No, I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t a music lesson: Music Theory is an emerging pop artist hailing from Egypt who’s tapped into a classic form of pop music.
Inspired by the likes of Michael Jackson, Maroon 5 and Usher, Music Theory takes elements from all of these artists and uses them to help him in his songwriting process. There’s nothing flashy about what Music Theory is doing; it’s just good, honest pop music that anyone can get along with.
‘Down The Aisle’ is the quintessential love song; it’ s romantic, heartfelt, all with a catchy tune to boot. Well worth a listen!
Bringing back a catchy 70s disco sound into their brand of pop music is the dynamic duo, Tsunami Section.
The duo, which is made up of Felicia Singson and Anna Chiara, take an infectious tune, written by Oliver Fell-Holden and transform it into a get up and dance anthem with their stunning vocals.
‘Keep My Spinning Wheel’ is the kind of track that will get those retro-disco lovers off their sofas, but their sound is by no means outdated. A powerful beat and quality production bring the track to contemporary audiences too.
In the past, the pair have performed at over 100 venues in places such as Delhi, Mizoram and Gurgaon. Chiara is no stranger to the industry either, having recorded a full length record with London producer, David Ezra too.
Fusing a potent blend of R&B, pop and dance music, musical collective Pimlican have followed up their single ‘B’ck 4 More/P’lya’, with their latest infectious release, ‘Runaw’y’.
Published via Pimlican’s own label, Belgrave Road Records, ‘Runaw’y’ employs a killer vocal hook with a powerful beat and unique instrumentation. It is this sort of well-crafted songwriting that has earned Pimlican airplay on Tim Robinson’s radio 6 show, BBC Introducing and BBC Radio Leeds.
The inspiration for the name ‘Pimlican’ came from spending many nights in Pimlico, waiting for appointments with people involved in the music industry. The idea of the collective is to deliver unique live performances; therefore, anyone can get involved in Pimlican as long as they help evolve the live show, never sticking to a completely rigid format.
‘Runaw’y’ utilises rap to both contrast and complement the strong vocals at play in the track, so it’s a must listen for an urban music fan.
Aussie singer-songwriter, Ashley Iona, has a meaningful purpose to her music: to inspire and make people feel grounded in their own skin. This notion becomes clear when you listen to the honest, humbling lyrics on ‘Thunder Come’.
The classically trained singer has a wealth of experience in song writing, but ‘Thunder Come’ goes back to basics as an evocatively ambient track that employs all the best features of simplistic composition for a pure and natural feel.
Iona’s writing of the song coincided with three days of rare thunderstorms in LA that provided the inspiration for ‘Thunder Come’. From listening to the song, you can see just how much something as trivial as a thunder storm can influence the creation of a piece of art.
The rising tension of the verse builds up to the stunning crescendo of the chorus where the wild drum beat comes in, reflecting the downpour on both a physical and metaphorical level: ‘Pour down, let me taste the rain, every drop take every care away’.
The track evokes feelings of wanting to start over, begin again and wash over what has come before. Also, the contrast of the stripped-back, calming first verse with the racing, chaotic chorus is not dissimilar from a number of Florence and the Machine tracks, Florence being someone Ashley states as one of her primary influences.
This is all without mentioning Ashley’s vocals, that echo gloriously over the rest of the track and prove that she is remastering a sound that has seemingly been forgotten about in the last few years of popular music.
And if this is not enough for you to go explore some more of Ashley’s music, she has been working in the same LA studio as the likes of Sia and Christina Perri, and her music has earned her an invitation only spot at BMI headquarters for their songwriter’s round.
Set to play WOMAD this year, multi-award winning Afro-pop songstress Wiyaala has come a long way since her humble background growing up in the small Ghanaian village of Funsi.
The last few years have seen Wiyaala rise from rags to riches. Now on the cusp of becoming a worldwide star, the singer hopes to inspire others by spreading her message of love and peace, whilst also raising awareness of the injustices still taking place to this day in third-world countries all over the world.
Her new self-titled album Wiyaala has already received nationwide success in Ghana. She now hopes to establish a global audience.
Stream the single ‘Peace’ from the album here on Soundcloud:
Single released on August 17th followed by the EP on August 31st
Rumboy is an exciting new concept from soft spoken troubadour Jay Thackery. Rumboy explores all the essential elements of pop rock, and subverts and presents something new, fresh and exciting.
Rumboy has been playing in pubs and clubs since he was 17, honing his craft and creating a distinctive sound which has the potential to capture the hearts and minds of music lovers everywhere. A proud Lancastrian with strong ties to Scotland, Rumboy’s northern charms comes across very strongly in his first release.
The lead single from Rumboy’s debut EP gives the listener a true scope of his far flung talents. Having expanded his sound, Rumboy has created something incredibly enriching and a pleasure to listen too. The key lyrical ingredients of bad break-ups and women fit seamlessly with the warm tones of his acoustic guitar and his soft, velvety voice.
Rumboy is an endearing character capable of evoking strong feelings through his emotional song writing. Rumboy is essentially a true talent who possess all the key ingredients for long lasting success. His debut EP will be released on August 31st.
Electrifying new album ‘Love Song’ from pop sensation due for release August 31st
Joyce Sims needs no introduction. Storming on to the pop charts in the late 80s, Joyce is responsible for some of music history’s greatest club anthems. Tracks like ‘All and All’, ‘Come into My Life’ and ‘Walk Away’ established Joyce as a true musical icon. Now she returns with a dazzling new song set to take the world by storm.
Joyce Sim’s work has been sampled and recorded by a wide range of musicians including Snoop Dogg, Randy Crawford and Angie Stone which is a testament to her enduring influence.
‘Love Song’ builds on her soul and funk roots whilst seamlessly transferring them into the context of modern pop. The album is truly a masterpiece. Effective and catchy in equal measure, Joyce Sims explores new musical styles whilst managing to adhere to the sound she is known and loved for.
Lewis Dene, USA East Coast Managerfor Kings of Spins DJ pool described the ‘All I Want Is You’ single as “totally refreshing, original and really addictive!” The single went straight to the top of the Kings of Spin Dj record pool chart with About.com commenting that Joyce had “a unique tonal progression.”
Joyce Sims is a universal musical icon, a pop star both on stage and in the studio. She demonstrates time and time again that she can deliver whether that be superb live performances or incredible releases. Stay tuned to hear more from her soon.
‘Love Song’ will be released on August 31st.
UK Tour Dates:
20th August – Birmingham UK The Jam House – W/Band
Help Yourself Music 