My life seems to have become one big Bugs appreciation post, but when the trio are writing jams as big as their latest single ‘Glue’, I’m not even going to try and stop it. If you’re unfamiliar, Bugs is the bedroom brainchild of Brisbane musician Connor Brooker, but what has evolved in the last four years is a band you should definitely wrap your ears around. They completely won me over with their 2016 single ‘Instant Coffee’ (a tune that still adds a little pep into my day), but it’s safe to say that ‘Glue’ is their biggest and best track yet – the hooks are huge, the lyrics are great (sadly, we can all relate to thinking we should be further in life than we currently are), and overall, it’s an absolute earworm. With the announcement that their second EP Social Slump is ready to drop on Friday April 13, these are the perfect post-summer-but-I-still-want-it-to-be-summer tunes.
The tale of Thunder Jackson is one as old as time – a musician from Cardiff and another from Oklahoma met by chance in a shared Los Angeles taxi and went on to make sweet, sweet music. The mysterious pairing were by far my favourite discovery of last year, and if you’ve spoken to me between November – when they released their debut single ‘Guilty Party’ – and today, I’ve certainly mentioned them at least three times in every conversation. Sorry to say, but that isn’t going to change anytime soon because Thunder Jackson have dropped their second single, a smooth, soulful tune called ‘Colours’. Where their debut was a funk-inflected dance number, its follow-up draws more on sultry R&B and alt-pop brooding vibes, but layered with their soul-meets-glam-rock vocals this bop still zings with energy. While we still don’t know who (or what exactly) Thunder Jackson is, I’m more than happy to let the mystery keep unfolding.
It’s more than likely that you’ve heard something Sasha Sloan has written before – from Troye Sivan to Charli XCX and John Legend to Steve Aoki, she’s got notable songwriting credits a mile long. But it’s through her own music that her talent truly shines, and her latest release – a glorious double-dose of music called ‘Hurt’ and ‘Here’ – has firmly caught my attention. Where ‘Here’ is a simple stripped-back number featuring auto-tuned vocals layered over acoustic guitar, ‘Hurt’ is a glorious pop jam, just as tender as the first but this time built on fluttering soundscapes and production at the hands of Beyoncé/The Weeknd producer King Henry, making it the perfect place to introduce yourself. This #sadgirl is speaking right to my heart and I’m so here for it. Word on the street is that an EP is dropping in the next few months, because all we really need in life are more Sasha Sloan sad-pop singalongs.
