In March, we introduced you to a terrific artist from the Philippines, Mary Ozaraga with “Outrageous Love.” A few months later, and a few fewer letters on her artist name, Mary is back with an ode to good humor.

As Mary herself says, "It's an invitation to dream, to take risks, to run, jump, leap - out of comfort zones." Yes, the song is also about Mary's journey as a musician and songwriter, a journey that hasn't always been easy, but one that she is proud of. Besides, who has already had a faultless course and in a straight line?

"DTTAH (Don't Try This At Home)" seduces from the first seconds with a deep voice, very assured and confident. The invitation to leave the house is felt before the thirty seconds, when the frenzied rhythm sets in. Then a super catchy chorus is already there before the one-minute mark which gives the song excellent potential to hook radio programmers!

To be honest with you, after the first listen, we took a break outside. The song didn't leave our mind "Come dadidum dadi" was still racing in our head several minutes after listening. Like an addiction that is impossible to get rid of! Which is a pretty good sign!

Back at the office, we let ourselves be tempted by the DIY music video, which ended up convincing us! This song has its place on IMC: the melody is catchy as hell, the production is very professional, the message is more than positive and can only encourage you to always look ahead. We want positive emotions. And Mary is the perfect example that by working hard, you become someone. Every dream is achievable if you give yourself the means.

You will hear on the last chorus of this joyful jewel, children happy to be there, and that will put a smile on your face for a few hours. And whenever bad news hits you, listen to this song. More effective than a charm or a magic bracelet, it is capable of driving out all demons. A gem you can find on our "Indie Pop Center" Spotify playlist.

Also, congratulations to the kids, who brought even more light and innocence, whether to the song or the music video.

Reach out to Mary Oz

Roger Sellers, better known as Bayonne, is an Austin-based singer-songwriter, producer and talented multi-instrumentalist. Since his debut album in 2016, the artist has come a long way, and evolves in a resolutely experimental and electronic melancholic universe.

Released on April 14, his latest single "Come Down" is based on a few intro notes, which will eventually become the common thread of the song. These few notes, repeated tirelessly, are gradually enveloped in warm vocals which contrast with the rather cold and dark atmosphere.

Bayonne leaves no room for chance, the production is incredibly well put together and many details sublimate his rather honest and direct lyrics, such as a magnificent piano which comes to suspend time after a minute and a half of pleasure.

Well thought out, produced with great attention, "Come Down" has nothing to envy to the best indie-pop jewels of its generation, and we can guarantee that the track will haunt your thoughts for hours, even days. A must-have in your chill playlists.

If you want more, his new album "Temporary Time" is on the horizon! It will be available on May 26. You can already pre-order it on vinyl on his website. And if you are lucky enough to live in the USA, the artist will begin a tour on May 30 that will start from Phoenix, AZ, passing through all the major cities of the country and ending at the end of June at his hometown in Austin. All dates to be found in the description of the Youtube video above.

Reach out to Bayonne

What if we broke a record today? That of the youngest artist featured on IMC! You probably remember Australian Declan Ryan, who was just 15 when he released "Where The Sea Ends" in 2019. Well, Presley Lewis comes from the UK and is... 13! Alright, he's going to turn 14... tomorrow! But still! He's now the new record holder.

With an infectious and catchy as hell melody, "Hold My Hand" is the new single from this young artist who has been releasing music since 2021. With a way of singing much more assured than in his previous releases, he matures over the months at extreme speed.

The writing theme? A love crush, of course! That's the best thing that happens at that age, and that's what inspires many artists. Yes, some might think the writing is a bit simple and naive at times, but believe it, we wish we could write songs at 11. And guess what? Presley wrote this song when he was on holiday at the age of 11... in the South of France! Yes, this is where your dear founder comes from. Seems like the stars were aligned from the start.

As Presley said: "I became friends with a girl on the beach and all I wanted to do was hold her hand". This brings us back, adults, a few years or even decades back when we had our first crush.

The song smells of iodine, summer, and innocence. And will probably haunt your mind for hours. We guarantee that before the end of the song, you will have already started to sing along.

Reach out to Presley Lewis

If you're looking for the next London sensation, look no further! There she is! Lexie Carroll, even before her twenties, panics all the counters, whether on her social media or her Spotify.

And there's probably a reason for that. When we heard her new single "tomorrow" for the first time, we were bewitched by the clarity of her vocals and the precision and mastery of her writing.

