#stripped back

[spiritualsidequest]

"When the world is on your shoulders

And the weight of your own heart is too much to bear

Well, I know that you're afraid things will always be this way

It's just a bad day, not a bad life"

Needing to constantly remind myself of this lately.

[iheartmoosiq]

I’m incredibly content to have chanced across this endearing bedroom concoction, albeit a little belatedly. What You Told Me is a sweetly affecting, bittersweetly stripped back ballad from kate con, who looks to be a bedroom artist out of Chicago with Filipino-American heritage. According to what she wrote on Soundcloud, What You Told Me is the very first track she’s ever uploaded to Soundcloud. Tender ukulele strums, a gentle stream of keys, and sincerely candid lyrics draw us deep into this intimate confessional. What You Told Me feels like an open book and a direct glimpse into kate con’s own heart. It’s a song that mirrors the allure of recent bedroom stars and rising acts to watch, like Clairo, beabadoobee, mxmtoon, and girl in red. kate con is easily the latest in this stream of adulated artists to entice our ears and perk our interest. She’s since followed up the Soundcloud debut with a second song named ‘we were children too’, featuring twilight electronic production, a glistering R&B pop sheen, and more vivid beats. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about kate con soon. Till then, let’s get the word out on this fantastic new discovery, because these kate con deserve some attention, stat!

[colour-me-music]

Before he signed with XO Records, Black Atlass produced a song, from his bedroom, called Paris, that was later used by Louis Vuitton for a Saint Laurent men’s fragrance ad. A few years later and he’s now released his sophomore album Pain & Pleasure, a fantastic follow up to his debut, Haunted Paradise. It is filled with tantalising songs that leave you wanting more but one track that hypnotised me was Shadows. With a stripped back production enhancing Black Atlass’ voice like never before, raw emotional energy that is unlike a lot of other RnB singers and a flawless falsetto this track truly stands out amongst the others in a fantastic way. I highly recommend checking out the whole album as there are so many other songs that will leave you craving for more Black Atlass.

Connect with Black Atlass: Twitter | Instagram | Spotify

[aloadofoldtwaddle]

Where was this song six months ago? ❤️

Two things… Matt Nasir… is incredibly underrated. I’m gonna NEED the music for that piano part.😍

Little bit disappointed this has been labelled as acoustic… 🤔

[patrickfinnegan]

Vauxhall

London

2017

[iheartmoosiq]

We have tons of new music we’d like to share that we’re incredibly behind on (apologies for the slow features these days), but it’s imperative that we give this new live performance video from FKA twigs a share. It’s so stunning that it brings goosebumps and chills, in a delightfully pleasurable way, of course. Last month, Tahliah Barnett made a stupendous return with her long awaited new song Cellophane, accompanied by one of the year’s best music videos. Watch it below if you crave a revisit, but make sure you indulge in the live rendition above, as filmed and recorded at The Wallace Collection. Her voice has never been so breathtaking, and Cellophane is even more moving than it already was before, stripped back, with beautiful strings and keys. On FKA twigs’ socials, she stated: “to perform cellophane at the wallace collection is a dream come true - this is my love letter to the artefacts and paintings held within it’s walls, and to one of my favourite designers Vivienne Westwood whose portrait collection was inspired by these pieces. it was an emotional experience to perform in that magical place,  and to be wearing these beautiful clothes I’ve spent years collecting.” 

[iheartmoosiq]

Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutlers are no strangers. The East Coast singer songwriters and producers once came together to give us Better Off. And now, they’ve reunited on a stripped back heart-string tugger named ‘you were good to me’, out on Republic Records. It’s a tender ballad that kicks off like a soul emulsifying ballad from The Frames or Snow Patrol. Of the heartfelt song, Chelsea says: “Jeremy and I stayed in a cabin in Connecticut last year where we wrote our song ‘better off.’ That trip inspired some of our best writing, so we decided to go back a year later. ‘you were good to me’ is the first song we wrote up there and showcases, to me at least, how well we bring out the most honest artistry in each other.” Jeremy chimes in, saying, “The cabin was basically a recording studio built in an old carriage house. The walls were lined with vintage guitars, keyboards, drums, and loads of random items that we ended up putting in our song. In between writing sessions, we would hike, watch movies, or just talk about life. The music really represents how we felt at that cabin: inspired, wholesome, and introspective.”

Recently finishing his sold out European and UK ‘anything, anywhere’ Tour and her sold out North American Sleeping With Roses II Tour, fans can expect more new music from Jeremy and Chelsea this year. We can rest easy, as we sigh away to this truly moving hymnal. ‘you were good to me’ is available, here.

[iheartmoosiq]

Ryann graced The Chainsmokers’ hit single New York City with her immaculate voice three years ago, so you’re probably already very much in love with the Los Angeles chanteuse, whether you were aware of it or not. We’re unequivocally certain you’re about to fall harder than ever for the singer songwriter as she enamors you with her debut solo single, JFK. Cozy guitar plucks and soft keys join her tender cooing on the sparse, spacious pop ballad. JFK is a heart melting confection about disorienting new love that conjures stripped back Julia Michaels combined with the dulcet grace of Ingrid Michaelson. After lending her talents to many artists’ ventures, JFK is a triumphant solo announcement from this alluring songstress. Keep up with Ryann via Facebook, here, or Instagram, here.