Feature stories and artist interviews
In the heart of Hollywood, everyone has a story and is on a lifelong journey to finding their artistic voice. Jack Rayner grew up blocks away from the fame of Hollywood boulevard and is one of the many hard-working artists on an ever-evolving career path. A choreographer turned music producer, he finds himself specializing in…
No, Clark Ford is not a car dealership (even though there actually is one). No, Clark Ford is a country artist with a fine new album titled You’re The Best. Let’s learn a little bit more about Ford and his new music. Skope: When you write songs, do you need an upcoming album to write…
Americana band Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir has just released a poignant yet upbeat track, “Strong.” @skopemag sat down with Wiley himself to talk about this feel-good single. @skopemag: Hi, Jon! Tell us the story behind “Strong.” Jon: The song is heavily based on the story of me and my wife: nearly every…
Inspired by my own self-discovery and surrender, my new single, “Ready,” encourages you to take the leap of faith in facing your fears, trust falling into the unknown regardless of the outcome. It also highlights the process of getting to know yourself and realizing that you are already complete and have all you need inside…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Years & Years Release New Single ‘Starstruck’ Out Today! Years & Years return today with the brand new single, “Starstruck”, which is available now on Interscope Records. It’s the first new Years & Years music since 2018’s much-loved second album ‘Palo Santo’, and follows hot on the heels of Olly Alexander’s…
Global superstar Gwen Stefani adds yet another iconic pop collaboration to her catalog with the release of “Slow Clap” featuring the multi-platinum rap star Saweetie. The empowering track, Stefani’s first single of 2021, is inspired by a mash up of sounds with Saweetie’s unabashed verses. “Slow Clap” featuring Saweetie is available now at all digital…
Pop artist with a twist, DORYAN, unleashes his new single “Peach”, a queer extravaganza aiming to capture the joy that characterises the LGBTQ+ community that seemed lost in 2020. This track is a celebration of queer confidence and body positivity. It serves as an antidepressant after events around the world were canceled last year, leaving…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Brooklyn’s Cool Company Release New Music Video “Halos’ A Mellow Yet Melodically Infectious R&B Gem Brooklyn writer/producer duo Cool Company today release their visual treatment for their mellow yet melodically infectious R&B gem that combines Ukulele leads, funk-tinged bass and synths. The video narrates the story of a romantic couple’s wedding…
Los Musick and P.A.T. came up in Port Arthur, Texas and Opelousas, Louisiana respectively, but “My Friend Hip Hop” sounds like they grew up down the block from each other. Their almost-too-easy back-and-forth and complementary flows are the product of true students of Hip Hop, disciples of the Golden Age. They collaborated on the two-part…
A heartfelt slice of Americana, Larry Jay sings with such raw grit and soul on “Lottery”. The lyrics are ones of pure, unfiltered love. His storytelling has a timeless grace to it. Every single verse is weighted for maximum impact. Instrumentally vibrant the evolution of the sound draws heavily from pop, country, rock, and more…
Although Clark Ford describes himself as a kind of Johnny-come-lately with country music, he’s nevertheless recorded one fine country music album with You’re The Best. The album includes a healthy fifteen-song portion of music. There’s more variety than you might expect, too. While the sound is consistent, the lyrical variety on it is quite vast.…
Rippling through the emerging indie undercurrent with her trademark slacker-pop specialism, Lauran Hibberd shares the visuals for rousing new anthem ‘How Am I Still Alive?’ with The Regrettes’ Lydia Night and announces details of her October UK headline tour (tickets on sale 10am April 9th here). “The video is a collection of (lockdown available) ideas,…
Just recently signed with Napalm Records, CRYPTA offer a raging sonic monster in a class of its own: the newly staffed Brazilian/Dutch death metal unit is set to drop jaws with their long-awaited debut offering, Echoes of the Soul, to be released on June 11, 2021 via Napalm Records. Formed in June 2019, the four-piece…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Fake Dad Release Debut EP Old Baby After “Summer Hill” and “Breakfast in New York” charmed listeners and tastemakers with their homespun vitality, Brooklyn duo Fake Dad return with Old Baby, their debut EP. Andrea de Verona (she/her) and Josh Ford (he/him) have been leading up to this moment since forming…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Arda & The Stolen Moon – Outsider in Perpetual Motion “In this age of half-baked ideas and half-assed algorithm songs, here is a smart old skool songwriter who is literate, eloquent and unafraid to tackle her subject matter either with humour or sheer gravity while fully developing song structures. Singer/songwriter Arda…
Previously know as The KC Gift; King Flamma changed his name as he matured and developed into the man and artist he has become today. Flamma is the name of his family heritage which dates back to his rich history family origins of Africa, where his grandfather was King of the Flamma tribe. Therefore, he…
“I wrote this song about the old and characterful house I grew up in. The house is such a huge part of who I am and our family. With my sisters and I moving out and living separate lives, coming home feels very comforting and one of the only things keeping us all connected. The…
The animation for the video is created by Brendan Huza (creator of animated videos for Alanis Morisette, Aretha Franklin and Grouplove.) and sees Dylan navigating his way through the trials of the day as he comes across hilarious and fun references close to his heart including characters from Horror films, the video game Habbo Hotel…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope VIOLENT IDOLS Set to Wreak “REVENGE” in 2021! VIOLENT IDOLS blazes into 2021 for REVENGE with the official music video for their blistering sequel to 2020’s Idolatry, that featured AEW Jon Moxley’s theme song, “UNSCRIPTED VIOLENCE,” as well as collaborations with hard rock heavy weights such as Andy James (Five Finger…
A perfect piece of potent pop, HelsTheArtist goes for a personal take with the vulnerable “If I Were A Virgin Again”. The delicacy of the track works wonders for there is a kindness to his lyricism. Sung with the utmost of care and compassion, the way it evolves has slight yet rather sweeping gestures. Never…
