We’ve raved about The New Mutiny before. Their recent tracks “A Godless Promise Mechanism” and “Echo of You” were brilliant, and we became instant fans. The bar was set high.

Now the Virginia-based rock band is back with a brand new track, “Narcissist,” and it exceeds our already high expectations.

The inspiration for the track is the stuff of nightmares. The New Mutiny’s singer and guitarist Jason revealed that the song is about a sociopath who has decided to take a woman’s life, and it was largely inspired by a friend who may have been on track to meet a similar fate.

“…[S]omeone extremely close to me had ended a toxic relationship she was in for 16 years. We all thought he was a great guy and that they were happy. It turns out he was an emotionally abusive, controlling piece of human garbage, and left behind some pretty significant emotional scarring. When she opened up about what had gone on she said, ‘He is definitely a narcissist and I believe very strongly that he may be an undiagnosed sociopath.’ If that’s the case and she hadn’t gotten away from him, any number of terrible things could’ve happened to her that were worse than what she had already gone through. That’s the exact statement that inspired the song.”

The band captured a truly terrifying situation in enigmatic lyrics and hard-hitting instrumentals. About two-thirds of the way through, “Narcissist” really comes to life with an instrumental breakdown—the lead-in to a musical expression of the final moments of a woman’s life, expertly distilled into the lyrics:

“Why are you acting like you’re dying all alone

I’ll keep you in my heart

I’ll never let you go 

When the night takes you I’ll take your pale green eyes

Say good night my love”

With just these few lines, the band has painted a vivid picture not just of the woman’s final moments, but also of the titular narcissist. We understand how his perspective is twisted, and the sad, disturbing reality in which he resides.

As difficult as the subject matter is, it’s impossible to stop listening to this song. The pace of “Narcissist” is fitting for the subject matter, and for a song clocking in at roughly five minutes, it surprisingly feels like it’s over before you’ve had enough. You’ll likely want to listen to the song once because of the rich sound, and again to absorb the lyrics.

The New Mutiny is planning to continue releasing tracks for the rest of 2020. Check out “Narcissist” on YouTube and Spotify (out TODAY!), and be sure to follow the band on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Kieran Lancini is no stranger to success. The UK-based country singer-songwriter from North Queensland, Australia was named Star Maker Winner at the 2002 Tamworth Country Music Festival, after which Lancini settled in the UK, putting a career in music to the side.

In 2019, Lancini returned to Australia for the Star Maker 40^th Anniversary show—and the performer in him was once again awakened.

And that makes us lucky.

Lancini’s new single, “I Need You,” was co-written by Nashville songwriter Phil Barton, whose songwriting resume includes “A Woman Like You,” (Lee Brice’s #1 hit) “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” (Dustin Lynch), and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (Sara Evans). Eighteen years after his last release, Lancini approached writing this new track with a very clear vision.

“I knew for the vocals that I wanted something quite warm and raw—something to draw the listener in. With regards to production I wanted to also be quite intimate and not overly produced—I wanted the guitar to be the third voice on the album after me and the backing vocalist.”

While the first three notes on the guitar tell the listener immediately that this is a country song at its heart, the song also incorporates elements of pop, which makes it quite an interesting ballad to listen to. It’s slow and easy, but is sung with such raw passion that the listener absolutely feels the “need” of the singer. It’s one thing to be able to connect with listeners because the instrumentals are top-notch and the lyrics are poetry; it’s another to be able to connect with listeners solely because of the emotion in a singer’s voice. Incredibly, Lancini has only had a few singing lessons in his life, which means his ability to deliver spellbinding vocals is innate.

We may have missed out on eighteen years of Lancini’s musical gift, but after hearing “I Need You,” we think it’s safe to say that Lancini’s star is poised to become very bright in no time at all.

“I Need You” is available to pre-save, and will be released on October 23 on all major digital platforms.

Connect with Kieran Lancini on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and follow him on Spotify.

The song opens with Andy playing the guitar and you’re already hooked. Then Adele starts to sing and you know you’ve stumbled upon something special.

Staffordshire-based modern country duo Adele & Andy just released their debut album Watch Over You in July, and they are about to release their poignant new track, “Took His Love Away,” on October 30. Inspired by the loss of their friend’s wife, the song aims to capture the sentiments experienced in the aftermath of death. Given how intimate and polished the track is, it’s an incredible feat given that Adele and Andy only started playing together less than two years ago.

