Devon is an artist/producer from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, which he describes as ‘the middle of absolutely nowhere!’ in his bio. So it’s fair to say he was isolated even before this whole COVID-19 thing happened. This isolation led to him developing a DIY attitude towards everything music-related. Like learning how to produce his own music from his bedroom due to a lack of studio recording facilities.

With over 2 million Spotify streams to his name, he spent part of last year’s free time to explore other channels. He discovered a love for TikTok, where he developed an impressive US listener-base. In fact, it now exceeds that of his home country. Likewise he’s currently very active on Triller.

Next to connecting with his fans, he connected with other artists to co-create. Most notably, he collaborated with Bath brothers Ewan Merrett and Callum Merrett (a.k.a. Carte Blanche Music regulars Bad Sounds). They produced Devon’s single Why Do We Wake Up? (Before The Good Bit) and made a groove-laden remix of Trust Issues before. Now, they also co-wrote and produced his new single, the big alt-pop banger Warning Signs.

Devon explains: “The track has a wide meaning, which I like, but It definitely came from a time in my life when I felt like I was acting out of character and destroyed certain relationships in doing so. The song talks from a outsiders perspective looking at other people and us as a human race, and how we can sometimes destroy ourselves by living in denial of issues and sweeping stuff under the rug be it on a personal level or just on a human level.”

Recommended as well:
Devon – I Don’t Want 2 B Ur Friend

Follow Devon on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

Vistas are a Scottish trio, featuring Prentice Robertson (vocals) , Dylan Rush (guitar) and Jamie Law (bass). Sharing a love for acts like The Strokes and Two Door Cinema Club, they decided to form a band of their own. Soon, they played sold-out tours and supported artists like The Wombats, Circa Waves and The Kooks.

Last year, they released their debut album Everything Changes In The End. Their empty agenda left them enough time to write new material. Unfortunately, Robertson suffered from a writer’s block. He decided to write a song about the situation, which has now been released as the band’s first material of 2021.

The singer explains: “Start Again was one of the first songs I wrote after I took a bit of time off from writing. It is essentially a song about having writer’s block and the feelings that come along with worrying where your next idea is going to come from. I think getting this song down really helped to unstick any writer’s block I was having. It oiled the wheels of everything that would follow on from this track.”

It doesn’t take much imagination to hear a post-lockdown anthem in the song. Fresh and energetic, it’s an uplifting slice of indie-pop/rock.

Recommended as well:
Vistas – Everything Changes In The End

Follow Vistas on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

People say song structures have changed since streaming became the predominant way to ‘consume’ music. Choruses have moved forward, intro’s disappeared and overall, tunes became shorter. That may all be true, but with 30 years of radio experience I can tell you: I always loved songs without an intro. They sound great when played straight after a jingle. Take 2AM (Love Again) by Paloma for instance, and imagine a short and snappy station call right in front of it. Terrific sequence, isn’t it? But hey, let’s put the nerd stuff aside here…

In 2015, the young Washington trio Light Up The Sky released their debut single I Will Never. An album and four more singles later, they continued their career as Paloma. However, despite the name change, they resumed their musical path. That’s good news for fans of classically influenced guitar riffs and modern rock melodies. Think Paramore, for instance.

Only the 4^th single under their new guise, 2AM (Love Again) sounds like the track that could break Paloma at (rock) radio.

Follow Paloma on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

Saint Nomad are a band of brothers. Ruslan, Yan and Nikita Odnoralov were born in the Soviet Union, but grew up in Nashville, USA. After watching a VHS tape of a Radiohead show, they started experimenting with sounds, recording songs and traveling to perform them. They ended up playing 150 shows a year. In 2018, they released their debut album Memento Mori. Five more brand-new tracks followed, three of which came out in 2021.

The trio’s latest single, Stay, is their hardest hitting effort to date. Banging drums, fierce guitars and an uplifting rhythm make this an energetic affair. However, the track is rough on the outside, but soft on the inside.

“Stay was written as our anthem in response to the division we’re seeing in our culture and in our country”, according to the band. They further explain: “Seems like people are increasingly being pitted against each other, and we just want to foster love, understanding, and mutual respect. There’s nothing more powerful than truly loving people where they are at. We want people to be honest, express themselves, and still know that we can be family and friends. And we’re going to stay that way.”

Follow Saint Nomad on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.