark period of mental health in the past few years, Odell wrote his way through it; pouring his feelings into new music. This will form is fourth album monsters set for release later this year.
The first single from the new album was ‘numb’ which was premiered as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record by Jack Saunders.
After releasing a stripped back version of the album title track ‘monster’, Tom returns with the full version ‘monster v.2’
The lyric “you’re just a monster and I’m not scared” was initially inspired by Trump, and more specifically Greta Thunberg staring him down at the UN Climate Summit in 2019. However it is also a symbol of Odell’s ongoing battle with anxiety.

Jason Lee (feat Tania Kernaghan) – Dust Beneath My Boots

Have you ever wanted to run away from the world, feel dirt and dust on the soles of your feet, and be at peace with no noise and fresh air? Let Jason Lee’s brand new duet ‘Dust Beneath My Boots’ with Tania Kernaghan help you escape.

Early into the recording process, Jason knew this song needed to be a duet and as fate would have it, Tania instantly agreed. A much loved performer at national festivals including the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the Gympie Muster, his list of awards to date are impressive, amassing titles that include ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’, ‘APRA Song of the Year’ and ‘Heritage Song of the Year’, as well as being nominated for a Golden Guitar Award for ‘Best New Talent’ in 2012.

Influenced by the likes of Merle Haggard, Slim Dusty, Tracy Coster and Stan Coster, Jason’s music is a heartfelt journey through traditional country music. His words and music are a reflection of his life and beliefs in the country and its people, and there is a tangible sense of affection towards his fans.

Since his 2008 debut self-titled EP, Jason has spent time honing his craft as a live performer and musician of merit. His debut album was the 2010 much loved ‘Better Late Than Never’ which was recorded at Hillbilly Hut Studios on the NSW Central Coast, with well-known producer Simon Johnson.

The singer’s latest offering is an album that Jason describes as a journey. “The change of the country music genre has inspired me to produce a great sounding record that listeners will appreciate. It’s a modern twist I guess.”

Dakota Brown – “Safe in His Hands”

Dakota Brown Biography:

29 year old Christian/Pop/Soul singer Dakota Brown, undoubtedly has a gift for singing. But it wasn’t until after a major car accident, where his passion for singing began. In the accident, the vehicle hit black ice, fishtailed violently, and hit an embankment where the car then flipped upside down through the air. Brown’s left hand and fingers hit the windshield, and were crushed between the car and the road leaving it completely mangled, requiring three hand surgeries and much physical therapy. Soon after, he discovered his absolute love for singing.

“Something just clicked after that,” Brown states. “I suddenly knew that singing was what I was meant to do.” Already playing guitar prior to the wreck, the car accident forced Brown to retrain and re-learn guitar opposite-handed after suffering severe injuries to his left hand. He had three surgeries to repair the extensive damage. Soon after, Brown teamed up with local guitarist, Luke Basile. The two formed a duo and went on writing and performing in their small town of Pendleton, Oregon.

After extensive duo work, the time came to assemble the band. In June of 2011, Dakota Brown Band recorded and released their EP titled “Find Your Way,” which proved to be a strong first release for the group. They proceeded to record with three-time Grammy nominated producer, Brook Floyd; where they released a second untitled EP, recorded at Rainmaker Studios in Pasco, WA. The band then traveled to Hawaii to film a music video for their single, “How Far We Can Go,” which proved to be a great success. Brown and his mates continued to play throughout the Pacific Northwest for six years, one of their most notable shows being held at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon.

They have since parted ways to pursue their own artistic projects. Brown continues writing and performing music. His first single release as a solo artist just released on August 14th, 2020, called “Safe in His Hands.” It will be followed by his first Solo EP, in late October of 2020. The EP, produced by Producer/Songwriter/Worship Pastor Brandon Bee; invokes an original, soulful, and artistic sound that is guaranteed to inspire listeners.

