Hello and welcome to a new series I’m committing to; The Local Radar, where I plan on doing my part to share the incredible talent coming out of Australia and New Zealand.
Each month I’ll be sharing five artists who you definitely need to check out, and to kick it off I’ve got some incredible tracks and musicians.
Mia Wray – Work For Me
Mia Wray is a Melbourne singer, who released her single, Work For Me earlier this year. Fans of vocalists like Florence Welch and Bishop Briggs will adore Mia’s voice and how strong and present it is. She dances over this track so seamlessly, letting layers and layers of harmonies provide the framework for this track. The song is incredibly dynamic and over the course of just a little more than three minutes you go from this simmering siren call vocal set-up to an anthem building on a killer horns section and electric guitar. The vocals keep soaring, and it’s a hook sure to get stuck in your head.
Liyah Knight – Mine
The next track is called Mine, and it’s the first single from Sydney-born artist, Liyah Knight. This track alone is enough to get you keen to hear whatever Liyah decides to deliver next. It’s a bite-sized track, but there’s plenty of soul injected into it, giving you Mahalia or SZA energy in a beautifully unique way. Liyah’s voice is front and centre, only enhanced by a simple guitar riff and some synths, even at the songs climax. Not one to miss, for sure.
BLESSED – Something To Believe In
Earlier this month, Western-Sydney rapper, singer and producer BLESSED released his single, Something To Believe In. It’s hard to put the track into a box, genre-wise, as it pulls together these indie-rock sounds into a pop/rap space to create a uniquely intimate and honest track that hits you in the gut with it’s production and humble vocal performance. It’s a song that breaks down genre barriers and definitions and BLESSED just pulls it off so effortlessly.
PLGRMS – Limbs
I first spoke about PLGRMS back in 2018 when they opened for Dean Lewis. They’ve popped back on the radar since then, with a bit of a comeback single in their track, Limbs, which came out in early September. Limbs is a cinematic and dynamic, ever-growing track that completely envelopes you in the best way possible. Synths, intricate pockets and soaring vocals really combine magically on this track, it’s one of those ‘driving through a tunnel’ kinda songs, if you know what I mean.
MiCCY – Tug of War
If funk, soul and everything in between is what you’re after, MiCCY, a 21-year old from Queensland, has truly got you covered with this absolute tune of a single, Tug of War. If a neck-breaking bass line and disco-synths aren’t enough to keep and capture you, her vocals most definitely will, with MiCCY literally swimming over this track. The track is the perfect combination of influences that pull from funk, soul, RnB with some throwback 80s sounds in the mix. It’s everything you could ever ask and if it’s any indicator of what MiCCY’s got in store, it’s well worth waiting for.
Keep an eye out – I’ll have more amazing artists with more amazing tracks coming your way soon! In the meantime – get around all the socials so you don’t miss anything and let me know if you find a new tune for your playlists!
x
Priya
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YOU SHOULD HEAR 