A classic rock races through the entirety of the Impersonators’ timeless take of “Scarlet Hell”. Best listened to at the highest possible volume to get that true kick, there is a nervous energy that ties the whole thing together. With nods to Lower East Side of Manhattan groups like Television and the Talking Heads, it…
When Tears For Fears released the original version of “Mad World” in 1982, the song didn’t chart in the United States. Since then, it’s steadily grown in popularity – and four decades later, it’s acknowledged as a new wave classic and a superb exercise in tight, epigrammatic songwriting. But “Mad World” has persisted for reasons…
Kingsley is a high-spirited, Indie Pop artist who has a real knack for a melody and for human emotions. Kingsley is proud to announce she has a new album on the way and the record is titled ‘Crying On Holidays’. “I’m Fine” is the first single off of the forthcoming album and is a personal…
Jessica Wilde is proving to be a songwriter of true grit. Able to chart the state of her own self-worth, experience, and growth through her inimitable UK R’n’B style, on new single ‘Body’ Jess is done with hiding, playing nice and getting suckered in time after time by ‘F*ckboys’ and ‘Wasteman’, having to conform to…
20 year-old singer-songwriter Abigail Fierce is back with her new single “Love You Right.” Abigail is also an actress and plays a character on the hit Hulu series “Love, Victor.” Fierce’s character “Wendy” gets ditched at prom for another girl. Abigail says she has always loved the friend-zone storyline so she decided to write a…
Some independent artists bite off more than they can chew or have a hard time getting all their ducks in a row. Making it in the music industry is a serious deal, and you only get one chance to get it right. Pierre Porter has been getting it right ever since he arrived on the…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Cavo Release Duran Duran’s Cover of “Come Undone” Cavo has released their next single/video “Come Undone” which is the follow-up to their previous single/video, “Lead On.” Cavo continues to strike the alternative hard drive of rock with a magnanimous sound that pronounces Cavo’s own sound. The St. Louis group continues to…
New single and video from actress/singer-songwriter Talia Jackson. At 19 years old, Talia received her big acting break landing the role as Jade Netflix’s NAACP award winning, hit series Family Reunion. The show quickly trended for the network and fans demanded more – so they added episodes and released as quickly as they could last…
Since his debut single “I’ll Never Say Sorry” in 2020, RIVIN hasn’t stopped surprising us with the unique style he pours on each of his songs. RIVIN has an eclectic and personal approach to music, he does not want to conform to any one sound and you really never know how the next track is…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope R Zak releases breathtaking album ‘Dialects’ Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter R Zak is to release her new album, Dialectics on 7th May, an extraordinary and hypnotic collection of tracks which bounce from electro-indie to classical to jazz to avant-garde sound collages without scarcely taking a breath. Rising R&B Singer-Songwriter MIYA GUGGS Scores…
Blackwall and Laura J Martin. The duo recently announced their collaboration via the sharing of their debut single ‘Take My Picture’ which has already earned support from the likes of The Quietus, For The Rabbits, BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio Scotland & BBC Radio Wales. The pair first met whilst playing on the same…
New single & visuals from New York’s Jazz, R&B artist Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez. “Better For You” grapples with the gaze, focusing on the experience of being objectified and the ambiguous response to this reality. The song is most explicitly about sex and the ways in which heterosexual dynamics often prioritize men’s pleasure. Raina has recently been…
CASILIAN is a fusion between the roughness of rock and roll riffs, the tightness of electronica and the wonderful harmonies of folk music; packed together in an explosive trio. Their electric chemistry brings a sense of playful intensity to the places they perform, their light-heartedness and osmosis on stage make their live performances an experience…
There’s a good case to be made that there’s no city more important to the development of popular music than Memphis, Tennessee. It’s the home of the king of Rock and Roll, one of the cradles of the blues, the gateway to the Dirty South, and the birthplace of dozens of influential rappers and rap…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope ISLAND share new video for “Everyone’s The Same” | New single out now on Frenchkiss Records Today, London’s ISLAND have shared a new video for their recent single “Everyone’s The Same.” The surreal and cyclical new video (dir. by Joel Barney) sees frontman Rollo Doherty leaving his dressing room to join…
Marlon Boone embraces a nu jazz kick on the soulful spirit of “Dance With Me”. Here he makes the saxophone sing for there is a lushness to the overall sound. Everything here works positively glistening with a warm glow. References to Marlon’s approach abound, as he takes a page from Sam Gendel’s experimental yet highly…
The young British songwriter described as “the future of rock n’ roll” by Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses) is taking aim at politicians’ lack of conviction to climate change action with his latest single “Teenagers From Mars?”. In a track littered with lyrical references to the likes of Bowie, Elton John and Joni Mitchell—it’s 3…
Today, reggae singer Naomi Cowan releases “Energy”, her first single of 2021. Produced by Izy Beats (Koffee “Toast”, Jorja Smith & Burna Boy “Be Honest”) the upbeat r&b and reggae laced track serves as a cautionary yet charming mantra of protecting your peace and keeping your vibrations, aura and confidence high no matter what. “Energy…
There’s a lot to take in with Melanie Rogers’ latest single “Fever”. It is, first, the sound of someone breaking away from their musical past. Rogers, until recently, framed her musical art around religious concerns and making an impact in the Contemporary Christian genre. The thought of her writing, much less recording and releasing, a…
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope OUT NOW: Indubious Releases New Album “The Bridge” on Easy Star Records Indubious’ highly anticipated full-length album The Bridge is out now on Easy Star Records. The record finds a strong balance between Indubious’ unique production and sound coupled with an all-star lineup of guests including Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B, Jah9,…
