The decade-long journey of Southern California recording artist Presence (a.k.a. Jonathon Martinez) began as a therapeutic exercise to help an anxious, insular 12-year-old discover their true sense of self. Martinez’s aspirations for both confession and catharsis evoke his roots as a rap fan in Camarillo, California.  Starting at the age of 14, Martinez snuck his…

Shaan Chhadva is a Mumbai-born, L.A.-based producer and singer/songwriter curating his own musical universe to nurture his worldly curiosity. One may have encountered the virtuoso’s deeply resonant pieces without attaching a face to any of his many names; perhaps in the depths of a playlist, or a popular YouTube channel in the background of a…

Moving in a similar ebb and flow, Caleb Hearn’s songs play out like a story recounted to an old buddy or trusted confidant. The North Carolina-born and Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and artist imparts an intimate level of detail upon his music. Lyrics double as snapshots of unfiltered, candid conversations usually never meant to be shared…

Intimacy reinforces connection. Akin to trapping a butterfly, Mark Wilkinson bottles the most intimate moments of his life within the quiet space between delicate piano, soft strings, gentle guitar, and eloquent lyricism. In his songs, the Sydney-based singer and songwriter allows listeners to get as close as possible to him— almost as if he’s speaking…

Much like a living being with a heartbeat of its own, music naturally morphs for Mokita. The Nashville-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer aka John-Luke Carter channels the energy of these fluctuations into his artistry. Floating freely between pop, folk, alternative, and indie, he fearlessly embraces his creative inclinations, presenting a personal and poignant sound in the process.…

Listening to Sergio Díaz De Rojas , a Peruvian pianist and composer based in Hamburg, Germany, feels like waking up with soft sunlight on your face. His songs are raw yet soft, like terracotta and honey, and flow through the world like a tranquil river. As the seasons shift and the world grows quieter, Sergio…

The second studio album from Harmless is a new breakthrough when it comes to Nacho Cano’s musical horizons. By Them By You By Me blends the appealing indie-pop that Cano has established himself with for a decade-plus with gauzy shoegaze textures and the winsome full-band sound of the Slumberland and Captured Tracks catalogs. These ten…

Gert Taberner unearths life’s most formative experiences and feelings under a glow of eloquent songcraft, unfiltered lyricism, robust instrumentation, and cinematic production. After generating tens of millions of streams with his debut Fallen EP in 2016, the Frankfurt-born and Vancouver-based singer, songwriter, and producer chronicles an often-unbelievable season of life on his 2022 EP, As…

In 1998, British alt-rock band bôa dropped their breakout single “Duvet,” a sweeping anthem that soundtracked the Japanese cult-classic anime Serial Experiments Lain. A little more than two decades later, “Duvet” re-emerged on TikTok, igniting a feverish renewed interest in the band with a whole new generation of fans and inspiring bôa to return to…

Eli Goldberg needed a breather. This is, to some extent, how it goes every time he completes a new album under his Ann Annie moniker — diving deep into the ether for a new sound, finding it, then walking away for a while to dream up the next destination. But the exacting process necessary to…