by Jane Lambert

Emily Merrell’s Lush Pop Single Gives Listeners the Courage to Explore Connection

Emily Merrell’s lush pop is based in her deep love and passion for music, where she has found solace and safety due to her tumultuous childhood. Her music is dreamy and ethereal, creating a light feeling in her listeners by way of her angelic sounds. She’s been working on her third studio album, The Hallowed Wide, a 12 song album of songs about human connection and the messiness that comes with it. She will release a new song a month until the release of the album later this year. She’s already released 2.

Her third release, “Quicksand,” which as a style and sound of if Madonna were to sing a song for The Little Mermaid, is the final piece of the “descent” into The Hallowed Wide, the name she gave the space between our current selves and the versions of ourselves we’re trying to grow into. The piano sounds of angelic bubbles and give a feeling of flight, while the lyrics speak on the mystery of a new connection. It speaks to harness up our fear with an equal measure of exhilaration and now-or-never-ness and fly blind into brand new terrain.

“I love the way Joni Mitchell captures this feeling in her incredible song ‘I Don’t Know Where I Stand,’ says Emily. “The uneasiness is palpable. I imagine ‘Quicksand’ as a less measured iteration of this feeling. Will you emerge as the protagonist of this story? Or will you discover yourself merely a minor plot-propeller for the hero? You don’t know, and you don’t care. The intrigue is worth everything. You’ll eagerly assume the risk for the exquisite tension of this single moment. There’s hardly a more alluring feeling in the entirety of the human experience.”

Listen to “Quicksand”

Emily shares this on her upcoming album:
“This project offers a heightened plane on which to explore the unknowable spaces between ourselves and others. Together, we examine sources of disconnect, and commit to braving these weighty expanses. We tease out the expectations, judgements, and selfishness that prevent us from connecting wholly. We learn to see beauty and magic in our fellow beings. And finally, we summon the courage to stretch our hands and hearts across the divide in trust.”

You can find Emily Merrell via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

02.01.22

by Jane Lambert

Tara Novak’s New Epic Pop Single “A Place Called Purpose” Takes Inspiration From Her Classical Training

Tara Novak, the classically trained violinist and composer turned pop artist, just released her new pop epic single, “A Place Called Purpose.” The song is a narrative like those of old Irish tales, Beowulf, or Hrolf Kraki, using music and lyrics in tandem to paint a picture of a tale about a brave female captain of a ship, with only her knowledge, intuition, and courage to guide her on the open seas as she races against time to her destination. She faces outward storms and inner doubts and ultimately comes out renewed in her belief herself. She is a true heroine, like all of us who face the many battles in life.

Musically speaking, she uses minor chords in the verses to symbolize the dramatic elements of the story, of the heroine facing challenges on her journey. The only major chords we hear are in the chorus, symbolizing the underlying message of hope, bravery, and courage. The use of the soft violin and ambient sounds in the beginning of the song gives a ghost-like feeling to the story, setting the scene and a melodic atmosphere.

Her classical training influenced the music for “A Place Called Purpose,” giving a unique touch to the pop genre that you won’t hear anywhere else. But she was also inspired by time. “Tick, tick, tick… the sound of a clock on the wall, always counting, always moving forward,” says Tara, talking about how clocks inspired the story. “But clocks used to measure more than just the passing of time: ancient mariners used a combination of a clock and the stars to calculate their position on the ocean. This song is an epic story of a girl alone with her ship, racing against time to find ‘A Place Called Purpose’ before the sun rises and once again hides the stars. Clocks tick and the orchestra sweeps the listener on their own journey, a perfect reflective soundtrack for the start of a new year.”

Listen here:

When you get a chance, listen to “A Place Called Purpose.” It’s a strong song with a powerful message of a heroine finding her own bravery and courage within herself.