Today, Brown is launching his solo career to inspire others and give glory to God through his music; to share his story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles that will encourage others to chase their dreams. “Everyone longs for safety and freedom these days,” Brown stated. “This song is about where true safety and freedom can be found. Everyone just needs to know the One who can give that to them.”

Brown’s music is something special; that will bring a fresh and new creative sound to the music scene. And a much needed message of hope, revival, assurance, and freedom in Christ. Look out for Brown’s soulful sound, as he’s set to release his EP this fall to the Pacific Northwest, and beyond.

LT – Hold Ya

Three times Queensland Music Award winner, singer songwriter LT today shares her delightful new single, Hold Ya – a sugary slice of heartening dream pop. The track is accompanied by a charming Chelsey Johnston video that perfectly captures some lovely moments of connection between people.

Soaked in nostalgia, Hold Ya is clever indie pop that showcases LT at her best. Littered with triumphant brass notes and uplifting guitar, the track is buoyed by LT’s dreamy voice with that refreshing Aussie pronounciation she’s known for. “Hold Ya was written during a pretty turbulent time,” explains LT, “It’s a story about two people in love, however through the struggles they’ve endured they begin to drift apart. Neither of them want to leave, but both of them are desperately seeking reassurance that the other wants them to in fact stay and it turns out they both do.”

Already notching up some impressive acclaim pre-release, Hold Ya placed LT as a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition and a finalist in the Queensland Music Awards (Blues & Roots category). And LT’s last single Overthinker was part of the Slow Down Songs campaign last month, she’s one of ten Queensland acts (including Jungle Giants, Tijuana Cartel and more) who have donated their tunes to a Spotify campaign addressing road safety outside schools, alerting drivers when they are five kilometres from a school zone. The Slow Down Songs campaign on behalf of the Australian Road Safety Foundation sees Spotify insert the songs, edited to include the safety message, into the personalised playlists of its Queensland premium users.

Filmed and edited by emerging filmmaker and fellow Cairns local, Chelsey Johnston, with visual effects and animation by Annie Murray from Bigger Picture Animation, LT insights, “Chelsey had the beautiful idea of capturing moments of connection between people. Mothers and daughters, best friends and lovers all connecting in different ways. She messed around with the speed of the track during the filming process, which really signified to me the changes of pace we all experience in any relationship. Relationships change, move, disappear and re-invent themselves all the time and our life can be quite tough if we don’t allow them to do that. Sometimes you’ve got to try harder, and sometimes you have to let go. We chose to film at the Cairns Roller Skating Rink as it’s dear to the community and holds so many memories and stories of connection within its 1980s decor.”

The UK-born, Papua New Guinea-raised, far north Queensland resident, LT recently rebranded from Leanne Tennant. After the release of her third studio album Happiness Is….. in the troubled year of 2020, Leanne had the space and time to reflect on her career to date – and where she wanted to head in 2021. She explains, “I rarely ever get called by my full name, and I really felt that after such a complicated year it was time to simplify my life and go by the name most know me by and start 2021 with a fresh outlook. LT feels so right to me.”

Thrilled to get back to performing live after the year that was, LT recently supported Bernard Fanning and has announced a show at Bearded Lady (Brisbane) on April 17, and will play the Sunshine Sounds Festival (Eumundi, QLD) on May 1 and 2.

Hold Ya is out now.

Carrie Underwood – “My Savior”

Following the extraordinary success of her recent Christmas album, My Gift, seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner Carrie Underwood has today released an album of gospel hymns, titled My Savior. My Savior is co-produced by Underwood and GRAMMY® Award winner David Garcia, with whom she co-produced her critically acclaimed 2018 album Cry Pretty, her seventh album which peaked at #4 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

My Savior, consists of covers of traditional gospel hymns Underwood grew up singing (tracklist below), is a spiritual companion to Underwood’s first-ever Christmas album. “It’s been such a blessing to make music like this, inspirational music that is near and dear to my heart,” says Underwood. “These two albums have been on my musical bucket list since the beginning of my career and were planned long before the events of the past year, but somehow it feels like the perfect time to share these beloved songs with the world.”