Recently signed to Seven Four Seven Six, the young artist has already appeared on BBC Radio 1 and is preparing an EP which will be released in May, from which "tomorrow" is taken.

It is a ballad that is both very complex in its production, so high the level of detail, and at the same time disconcertingly simple: the artist doesn't write down her thoughts, she sings them with sincerity. And when she feels safe with someone, she tells them!

"My new song is about feeling really safe with somebody. Like there could be a full-on apocalypse going on outside but sitting in their living room you're in your own bubble and everything's okay".

If like us, you are planning a romantic evening in front of Netflix for the return of "You", while the rain is gently falling on the windows, then you have the perfect soundtrack. Lexie Carroll's voice alone is fascinating enough to make you want to listen to her entire discography. And that's good, because although young, her discography is already very substantial.

Reach out to Lexie Carroll

Warning! Chills alert! Well, after all, isn't that why you wander around the pages of IMC? Let's go to Austria to discover the duo Tear Decline made of Maximilian Wörter and Hannah Albrecht. We were already in Austria two days ago with Tom Joseph, and it seems that this country is a real anthill full of talented artists! We said let's go to Austria because that's where these little geniuses hide, but the title of the song is "Amsterdam". Which is not in Austria, but in the Netherlands. Is everything okay, are you still following us?

Actually "Amsterdam" is more of a metaphor but you can basically replace it with any other place that suits you. The song brings a breath of fresh air to indie music, with sounds rarely heard before. From the first seconds, the classical guitar sound, brought with delicacy by Maximilian, takes you away! The journey begins with incredible vocal harmonies that set the tone: we will live a unique auditory experience. And Hannah's voice, solo on the first verse, welcomes us with an absolutely extraordinary sensation: it is warm and makes you want to hear more while carrying this ambient coldness and gloominess. Pretty impressive!

The harmonies are back for the chorus and we understand very quickly that Tear Decline is great art. The intensity grows little by little until the final chorus which will bring you the expected dose of chills.

The production is a rare beauty, with a precision that we have rarely seen, and was done by Hannah.

And after the first listen, we find ourselves with an immense void that has arrived too quickly, due to the short duration of the song, and we have only one desire: to listen again. Remember these two, because if they enchanted us so much from their first feature here, you have a good chance of seeing them again on our pages.

Reach out to Tear Decline

When we celebrated the transition to 2023, we at IMC knew that this year would bring us its share of good surprises. And the return of Daniel Etherton is one of them. And what a return! A real slap in the face. But rest assured, it's a slap that feels good!

So, for those who don't know Daniel Etherton, is an artist passionate about art in general, who comes from the UK, and who even hosts a podcast called "Art Club" which you can find on his website. We almost wrote "folk artist" because that's what Daniel had us used to when we met him in June 2021 with "Disappear". In an equally relaxing and calm genre, the Double-A side "Good in Goodbyes & Sand", which we presented to you in October 2021 also seduced us.

But beware, the Daniel Etherton of 2023 is completely different. No trace of the artist in 2022, and for good reason, he was working in the shadows on his debut EP. And the first single is Mona Lisa, out today on all platforms. Get ready for radical change. No more relaxing folk, hello powerful and frenzied pop.

With a super production worthy of Imagine Dragons, Daniel tries his hand at a more punchy, more alternative, and more daring genre. And it works! An overflowing energy, whether in the melody or in the vocals, in which Daniel gives everything. In "Mona Lisa", the singer addresses the character painted by the Italian Leonardo da Vinci, the canvas famous throughout the world for more than 500 years, and exhibited in the Louvre, in Paris. When music meets painting, the result is explosive.

Daniel addresses Mona Lisa as if she were real, fascinated by her intriguing gaze and her smile which is not one. Fascinated to the point of declaring his love for her in the first verse: "I can't believe I'm on my knees under your spell". Then the message becomes more direct: "I want you all for myself".

And in just 35 seconds, a super catchy chorus arrives without warning and takes us to the game of seduction. For the art enthusiast that is Daniel Etherton, it is ultimately logical that he wants to kidnap her. But more than an art enthusiast, we discover in this song a secret admirer ready to do anything to conquer his Renaissance heroine.

The desire, the passion, the love transpire in each line of the song, until the last line, which is also the first: "I'm staring at the Mona Lisa". This is where the song ends abruptly as if the singer had just woken up from a dream he had while contemplating the painting. For those uninitiated in art, it may seem a bit crazy to fantasize to such an extent about a work of art. But when it gives birth to a masterpiece like this song, it's perfectly justified.