You can find Tara Novak via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.28.22

by Jane Lambert

Lauren Waller’s New Single is Giving Us a Musical Rush

Los Angeles based pop artist, Lauren Waller, just released a new single that is sure to keep you coming back for more. “Dopamine” is the song we didn’t know we needed. This dark and textured pop song has a Lorde vibe in the music itself, yet her vocals are very much like Ingrid Michaelson. Her intimate and poetic lyrics in a song about a failed love story has an interesting relationship with the music. She manages to create this interesting space where the music makes the listener feel distant and disconnected, yet the lyrics tell a familiar story.

“Dopamine” is harmonic and melodic while also having an ere of dissonance to show the disconnect between these two people who are not really in love. She gets you moving and singing along while also making you feel out of place. It’s masterful.

Listen to “Dopamine”:

Lauren Waller has already had a strong career in music. Her resume includes performing on RTE, Ireland’s National Television, at the International Rose of Tralee Festival, and appearances at the Viper Room and the Hotel Café. She’s even opened for many iconic bands such as Wilson Philips, Anna Nalick, A Flock of Seagulls, and most recently: Tower of Power. She was set to open for KT Tunstall prior to COVID-19, but the show has since been postponed.

Her collection of work includs two EPs, a Christmas cover song, and a collection of original singles! Her latest EP—her second overall— no names here, blurs the line between the observational and the personal. Themes of relationships course through the five-song EP, and, in tone and lyrical content, Lauren expresses raw truths without feeling the need to tilt narratives in the way of happy endings. no names here is rife with stunning songs that whisk the listener away to sonic hemispheres replete with dizzying sensual vocals, undeniable pop hooks, and sleek electro-tinged atmospherics. Since releasing her second EP, Waller has shared a collection of singles that follow similar tones of mystery and edge, but also embracing the voices, accepting lost love, and playfully toying with the object of her affections.

Most recently, Lauren has shared new singles that mark a stepping stone in Lauren’s arc as a growing writer and singer; Lauren’s has entered this enlightened era with both confidence and swagger in her singles titled “Night Stalker” and “Best Coast.” “Night Stalker” is a sickly-sweet pop single featuring an edgy beat and sinister lyrics that are punctuated with slasher-esque references and harmonies. Between the lyrics, the melodies, and the production: Night Stalker melds culturally relevant, chilling horror with an up-tempo urban dance track. “Best Coast” is a summer anthem highlighting the party lifestyle that some know all too well in California. The lyrics poke fun with a fresh take on party culture. “Best Coast” is reminiscent of catchy 2000s hip hop and pure pop. The beats and production make “Best Coast” catchy, danceable, and relatable because we all know that in California, we like to party.

You can find Lauren Waller via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // TikTok // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.26.22

by Jane Lambert

“To Say Goodbye” is the Cinematic Pop Song That Brings Hope To Adoptees

Pianist, violinist, composer, recording artist, and singer/songwriter, Ferera Swan is the voice for those who feel the same sort of pain and grief. As an adult child of adoption, Ferera is a beacon of hope for other adult children of adoption, using music to guide them and others through the feelings of grief, pain, suffering, shame, secrecy, and generational trauma. Her poignant lyrics and her cinematic inspiration is what makes her unique. In the past 3 years, she changed her name to reflect her Filipino-American heritage and the identities of her birth parents. In doing so, she is celebrating her cultural identity and acknowledging her painfully complex birth story.

Her epiphany has happened many years into her music career. One way to think of this new music era is as if Ferera Swan is a new artist 15 years in the making. To date, she has written, arranged, and engineered music for other artists in varying genres, and she has worked as a session musician in a variety of contexts.

Her new cinematic pop single “To Say Goodbye” takes that grief and puts it in the forefront of the song. She saying that it’s ok to not be ok, that this sort of pain is normal, and you are not alone. Her voice is like Kelly Clarkson, it’s soulful and purposeful. “It’s easy to dismiss people’s pain, but it takes a kind of bravery to be curious,” shares Ferera.‘”To Say Goodbye’ is an invitation of empathy: May we have the courage to empathize with another’s grief that we will never understand; that in doing so, we may discover deep empathy for our own.”

