Hello world,
It’s FP Picks update time again and we’ve got a host of banging new tunes from Bloc Party, Fat Dog, James Bruner & many more. If you like what you hear please follow and share this playlist, it helps us keep doing our thing by getting the algorithms on our side. Also please support the artists featured in any way you can!
Until next week
Helen (Futureproof) x
Phoebe Bridgers – Bobby
Bobby is taken from Phoebe Bridgers‘ new album Lost Weekend and the track reveals a side to Bridgers that is giddy with love, with Bobby being the most joyful song she’s ever put out as it perfectly captures the all-consuming bliss of a love that finally feels stable and comfortable. The album finds Bridgers in a tender place as she grapples with both the loss of her father, the end of one relationship and the nervous excitement as another blossoms. Where previous works have leant on more stripped-back, acoustic arrangements to allow space for the devastation of her lyrics to set in, the production choices here make this the most sonically interesting album of hers to date. Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska are back in the production hot seat but this time, she has also enlisted the help of some friends along the way for that bigger, more cinematic sound.
walt disco – Lies
Glasgow’s walt disco have announced their upcoming self-titled album and shared the single Lies. Amidst its sparkling guitars and soaring chorus, the track is a deceptively bittersweet portrayal of doubt, questioning whether our illusion of everyday stability is in fact preferable than the reality. As true to vocalist Jocelyn Si’s struggles with self-worth as a trans person as it is of creatives putting on a brave face (“I’ll fake it ‘til I break it”), the single is accompanied by a video influenced by found-footage horror and was filmed in Glasgow’s seminal DIY night club and Arts space, EXIT. Amidst the Lies we tell ourselves, walt disco’s rawly honest songwriting and sonic sophistication has ultimately resulted in the young band’s most empowering work to date.
Bloc Party – Pigwig
Bloc Party have shared the upbeat new single Pigwig, taken from their upcoming album Anatomy Of A Brief Romance. “Pigwig is about the moment of realising that you have been hit by a very big love, almost as if it’s against your will,” explained frontman Kele Okereke. “During our relationship, Pigwig was my pet name, after the Beatrix Potter character – the partner of Pigling Bland – an inside joke that meant a lot to us at the time. Looking back, this song is probably one of the sweetest on the album as it recalls a memory of a romantic seaside trip at the most magical point of our relationship.” Okereke says that the album features the most personal songs he has ever written: “Every lyric you’re hearing on this record was something that actually happened to me. I had to tell the story, from start to finish,” he says in a press release.
Fat Dog – Call It What You Want
Fat Dog have released new single Call It What You Want, taken from their upcoming second album Cancel Me (I’m Tired) and it’s a frantic collision of post-punk aggression and rave-ready electronics. Vocalist Joe Love says: “That’s me looking at people in my family and their problems and thinking, ‘Is it gonna be the same for me? Is it in my DNA?’” The track arrives with a suitably chaotic live video filmed during Woofstock, Fat Dog‘s recent outdoor pop-up show in Bermondsey. Around 500 fans descended on the event for a performance capturing the unpredictable live energy that has become increasingly central to the band’s reputation. The album promises another significant expansion of Fat Dog‘s sound, moving between electro-pop, rave, psychedelia, orchestral flourishes and even touches of country across its ten tracks.
Pauric O’Meara – Ocean Floor
Indie singer-songwriter Pauric O’Meara is back with his heartfelt new single Ocean Floor, the title track of his upcoming EP out in November, and it follows the same theme as the other songs – the struggle to get back on top after hitting rock bottom. Written for his girlfriend, the track embraces overcoming hardships through emotional lyrical storytelling. The messy guitar and heavy drums create a rich soundscape, which is punctuated by his soulful voice. Pauric O’Meara has become known for his raw luring vocal and party atmosphere live shows and has been tipped by many people in the industry to be one of the next big things to come out of Ireland.
Flora from Kansas – The End
Back in the summer, Flora from Kansas shared new single The End, a dramatic indie-pop anthem about toxic relationships, blurred boundaries, and finally knowing when to walk away. Built around soaring guitars and an anthemic chorus, The End follows someone determined to close the book on an ex who insists on loitering around, dangling a false friendship. Flora states: “I thought it would be cool to sing about a certain relationship dynamic that I’m sure some people can relate to … I wanted it to sound like a plot I would see in a teen drama.” Equal parts breakup anthem and coming-of-age soundtrack, it’s proof that sometimes the best endings are really just fresh starts.
landee, dni – things
A characteristic 12 string chorus sets the scene on this intimate offering from Glasgow based singer-songwriter landee, who’s also the founder of online music festival ‘Rat Fest’. Alongside his own emotive vocal performance, the track also features the vocal harmonies of American songwriter dni in the bridge – and with production duties falling to Brazilian producer Vindit, this is very much an international record despite its original Scottish heritage. Touching on issues of anxiety & insecurities that can overwhelm the best of us at times, the lyrical flow displays an effective honesty that makes the song’s overarching message come across well. A promising start…
Gen and the Degenerates – Hotter On The Internet
Gen and the Degenerates offer another taste of forthcoming second album Earthly Delights with the single Hotter On The Internet, a knowingly self-deprecating look at the gap between an online persona and the considerably less rock’n’roll reality behind it. “I think my life and inner world are really interesting and energising, but it’s not very rock’n’roll,” explains Genevieve Glynn-Reeves, who would rather spend time with friends and family, read, swim or decorate their flat with charity-shop finds than live up to anybody else’s expectations. Punchy, angular, satirically sultry and written in tandem with Dan Haggis (The Wombats), the tune speaks to the notion of expectations versus reality.
James Bruner – SMS
With the release of his album Can’t Keep Wanting You & tour dates being finalised for a UK visit this autumn, Illinois born, Nashville based alt rocker James Bruner shares the track SMS – alt rock in sound & punk in attitude, lyrically it’s a message to self about reaching out for help rather than suffering in silence. Produced by Nashville’s Shane Weisman & co-written by both James & Shane, SMS is a shot of guitar-fuelled adrenalin in which James sings about losing sight of ambition & personal goals. James explains: “I think it’s safe to say that this is the album’s unconscious ‘save me’ song. It’s about feeling afraid or silently struggling. In the writing process for this one, I felt like I was losing sight of my dreams!” Keep your eyes peeled for tour dates cos it’s a live show not to be missed!
untitled – Tinted View
LA alt-rock four-piece untitled are turning up the volume with their latest single Tinted View. The track came together almost by accident. After Chris Lord-Alge mixed the band’s previous single Say It Again, the group met him at his studio and were stunned when he offered to co-produce their debut alongside Jakob and Zane from Sublime. The following day, they headed back to the garage and wrote Tinted View. “I think the pressure actually helped us deliver what is one of our favorite songs on the upcoming album,” says singer and guitarist Danny Meza. The song highlights a fuller sound from the band, backed with their now trademark raw vocals, and heavy guitars.
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