“Reckless Lover” – Handsome Ghost
“Only Love” – Wafia
“Last to Leave (ft. Caroline Ailin)” – Louis the Child
“Grab the Wheel” – Timbaland & 6LACK
“Backseat (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen)” – Charli XCX
Tag: New music
Man Crush Monday: Cautious Clay
WHO: Cautious Clay
WHERE: New York
GENRE: R&B
TOP SONG: “Cold War”
At just 24-years-old, Cautious Clay has laid out his territory for music lovers everywhere to hear. His production is high, while the aesthetic is enlightening beyond belief. His first single, “Cold War” has complex yet enticing lyrics. Josh gently sings, “Yellow tinted lenses and a pink gelato, fallin’ out the window, hit me back tomorrow.” With a voice reminiscent of a young Frank Ocean, Clay is one to watch making fans instantly attached.
Since its release, “Cold War” has nearly 700k streams on Spotify. It’s also received attention from numerous playlists including Pop Chillout, Fresh Finds, Weekly Buzz, Alternative R&B and more. Indie Shuffle says, “This is about as close to an angel as you’ll hear in the modern context.” AGREED.
Josh plays several instruments including, flute, sax, keys, bass, guitar, and drums, as you can hear on his latest single, “Joshua Tree.” He opened up to Pigeons and Planes about the meaning behind the song; “‘I don’t wanna be loved’ in the chorus is how I feel trying to have personal goals in life while also loving someone; feels really hard to do both. I am Joshua so a ‘Joshua Tree’ is like my growth in life so the song is exemplifying me.” The heavy chorus makes you feel other worldly, religious, and somewhat saved. A sound so modern and refined it makes you wonder where it’s been all this time.
Keep an eye out for live shows coming in 2018 😉
Who You Need: Ashe
WHO: Ashe
WHERE: San Jose, CA
GENRE: Pop
TOP TRACKS: “World On Fire” “Used To It”
Ashe is currently opening for EDM/Pop wonderboy Whethan on his fall tour. From the minute she sets barefoot on the stage, she makes it her own. With Blake Lively blonde long locks and a friendly smile, this California native is a ray of sunshine, head to toe.
Keyboard, drums, and backing beats help shape her sound on stage to something much higher and elevated. Ashe’s voice is what really drew me in. I was amazed at the amount of grit and power behind her otherwise Tinkerbell-like gorgeous vocals. She fits into pop music like a warm mitten on a cold hand in the middle of December.
The 24-year-old’s first solo single, “Used To It” has over 1,000,000 plays on Spotify and is growing more popular as she continues to perform it on tour. A cute song that features a slight hint of the dance/pop sound we’ve heard from her on other feature tracks like the recent “Right To It” with Louis the Child and Whethan’s “Can’t Hide”. I chatted with the singer about her musical beginnings and insanely bright future.
When did you first start playing music?
“Oh, I don’t know. Music sorta found me. I’ve been playing piano since 8 or so I think, singing and writing for as long as I can remember. I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston for writing and production, learning to write for big bands and orchestras. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to “be” in music, I just knew it was the only thing I wanted to do with my life, I wanted to be surrounded by it and drowning in it always.”
You’re featured on several collaborations, how do those happen for you?
“As far as collaborations go, it’s always pretty organic and happens in different ways. Whethan and the guys from Louis the Child have been friends for a while now and it seemed like collaborations were kind of inevitable because we were making music together a bunch.”
What does your solo career look like from here?
“Well, the next single from my album is coming out Nov 10! Called “Girl Who Cried Wolf”, and I’m sooo excited. I’m working on a full album and will be finishing it up when I have time off tour.”
What song do you love playing the most live? and what’s your favorite part about being on tour?
“My favorite song to play live is an unreleased song from the album called “Sometimes People Suck.” My favorite part about being on tour is getting to meet so many new people. Music is such a beautiful thing and I love watching how it brings total strangers together while I’m on stage. 💛”
Learn more about Ashe, here
Live EDM Series: Whethan
Whethan (AKA Ethan Snoreck) hugs the border of pop, dance, and electronic. His single “Can’t Hide” sounds like it could’ve been made with children’s toys, but the lyrics (sung by fellow tour-mate Ashe) are way more adult; “come make some love that lasts“. A fun fresh beat is what this 18-year-old does best.
His live show is no comparison to what you hear on Spotify. Playing the best of his discography while also remixing some of today’s hottest tracks like Lorde’s “Perfect Places,” Kendrick’s “Backseat Freestyle,” and even DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts”. This teenager proves his worth in the mixing game putting his own spin (literally, I saw him spinning) on each song.
Although there were no visuals, the light show was unbelievably spastic and just what any good dance show needs. Reds, blues, yellows; the whole color wheel showed up last night, further adding to the high feeling in the theater. Whethan jumped around in an oversized red hoodie grinning ear to ear every time the crowd screamed or sang along.
This Chicago native even brought along some dope friends to open the show. Shout out to SAINT WKND and Ashe (stay tuned for a spotlight on her) for getting the crowd pumped up and ready for a fun night. If you get a chance to see young Whethan (not wheat thin, not Wheatan, WHETHAN) make sure you do it.
Live EDM Series: What So Not
Australian record producer Emoh Instead shook The Westcott Theatre (Syracuse, NY) to its core last night. He goes by the name of What So Not and he’s an expert at melting faces.
His latest single released in September “Better” follows suit with the rest of his production; tons of bass claps, catchy lyrics, and a punchy drop. The live show goes above and beyond to highlight his unique array of discography. Some tracks are vocal heavy; “Buried”, “High You Are”, and “Trust”, while others keep the insanely eclectic EDM beats we know and get hype to; “Waiting” and “Tell Me”.
Not only was the music trance-like, but the show behind Emoh was just as good. The lights and visuals mirrored each song respectively; showing music video snippets, kaleidoscope shapes, and mixed patterns jolting with each bass drop or vocal dip.
I highly recommend seeing What So Not on tour. You’ll sweat out all the beer you drank in less than an hour.
Make sure you follow me on Instagram to see live concert videos and check back next week for Part 2 of my Live EDM Series with Whethan!
Music blogger 