Demur Decks 31.08.2020
Aprilann – Bad Friends
Aprilann’s brand new single ‘Bad Friends’ is full of 2000’s pop-rock nostalgia. This playful track sees Aprilann explore the pesky inner voices in her head with honest and lyrical finesse. Driven by pulsing guitar and Aprilann’s soaring vocals zipping past as the melodic hook “I can hear you. I don’t want to, but your words stick to me like hot glue”, leads you into the experimental finale. ‘Bad Friends’ is set to become an unforgettable anthem for those navigating the nuances of social circles, and with her ear for thought-provoking songwriting, Aprilann is fast becoming a new pop talent to watch.
Rachel Foxx – Progress
Marking her first release of the decade, East London artist Rachel Foxx returns with infectious new single ‘Progress’. A smooth, seductive R&B jam with more sombre undertones, ‘Progress’ sees Foxx deliver an irresistible display of vocal prowess amidst a downbeat, jazz-inflicted production. It follows most recent singles ‘Morning’ and ‘Is It Me?’, both released in 2019, with the Hackney-born songstress also drawing praise for a stunning COLORS performance. “Progress is about building yourself up, looking after yourself, focusing on your mental health and cutting all the unhealthy stuff off,” Foxx explains. “I say ‘we haven’t spoken not one time, but the pleasure is all mine’… because I don’t want to talk to you anyway! I’m reminiscing the love and good times, but also how many times I was taken for a fool, how many things I let slide, and how I am no longer that person. I am working on myself and how much I’ve grown.”
Kalpee ft Stefflon Don – Gimme De Ting
Kalpee teams up with platinum recording artist Stefflon Don on the sun-soaked offering of his latest track ‘Gimme De Ting’. Originally co-written and produced by Kalpee and The Anmls as ‘One More Night (Gimme De Ting)’ – global superstar Stefflon Don adds her unique touch to the track that exudes a Caribbean summer. Rising artist, Kalpee’s distinctive soulful vocal and Don’s sultry verse complement each other which are layered over the irresistibly up-beat production that fuses reggae and calypso into a contemporary R&B, pop sound. Additionally, Kalpee also shares the brilliant official video for ‘Gimme De Ting’. Filmed at a grand house in the outskirts of London, the visual follows Kalpee as he rekindles a relationship hoping to be given one more chance with the person he loves.
Fanny Andersen – Complicated
Fanny Andersen’s brand new single ‘Complicated’, features a pulsing electro beat with Fanny showing off her penchant for a catchy melody paired with lush, fizzy pop production. After blasting back into the music scene with alt pop favourite ‘Wake Up’, Fanny continues to deliver her signature form of honest and clever lyricism on this new offering. “I was inspired to write about the complexities of love and life. This song is about falling for someone who’s really not right for you, and how this can make life feel very complex along with everything else that life throws your way”, Fanny explains.
Miles From Kinshasa ft Murkage Dave – Motionz
Congo-born, London-based artist Miles From Kinshasa has joined forces with East London don Murkage Dave on new single and accompanying video ‘Motionz’. Underpinned by contemplative lyrics that are tinged with regret, ‘Motionz’ sees Miles and Dave trade smooth vocals amidst a breezy, jazz-inflicted production by long-term collaborator Kadiata. Shot and directed by Ricky Gibb of Studio HULK, the red-tinged visual follows both Miles and Dave as they sit at a restaurant, a few tables away from Dave’s ex-girlfriend and her mate. Mesmerised by their female counterparts, Miles and Dave act out of character, causing fellow diners (including Kadiata and friends) to laugh at their expense.
Dutchavelli – Bando Diaries
Hot off the heels of his last, and highly acclaimed single ‘Black’, Dutchavelli is back to disrupt our summer in the best way possible with his latest offering ‘Bando Diaries’. Directed again by Kevin Hudson (Only If You Knew, Surely, Black), ‘Bando Diaries’ gives us a glimpse into the gritty glamour of life in the “bando”. Usually portrayed in a conflicting way, these visuals portray an aspiration, with Dutch surrounded by mountains of cash, fast cars, expensive houses and high fashion drip, whilst he effortlessly lays down his lyrical prowess.
Tolü Makay – Don’t Let Go
Authentically soulful and blended with hints of Jazz, Tolü has a voice that was made for her latest single ‘Don’t Let Go’, lending itself beautifully to the lush guitar melodies and delicate piano chords that are the bedrock to the song, which brews into an opulent master stroke. Inspired by soulful artists across the globe such of Erykah Badu, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Asa and Labrinth, Tolu strives to create songs that will forever inspire, heal and touch generations to come as she encounters and deals with and shares challenges and growth in her own life.
Grace Gillespie – Your God’s Within
Grace wrote ‘Your God’s Within’ with the very strong sense that her own mind and body were working against her, making her life harder than it needed to be. Grace’s own struggle with anxiety served as this song’s inspiration. It’s lyrics are supposed to be reassuring, yet transformed into a worry about the fragility of our bodies. The flipside is just how miraculous it is to be alive everyday and during every moment. The stigma around talking about being frightened or sad is still very apparent. People see it as negativity and spiral away from it, but the reality is that a lot of people with considerable anxiety are also very high functioning individuals.
Nao ft Lianne La Havas – Woman
Nao has made a triumphant return to our soundwaves with her highly anticipated first single of 2020, ‘Woman’, featuring Lianne La Havas. After a celebratory start to the year with the birth of her first child, ‘Woman’ is a song that focuses on the theme of female empowerment, strength, and unapologetically loving yourself, the track states: “if God is a woman on Sunday ima worship us”, and effortlessly follows with “take my mirror out the bag and fill it with confidence”. Produced by Loxe (aka Rowan Perkins) who co-produced 4 tracks on Saturn, ‘Woman’ was mixed by Manon Grandjean – the female engineer behind Dave’s mercury winning album ‘Psychodrama’ and Stormzy’s ‘Heavy is the Head’. The contagious bassline of the track is heightened not only by the silky-smooth vocals of both Nao and La Havas, but also for the confidence it exudes, whilst infusing both songstresses vocally unique intonations. Set to be the female anthem of the summer, for the East London-raised Nao, this single marks a significant return to the spotlight and metamorphism for her as both an artist and woman.
