There's nothing like the feeling of tracking an artist right from their early days into eventual stardom. Here at the interns, we're all about you feeling good inside so we're giving you the chance to track six new artists from their early beginnings. You can thank us when they hit number one on iTunes.
FOXTROTT, who is known to her parents as Marie-Helene Delorme, is a singer/songwriter/producer from Canada who’s been releasing music since 2012 but seems to have hit her stride of later with the release of new track Driven. Upon starting out, FOXTROTT mostly released instrumental music before deciding she wanted to expand her music and “express something deeper,” as she puts it.
She’s currently readying the release of her debut LP A Taller Us. Of the record she says, “My goal was to find the perfect balance between rhythms and frequencies, the production style that I wanted to put forward, and lyrics and emotional presence expressed by the voice.” Listening to Driven, it sounds as if she was successful in completing her goal. It’s a perky track perfectly weighed down by her brooding vocal. There’s so many artists who operate under two hats of producer and vocalist but rarely are they as good at both as FOXTROTT.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/foxtrottfoxtrott/driven[/soundcloud]
It takes something really special to back an artist purely off one song and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. To be honest we can’t really tell you that much about Her. We can tell you that they released their debut single a few weeks ago titled Quite Like and it’s an effortless triumph.
Quite Like has the same endearing quirkiness as an alt-J track with the smooth sensuality of Rhye and the intimacy of Wild Beasts. The fact that they seem to be going about this whole thing remaining anonymous with only one track to their name shows that they’re quietly confident about the strength of this track. And they should be. This is the kind of track that breaks new artists.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/thebandher/quite-like-2[/soundcloud]
We’ll preface this by saying that if you’re feeling bad about what you’ve accomplished in your life for your age then don’t read this. If not, then you’ll share in our joy at knowing that this producer is only 18 and already churning out phenomenal stuff. His debut EP Someday Somewhere, released this year is a collection of beats that traverse hip-hop and RnB genres with guests including Nao and Denai Moore.
Someday Somewhere is one of the most effortlessly accessible electronic EPs we’ve heard since Ryan Hemsworth was establishing himself. It’s melodic, full of personality and even funky in points. How on earth somebody achieves something like at an age like 18 is beyond us but it happened and we better believe it.
Also he’s got a great Twitter. Case in point - “don't ask if you can use my music, just do that shit. if you're doing it in some backass way that makes you money i'll sue you later dw.”
Australia has no shortage of great electronic producers but rarely are they as intricate and atmospheric as Leon Osborn. He’s as interesting as Flying Lotus with a dark tinge reminiscent of Shlohmo and an earthy aesthetic not dissimilar to Brian Eno. Last year’s Nature Strip release showed promise but it's the West-Australian producer’s latest offering You Were Gone that has us excited.
You Were Gone is a jolting and rough yet soothing listen that’s as suited to early morning club sessions as much as it is perfect for an afternoon lay-back. What’s most impressive about Osborne is that he’s the first producer who’s managed to encapsulate the Australian landscape into an electronic sound. Without following down the Flume/Wave Racer route, Osborne has crafted something that sounds distinctly Australian. A twinkling collecting of twilight tracks that reveal a producer who is interested in crafting his own sound. And that’s always worth rewarding.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/pilerats/you-were-gone-ft-barksdale[/soundcloud]
Listening to the only solo track on her Soundcloud, RIOT, you may not guess it but Bibi Bourelly wrote Rihanna’s Bitch Better Have My Money and a few more on her forthcoming eighth studio album as far as we know.
The 20-year old, LA-based artist is just about to blow up, not only because she’s writing for Rihanna but also because it looks like she has plenty to give as a solo artist. For such a young artist she’s already kicked a number of goals including a recording session with Kanye West. A producer she met online, Paperboy Fabe, set up the session West gave her a beat and isolated her in a small room with a microphone. The song that resulted was Higher - a track that Rihanna has teased on her Instagram.
Her debut RIOT is a feisty, acoustic track that beautifully demonstrates her raspy and charismatic voice. The obvious comparison is Rihanna but there’s also hints of Sia in their as well in terms of the strength that projects her voice.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/bibibourelly/riot[/soundcloud]
There are a lot of great electronic artists coming out of Sydney right now but they’re aren’t enough great vocalists in the genre to match in our opinion. Thank goodness then for Tashka who first jumped on the scene last year with her feature on Loudon’s Gold. She’s just returned with her debut single Taken which is set to feature on a forthcoming EP called Deals. The track oscillates between pop and electronica and is bound by Tashka’s breathy, ethereal vocals.
Unfortunately we don’t have much more information on her right now but Taken is the kind of track that breaks an artist instantly so we won’t be surprised if she’s following it up with another golden tune sooner rather than later. Stay tuned.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/tashkamusic/taken[/soundcloud]