Listen to “To Say Goodbye” here:

On this song, her lyrics come from a place of strength and self-awareness hard fought from years of pain and confusion. She shares some insight, saying “Some of our greatest gifts can be found in our deepest pain. Through allowing myself to explore what hurts, I’ve found purpose, self-compassion, and the meaning of courage.”

You can find Ferera Swan via:

Website // Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

01.13.22

by Jane Lambert

Kick and the Hug’s Video for their Single “Born Too Late” is an Embrace of Live Music Experience of the Past and Present

The up and coming four-piece indie pop band, Kick and the Hug, grew up with a live music experience that, simply put, is slowly going out of style. The era of taking in the music by feeling it is now gone. While the music listeners and concert goers of today still take in the music, though in a new and different way, what they have that Kick and the Hug didn’t is the internet. Smartphones and social media have changed the landscape of concerts and live music, therefore changing the way music is experienced. The generation of Woodstock attendees and Dead Heads are replaced with the new generation of P!nk and Arianna Grande concerts, which is usually posted about the next day. Kick and the Hug’s most recent single, “Born Too Late” is a pop rock song about seeing a concert through the phone.

The video for “Born Too Late” takes the idea of being born into a generation of music that enjoys a concert through posting about being there on Instagram and turns it on it’s head. The normal thing to do now is to post a photo and/or video of the concert you went to. Members of the Kick and the Hug, who would enjoy music like the Dead Heads, were now experiencing music through their phones. They had changed with the time and realized that they were no longer experiencing music the same way either. Their use of baby dolls in the video is a visualization of the older members of the band both embracing social media and a reminder that they don’t need their phones to have an experience.

“It’s a song about watching shows through your phone…being a camera person instead of just being fully immersed in the show,” shares Doug Murray, lead singer and guitar player of Kick and the Hug. “It’s nice to show everyone on social media that you’re having a great time at this awesome show…but you know what’s better? Actually having the great time, not thinking about a post, or tomorrow or even five minutes into the future. It’s a little preachy, cause I catch myself posting clips all the time, but after releasing this song it’s a pretty good reminder to just get the damn shot, stick the phone in my pocket and connect with what’s going on around me.“

Watch the video:

You can find Kick and the Hug via:
Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Spotify // Soundcloud

11.26.21

by Jane Lambert

“Hit and Run” Shares the Message of Growth and Change Within Ourselves

Zack King, the young Minnesota musician, is not afraid to get real in his newest single “Hit and Run.” He isn’t afraid to get personal and vulnerable when it comes to his music, and “Hit and Run” is no different. This song in particular is about growth and the strength and bravery it takes to move forward rather than desperately hold onto the past. Zack shares that “trying to hold on to who you used to be can be toxic, especially when you don’t recognize that person anymore. Looking in the mirror and seeing a new person can be scary, but also rewarding. Why not give the new you a chance and see what good can come from it?” People evolve all the time. Zack asks whether you want to embrace who you become.

Zack just released the music video for “Hit and Run” which is a wonderful visualization of this journey. While this story is based on Zack’s own experience, he uses his knowledge to help others grow. This acoustic style pop meets grunge song is for those who don’t like who they’ve become. Zack, for example, felt lost and alone after graduating college and turned to drugs and alcohol to try and find who he was. On top of that, he treated the people he loves the most poorly. After time, all of these bad habits and behaviors towards himself and others made him realize that he no longer recognized the person staring back at him in the mirror. He became unrecognizable to himself. So, he set out to change for the better.

While he doesn’t like who he was looking back, he accepts it and sees that it wasn’t all bad. It was part of his journey and he was able to learn and grow as a person. “It’s okay to move on from a past life, especially when it will benefit you, and those around you,” Zack shares. “Don’t be afraid to take that leap from who you used to be, to who you want to become.”

Watch “Hit and Run” here: