March 21st, 2022
werner's weekly
Werner’s Weekly (week 12)
This is Werner’s Weekly, your compass to new music that matters, containing the two most recent Carte Blanche Music Wildcards, and the best of the other new releases in alphabetical order:
- Haley Ganis – Just Pretty
(Wildcard this week) - Iris Gold – Crushed Velvet
(Wildcard last week) - Beka – Don’t Call Me A Friend
- Brooke – That’s Rich
- Gorgeous – Divine
- Nazzereene – That’s How I Like It
- Tommy – Uninvited Attention
Click the links for more info and listen to each of the tracks via the Werner’s Weekly player below.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist. Also added last week: Arcade Fire, Fickle Friends, Skunk Anansie, and more.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackJasper Erkens – Both Hearts On Fire
Jasper Erkens – Both Hearts On Fire
Jasper Erkens is already something of a phenomenon in his country of birth, Belgium. He won his first awards when he was 15, scored his first hit a year later and was, as a 16-year-old, the youngest artist ever to play the prestigious Rock Werchter festival. Since then, the story has only gone better… He graduated with distinction at BRIT School in London as a singer, producer and songwriter, following in the footsteps of Amy Winehouse, The Kooks, Katie Melua and many others.
Nowadays Erkens is based in Amsterdam. He moved there after he was offered a record deal by Universal Music. Since 2019 however, he’s an independent artist again, but he remains based in the Netherlands. There, he encountered Emil Landman, with whom he co-wrote his new single Both Hearts On Fire. A lovely, upbeat pop song with an organic sound thanks to the strumming acoustic guitar, sparse string arrangement, swinging handclaps and lush drums. An electric guitar solo, courtesy of David Smith, makes sure the track ends on a high.
Recommended as well:
Am I Scaring You, My Love?
Hop On The Rhythm
Follow Jasper Erkens on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackHedda Mae – Rhythm To Myself
Hedda Mae – Rhythm To Myself
Hedda Mae tracks have been on the Carte Blanche Music playlist for a few years in a row now, and her new single only affirms our fandom. Many of her contemporaries indulge in self-pity and produce emo-core or dark-pop in their bedrooms. But this rising talent from Norway has chosen a more cheerful path.
So far, Hedda and her collaborator Benjamin Giørtz wrapped her tunes in a nu-disco sound. New single Rhythm To Myself however leans more towards the ‘90s. Its Eric Prydz-like pumping beat almost drowns in epic synths, while sound effects, cowbells and funky guitars lighten it up.
Hedda calls the track ‘an in your face bop about being done wasting time on people who lower your spirits, when all you wanna do is have fun – and dance’. She adds: “Who says we’re dependent on others to have a good time? With Rhythm To Myself, the quirkiness and playfulness in the Hedda Mae universe are taken to a new level. Not everything has to be so serious all the time!”
Following Introducing: Hedda Mae and The Early Struggles Of A Late Millennial, she’ll complete her planned trilogy of EP’s this autumn. Also, a full album is on its way.
Recommended as well:
Sitting Down Here (De Neste)
Madness
Follow Hedda Mae on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackPrince Bishop – Roman Roads
Prince Bishop – Roman Roads
What is a Prince Bishop, you might ask? Well, that’s a historical figure from Durham. This British County was a virtually independent state for many centuries. It wasn’t ruled by the King, but by powerful ‘Prince Bishops’. In 2022, these influential leaders are the namesakes of an upcoming Durham-based guitar band.
In anticipation of their debut album All Is Due, scheduled for release in May, Prince Bishop just released their sophomore single. Roman Roads is a guitar-laden, psyche-rock inspired track that recalls early Radiohead, as well as Foo Fighters and even Rush. Featuring a joyous, falsetto-driven chorus, it encourages listeners to forge their own path and embrace the inevitable bumps in the road.
“I wanted to write a song about how the best lessons in life are those which are hard-won”, Prince Bishop frontman Ben Trenerry said. “We live in a world of easy wins, but nothing worth having is easily attained is it?“
Follow Prince Bishop on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackMamas Gun – Good Love
Mamas Gun – Good Love
Mamas Gun are preparing for the release of their sixth studio album Cure The Jones, due out on 1 April. It was recorded direct to tape with analogue gear at front man Andy Platts’ home studio in just three days. A press release promises the 11-track record will be their most complete and powerful work to date. ‘A joyous and sophisticated exposition of song-craft, that explores themes of love, loss, life through the most pressing social and political issues of the day’.
Good Love, arguably one of the best tracks on the album, is Mamas Guns’ new single. Blending warm bass and organ grooves with funky guitars and caramel-smooth vocals, this is classic R&B for modern times.
Platts says about the track: “This is a love song, no doubt about it. But it was really prompted by life in the pandemic which forces you to reflect on what you have. The thought of getting through this pandemic alone like so many others out there – on top of everything else like work struggles and raising children – was overwhelming. So it is about counting your blessings, the constant and dependable love of your significant other.”
If Mamas Gun hadn’t published this ‘disclaimer’ with the video themselves, I would’ve done it for them: “Rated ‘G’ for ‘Groovy’”.
Recommended as well:
Looking For Moses
Golden Days
I Need A Win
Follow Mamas Gun on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackDarinka – How’s The View?
