New Year, New Lockdown, Same Blog! As the UK continues to be stuck indoors now nearly a year later, what better way to keep myself busy than forcing my music habits on you all? For those of you who are new to Steve’s Stereo, each month I’ll be dissecting my monthly Spotify playlists and documenting my year in music. I’m also hoping to push new content this year, including more detailed album reviews and hopefully interviews too, with a focus on unsigned artists and acts within the LGBTQIA+ community. Please feel free to send me your recommendations, opinions, and feedback on anything and everything, I would really appreciate it. You can also listen to and follow me and all my playlists in full on Spotify by clicking the playlist on the right-hand side. Right, admin out the way, let’s get to the music!
Each month, accompanying the playlist will be a photo I’ve taken that month and a particular favourite lyric too. This month we kick off with some Christmas lights kept up till January (it’s hard to have inspo for a photo when you’re staring at the same four walls for weeks on end), and a line from The Naked and Famous’ Come As You Are, an uplifting song all about forgetting the past and allowing someone to simply be content with them in the present moment. After all, if there’s anything we need to be doing right now, it’s TRYING to stay positive. Easier said than done, right?
Keep scrolling to see some more of my favourites from this month!
Hayden Calnin – Oh What A Mess I’m In
Up first is Australian singer-songwriter Hayden Calnin with the latest in a string of tracks he dropped in 2020, Oh What A Mess I’m In. A reflective song, Calnin remains fairly stripped back for the majority, allowing his layered vocals and piano to do the talking, building slowly before exploding with strings at the end. As a fan of this artist for a number of years, it’s great to have him back in my Spotify library, continuing to produce thoughtful and fresh content. The frank yet blasé song title also highlights to me his music is honest: real lyrics based on real experiences, which only makes him all the more endearing.
The Band CAMINO – Roses
If you’re looking for some easy-listening, feel-good indie pop then I know I can always rely on American group The Band CAMINO. Their namesake, the Spanish word for ‘path’ and also the name of a type of car, shows the bands somewhat whimsy and positive side, always striving forward. Their latest offering is the incredibly catchy Roses, a song all about trying to look on the bright side once in a while, something I’m sure we could all do with, given the year we’ve just had.
HONNE ft. BEKA – Crying Over You ◐
Up next is English electronic music duo HONNE (a Japanese word meaning ‘true feelings’) with Crying Over You ◐, taken from their 2018 LP Love Me/Love Me Not. It features up-and-coming artist BEKA, who has featured on a number of their tracks and was backing vocalist for the group on previous tours. The song is all about a getting over a breakup, but the duet element of the song allows us to hear it from two perspectives. I was particularly impressed with BEKA’s tone and style, which compliments lead singer Andy Clutterbuck’s perfectly, making this a proper treat for the ears. HONNE also collaborated with other artists such as Tom Misch and Anna of the North on this album, so will definitely be an act I will continue to indulge in in the coming months.
MOD SUN ft. Avril Lavigne – Flames
For those who know me well (or even not that well to be honest), you’ll know I am one of the biggest Avril Lavigne fans out there (so much so I took it upon myself to rank every song she’s ever written in Lockdown 3.0). So it’s no surprise I’m featuring her new effort, a collaboration with American punk artist MOD SUN. Perhaps I’m biased, but the song is a certifiable bop, returning to Lavigne’s grungier second album vibe but with a twist. Avril’s stripped back vocals at the beginning both compliment and contrast MOD SUN’s, and the result is an edgy, loud, badass single, which I have had on repeat all month. The pair have been seen in the studio a lot together, so expect more of this vibe going forward in 2021.
Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license
Sometimes you can’t ignore the facts, and the fact is Olivia Rodrigo has utterly slayed January, dropping her debut solo single drivers license. Rodrigo, who rose to fame on various Disney+ shows, including the High School Musical reboot, broke a string of records with this track, including most single-day streams on Spotify, and became the first artist born in the 21st century to debut at No.1 in America (she’s just 17!!). The growing popularity of ‘bedroom pop’ and TikTok is being cited as just WHY this song blew up so instantly, but either way, it has all the ingredients of a hit, a power ballad that really shows off Rodrigo’s voice with a message I’m sure a lot of us can relate to. Keep your eye on this one!
*Special Mention – Pale Waves*
Pale Waves are very much gearing up for the release of their second LP Who Am I?, and released two promotional singles this month to get us all hyped. One of them, Easy, features in my January playlist, alongside Came In Close from their first album, which was a lovely Christmas present vinyl I received last month. As a result, I’m shining the spotlight on the group this month, who have over the past couple of years become a very reliable choice for me: I’m yet to find a song of theirs I don’t like and the songs are all ridiculously catchy. The second album is scheduled for release in February so really not long to wait! (photo Jenn Five)
Thank you all! Don’t forget to follow me on Spotify! See you next month.