Having suffered from anxiety all her life, Adele would only sing if Andy learned to play the guitar to give her the confidence to perform in front of people. Listening to Adele’s smooth, velvety vocals, you would never guess that there was anything but confidence behind the mic.

And Adele & Andy have every reason to be confident. Their latest single ‘”Say It Out Loud​” peaked at ​#27 on the UK Country iTunes Chart, and has had radio support in over 50 countries. Now, with “Took His Love Away,” the duo is set up for further success. If you can somehow resist being mesmerized by Andy’s beautiful guitar playing and Adele’s rich vocals (it took us at least three listens), you’ll be struck by the heavily personal, yet relatable lyrics.

“We want our listeners to understand that although many grieving individuals put on a brave face, it’s only when they return to their own home that they experience the difficulties associated with the loss of a loved one. For anybody who has suffered a loss, know that there are many other people experiencing the same emotions.”

Elements of comfort, nostalgia, sadness, and hope are expertly blended together to make “Took His Love Away” feel like home. It is subtly magnetic—and the duo is just getting started. “In the future, we are looking to write more about the world we live in.” Although we’ve been left completely breathless by this beautiful track, we’re still waiting with bated breath for more music from this wonderfully talented duo.

Connect with Adele & Andy on​ Facebook, ​​Twitter​, andI​nstagram​, and follow them on Spotify.

Country music has always had a distinct sound, and country artists arguably have the most success when that distinct sound is unblurred. Hailing from Nashville, Southern Gothic is different. A country band at its core, Southern Gothic has taken a telltale sound and expertly blended it with rock and pop in the upcoming track “Past Midnight.”

If you’re already a fan of the band, you know this isn’t their first rodeo. Their album New Hometown debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseeker chart, and #17 on its Country Albums chart. In the same month, their first single from their album Sheets Down reached #1 on CMT’s Pure Country 12-Pack Countdown—a spot it held for 4 weeks. After taking a break in 2016, songwriter and Southern Gothic front man Connor Christian (who also plays the piano, guitar, and mandolin) set out to reshape the band’s sound, aiming to incorporate nods to the rock and pop songs that he listened to in his youth. “Past Midnight” is evidence that Christian led the band in the right direction.

“Because I love Chris Stapleton or Shovels & Rope, that means I can’t love Sia and Tame Impala or Young the Giant? That’s crazy,” says Christian. “I love music and I want to be able to explore…”

This is certainly a refreshing point of view for anyone who loves music of all kinds. As artists, we sometimes get so caught up in defining the lines of a genre and fitting a certain playlist sound that we lose the opportunity to create freely. Southern Gothic’s mixed-genre sound in “Past Midnight” is a prime example of the brilliance—and malleability—that can be produced when artists step out of bounds and truly find their voice.

“This song, as released, could only be a Southern Gothic song because I feel like my voice is very distinct, and even a casual fan will hear it and know that it’s us. On the other hand, with some small changes I could hear anyone from Hunter Hayes to Charlie Puth or even a more rockin’ version by someone like Maroon 5 or X-Ambassadors. So, while we’ve made this song our own, I feel like Keith [Hetrick, Grammy-nominated R&B and pop producer], Mason [Thornley, co-writer, and I] wrote it in a way that I think lots of artists could find their own voice in it.”

Interestingly, Christian’s experience with genre-bending isn’t limited to Southern Gothic’s lifetime. “[M]y very first real record deal was as a rapper. I was in a band called GruvnHi (groovin’ – high) which I would describe as a frat-rap band… We were signed by Lisa Lopez from the band TLC to her label, Wish Records. Unfortunately she passed away during the recording of our debut album and it never got released, and eventually Arista dropped us. Before that I was in a couple of metal bands, and before that, a CSN-style folk band. [Southern Gothic] actually evolved from a band—we were called Princess at the time—that was a super weird mixture. [W]e’d do cover gigs to pay the bills playing everything hard rock—Rage Against the Machine, Marylin Manson, Alice in Chains, etc. BUT, our original music was very much me trying to be Elton John. [He] is, without a doubt, my biggest musical influence.”

Christian’s musical cross-training has paid off in the form of Southern Gothic’s strong upcoming single. “Past Midnight” is out October 23, and Southern Gothic’s EP Burnin’ Moonlight is out December 4.

Connect with Southern Gothic on ​Facebook​, ​Instagram​, or on their ​website​, and follow them on Spotify.

