In 1997, singer, rapper, songwriter and producer Imani Coppola debuted with her fresh, happy and sunny album Chupacabra, where she played most violin, guitar and synth parts herself. How about that for a multi-talent? Her Donovan-sampling single Legend Of A Cowgirl became a huge hit, prompting her record label to demand the artist to make a second sample-heavy album. She refused and was dropped. End of story? One hit wonder? No way!

Coppola took the DIY route and continued making albums. Also, she teamed up with Adam Pallin as Little Jackie (who’s 2008 single The World Should Revolve Around Me is still a gem), and she arranged and played strings for Dido and Hanson.

Now, she’s back in the spotlights again. Ahead of her upcoming album New Protagonist, she just released the dynamic, bold, energetic and ultra-short single Rattle. An overtly political statement, addressing the current state of the United States.

Coppola says about it: “This is not the time to shy away from difficult subject matters. Now is the time to grab them by the f**king balls. (…) As soon as I took the proverbial earplugs out of my ears, I cried for days. I felt so ashamed for having tried to hide from it. How selfish and foolish of me to not want to be a part of this. I needed to make music as entertaining and upsetting as America itself is right now.”

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John Gooding, Ollie Green, Christy Hoyles and James McGonigle are four 19-year-olds from Peterborough (UK) with a ‘we are really just regular guys’ attitude, who collaboratively call themselves Among The Citizens.

As young as they may be, the band have their own distinct sound, drawing influences from ‘80s gods The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen, to modern-day heroes like Two Door Cinema Club and Foals. Think dreamy vocals and layers of instrumentation including infectious guitars and memorable synthesisers, and you have an idea of what to expect.

Lead singer John Gooding describes Next Time as ‘the breakdown of communication between two people; where each other’s thoughts and emotions are always pushed back. Left until the end to talk about, where the questions you both ask always go unanswered and no problem seems to have a clear solution to it’.

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

When studying in Bath (UK), four students were put together entirely randomly as part of a ‘musical project’, and asked to, quite simply, ‘write a song’. Soon, they discovered they all had a fixation on the warmth and nostalgia of ‘70s and ‘80s pop, drawing inspiration from artists like The Cure, Cyndi Lauper and Culture Club. Listening to their own songs, I’d say more contemporary influences come from bands such as Pale Waves, Haim and Anteros. All of those have featured on Carte Blanche Music multiple times, so what can go wrong? Well, nothing, basically…

After a hand full of singles, Swimming Girls will put out their debut EP Existential Fears in 14 June. 1 2 Many is its first single. Billed as a break-up song, the track channels the reckless, self-destructive feelings that can sometimes follow a break-up, tapping into the insecurities of us all. However, 1 2 Many is a call to embrace your mistakes and ‘rejoice in momentary romantic relapses’, instead of dwelling in the self-deprecating feelings that are so easy to turn to in these situations.

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