Check out Jade LeMac and her track “Steal My Skin.” It’s a perfect song for a rainy day—sad and melancholic, an anthem for those who are ready to give up on life and tired of trying.

Meet Jade, an 18-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Vancouver. She creates emotionally introspective soundtracks for your sad nights and delivers anthems for when you want to feel empowered.

Growing up in a close-knit, multicultural family on Vancouver Island, Jade discovered her love for music early on. She sang karaoke exceptionally well with her cousins and started writing her own songs in middle school. She honed her skills by lending her voice to dance singles for the electronic label Monstercat and gained a following on Instagram.

In 2020, Jade found success on TikTok, amassing over 1.2 million followers. In 2021, she released the captivating single “Constellations,” comparing the freckles on people’s bodies to constellations. The independent release garnered over 20 million streams. She continued her momentum with “Let Me” and “Same Place” in 2022. Her latest release, “Aimed to Kill,” has amassed over 6 million streams to date. GLAAD recognized her as one of “10 LGBTQ Women in Music to Listen to this Pride Month.”

Jade’s journey led her to a deal with Arista Records, where her vision takes center stage in her debut EP.

After a six-year break, Los Angeles-based alternative rock outfit Maudlin Strangers is back with a new track “I’m Not In The Right Mind“. It’s a great alternative rock song, drawing influences from some of the best indie acts, ranging from Atlas Genius to Young The Giant.

The band says, “The track is about the moments where you realize you’re stuck in a habitual cycle of addiction, and finally wanting to break free from it. We use so many different things to distract and numb ourselves from the difficulty of life, whether it’s drugs, social media, alcohol, relationships, work, and it’s that distraction itself that becomes addicting. Recognizing what’s harming you and actually feeling the want to change it, is a far more complicated yet powerful feeling.”

Jake Hays, a Los Angeles native, started Maudlin Strangers in 2010 as a solo indie rock project. After releasing some independent music and forming a band with friends (Jeff Lehrer, Kenny Benson, and Richie Gonzales), they signed with BMG/Vagrant Records and released the “Overdose” EP in 2015. They toured with Bad Suns and LANY and supported Cold War Kids before taking a break in 2016. Fast forward to 2023, Maudlin Strangers is back with a new lineup (Richie Gonzales, Alexander “Schmorgle” Morgan, and Drew Bruchs).

Keep your eyes open for Pompeya and their dancey new single “Cold.” Everything but, the track explodes with color in a hyper-present and tasteful approach to the group’s classic 80s revival sound. With their classic “90” seeing an eternal life on Tik Tok and Instagram reels, the band’s extended past has set up the perfect runway for their next cycle which begins here.

The band, which is revered in its native Russia, but also abroad, has previously been based as far away from home as Los Angeles. Having toured extensively, from North America to Europe to the Caucasus, the band will warm up this fall with a slew of gigs that includes Belgrade, Dubai, and Beijing, before really getting after it with more new music in 2024.

“Cold” itself is an ode to location, in what lead singer Daniil Brod calls a “peculiar” form of “sad travel.”

“’Cold’ is about a long distance relationship that has been constantly questioned due to uncertainties,” says Brod, before adding, “However, personally to me, this song seems to hold a bigger picture of what it feels like recently when a lot of people have to move away from their homes due to different circumstances… I think this storyline will run through most of the songs in our next album – a peculiar way of a sad travel.”

Catbear drops the infectious ‘Higher.’ It’s a song that makes you feel like you’re in space and finally waking up from a dream. The track could easily find a home on playlists like Indie Dream Wave Chill and “Chilled Indie Dreamscapes”

Zoe from Catbear, says “Higher is inspired by the era of telephone calls – before we could see each other on a screen, where our imaginations were able to get creative as we talk, and how looking back feels so nostalgic for that time. Our music is very much influenced by 80s styles and so it seems fitting we’d write a tribute song to the old-style telephone”.

Catbear has more than 23,000 Spotify monthly listeners, their music has been played on radio stations worldwide, and they recently supported indie legends The Subways during their UK tour in January and February 2023. In July 2023, they reached 1 million streams on Spotify.

This year, they received funding from both The Arts Council England and Help Musicians, a rare achievement. In May, they were invited to perform at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. They have fans across the globe, from Brazil to the US and all over Europe.

Tom McGeoch, who goes by the moniker Tomsy, has released a radio-ready pop track titled “321” along with a music video. Tom captures the best moments reminiscent of Charlie Puth and The Weeknd in one song. The song could easily secure a spot on Spotify’s “Pop Rising,” “All Out 80s,” “Pop Up,” and “Indie Pop” playlists.

Tomsy says about the song, “When crafting ‘3, 2, 1,’ the second verse found its inspiration in the midst of a hospital emergency room, illustrating that love’s most profound moments often spring from the unlikeliest of settings. This verse captures the raw and authentic emotions that define the essence of the song.”

Hailing from Columbus, Ohio and now based in Los Angeles, Tom McGeoch started playing the drums in pop-punk bands. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, he moved to LA to pursue a music career. Although he began with drumming, Tom sees himself as a creative artist first. He’s supported more than 100 artists and bands through drumming, songwriting, and producing.