Underwood’s co-producer on My Savior, David Garcia, is a multi-platinum selling, four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning record producer and songwriter. With his early roots in Christian music, over the past decade he has achieved chart-topping success across multiple genres of music with over 20 US #1 songs to his credit. He has twice been named ASCAP’s Christian Music Songwriter of the Year (2015 and 2019), has written three ASCAP Award winners for Christian Music Song of The Year, as well as won nine Dove Awards. In addition to co-producing the Cry Pretty album, Garcia and Underwood’s collaborations include co-writing tracks such as ‘Southbound’ with Josh Miller, ‘Drinking Alone and Love Wins with Brett James, as well as the original tracks ‘Let There Be Peace’ and ‘Sweet Baby Jesus’ with Brett James’ on My Gift, among others.

My Gift featured a combination of beloved traditional favourites celebrating the spiritual nature of the holiday, as well as several new originals, including the two written by Underwood, Garcia and James. GRAMMY® Award-winning producer, mixer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Greg Wells produced and arranged the album.

TROY CASSAR-DALEY – THE WORLD TODAY

Troy Cassar-Daley releases his latest single ‘The World Today’ the title track from his new album to radio today
The World Today is the 11th studio album from the multiple ARIA and Golden Guitar winner and is his most personal album to date dealing with loss, acceptance and ‘story’, all while finding a will to grow stronger and move forward in these troubling times.
Troy explains, “An old uncle of mine used to say ‘it’s not all beer and skittles’ and that saying is so true. Over the last couple of years the family life and work life balance that I’d always had, shifted. It became a monumental struggle”. He added, “On top of that I lost my Dad in 2019. People knew of his passing but what I didn’t share is that he took his own life. It hit me incredibly hard and I feel I didn’t give myself the time to grieve. Then came Covid and that’s when I really hit rock bottom.”
Pulling himself from that dark time, Troy found joy in writing with old friends and playing bass and drums on some of the rough demos in his home studio, then in Sydney in the hands of producer Matt Fell with a handpicked bunch of incredible musicians and engineer Ted Howard – the record was finished in just under a month.
Troy’s songs have been the soundtrack to the everyday triumphs, struggles and good times for Australians from our small towns to the big cities and this record is no different. It’s testament to the longstanding career of the 50th inductee into the prestigious Australasian Roll Of Renown, who has also been awarded numerous accolades including 37 Golden Guitars, 4 ARIAs, 3 APRA Song of the Year awards, 9 Deadlys (Australian Indigenous Artist Awards), 4 CMAA Entertainer of the Year awards plus 2 NIMAs (National Indigenous Music Awards).
After spending the majority of 2020 writing and recoding at home, Troy is recently finished touring with MIDNIGHT OIL & First Nations Collaborators – ‘MAKARRATA LIVE’ and has a run of solo dates coming up, including Bluesfest Byron Bay, Gympie Music Muster, Deni Ute Muster and Savannah in the Round. For more information, visit troycassardaley.com.au/touring/.

Paul McCartney – Find My Way ft. Beck

McCARTNEY III REINTERPRETED BY ALL-STAR LINEUP INCLUDING ANDERSON .PAAK, BECK, BLOOD ORANGE, DAMON ALBARN, EOB, JOSH HOMME, KHRUANGBIN, 3D RDN FROM MASSIVE ATTACK, PHOEBE BRIDGERS, ST. VINCENT & MORE

Hailed upon its release last year as “vital and comfortable taking new chances” (Rolling Stone) and “cheery, resilient, forever looking forward” (The New Yorker), Paul McCartney’s McCartney III is now literally moving into the future in the form of McCartney III Imagined, to be released digitally April 16.

Personally curated by Paul, McCartney III Imagined features an A-List assortment of friends, fans and brand new acquaintances, each covering and/or reimagining their favoUrite McCartney III moments in their own signature styles. The result is a kaleidoscopic reinterpretation of an album Rolling Stone accurately tagged “an inspiration to us all”-one that serves as an extension of the instantly beloved McCartney III while standing on its own as brilliant and adventurous milestone in the McCartney discography.