And if you just listened to this whole song, and you wonder if it was a dream... no, it was real. This banger is undoubtedly one of our biggest favorites of 2023.

Reach out to Daniel Etherton

Are you ready to dance? Let's go to Sweden to meet Karl Jakob, a philosopher and music producer, who has been making music for over a decade! He began as the guitarist and saxophonist for the Grammy-nominated band Zekes in the early 2000s and later released his first self-produced indie pop album under the name The Key Key in 2012. He has also released two albums and two EPs with the Malmö-based indie band Feelium.

Karl Jakob's latest release, "I guess I'll never know" is a dynamic and catchy power-pop track, written thirteen years ago during a time of self-doubt and unrequited love. Despite multiple iterations over the years, the song never saw a formal release until now. By infusing elements of 80s disco and rock, Karl Jakob has crafted a single that is a standout in his debut album "Mayfield Meadows", also out today. The track is a personal reflection of Karl Jakob's journey and experiences, and it showcases his distinct style and signature sound.

It's a song that features a catchy and upbeat melody that is immediately engaging and makes you want to dance. The use of synths in the track adds a modern and dynamic element that gives the song a fun and upbeat feel! The combination of the catchy melody and the use of synths creates a sound that is both nostalgic and contemporary, making it an instant earworm. Honestly? It's hard not to tap your feet or move your body to the rhythm. Overall, this enjoyable track is sure to get you in a good mood, even if the lyrics are full of self-doubts. Get ready to add this banger to your pop playlists, because you won't be able to live without it anymore.

Reach out to Karl Jakob

After Lyrika and Karl Jakob, this is the third time this week that IMC has set down in Sweden. And we already told you why: the Scandinavian countries are like a nest of super talented artists.

What seduced us first with Julia K was her angelic voice. The kind of voice that conveys any emotion with disconcerting ease. No, no need for vibrato or fantasies, this voice is simple but very effective!

With such a short duration, barely more than three minutes, we did not expect such a gradual increase in power until triggering the thrill we were looking for.

The song evokes those moments when you don't really know how you feel. And sometimes we find ourselves lying without really meaning to, as Julia explains:

"When someone asks you ”Are you ok?” and you say yes, but you're really not. So you lie”.

But who are you lying to, then? According to the artist, you're lying to everyone, including yourself:

"I started writing about this because I was tired of lying everyday, to everyone else and to myself".

The artist also confided that she wrote the song with her guitar in about 2 hours. The simple things are often the most powerful, and that's the case with this song that is sure to find a comfortable place in your playlists.

Julia K, who says she is very private, often finds it difficult to express her feelings, and it is in music that she has found a way to convey them. An ideal refuge, and which today offers the world this timeless little gem.

Make sure to show some love to this very promising artist!

Reach out to Julia K

If you're actually feeling a bit low, here's a song to cheer you up! "Making It" by Unruly Mane has been released today! It's a catchy and upbeat pop-folk track that showcases the band's diverse musical background and their ability to blend different genres together. The band, formed by married duo Leea Scarola and Steven Scarola, draws inspiration from their Irish and Italian roots to create a unique sound that is both nostalgic and modern.

With lyrics about perseverance and making the most out of life, the song is a positive and uplifting anthem that will get you singing along and tapping your feet.

The brass instruments add a sense of energy and excitement to the song, while the choirs provide a strong sense of unity and community. Together, these elements help to create a festive and celebratory atmosphere! It also adds a layer of nostalgia and tradition, that ties in with the band's desire to honor their Irish and Italian roots.

The blending of the different vocal styles and timbres creates a rich and dynamic sound that adds depth and complexity to the song. It also enhances the emotional impact of the lyrics, making them more powerful and relatable. The way the vocals are mixed and produced also contributes to the professional and polished sound of this little gem!

Overall, "Making It" is a well-crafted and enjoyable song that showcases Unruly Mane's potential as a band, a testament to the band's skill and dedication to their craft. You can feel their passion for music through every single line, and this is what really caught our attention. Ready to add this banger to your playlist?

Reach out to Unruly Mane

Our pool of North Carolina artists is still very active! And it's a pleasure for us to welcome The Collection for the third time! One week away from Valentine's Day, the band returns with a romantic pop ballad that will give you wings.

It is true that we are currently in a rather gloomy context, and yet, it is not impossible to be happy and in love. Without feeling guilty! Quite challenging, we agree, but it's doable. And that's what this song is all about, as the band says: "it's about finding and being in love despite everything around you - and the entire world - seemingly in shambles. And how you don't feel guilty because at least you're feeling something during such tumultuous times".

