Artist Spotlight: Stripped-Back Soul, Cinematic Scores, and Global Collaborations
By David Weddle
Exploring the raw talent and resonant stories of the independent music scene.
Exploring the raw talent and resonant stories of the independent music scene.
It is an exciting time for new music currently, and with our regular spotlight articles, we highlight a huge variety of artists from across every imaginable genre for you to discover. Today we shine the spotlight on three rising stars of the independent music world Zoe Konez, Green & Granstrom and Project Earthbridge.
First in the frame is Brighton-based singer-songwriter Zoe Konez. Zoe Konez is an independent artist who has already achieved over 5 million Spotify streams for her music, an incredible number, and has also garnered support from the likes of BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio. With that in mind, you know that her latest release, Nudge, is well worth checking out.
The track explores very personal experiences of trying to get everything right in life, self-improvement and how overwhelming that can be. In her own words, Zoe said about the track, “I was at a crossroads, living in London but hiding away. I felt low, a failure, but writing Nudge helped me identify moments of light, how just a friend messaging helped break me out of a negative headspin.”
It is a stripped-back, acoustic-led song that allows Zoe's vocals to really shine. It is taken from Zoe's forthcoming album Everything's Fine, which is due out in June. Listen Here
The track explores very personal experiences of trying to get everything right in life, self-improvement and how overwhelming that can be. In her own words, Zoe said about the track, “I was at a crossroads, living in London but hiding away. I felt low, a failure, but writing Nudge helped me identify moments of light, how just a friend messaging helped break me out of a negative headspin.”
It is a stripped-back, acoustic-led song that allows Zoe's vocals to really shine. It is taken from Zoe's forthcoming album Everything's Fine, which is due out in June. Listen Here
The next release has been out since 2022, from the musical collaboration Green & Granstrom. Stranger With My Face is a song that tells the story of two brothers finding each other following the passing of their father. Singer Leyton Green and Swedish songwriter Jimmy Granstrom tell the tale of the brother's very first meeting and have matched the rollercoaster of emotions that entails with the constant shift in the music.
The track has been included in the soundtrack for documentaries and short films alike. With composer Omri Lahav having made it to the prestigious longlist for Best Original Score at the Oscars as well as being nominated for an Emmy for other projects, Stranger With My Face has real musical heritage behind it.
If you haven't done so already, you can listen to the track here.
Switching things up with another winning collaboration by Jimmy Granstrom, this time Thomas Karlsson under the moniker of Project Earthbridge and the track Love Will Always Be Near. The pair enlisted the Filipino singer Aubrey Illurimo to record the powerful and emotional vocals on the track. The song is very poignant in today's world. Co-writer Anders Hasselquist was inspired to write the song after hearing about the high number of suicides among Sweden's youth.
His idea was to reach out to those who are struggling with a powerful, uplifting track that aims to send a positive message to those who find themselves in distress.
It is available to stream right here.
Keep an eye out for more artist spotlights, and if you have any new music that you think deserves a shout-out, feel free to send it our way.
His idea was to reach out to those who are struggling with a powerful, uplifting track that aims to send a positive message to those who find themselves in distress.
It is available to stream right here.
Keep an eye out for more artist spotlights, and if you have any new music that you think deserves a shout-out, feel free to send it our way.