In this edition of New Artist Spotlight, we’re bringing you eight artists that sing about love, impermanence, and mental health.
Talii
Orlando-based artist, Talii grew up in a home filled with Trinidadian music. That childhood soundtrack is now inspiring her own R&B and Neo-soul sound. Following uplifting singles “Good To Be Bad” and “Thickness,” Talli is sharing her first and darker single, “Pointless Numbers” off her upcoming summer debut EP.
Talii shared exclusively with ECHO, “This song is my most vulnerable one to date. It’s inspired by the depressive episodes I go through as someone who deals with bipolar disorder and how isolated I can feel in those moments. It’s meant to capture the feeling where you’re going through a really dark place and you want to reach out for help, but you don’t feel like you can or worry no one will understand. It’s a feeling I’m sure we have all experienced before,” Talli continued, “I like for my music to be a genuine reflection of who I am and what I experience in life. Up until now my music has been only upbeat and uplifting (aside from my first single) but that’s not all that I am. I feel very deeply and I’ve experienced immense emotional pain. I feel it’s as important to share that side of me to spread awareness of mental health and help to end the stigma.”
As one of SoundCloud’s March 2020 ‘Artists To Watch,’ there’s plenty more to come from Talii.
Glass House Point
Since 2013, alt-rock band Glass House Point have been touring their high energy music across Florida and the US. They recently added more dynamic tracks to their discography with the release of their genre-bending third EP “Verglas” produced by Aaron Marsh (of Copeland). From the ethereal “All To Rest” to the beat-driven “Estuary,” the band explores introspection and impermanence.
Abby J Hall
“I’ve never felt so alone/with most of the world stuck on their phones,” rising artist Abby J Hall sings in her relatable new single “Tough Love.” The single recognizes the dehumanization and augmented reality that comes with using digital media and challenges what it means to be in love.
This sentiment was also felt by TikTok users, including major artists Joshua Bassett and Tate McRae who related to the song and urged Hall to release it.
Hall shared a visual with the release that shows her in an empty room alternating between creating music and using her phone.
Nathan Day
Fans of The Strokes, The 1975, Tame Impala, and Beck will love the new forthcoming solo project from former British rock band Darlia frontman, Nathan Day.
The project addresses different mental illnesses through imaginary characters. In his first single from the project, “She Came Down From The Stars” we meet The Alien representing isolation. “Fade Like You” introduces The Skeleton, which stands for a fear of death and emptiness. His latest single, “Friends” welcomes The Rabbit for bipolar disorder.
Mint Simon
Following their first single “Used For Love,” Montreal artist Mint Simon is back with their pop/disco track “Some of Everything.”
The new single and upcoming project is a journey of self-discovery, expression, and acceptance through sharing with listeners that they can be more than just one thing.
On the track they explain, “I feel like as time goes on, we’re seeing more and more fluidity in gender and sexual expression especially in the younger generation. This song is a celebration of that not only for my queer fluid ass self, but for all the queers and the gays who want to celebrate with me.“
Playyard
From their Freshman dorm room to TikTok, Santa Barbara-based alt-pop duo Playyard have developed a sound filled with dance-worthy bass lines, love, and self-reflection.
Their new single “Close” co-written with Grammy-nominated Jesse Fink, follows that upbeat structure and questions “were we really that close?”
FGN
London R&B newcomer FGN (pronounced Faigan) started off the year with his apropos single “Pandemic. This month he’s singing about romance in “Love Better,” an emotional track overflowing with harmonies and runs.
Breagh Isabel
Over the years, Canadian artist Breagh Isabel has written for and been featured on the records of artists like Classified, Ria Mae, Donovan Woods and BANNERS. Now she’s sharing her own story with her debut single “Girlfriends.”
In her most vulnerable writing to date, the Warner Music Canada artist shares her own unrequited love story.
“I had no firm intention of delving into a solo artist project when I wrote ‘Girlfriends,’ but the song easily became the most honest thing I had ever written. I started to feel like I had something to say that might resonate,” says Isabel. “The song is about little – and sometimes big – moments and thoughts I didn’t know what to do with at the time, but now realize were just expressions of me figuring out who I am.”
The heart-wrenching lyrics co-written by Simon Wilcox (Nick Jonas, Selena Gomez, Lennon Stella) and hopeful pop melody are brought to life in the accompanying music video produced by Shelby Manton of Boldly and directed by Tamara Black(funded in part by the MVP Project) that follows two high school students (played by Carolyn Yu and Cassidy Foley) as they explore these new feelings for each other.
Jeff Beadle
“Sometimes” is the soul-stirring new single from Jeff Beadle. Addressing loss and the subsequent grief, Beadle contemplates how to make a mark while he’s still here, “Various profound situations have massively impacted the shaping of my life. In grieving, I’ve come to terms with my own mortality as I try to find my place in the world,” Beadle shared.