With David's voice as its unique vocal signature, the song would fit perfectly in a disaster movie announcing the end of the world. Moreover, the song can be found alongside the two previous IMC Features ("Won't Stop Yet" and "Get Lost") in an EP called... "How to Survive an Ending".

Opening only with a piano, the song grows over the minutes to end in apotheosis with beautiful strings, brass, and choirs. Everything to make you think that in the end, this world is not so gray.

Reach out to The Collection

Let's start with a warning. This song is radically different from anything you've heard on IMC so far. I discovered this song when a heavy rain was falling on my roof window, just above me, when Jenny was singing "I'm staring at the sun". Quite funny, eh?

Let's go to London to meet 3Times7. With years of experience performing and jamming together, the band has honed their talents and now has the opportunity to perform all over the world. Their particularity is the soulful female vocals of Jenny Lawrence.

The band has created an upbeat and lively track in "Wait!", which boasts rich and complex four-part harmonies thanks to their collaboration with Hayley Ross and Steve Bright of the band Futurism. The addition of drums and percussion played by the extremely skilled Ian Wilson adds a dynamic and full sound to the track.

While "Wait!" departs from the traditional blues and jazz style that these guys are known for, it still maintains the band's signature energy and musicianship, while incorporating a more pop-influenced sound that is still easily recognizable as a 3Times7 original. This track is perfect for those who need a boost of energy, it's sure to lift your spirits with its upbeat and catchy melodies.

Overall, it's a well-crafted and enjoyable song that showcases the band's talents and versatility. It's a must-listen for fans of soulful blues and pop music, and it's a perfect example of how 3Times7 is able to blend different genres and create something unique and exciting. Just be careful: the melody is highly addictive and you'll have it running in your mind for hours. Oops. Days. Or even more.

Reach out to 3Times7

We can almost say that within a week, the circle is complete. On February 4, 2022, we introduced you to Stephen LaVine with "Never Knew My Ghost" whose chorus melody still runs through our minds. In a more Singer-Songwriter genre than his indie-folk brother Thomas, Stephen is no less talented.

The first thing that will perhaps seduce you is his extraordinary voice, very comfortable in all tones. Good news: we find this warm and bewitching voice in his new single "Brilliantly", out today. And the least we can say is that we missed this voice!

What we appreciate in Stephen LaVine, is especially his personality. A very altruistic human being, very accessible, of incomparable kindness and without the slightest doubt, someone on whom one can count. His music is a bit like a cloud on which he takes refuge: he climbs on the cloud to contemplate what is happening below and begins to write. But for all that, he keeps his feet on the ground and has a humility that will always amaze us.

As we wrote a few years ago about The Satellite Station, or even about his brother Thomas LaVine, we think Stephen is not 100% aware of his talent and potential. And in our opinion, he doesn't realize how touching his music can be.

"Brilliantly" is kind of a break. As if the artist had taken a break to concentrate on his surroundings and his situation, to finally realize that everything is not so bad and that today he has everything he needs and everything it takes to be happy. That's exactly what Stephen told us about the song:

"It's pretty contemplative and explores the idea of being content with your lot in life and learning to find true joy in the ones you love. For me, That’s my wonderful kids and wife. It’s easy to get caught up in the goals I’m chasing and the things I’m trying to accomplish but I want to live by the idea that I have enough in the people around me. I want a resolve that says “If I died today I could be fully content with how I spent my days.” That’s what I’m after and that’s what I aimed to capture with this song."

This is a question that will cross the mind of any human being, at any moment of their existence, if we think about it. If we were to die today, are we happy with all that we have accomplished and with all that surrounds us? In any case, we hope that you are happy and that this new little gem that will be added to your playlists will contribute to this happiness.

With clever writing and a very elaborate melody, Stephen offers us yet another masterpiece. Obviously, his second child born in 2022 gave him the impetus he maybe lacked. And we love that. The caterpillar becomes a lovely butterfly, slowly, beautifully and... brilliantly (yes, too easy!)

Reach out to Stephen LaVine

We met Gold Spectacles in November 2020 when they released the incredibly catchy pop song "Lothario".

"How to Make a Million" is the latest single from UK-based duo Gold Spectacles, a song that is both an emotional and personal journey for the band. Written and recorded in the duo's South London studio, the song is a blend of analog synths, interweaving guitar lines, a whimsical mellotron, and Amie's heartfelt lead vocal.