Julia Vasiliev’s new composition is the music you didn’t know you needed. A classically trained pianist since age six, Vasiliev studied music theory and applied composition at the University of Guelph, and her “Field of Maple Petals” is a testament to her years dedicated to perfecting her craft. The composition is a mix of ambient music, new age, and classical. It’s easy to listen to (over and over), and the most engaging elements of the piece are skillfully composed and timed such that their appearance doesn’t disrupt the unwrinkled, serene atmosphere. At once magnetic and calming, Vasiliev’s music is the perfect balance.

According to Vasiliev, “The song is a symbol of the soul drifting into the next chapter. The title represents the remnants and decay of life.” And this is, incredibly, exactly what you will hear when listening to “Field of Maple Petals.” Shades of melancholy and peace are expertly drawn with light piano, flute, and harp, underscored by weighty strings. The composition as a whole takes the listener through a lifetime of emotions, and invites the listener to reflect on deeper philosophical questions that tend to arise with nostalgia. In under three minutes, Vasiliev has demonstrated that she is not only a skilled composer and pianist, but a storyteller.

Next up for this talented artist: an album release on November 6. It will feature all piano-based work, reflecting on significant moments in Vasiliev’s life. If “Field of Maple Petals” is any indication of what’s to come, we bet that some of the most significant moments in Vasiliev’s musical life are not too far off.

To add to her already impressive skill set, Vasiliev has her sights set on learning to play the cello. We have our sights set on her learning to play the cello so we can be as mesmerized by her cello skills as we are by her piano skills. “All music I write is reflective of my emotions, experiences, and my way of processing and going through life,” she says. While the piano tends to have a bright sound, the cello would certainly provide a nice counterweight when Vasiliev composes more somber pieces. We will be following Vasiliev throughout her career, and we highly recommend that you do too.

Follow Julia Vasiliev on Instagram and Spotify, and keep up with her on her website.

Noah Krussow, 28, is a multi-talented musician who has been playing music for fifteen years. A guitarist, drummer, singer, and producer, Krussow aims to elicit an emotion from listeners.

His new single “Rockstar” does just that. An intimate and expressive track, “Rockstar” was originally written for Krussow’s mother, whom he says has always been extremely supportive of his music, encouraging him from a young age. “Rockstar” is a song about growing up, moving out, and pursuing a dream. While it’s never easy to leave the nest, we’re all lucky that Krussow had the gumption to set out to achieve his goals, and we believe him when he sings throughout the song, “someday, I’m gonna be a rockstar.”

What makes this such an intimate and emotional track is largely Krussow’s voice. In it, you can hear both determination and calm, as if he is actually singing directly to someone whom he needs to comfort as he says goodbye. These vocal qualities allow the listener to actually visualize the story that the song is trying to tell—no small feat. Apart from his, the song is indisputably catchy, and we have no doubt that the chorus will be in your heard for hours after hearing it just once.

Krussow is clearly a storyteller. Combining this gift with his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, we’re looking forward to seeing the story of his musical career write itself.

Follow Noah Krussow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and listen to “Rockstar” on Spotify.

You know Janelle Monáe. You know James Brown. You are going to know Kellindo.

The nephew of Maceo and Melvin Parker—band members for James Brown—Kellindo has music in his blood. Since picking up his first guitar at age eight, Kellindo has performed with Prince, Stevie Wonder, and has been a longtime collaborator of Janelle Monáe, playing guitar on her four Grammy-nominated records. He has toured the world playing on some of the biggest stages, including the Oscars and the Grammys, and has even played for Karl Lagerfeld and Barack Obama. He’s already had a dream career, and he’s just getting started.

After more than a decade of performing with the gods and goddesses of music, Kellindo is ready to take center stage. This Friday he is set to drop a single, “Long Gone,” from his rock-opera debut album, Shattered Rhapsody, set for release in 2021.

We had high expectations, given Kellindo’s resume.

And we were completely blown away.

“Long Gone” is an epic rock ‘n’ roll track that can only be described as a hit. Just as his father made history as the first full-time black law professor at Columbia University (and, of course, he is also known for embracing jazz as a framework for understanding the law—as one does), Kellindo has the potential to make history in the music industry. He clearly has the technical abilities, annihilating the fretboard in a manner reminiscent of heavy-hitting classic rock royalty—but he also has the kind of soulful style that can’t be manufactured.