The first offering from McCartney III Imagined was from American singer/rapper/songwriter Dominic Fike, whose cover of “The Kiss of Venus” transmutes the tender acoustic ballad into a retro-futuristic R&B tour de force. Out today, the follow up single is McCartney’s ‘Find My Way ft Beck’.

Further III-imaginations will be forthcoming from Damon Albarn, Blood Orange, Phoebe Bridgers, Josh Homme, Khraungbin, 3D RDN of Massive Attack, Ed O’Brien (EOB), Anderson .Paak, St. Vincent and more.

Originally released December 18, 2020, McCartney III is the third in a trilogy of home-made and self-titled albums that began with Paul’s 1970 solo debut McCartney, and continued in 1980 with McCartney II. All three albums were written, performed and produced by Paul in varying states of isolation, all showcasing his unique creativity and inspired spontaneity. Recorded in “Rockdown,” McCartney III topped album charts across the world, scoring Paul his first UK#1 album in 31 years – increasing his lead as the UK’s most successful chart act of all time.

McCartney III Imagined continues the tradition of the biggest and most diverse names in music covering Paul’s songs – an ever-expanding lineup that ranges from more recent versions by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Dave Grohl, Coldplay and The Cure, to interpretations over the years from the likes of U2, Guns N’ Roses, Earth Wind & Fire, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and so many more. McCartney III Imagined is a testament of Paul’s enduring and unmatched influence, a legacy that stretches from “Yesterday” being the most covered song in contemporary musical history to the inspiration his current work continues to hold for generations of artists and fans.

ALL THE QUEEN`S HORSES – Raised By Wolves

The poetry of Leonhard Cohen, the madness of Tom Waits, the tragedy of Joy Division – that’s ALL THE QUEEN`S HORSES

Three times nominated finalist for Performance, Singer Songwriter and ScreenShot category at the INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION this year, releases debut single and video.
(Previous years ISC winners are Bastille, Vance Joy, Gotye, Tones and I)
STYLE: Singer Songwriter, folktronica-rock, for friends of dark and deep songs, with lyrics full of metaphors and historical references.

ALL THE QUEEN`S HORSES RELEASE DEBUT 2-TRACK SINGLE “RAISED BY WOLVES” & “THE IDES OF MARCH” FROM THE UPCOMING DEBUT ALBUM “THE DARK BELOW & THE ISLE OF DOGS”, TO BE RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER 2021.

“RAISED BY WOLVES” powerful, sparsely and modern instrumented between folktronica and minimalistic cinematic rock. With modern beats and filmic sound design, a groovy bass, guitar feedbacks and an intense sawing cello, that strokes the mood even deeper.

VIDEO INFO – RAISED BY WOLVES:
The dark cobblestones, tunnels, side streets and riverbanks of Dublin offered the ideal dark backdrop for All The Queen’s Horses first single Raised by Wolves. The video concept was simple, everyone has to carry their own baggage in life and it is not something that you can let go of, no matter what you do. It follows a protagonist and heroine and the breakdown in mechanics of their relationship. The film is shot in black and white. The video was inspired by the 1962 Orson Welles movie adaption of Kafka`s book “The Trial”.

The artist about RAISED BY WOLVES: The song tells the story of a person who experiences constant misfortune in life (I live in fire and there’s no symmetry and there’s no winning here) and of the people who should never have abandoned him. Their indifference towards him (when the storms came I’d stay out in the snow) and his incomprehension of how they can accept this so easily (I held on to Jerusalem with my arrow and my bow). This man is on a warpath against all those who have abandoned him, but loses the strength to continue fighting them (and I will follow you and I will follow them) and his world begins to come apart at the seams. Embittered by his years of neglect, he believes that the misfortune and suffering of others is not equal to his (their virgin chests swim near and there’s no fitting in). The protagonist is portrayed as caustic, hostile and argumentative. His world collapses and he is poison to those around him.