WATCH: Emily Magpie – ‘Hotline Bling’

Having been supported by the likes of Tom Robinson on BBC 6Music and supported bands such as This Is The Kit and Let’s Eat Grandma, Bristol based Emily Magpie has been charming us with her whimsical dream-pop soundscapes for some time now, with her latest single ‘Last Train‘ receiving over 90,000 plays on Spotify. Now, with funding from Help Musicians, she is set to release a new EP this Spring.

Ahead of the EP’s release, Magpie has shared a brand new live video – her own rendition of ‘Hotline Bling‘, a unique fusion between Drake and Tame Impala. Oozing her crystalline, celestial tones and majestic ethereal splendour, she adds her own shimmering grace to the original. Flowing with a soaring, twinkling allure and soulful energy, it offers a beautifully uplifting interlude; a blissful, sunny respite to these cold February days.

Of her decision to record the track, Magpie explains:

“I’d come across an Erykah Badu cover of ‘Hotline Bling’ and it felt like such a different vibe to the original which got me thinking, I love covers that are unexpected or flip the original song. I feel like there’s a darkness and sadness to the track and lyrics – this jealous ex who’s being a bit desperate and unreasonable, but the song itself sounds like this catchy pop-bop. So we joked we should make a doom-pop cover of it and started jamming it and totally loved it, then found it could slide into Tame Impala and that was that. People always love it when we play it as a surprise at live shows.“

Watch the charming new video here:

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Guest Playlist: Hannah Schneider – ‘Sedated Summer Sounds’

Following the beautiful sounds of singles such as ‘Mirror Sphere’ and having charmed our ears as part of duo AyOwA, Danish artist Hannah Schneider has returned with a sparkling new offering. A glistening celestial soundscape, ‘It’s The Season’ reflects on the high expectations of the summer months and the disappointment this can sometimes bring. As Schneider’s rich crystalline vocals float alongside shimmering keys and a dreamy ethereal haze, a truly blissful soundtrack is created, oozing a euphoric, soothing grace.

To celebrate the release of ‘It’s The Season’, Schneider has put together a little playlist of her favourite summer tunes – ‘Sedated Summer Sounds’. Have a listen on Spotify now, read about her song choices below, and make sure you watch the new video for ‘It’s The Season’ at the bottom of the feature.

Masasolo – ‘Really Thought She Loved Me’
My friend Morten Søgaard made this amazing song a few years ago under his moniker Masasolo. I think it’s an absolute classic, leading your mind towards another of my favourite bands…

Tame Impala – ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’
This song, like so many of Tame Impala’s songs, takes me to this otherworldly place, where the wine is free, the days are long, and the people are all carefree and beautiful!

AyOwA – ‘Sommer’
A song from my band AyOwA, which adresses the longing for a summer that never comes. It’s a slow, sedated summer sensation that lingers on after it’s over.

Josephine Philip – ‘She Said’
My label mate and collaborator Josephine Philip makes music that grips you and holds your attention. This song has a beat to die for!

Vera (feat. Okay Kaya) – ‘Falling’
I bow down to this carefree pop banger. And when Okay Kaya starts singing in Swedish I’m just woooowww!

Hannah Schneider (with Christian Balvig, feat. Goss, Jacob Bellens and Josephine Philip) – ‘It’s The Season’
I made this song ’cause I have mixed feelings about summer. The early summer in Scandinavia is such a giant peak of the year. Sometimes we end up waiting for a summer that just never comes, and when it’s finally there, the expectations are so high that we can only be disappointed. To me, midsommer is a melancholic time where every feeling is exaggerated, and the beauty of it all is so breathtaking that it feels like you have to throw all your guards down and just surrender.

Sylvan Esso – ‘Hey Mami’
It’s all about the beat and the carefree melody.

Soleima (feat. Hoodboi) – ‘Breathe’
Daydreaming my summer days away with this one.

Alina Baraz, Galimatias – ‘Fantasy’
If I lived in L.A. and wasn’t such a Scandi, this would be the music I would make.

Patrick Watson, Safia Nolin – ‘Mélancholie’
But then again I am Scandinavian, and the trees don’t reach the stars… I always carry some serious melancholy with me wherever I go, and this song is perfect for that!

Excelsior – ‘Gold Runs’
One of my favourite Danish artists just released this gem of a song!

Liss, Nilüfer Yania – ‘Boys in Movies’
Love this track and the way the chords change.

Jungle – ‘Cherry’
This beat… I mean !!! Love Jungle, and this track is such a vibe!

Anna Roemer,  Ned Ferm – ‘Azure’
Such a beautiful ambient and soulful piece of music for just when the day breaks! You see the azure blue water quietly moving when you hear this music.

ML Buch – ‘Somewhere’
Such a great new track from one of my favourite Danish artists. ML Buch always grabs my attention, and keeps me listening attentively to her every move. 

Quadron – ‘Herfra Hvor Vi Står’
Love this cover of an old ‘70s Danish song – sung by Coco O of Quadron. Just such a moving, slow, beautiful and soulful piece of music. 

Monica Zetterlund – ‘Come Rain Or Come Shine’
To end up this playlist I look towards one of my favourite singers of all time – Monica Zetterlund – who captures all the Scandinavian melancholy and long summer nights in her voice.

Massive thanks to Hannah for sharing her ‘Sedated Summer Sounds’ playlist with us! Listen here and watch the new lyric video for her latest single ‘It’s The Season’ here:

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LISTEN: Evil Bone – ‘In Vain’

‘In Vain’ is the debut single from elusive newcomer Evil Bone, and it’s a blur of hushed lyrics and hazy reverb that’ll ease your anxious mind. The track premiered on Louder Than War earlier this week and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Evil Bone combines instrumentation and vocals – inspired by modern psych-guitar music, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tame Impala & Anderson Paak – “to marry the colourful sounds and soulful vibes that these styles of music respectfully portray.” But it’s not just about forming these dreamy soundscapes, Evil Bone’s words are of equal importance.

Speaking about ‘In Vain’, Evil Bone explains:

“In order for me to convey what I want people to take from this record, my choice of words are of high importance to me. Music alone has the ability evoke feeling, but to truly paint the picture O wanted to, I’ve chosen topics that are close to my heart. For this particularly piece, the topic is anxiety, something that I have struggled with for many years, something that has burdened my soul and held me back from being completely who I would like to be.

Anxiety disorder can take over your day to day life, by your side at all times. It holds you hostage – you begin to wonder what life is like on the outside. Wouldn’t it be great to be free!? …or would it? Maybe this is it now. Like a former lover that won’t leave you be, sometimes you get sucked back in before you even realise it. It makes your head spin, but maybe that’s not entirely a bad thing? your own warped view of the world. More often than not, however, it is both mentally and physically crippling, and though you may try to fight it, your efforts to extinguish these feelings are often in vain.”

‘In Vain’ is an impressive debut from this sensitive and talented artist. Listen to the track below and follow Evil Bone on Twitter for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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