Darling Magazine

NERiMA is a young alt-indie rock band from Toronto who pay homage to their punk-rock roots while mixing in the modern alt scene. NERiMA explores a unique mix of genres in their sonically diverse music. With influences ranging from rock bands like Green Day and Paramore to alternative breakthrough artists such as Twenty One Pilots and Arctic Monkeys, this new and growing band showcases a variety of sounds: upbeat instrumentation with powerful vocals, mellow songs with softly-sung, hard-hitting lyrics, and much more in between. Made up of Alexi, Alex, and Connor — the three musicians explore their diverse individual tastes and mix them into one distinctive sound. With the unique musical backgrounds of each member, NERiMA’s passion is driven by life-long musical interests and experience, inspiration from their favourite artists, and even admiration of music's place in modern society.  While most members have long histories with their instruments and their love of music, all three cont...

by Molly Wroe Future East London soul superstar Nikaa is setting the mood with her gorgeous new single ‘Joy’ - a dreamy, sun-soaked ode to love with a buttery voice and very sweet acoustic instrumentals. The track starts with an almost twinkly guitar riff, reminiscent of the bedroom pop genre that we’ve seen skyrocketing to popularity in recent years, with some gentle vocal ad libs over the top. It’s casual, it’s slow and it feels like a lazy Sunday morning, drinking coffee in a warm conservatory; if you could hear the feeling you get from a sun spot in the kitchen window warming your face, that would be the opening to ‘Joy’. By the chorus, the instrumental has picked up a minimal amount of drums just to keep that drowsy, romantic tempo, which allows Nikaa’s vocals and lyrics to shine throughout the song. She credits Amy Winehouse and Etta James as two of her musical inspirations, and her lower range echoes that, whilst her higher notes give me goosebumps and an affectionate feeling in...

by Emily Duff bigfatbig are a three-piece all-girl band based in the North-East of England who have recently released their new single, Milk and Vinegar. I had the honour of being sent this track before its release to be reviewed especially for Darling - a very exciting new addition to Issue Two.  Bursting onto the local music scene in late 2019, the band serves to prove that females' abilities are continually underestimated having been able to make a name for themselves in such a short amount of time. Having performed at events like BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, getting Radio 6 airplay, and landing places on BBC Sounds’ The Hot List, bigfatbig already have an abundance of support and experience behind them. This can be clearly heard in their music that gives off strong confidence and passion. Despite being newly formed, the tracks they have released so far are consistently bangers that get stuck in my head for weeks. Using a funky, upbeat tempo the tune stays true to lighthearted pop...

How did you meet each other and what's the story behind your band name?   Iris: We originally all met each other at an afterschool club.  Phoenix: And it was a slight mess at the start. Iris: Originally we had 6 members with four guitarists. Phoenix: Yeah, complete nightmare. Lucy: And after the first year, half of the band had left, leaving Phoenix Iris and me so we were stuck for what to do.   Matilda: And then, I had met Lucy at the start of year eight, and I joined as the keyboardist.   Lucy: And that’s how we got our current line up.   Phoenix: Now onto our name, there was this guy who ran part of the club and he absolutely despised us, and he would go on these rants, to our faces, about how we were timewasters.   Lucy: And we really liked that as a name, so we decided to go with that as it was quite funny at the time, but now holds a lot more meaning as it shows how much we've progressed since then What’s been your greatest experience as a musician? L...

What’s been your greatest experience as a musician? I would actually say my greatest experience as a musician has been seeing my progress in music. I've been singing and playing the piano as early as 5 so it's genuinely been amazing to see myself growing into a musician and artist I'd hope 5-year old me would love! Which artists inspire you? I take inspiration from many artists! I'd say my main inspirations would be Jeff Buckley, John Martyn, Erykah Badu and Maynard James Keenan  Do you think there has been a gender imbalance in the music scene? And if so, what can we do to reduce that imbalance? I have noticed quite a large gender imbalance in music. I think my main issue is wording like 'female fronted' or 'female producer' etc. It seems in the music industry being female and not just being a stand-alone singer is something out of the ordinary. I would also say there needs to be so much more female representation at festivals! There is such an amazing ...