The band stated on their latest Instragram post that the song is the most difficult and truthful one they have ever composed. It is about the aftermath of the death of Amie's father, who passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2017.

The song tells the story of the loss of a parent, something that is both unexpected and devastating. The lyrics are raw and honest, capturing the emotions of grief and the difficulty of coming to terms with the loss. The band's frontwoman speaks about the song, saying "Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a parent. The hollowness, the emptiness, the unfinished conversations, the unexpected guilt."

It's definitely a powerful example of how artists can use their personal experiences to express grief and convey deep emotions through their music, as this one is a powerful and emotional journey that showcases the band's raw talent and ability to tell a story. It's also crazy how they can manage to create a very catchy melody, especially in the chorus, that really contrasts with the pretty sad and emotional lyrics.

"How to Make a Million" is the second single from Gold Spectacles' upcoming EP, which is set to be released in May 2023. The release of this EP will be eagerly anticipated by fans and music lovers alike.

Also, it's worth knowing that the duo is also producing music for amazingly talented artists. You can find their work on their website.

Reach out to Gold Spectacles

2 features in 3 months in 2020 for The Hollow Men on IMC, with "Silence" and "Coming Down". Then nothing. Ah yes, a collab with Francis Moon in 2021. But no trace of the artist in 2022. And we were seriously beginning to despair.

Fortunately, the talented Swedish singer-songwriter Dennis Sjöström is back with a new single, "Said", much more pop than the previous indie-folk releases to which he had accustomed us. With several million streams already on his counter, Dennis could add as many with this new song, as it has so much potential!

Wonderfully crafted, with a production that contains countless details that you will only be able to hear with quality headphones. On a melody imbued with melancholy and sad vibes, the singer aligns words of despair, when he discovers that the person he used to know is not the one he believed. A real and heartbreaking disillusion, which you have to successfully confront in order to move forward.

As Dennis said about the song, it's "about the harsh reality of realizing that someone you thought you knew, isn't who you assumed them to be. It's about how we can often be blind to the red flags that are so blatantly obvious to everyone else and how, in some relationships, we can gradually change into someone we're not. When it ends, we're left wondering if any of it was even real".

Having known this after more than 30 years with the person who gave birth to me, I can guarantee you that the blow of the club hurts a lot, and its effects have a hard time disappearing over the years. And as Dennis says, the red flags were obvious though. But no one knows why our brain sees nothing, and acts as if the situation is normal, as Dennis sings in the final part which sounds like an elevator that goes up, up, up, until it crashes fatally and inevitably on the floor: "How could I be so blind?".

"Said" is a very relatable song and above all invites you to reflect on what surrounds you: appearances are sometimes deceiving. But concerning this song, they are not: it is one more masterpiece to add to the already marvelous discography of The Hollow Men.

Reach out to The Hollow Men

I'm going to reveal a little "manufacturing secret" to you here. When I go through new songs, I listen to them one after the other, blind. I don't look at the screen, I often close my eyes and I try to capture the emotion. And when I heard this voice, I said to myself "This voice sounds familiar". So I had to open my eyes to realize it was James Ghareeb, already featured 2 times on IMC, in December 2020 with "I Remember" and in August 2022 with "Crooks" (if you listened to the first episode from my "Indie Hour" podcast, it's possible this one is still fresh in your mind).

Yes, our Los Angeles-based indie-folk artist teamed up with some bandmates to create the band After Kepler. Completely different from his solo project, the sound of After Kepler is much more pop, like The 1975. By the way, if you love The 1975, there is a huge probability that you will fall in love with the sound and the universe of After Kepler.

The song, which is only the band's second single, is meant to be festive, as James explains: "This song is experiencing a wonderful night full of wonderful adventures whether you're in Los Angeles or anywhere across the world."

The song opens with beautiful vocal harmonies, very worked, with a production that already exceeds all our expectations, in just a few seconds. Then follows a very effective intro, punctuated by some funky vibes which are not unpleasant. As the pre-chorus starts to make you shake your head, the super catchy chorus will keep you dancing for hours.

James Ghareeb's vocal ease is revealed in the second verse, and the song begins to gain more and more momentum and positive energy. With a solo sax that marks a deserved break without losing the energy of the song, "Beers On Mars" invites you to enjoy the present moment, and despite its duration of more than 4 minutes, leaves you with the impression of "too short ". Too bad for the repeat button, we're going to kill it.

Reach out to After Kepler