Darinka – How’s The View?
Darinka is the artist name that Los Angeles-based actress Chloë Berlinger uses for her musical career. A career which starts right now, by the way, for How’s The View? is only her debut single. Although she’s been writing music for as long as she can remember, this was also the first song she ever recorded, and it’s been a long time coming. Production for the track began in 2019’s pre-pandemic era and was only completed in October of 2021.
As a young girl, Berlinger was a metal head and pop-punk aficionado. Nowadays, Darlinka draws inspiration from all things creepy, mental health, film and influences like Marina & The Diamonds and Lorde. She uses dense synths, dark lyricism and traditional acoustic instruments to create her own style of alternative electro-pop. Or in her own words: ‘grim pop music’. Lyrically, How’s The View? touches upon the wealth gap in America.
Follow Darinka on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackStumble Steady – Transducer
Stumble Steady – Transducer
Stumble Steady is essentially the one-man band of South Florida-based indie pop/alternative artist Garrett Kealer. He is the act’s frontman and songwriter, but when not writing, producing or performing, he runs his own brewing company. Beers and bops, what a great way to spend your time 😉. I haven’t got to try Kealer’s brews yet, but I can tell you his songs are tasty!
Inspired by acts such as Cage The Elephant, Gus Dapperton, The 1975 and Dayglow, Stumble Steady combines elements of indie pop, indie rock, bedroom pop, alternative, lo-fi, and folk. Transducer is his new single. With its driving guitars, bass and drums, and unorthodox synthesizers it produces a colourful soundscape. The song also features co-vocalist Cara Harpest’s debut vocals.
The idea behind the track is to turn the bad to good. Kealer explains: “When dealing with OCD it’s incredibly easy to get overwhelmed with intrusive thoughts and to get lost in self-made false realities. The idea behind Transducer was to take all of this negative energy and turn it into something positive that helps myself and others feeling a similar way.”
Follow Stumble Steady on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track
Mansionair & Kim Tee – Next High
Sydney trio Mansionair will put out their sophomore album Happiness, Guaranteed on 29 April. The 15-track record will be made up of two halves. Its first half will consist of tracks that only feature the three musicians themselves. The second half will focus on Mansionair’s many recent collaborations with the likes of Dom Dolla, NoMBE, Yahtzel and Claptone & Like Mike. New single Next High will be on that second half as well.
Next High sees the Aussie troupe team up with Minneapolis-based producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Kim Tee (real name: Hayley Briasco). Mansionair’s Jack Froggatt explains: “We met Hayley backstage on the 2019 Laneway tour. She plays with Clairo and they always played directly after our set. So we kept running into her and catching each other’s performances. After keeping in touch over the years she sent us an idea she had for a song and the rest figured itself out.”
With its slick, bass-heavy groove, guitars drenched in reverb and sparkling synths, Next High is a laidback feel-good tune. In Froggatt’s words: “The song attempts to capture that feeling of just being hopelessly obsessed with someone and not needing a reason to hang out with them.”
Follow Mansionair on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Follow Kim Tee on Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single trackMaddy Jane – It’s A Lot
Maddy Jane – It’s A Lot
Maddy Jane is the stage name of Madeleine Jane Woolley. She made her debut with the single People, and collected its follow-up singles on her first EP Not Human At All (2018). The singles after that found a home on Maddy Jane’s 2020 debut album Not All Bad Or Good.
Since then, she’s released three brand-new songs, which hopefully indicates a new EP is on its way. Like its predecessor Island Time, Maddy co-wrote and recorded her new single It’s A Lot with producer Chris Collins (Gang Of Youths, Ruby Fields, Azure Ryder, Skeggs). It’s A Lot is an up-tempo song with driving drums and bursts of acoustic guitar, which give it a great energy.
Maddy Jane says about the new track: “It’s A Lot is a freeing but slightly frustrated song about the cycles we go through, like when you are watching yourself and others make the same mistakes that have been made before and they struggle to find a way to break these habits.”
Recommended as well:
Perfection’s A Thing And You’re It
Follow Maddy Jane on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
single track, wildcardWildcard (week 11):
Wildcard (week 11):
Haley Ganis – Just Pretty
Haley Ganis grew up in New York, where she graduated from AMDA (The American Musical and Dramatic Academy). A month after, she landed her first role in the independent film ‘Cathy Coppola’. More roles followed, but Ganis currently focuses on her career as a singer and songwriter, based in Nashville. She specialises in bittersweet, honest and nostalgic perspectives on life. If you like renforshort, Julia Michaels, beabadoobee and Olivia Rodrigo, be sure to get to know Haley Ganis as well.
Later this year, the rising indie-pop artist will release a new EP. Just Pretty is the first single to be released ahead of it. A great song with an accessible pop-punk inspired sound.
“I am so incredibly proud of the journey this song has taken”, says Haley. “What started out as a ballad, eventually made its way to a kickass anthem that I’m obsessed with. I couldn’t have done it without my producer, Dylan Maloney, and all of the amazingly talented musicians who played on this track for me.”
Here at Carte Blanche Music we’re obsessed with Just Pretty by Haley Ganis as well. It’s our new Wildcard, so it’ll feature at the top of the blog for a whole week!
Follow Haley Ganis on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.
I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