Our only complaint is that we need to wait until next year to hear more from this soon-to-be household name. In the meantime, listen to Kellindo kill it on Janelle Monáe’s “Turntables,” and play “Long Gone” on repeat.

Follow Kellindo on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and tell all your friends about this musician you just discovered who’s about to be big.

Leo Lacayo is a musician with many talents. He’s a pre-med student, singer, songwriter, and largely self-taught guitarist—the latter perhaps being the most surprising, given that the guitar is one of the driving forces behind Lacayo’s new song, “Your Touch.”

“I don’t have any formal training. When I was around seven years old I went to this dude who kind of just showed me that there were six strings on a guitar, [and told me] the names of the strings and that little arpeggio at the start of [Metallica’s] “Nothing Else Matters.” Then a few years later my dad bought me my first actual guitar; it was a purple acoustic Ibanez. My dad’s cousin, who used to be a priest and played guitar when he was younger, gave me a list of diagrams of the major, minors, and 7th chords. I learned them, and I’ve been pretty much just winging it from there.”

Winging it seems to work for Lacayo. From the first few seconds of the song, you know you’re in for something good. The track showcases Lacavo’s talent masterfully, and his love of music shows. “I’m a fan of funk, John Frusciante, Nile Rodgers, stuff like that. So I was just kind of going for like a cool rhythm guitar thing, I put some lyrics over it, and that’s pretty much the base of the song.”

While the guitar is the main draw of the song, Lacayo’s voice and the way he leans on the ends of certain lyrics adds an exotic quality that could make the song only his. While Lacayo is currently making music on the side, it seems that he’s already found the right sound. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for his second single, set to be released before the end of this year.

Check out “Your Touch” on Bandcamp, and follow Leo Lacayo on Instagram.

The thing that first stands out about Steven Kronick’s song “Free to Love” is his voice. It is rich and unapologetic, and has an obviously fun quality to it, which in turn makes us have fun listening.

The levity in his voice is likely a product of the way his songs ultimately comes to fruition—almost all his music is recorded in the studio before it is written on paper. “I hear the music, start recording, and a song happens. Then it is written. The Bible tells us ‘God will give you the right words at the right time… don’t be anxious how or what you will say… instead, speak whatever you are given at that time, for it will not be you speaking, rather it will be the Holy Spirit.’”

“Free to Love” has a catchy pop-country sound, and the lyrics are equally upbeat. If you need a break from 2020’s cycle of bad news, this might be a song for you. “The song is the man telling the woman he loves that tonight she will realize that she loves him. I want people to feel that they don’t have to be scared of the love and romance that they feel, that they are free to love, that love is a gift from God.”

The message of the song matches perfectly with its delivery. After listening to “Free to Love,” there is no way that you won’t feel just a little bit lighter.

Check out “Free to Love” on YouTube, and follow Steven Kronick on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

While listening to singer, songwriter, and producer Melika’s “Alquimista,” we’re not sure if we want to dance or chill—a paradox we’re happy to encounter. Melika’s background is what gives her music its distinctive sound. Growing up with a father from India and a mother from Ecuador, Melika’s style is a fusion of Bollywood, Bachata, and house music. With her velvety, hypnotic vocals layered on top, “Alquimista” is an audio treat.

The track was inspired by the famous Paulo Coelho book, The Alchemist. “I wrote a poem in Spanish, and then started putting some sounds together. I thought it would be interesting to make something that sounded like acid house music and combine it with a Reggaeton kind of percussion and then the song came to be…it really felt purely inspired by that book.”

Even more intriguing is the fact that Melika doesn’t have any formal music training—she is a self-taught artist, but clearly pulls from other art forms to express herself musically. In addition to being inspired by literature, Melika is a visual artist. “I can make music I love just by playing around in my DAW. I think I was always really interested in music even though I went on a visual arts path for a long time. I think through Fine Arts, I learned that I can express myself through any medium that attracts me if I just put my intention toward that. The computer is one of my favorite instruments, and I just try to remind myself to have fun whenever I am working on music.”

It’s inspiring to see how Melika’s cultural background—from her upbringing and her arts training—came together to produce “Alquimista.” It’s a track that we can listen to no matter what mood we’re in, and we’re anxiously awaiting her next release, “1010,” out on October 10.

Check out “Alquimista” on SoundCloud, and follow Melika on Instagram and Twitter.