Los Angeles based pop act VOILÀ just dropped a new electro-acoustic track Don’t. With lyrics like “I should probably hate you but I don’t” it has all the ingredients of a smash. The band tells Kings, “It’s an ode to the oxymoronic nature of love and loss. It’s about that person who’s the reason you keep dreaming, yet also the reason you can’t sleep.”  The band has an interesting backstory. Luke Eisner, a male model met Gus Ross who was a big band jazz singer at the Thornton School of Music in LA. The duo started making a name for themselves in early 2018 when BBC Introducing dubbed them Ones to Watch.  Moreover, the duo has opened for the Kesha, The Fray, and X Ambassadors. With their latest track landing on Spotify’s New Music Friday, it will be interesting to see where the fully independent band goes from here.  Also, with a sold out LA show with Cub Sport, the majors will come peeking around.
sara@friendsatwork.com

Although the R&B world is a bit over-saturated, the South London indie-pop band Balcony are making a bit of noise with their recent single releases.  Think Charlie Puth meets Nick Jonas with a bit more edge. They recently dropped two new tracks You’re So Cool and Parking Lots. They’ve even managed to grab a spot on UK’s Spotify New Music Friday. Having their live show together, they’ve played several UK festivals over the summer. Give it a Listen.

Soul singer Rosie La Posta who goes under the moniker of December Rose releases the ballad Hanging On. Finding a vocal style of her own, she hits all the notes effortlessly. You can hear past influences but she still keeps contemporary. Think Andra Day’s mega smash Rise Up. As far the inspiration behind the song , December tells Kings, “Besides the grief of a crumbling relationship, the hardest part in moving on is realizing neither person ever really closed the door. ‘Hanging On’ really paints the melancholy of the process.” She first made waves her first single “Ball Game” which received a New Artist Spotlight award and was featured on AOL/Slacker Radio’s “New Pop First” channel. Give it a stream.
decemberroseofficial@gmail.com

Tech companies are about the data. For instance, when the techs discover that the photo of an A List celebrity gets less clicks while the ad spot without the photo gets more clicks; what is the answer? Well, the answer is simple, promote the ad spot without the celebrity photo. But that may hurt the celebrity feelings. In other words, technology can measure consumers desires and wants, and Hollywood is fighting against it. But will tech companies cave to Hollywood or will Hollywood cave to tech companies? The battle is raging.

For instance, Netflix Inc.’s executives were worried about ticking off Jane Fonda.

“After the streaming-video giant released the second season of the comedy “Grace and Frankie” in 2016, its product team put up an image to promote the show to U.S. subscribers that only included Ms. Fonda’s co-star, Lily Tomlin. Tests showed that more users clicked on the show when the photo didn’t include Ms. Fonda”.

The decision set off a high-pitched internal debate. The Los Angeles-based content team was concerned that Netflix risked alienating Ms. Fonda, and that the move could even violate her contract, while the tech group in the Los Gatos, Calif., headquarters argued the company shouldn’t ignore the data, according to people familiar with the discussions.”

In the end, Netflix chose to put images that included Ms. Fonda back in the mix”.

People in Hollywood aren’t numbers driven. What happens when numbers and provable tests are at odds with A-listers and image-conscious talent? CONTINUE READING

Maiya releases the new track Changes. Maiya tells Kings, ‘I wrote changes to show that we need to make a change and not just talk and argue about doing something, but actually taking actions to ensure Changes are made for the better”. At 18, Maiya keeps getting better and better. Her first two tracks Sidelines and No Stopping Me Now are fun, whereas her new single Changes is a bit more serious. Her debut Sidelines has clocked nearly 300k + streams on Spotify and won radio support from KDLW (106.3) Albuquerque, New Mexico, while garnering blog features in Unclear Mag and Vents. Give it a stream!
maiyamusicinfo@gmail.com, ryan@clutch32.com