Alert! Alert! New music is upon us and it’s coming to us from some pretty wicked rising alternative stars. Music is, more often than not, simply a story with that sweet added factor of some beats. Not only do these rising alternative stars have songs and EPs with a little narrative, but there’s even a cool story behind them. So let’s get down to learning more about the story behind the music.
‘Manic Pixie Dream Boy’ – Ray Laurél
If you’re looking to rock out, then Ray Laurél is the person for you! The London-based artist’s newest song ‘Manic Pixie Dream Boy’ is an addicting, alternative rock bop you don’t want to not hear. Like with every song, there is a story behind it and according to Ray himself, it all started with Hinge.
I was talking to this guy on Hinge for ages; he listened to stuff like Merzbow, had a whacky fashion sense, and was pretty intense. It got really deep and out of the blue he just unmatched me. I was kinda taken aback, I scrolled through Instagram and saw this article [Are we living in the age of the Manic Pixie Dream Boyfriend?] and was like, yep. He was a Manic Pixie Dream Boy. Someone free-spirited and refreshing, but yet remains unavailable. This song also comes as a reflection as to how I’ve definitely played the role of an MPDB myself. It’s like a realization that sometimes my intense, somewhat overly-romantic nature can be toxic as hell.
Ray Laurél
We are loving ‘Manic Pixie Dream Boy’ and have been playing on a loop since its release. Though, it isn’t the only song Ray has released. He’s also got ‘Hunter Schafer‘ which is yet another bop you need to listen to stat! Also, heads up; he’s got an upcoming live show in Oslo, Hackney on June 2nd.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RAY LAURÉL
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE
‘Cry Neon’ – Nox Holloway
It’s been around three months since Euphoria aired its season 2 finale, and we still can’t get over it. With the popular HBO show taking a long hiatus, we need something to hold us over until then. Luckily, the Nashville-based band Nox Holloway is coming in clutch with their music video ‘Cry Neon!’ The whole thing looks right out of a scene from Euphoria, which is totally intentional considering the visuals are based on a scene in the show.
Nox Holloway‘s lead singer Bryce Vanhook goes into more detail about the specific scene in the show, which you might already be familiar with.
‘Cry Neon’ was inspired by a scene in the show Euphoria, and is basically a conversation between two people at a party that are there and participating in the social ramble even though they don’t want to be. We wanted the track to feel way more futuristic and spacey to contrast the intimacy of that idea, which is intended to play into that irony.
Bryce Vanhook
Outside the visuals though, ‘Cry Neon’ has an upbeat, energetic, EDM-like sound which would be the perfect fit for your next dance party or any party for that matter!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NOX HALLOWAY:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Red In Revenge EP – Sophie Powers
To be honest, Sophie Powers’ music brings us back to the early 2000s alternative and punk rock music era when Paramore, Avril Lavigne, and Linkin Park ruled the scene (and still do!) While Sophie Powers does remind us of the Y2K alt punk-rock period, she also has a sound of her own. Case in point: her debut EP, Red In Revenge, has classic punk-rock elements with experimental splashes of rap. These hybrid punk-rap sounds can be heard in her tracks ‘Greed’ featuring DE’WAYNE and ‘U Love It’ featuring $atori Zoom, which are bangers!
Red In Revenge details the trials of coming of age, from friendship breakups to self-discovery, all in the killer, cool Sophie Powers way. You can listen to the rest of the EP here and be sure to be on the lookout for more of Sophie in the future.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOPHIE POWERS:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
Fever Dream EP – Lia Rye
Do you like Lorde? How about Bring Me The Horizon? Against The Current? Good, because Lia Rye is someone else you need to add to your playlist. Plus, we have another London-based artist here. South London, to be exact. (London is killing it with music this week, huh!) Lia’s debut EP, Fever Dream, is a mellow, alternative pop-rock masterpiece. Each song manages to tell a narrative while adding in real, raw emotions.
Her title track, ‘Fever Dream,’ for example, tells a story of an artist who tries to create but is frustrated with failing. Meanwhile, ‘Habits’ is about a self-centered person who makes their own reality at the expense of others and themselves, only to later realize that they won’t measure up to how people want them to be. Ultimately, ‘Habits’ is about not caring what people think of you, which is something Lia describes more in-depth herself.
It’s sort of bittersweet as I learnt not to make excuses for unacceptable behaviour, but I had to ponder on the journey it took for me to gain that understanding.
Lia Rye
There’s something more to Lia’s songs than just the surface level and we can tell she put her heart and soul into this EP. Even beyond the music, she wants to break down stereotypes for Black artists and just share her love of alternative music with everyone. Authenticity is something we really admire here at THP, so like heck we’re going to not share where to listen to Fever Dream! Go wild and take a listen to Lia’s debut EP right here, honeybees!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIA RYE:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Now that you know the story behind the songs, doesn’t it make you love them so much more? Which rising alternative star are you officially stanning? Let us know down below in the comments or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! You can also hit us up on Facebook and Instagram. We love chatting with our fellow honeybees!
For more rising alternative stars, or just stars in general, check us out over here!