What’s been your greatest experience as a musician? I have been brought up to love music my whole life and I always knew it would have a huge impact on my future. While learning to DJ as a hobby, my passion lies in singing and performing. I never really got to show my talent until I joined a youth group when I was 14 and got asked to be apart of the band. I have been singing there at my church for 3 years until I recently left after leaving school and starting new commitments. Although singing at my local church doesn’t seem like a lot it was a great experience and I grew my voice and confidence so much! Having been involved in this I met many many talented friends which lead me to release my very first song “new life” on the 3rd of April 2020 with the “basement collective” a project that my good friend, Kyle Svensen Began in December. I was then lucky enough to be asked to be 1/3 performers from the basement collective to open for a gig here in Auckland New Zealand, singing my VERY OW...

by Will Gough Being her second EP, Abbie  Ozard’s  ‘let’s play pretend’ takes on a different  theme  from her original ‘Growing Pains’ EP whilst still maintaining her light, playful sound, catchy  vocals,  and fun tunes that are decorated with a sprinkling of sad lyricism.  Ozard  continues her streak of making her songs slightly too relatable, but instead of the  blossoming, coming-of-age  lyrics heard in ‘Growing Pains’, ‘let’s play pretend’ instead focuses on balancing a more romantic version of escapism from daily life with a more sombre need to just get the hell out of here, perhaps representing the time in which the EP was made in. The opening track ‘pink sky (endless summer)’ is a fun, playful song with driving guitars and catchy – if not  somewhat melancholy  – vocals about a summer romance. The other indie banger (and arguably the  catchiest ) is ‘true romance’, a peppy track reminiscing about  the spontaneit...

Indian Artist, Soumita Saha, believes in losing herself and finding herself riding the boat of art sailing along with waves of creativity. Soumita stayed passionate about art since childhood having pursued a degree in Architecture she entered the international music industry holding the hand of EDM. The 28-year-old Artist is a successful playback singer in India and a reputed painter.  Soumita's Artwork has been displayed at various Art Gallery in India. She earned international fame when her artwork "Conscience of India " got Exhibited at Portland's Artreach Gallery. The sensational painter is known for her versatility and capability to fuse abstract forms of art with realistic forms. She participated in many International Exhibitions and some of her artwork like "Aberrant, Cortege of Facial Lineament, Afflatus"  got immensely popular amongst Art Enthusiasts and Critics from different corners of the Globe.

by Alice Fletcher London’s Flo Gallop has exploded onto the pop scene in the only way she knows how: bold, loud and honest, her debut single ‘21’ is a no holds barred depiction of life in your 20s.                                        An ode to the music and spirit of early 2000s pop, she effortlessly combines a dominating bass line with an electro finish, her unmistakable South East London accent a welcoming hallmark of the upcoming sound of Flo Gallop. In an attempt to capture a generation, Gallop has successfully thrown everything and more into her first release, proudly establishing herself as a powerful force in pop. Gallop’s painfully relatable lyrics anecdotally tell the tales of spirited youth: “stained Reeboks, Converse high tops, caller ID just been unblocked”. The singer-songwriter takes on the role of the unapologetic best friend, comfortingly recounting their days. From goi...

 

Peyton Stilling is carving out a niche as a must-see pop singer-songwriter in the vein of Maggie Rogers, Lianne La Havas and John Mayer. Her seamless blend of soulful vocals, heartrending lyrics and polished pop production results in an infectious sound that’ll keep you coming back for more.  Following the release of her debut single “Forest Through the Trees,” which has gained over 200k streams on Spotify alone, Stilling is unveiling the poignant and sincere “Healing.” Inspired by heartbreak, the raw and honest song sees the songwriter letting us into some of her most vulnerable moments. Stilling confides, “Healing was written during quarantine. I’d just broken up with my boyfriend and had to move back in with my parents, and I had no money or job. I had all of this time on my hands, but felt no motivation to write anything.” The track is a form of self-therapy, helping the musician to come to terms with a difficult situation and simultaneously reminding others in similar circumst...

imojen is releasing a new track, Angus, an unapologetic,   feminist ballad , accusing men of passing down their internalised misogyny to their sons. Inspired by artists such as   Lucius   and   k.d. lang, imojen’s  vocals and   tangled harmonies   are positioned as the focus of the piece as she depicts woodlands, country clubs, wildfires and graveyards in a haunting protest. Tracing a map of her   emotional   journey, imojen reveals  cynicism, rage, malice and contempt, but shows no signs of weakness. Indulgent   and   imaginative,   Ang us creates a space for fantastical vengeance, empowerment and escape. Following the release of Angus this February, imojen  will be working to release a range of new music throughout 2021 & 2022, with their first album on the horizon.