MUSIC ROUNDUP: January Releases 2023
Featuring fresh new releases by Logan’s Close, Sovirez, KLEO, Hannymoon & more.
Hiya 2023! 👋
The SAMA team are hyped for another packed year of music awards, music showcases, conferences, & of course the monthly music playlists. Behind the scenes we are planning showcases at Future Echoes Sweden, Liverpool Sound City, FOCUS Wales, and the SAMA Paisley Takeover. In the meantime - we’ve picked out 10 new releases that we’ve been spinning, go grab your headphones and get locked into this playlist! Find us on Spotify @officialsama
-The team at SAMA
In alphabetical order
Words by Ewan MacDonald
Big Girls Blouse - Everybody Nearly Dies All The Times
With a sold out show at The Old Hairdressers In Glasgow to celebrate this single, local Punk quartet Big Girls Blouse are one of the most visceral and fun bands to come up in the local scene in the last few years. Lumbering bass lines rip through as vocalist/guitarist Emmy Leisham furiously delivers scathing lyrics in impeccable flow.
Carsick Charlie - Finn
The stunning debut single ‘Finn’, from Glasgow based acoustic duo Carsick Charlie is a peak into a tender confession delivered in icy tones. Sparsely scattered with the cooing of violins, dripped over the fingerpicked guitar chords as the duo harmonise a narrative that lies so perfectly over the instrumental.
Hannymoon - Dancing Alone
Scottish based, Malawi born Hip-Hop artist Hannymoon’s brand new single Dancing Alone is a trap-tinged heartbreaker of a slow jam. Minimal in its instrumentation, Dancing Alone lets Hannymoon flex his skills with each pluck of synthesised strings tugs at the heart.
KLEO - INM
The ‘half-human, half-android’ KLEO has been fusing electronic genres together since her debut, with her first EP Machina being a turning point for the artist. Taking elements from Hyperpop, Darkwave, trap and K-pop, KLEO manages to create a sonic landscape that folds these genres into one cohesive element on ‘INM’.
Logan’s Close - Dans Le Jardin
This latest single from duo Logan’s Close is a trip to the French gardens. The indie-pop duo have been crafting their 60’s influenced sound and Dans Le Jardin is the perfect example of merging the airy and melodic sensibilities of old school 60’s pop with a modern edge, and a subtle cheekiness to the lyrics.
Nicola Taylor - Get High
Neo-soul and multi-faceted artist Nicola Taylor has been working in the industry since she was only 14, getting her writing and performing chops up in the studio from the very start. Get High is Taylor’s debut single, touching on some of the classic Soul elements and infusing them with a more modern production to create a direct and enticing song.
Saint Sappho - Green Door
Alt rock duo Saint Sappho debut EP Green Door has landed with their shoegaze-infused brand of hard hitting rock. The title track is a slow burn, starting with waves of atmospheric guitar before hitting into a baggy 90’s groove.
slow bones - sunzu
Instrumental artists slow bones presents his latest otherworldly dive into a sonic world of their own creation. Filled with flourishes of vocal samples, and a tight groove between the bass and guitar, sunzu is a funky creation that seems like it fell to Earth in a ball of glitchy electronica.
Sovirez - All Night
With sold out shows at Broadcast and The Flying Duck, and airplay on BBC Radio, Sovirez have been carving their spot in the local scene with their own brand of 80’s tinged guitar pop. ‘All Night’ is the quintets latest single, with chorus laden guitar licks being the centre focus while the vocals reach falsetto notes some can only dream of.
VLURE - Cut It
The bombastic, spectacular electronic-punk heroes VLURE are back once again. With another slab of powerful synths and enchanting melodies. 2022 see VLURE travel across the world performing their hearts out, including the SAMA 2022 Ceremony, and this year is set to be even better, with a place at SXSW Austin. ‘Cut It’ is a relentless flow of electronic keys and waves of synth that just fully envelop you.